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Roy Knabenshue

Roy Knabenshue


Roy Knabenshue (1876-1960) was one of the first pilots of lighter than air dirigibles. In 1904, Knabenshue piloted the California Arrow, one of the first dirigibles in the United States, at the St. Louis Worlds Fair. In 1905, Knabenshue raced the California Arrow against a Pope-Toledo automobile from Curtis Park in Los Angeles to the Raymond Hotel in Pasadena. Knabenshue won the race by a margin of two minutes. In 1909 Knabenshue was the manager for the Wright Brothers Exhibition Flying team, booking their events. At the 1910 Los Angeles Air Meet, Knabenshue piloted a dirigible involved in numerous events.