Ben T. Epps

Ben T. Epps

Ben T. Epps

The father of the state's aviation, Ben Epps—inventor, mechanic, and aviator

Amelia Collier

4/14/16

Hudson, Paul Stephen. "Ben Epps." New Georgia Encyclopedia. N.p., 06 Dec. 2002. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.

Jackson Alexander Griner

New Georgia Encyclopedia

English

The father of the state's aviation, Ben Epps—inventor, mechanic, and aviator—was the first Georgian to build and fly an airplane. Over a thirty-year career Epps was an innovator who instilled a love of flying in many young Georgians, including his own children. Aviation Pioneer. A native of Oconee County, Georgia, this mechanic became a self-taught aviator. Known as “Georgia’s first aviator” he built the Epps Monoplane in 1907, followed by five new designs. The 1924 model of his Epps Monoplane weighed less than four hundred pounds, had a twenty-five feet wingspan and was powered by a two-cylinder motorcycle engine. It got twenty-five miles to the gallon and traveled at speeds of up to sixty miles per hour. In 1917 he opened an airport and operated an airplane service. He died of injuries received when the engine in one of his light bi-planes failed shortly after take off. All six of his sons and two of his three daughters followed in his footsteps by becoming pilots. The Athens/Ben Epps Airport in Athens, Georgia, is named in his honor.