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Thomas Fitzpatrick (pilot)

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Thomas Fitzpatrick
Born
Thomas Edward Fitzpatrick[1]

(1930-04-24)April 24, 1930.
Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York, U.S.
DiedSeptember 14, 2009(2009-09-14) (aged 79)
Westwood, New Jersey, U.S.
Known forTwo intoxicated flights from New Jersey landing in New York City.
SpouseHelen Fitzpatrick.
ChildrenThomas E. Fitzpatrick Jr, Daniel F. Fitzpatrick, and Stephen P. Fitzpatrick.
AwardsPurple Heart
Aviation career
Famous flights"Late Night Flight."

Thomas Edward Fitzpatrick (April 24, 1930 – September 14, 2009), nicknamed Tommy Fitz, was an American pilot known for two intoxicated flights where he flew from New Jersey and landed on the streets of New York City.[2][3]

Flights

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While intoxicated, Fitzpatrick, a resident of Emerson, New Jersey,[4] stole a single-engine plane from the Teterboro School of Aeronautics at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey at approximately 3 a.m. on September 30, 1956,[5] and flew without lights or radio before landing on St. Nicholas Avenue near 191st Street in front of a New York City bar where earlier he had been drinking and made an intoxicated barroom bet that he could travel from New Jersey to New York City in 15 minutes. The New York Times called the flight a "feat of aeronautics" and a "fine landing". For his illegal flight, he was fined $100 (equivalent to $1,120 in 2023) after the plane's owner refused to press charges.[6][7]

On October 4, 1958, just before 1 a.m., Fitzpatrick, again intoxicated, stole another plane from the same airfield and landed on Amsterdam and 187th street in front of a Yeshiva University building after another bar patron disbelieved his first feat. For his second stolen flight, Judge John A. Mullen sentenced him to six months in prison, stating, "Had you been properly jolted then, it's possible this would not have occurred a second time."[3] Fitzpatrick said "it's the lousy drink" that caused him to attempt the stunt.[2]

It is believed that Fitzpatrick's goal was to land on the field of George Washington High School.[3]

Personal life

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Fitzpatrick worked as a steamfitter with the Enterprise association of steamfitters Local 638 of New York City & Long Island for 51 years. According to Fitzpatrick's brother, Fitzpatrick lied about his age in order to serve in World War II and joined the US Marine Corps at the age of 15, fighting in China. Before being discharged from the Marines two years after World War II, Fitzpatrick learned to fly a reconnaissance aircraft. He then joined the US Army and was stationed in Japan. He was scheduled to return home when the Korean War began. Fitzpatrick became the first person from New York City to be wounded in Korea. According to one report, "he was wounded while driving an ammunition truck to rescue some American soldiers trapped by Communist fire".[citation needed] He received a Purple Heart for his service.[8] He was a member of the Township of Washington Golden Seniors, Our Lady of Good Counsel Men's Group, VFW Post # 6192 of Washington Township and the China-Marines Organization.[9]

Death

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A resident of Washington Township, Bergen County, New Jersey, Fitzpatrick died of cancer on September 14, 2009, at the age of 79. He was survived by his three sons, Thomas E. Jr, Daniel F., and Stephen P. Fitzpatrick, and his wife of 51 years, Helen (Fratinardo) Fitzpatrick.[9][unreliable source?]

Legacy

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Fitzpatrick has a mixed drink named after him for his feat called the "Late Night Flight".[10]

References

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  1. ^ "Thomas Edward Fitzpatrick". GENi Family Tree. November 25, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Again He Pulls That Stunt Of Landing Plane on Street". Eugene Register-Guard. October 5, 1958. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c Kilgannon, Corey (June 4, 2013). "Long Ago, a Pilot Landed on an Uptown Street. That's Where the Bar Was". New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  4. ^ "Bergen Pilot Pleads Guilty; Emerson Man Admits N. Y. Street Landing", The Herald-News, March 29, 1957. Accessed May 16, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Thomas Fitzpatrick, 26, of 15 Dogwood Lane, Emerson, charged with performing an almost impossible plane landing on a New York street, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of a criminal information pending against him."
  5. ^ 1956-10-01. "Flier Who Used Street As Port To Face Court" (pages 1 and 2). The Record. Archived from the original (pages 1 and 2) on 2020-05-31. Retrieved 2020-05-31. – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ K. Thor Jensen (July 10, 2013). "8 Real Real American Heroes". Mandatory. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  7. ^ Todd Van Luling (April 17, 2014). "8 Things Even New Yorkers Don't Know About New York". The Huffington Post. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  8. ^ "Double Dare and the Art of Drunken Flying…". Check-Six.com. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  9. ^ a b "Thomas E. FITZPATRICK's Obituary on The Record". NorthJersey.com. September 16, 2009. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
  10. ^ "A Drunken Bet Leads to a Airborne Stunt". The Dinner Party Download. September 20, 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
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