Lloyd Wilson Bertaud
| Lloyd Wilson Bertaud | |
|---|---|
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Bertaud circa 1920-1924
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| Born |
September 20, 1895 Alameda, California |
| Died | September 6, 1927 (aged 31) Atlantic Ocean |
| Cause of death | Air crash aboard Old Glory |
| Occupation | Pilot |
| Known for | Record setting flights |
Lloyd Wilson Bertaud (September 20, 1895 – September 6, 1927) was an American aviator. Bertaud was selected to be the copilot in the WB-2 Columbia attempting the transatlantic crossing for the Orteig Prize in 1927. Aircraft owner Charles Albert Levine wanted to fly in his place, and an injunction by Bertaud against Levine prevented the flight. The prize was won by the aviator Charles Lindbergh.
Bertaud was born in Alameda, California on September 20, 1895. As a boy, he built and flew in a glider from Popular Mechanics plans. He was a licensed pilot at the age of 18. In World War I, Bertaud served in the U.S. Air service as a lieutenant.
On September 6, 1927 Bertaud and fellow air-mail pilot James DeWitt Hill flipped to see who would pilot the Fokker monoplane, the Old Glory and Hill won. Bertaud, Hill and Phillip Payne took off in the overweight plane over the Atlantic Ocean. The plane did not make it to the destination, only a 34-foot section of wing was found 700 miles east of Cape Race, Newfoundland. Bertaud was lost at sea.
In 1928, the Ontario Surveyor General named a number of lakes in the northwest of the province to honour aviators who had perished during 1927, mainly in attempting oceanic flights. These include Bertaud Lake (50°54′N 90°43′W / 50.90°N 90.71°W), Hill Lake (50°34′N 90°46′W / 50.56°N 90.77°W) and Payne Lake (50°51′N 90°32′W / 50.85°N 90.54°W).
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