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Midland 101: Pliska plane took flight 100 years ago this spring

1/19/2012

8 Comments

 
_ One need only look at our aviation history to appreciate just how far we have come in a short period.

   One-hundred years ago this spring John Pliska, a Midland blacksmith, aided by local auto mechanic Gary Coggin, completed construction and test flew his own airplane after witnessing the stop over of the Wright Brothers’ Model B aircraft in Midland in 1911. Though he dropped $1,500 on engine costs, Pliska’s aircraft was greatly underpowered and could only withstand brief flights of 15 minutes at a time.

   According to “The Pioneer History of Midland County,” “The open-cockpit craft, made mostly from buggy and windmill parts, had a 33-foot wingspan, a 27.5-foot fuselage and was 7.5 feet high.” Pliska, according to the Texas State Handbook Online, would make his biplane less airworthy when he replaced a cheap canvas with a more expensive balloon silk on the wings. It was not until after Pliska’s repeated tinkering with the craft that it was finally able to fly 1-2 miles between rests.

   The Pliska Plane hangs today over the baggage claim area at Midland International Airport.

-- Jimmy Patterson

8 Comments
Bill Kenner
2/11/2012 08:20:14 am

His name was Gray Coggin,not Gary ,,let's get it right.He was my greatgrandfather.

Reply
robert coggin
3/14/2019 08:56:46 am

My great great grandpal is Gray not gary.

Reply
Diann Tucker
8/27/2012 10:37:21 pm

I need a book as soon as you get then published. My great grandfather was some of the early settlers there. My daddy wants a book. Hope there are pictures too.

Reply
C.Argo
7/19/2013 01:18:13 pm

Was/Is this book published? I know of the listed release date on this blog, but I can't find any purchase info anywhere..

Reply
c.argo
8/20/2013 02:36:40 pm

Just checked Facebook page. Best of luck on the second half! I'll keep checking in and hoping for the final publication!

Reply
c.a.
5/4/2014 07:26:02 am

I once heard a tall tale of a book that was going to be written about Midland Texas....

Reply
Jay Burns
10/7/2014 04:44:46 am

Pliska and Coggin never put balloon silk on their plane. They did dope the canvas with shellac, but balloon silk was too expensive and they were already in debt with the purchase of their $1500 engine.

Reply
paul tanner
7/30/2018 04:53:50 pm

burns is correct about 60% of the original canvas was still on it. part of it was damaged by a leak in the roof at the old display building built in the early 60's. this is a light canvas that was coated with a thin layer of shellac. James Pliska said they never flew higher than a couple hundred feet. The families pressured John and Gray from flying more.

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    About the Blog

    Welcome, and thanks for your interest in what will be a rewarding trip through our shared past. This "History of Character" blog is only the beginning. A book by the same name -- "A History of Character: The Story of Midland, Texas" -- will be published September 2014. Through this blog you'll be able to track the progress of the project and learn along with the book's author, Jimmy Patterson. If you have stories to share that you think deserve mention in the history of our city, drop an email to historyofcharacter@gmail.com.

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