✈️This geocache is dedicated to Frank Stites (1882-1915). He was an early aviation pioneer. Stites died March 16th, 1915 in Universal City, California around 4:30PM after he ascended at 4:12PM. He was recreating a scene for the opening of Universal City, California that he had already successfully shot for a short film called, The Mysterious Contragrav (1915, 26 minute short, Universal/101 Bison) reviewed as;
“...filled with thrills of the most sensational characters. Aviators pursuing each other while flying at 60 miles per hour, throw bombs and grenades, one of which brings an aeroplane crashing to the ground. Incidentally Frank Stites the noted aviator was killed while filming this picture- to add interest an auto crashes over a steep cliff into the ocean. O yes there's a story here and a wonderful story at that.”
(Universal City in 1915, Left. Current-day Universal Studios Gate 3, looking east)
For the scene, there was a dummy plane suspended from wire between two hills, 20-250 feet from the ground. Stites was directed to drop a fake bomb on the dummy plane below him while flying over it. The dummy plane had a powder magazine attached with wire to a battery on the ground. It is reported that he flew 300 feet high that tragic day and fell from 60-150 feet and that 500-2,000 people watched him 💀. There are mixed reports as to if he died immediately upon impact or on the way to the hospital on the lot. Multiple sources stated Stites had a broken leg and internal injuries. His death certificate states that Stites' cause of death was, "Fracture of the skull accidentally falling to ground from aeroplane." It is reported over multiple sources that his body hit the Earth before his plane, which crashed less than 10 feet away from him.
Stites crashed his plane specifically where the present-day Sign Shop is located on the Universal Studios backlot.
(Stites' story of his death and featured image and artwork from LA Times 3-17-1915)
Below is the last image ever taken of Frank Stites alive. Taken by U. K. Whipple, staff photographer for the Animated Weekly. He developed the photographic plates 4 1/2 miles away from the scene of the accident, all in a half an hour after the crash. Stites is the pilot flying above, the smoked dummy plane below.
Frank Stites deserves to be remembered and recognized for his contributions to both early aviation and flying in cinema.
🌎 The geocache you're looking for is a magnetic nano cache with a log-only. Adult height. Bring your own pen!🌍
