The First Plane Landing In The Town Of Schodack

The Schodack area never had an airport within it's limits. There was a light plane crash in the late 1950's at the former Harris apple orchard near Muitzeskill. It was crop dusting the apples when it hit a power line and went down. There has been a number of helicopters landing within town but this rememberance goes back to the early days of flight. To the Wright Bros. As was told to me by older residents many years ago probably the late 60's.
Flight was in it's early stages. The date I am talking about was circa 1909. The first attempt to fly from Albany to NYC was made around this time. The pilot was following the Hudson River as his main navigation device. Apparently, engine trouble of some sort began to occur. He chose to land the plane just outside the Castleton Village limits. According to witnesses to the event the plane flew off the Hudson River route and flew across the village. This was no doubt a major sight. An actual flying machine as they were often called back then attracted real attention. The pilot was looking for a place to land . As this was the only choice back then as airports or airfields were practically unheard of. It was not uncommon for many years to land in farmers fields especially hay fields. There was not much choice , even into the 1920's. He landed off the now Maple Hill Road. That area was all farm land into the early 1960's before housing developers began to build the suburbs on this part of the town.
The landing was apparently successful. Pilot lived and was uninjured. Walked to the nearest phone and called his sponsors. Mechanics sent down by train that afternoon. A Pierce Arrow Automobile was sent to pick up the pilot. As can be imagined this was an event...big.....event. Word got around and people walked , drove , saddled up horses to go see this marvel of the Wright Bros. The farmer who owned the land decided he had a money making opportunity. By late afternoon he set up a rope fence and charged a nickel admission charge. By late morning of the next day {probable early summer} the mechanics fixed the problem , tested the engines and the Pierce Arrow returned to Schodack from Route 9-j. Remember these were dirt roads back then. Grass was cut and packed down by several local children and adults to make a better runway. The engines reved up the mechanics held onto the wings for a brief moments to add power to the take off like a catapult action. The plane took off to applause and returned to the Hudson River route and flew south.
Modern technology had arrived and left. By the way the Pierce - Arrow was a big deal as well. People went back to their lives as farmers and teachers and mechanics etc. As time went on it was essentially forgotten. Massive War was on horizon. The first transcontinental flight was 2 yrs away with multiple stops and crashes , aero planes were to become major weapons in a few more short years later. Appx 19 yrs later the first non stop transatlantic flight would take place. I recently talked with a Mrs Rowley of Queens , NY. She saw Charles Lindburg fly over their family farm in Ireland on that historic flight. She was a young child and that was the first plane she ever saw. Her Father lifted her on his shoulders to seemingly be closer to this then epic event. This was probably how this event felt to those that witnessed it. A few recalled it as we landed on the Moon the first time. From 4 winged open cockpit aircraft to space travel , to me still an amazing leap within single lifetimes. Remembered and related in the early 20th Century.