Richard Pearse - Pioneer Aviator

Richard Pearse (1877-1953) was one of the very first men to fly in a power driven aeroplane, lifting into the sky on a sunny afternoon, from the farming settlement of Waitohi, in the South Island of New Zealand. Only a few school boys were watching the world's first powered flight on 31st March, 1902 - the day before April Fools' day.

To find out more about Richard Pearse visit the pages of the Museum of Transport & Technology of New Zealand or read the feature article in The Chief Engineer .

Geoff Rodliffe , one of my father's first cousins, is an aviation professional and historian who has researched extensively the Pearse story and played a major role in the construction of a replica of the Pearse aeroplane.

Click here for Geoff's other books about Richard Pearse.

This latest edition of Geoff's book on 'Richard Pearse' is the 4th edition, reprinted for the Centennial of power driven flight in 2003. In softback with 32 pages (30x20cm), it chronicles the achievements of this modest genius, including extensive technical details of his aeroplanes, eyewitness accounts of his flights, and an evaluation of his claim to fame as the first man to fly in a power driven aeroplane.