Location: Tomahawk Hwy, at Town Hall, Harrels
County: Sampson
Original Date Cast: 2025
Lieutenant Belvin Womble Maynard (1892–1922), widely known as “The Flying Parson,” was a pioneering figure in early American aviation. A native of North Carolina, Maynard rose to national prominence through his record-setting flights and his unique combination of religious vocation and aeronautical daring.
Born in Morven, Anson County, Maynard moved with his family in 1905 to a farm near Harrells in Sampson County. From a young age, he demonstrated mechanical aptitude, regularly repairing farm equipment. At fifteen, he declared his intention to enter the ministry. He attended the Dell School in Delway and later Wake Forest College, where he studied theology. While still a student, he was ordained and began preaching.
With the U.S. entry into World War I, Maynard enlisted in the Army and joined the Army Air Service. He was deployed to France, where he tested aircraft for combat readiness. After the war, he returned to the U.S. and transitioned to reserve status, intending to resume his theological studies. However, aviation soon took precedence.
In August 1919, Maynard entered a round-trip air race between Mineola, New York, and Toronto, Canada. Flying a British-designed Airco DH.4 bomber, he completed the 1,042-mile journey in under eight hours, winning the race and gaining national attention.
Later that year, he participated in the Transcontinental Aerial Derby, a major aviation event organized by Brigadier General Billy Mitchell to promote military aviation. The race required pilots to fly from Mineola to San Francisco and back, stopping at twenty designated points. Maynard, flying his DH.4 bomber Hello Frisco, was accompanied by mechanic Sgt. William Kline and his German Shepherd puppy, Trixie.
Despite mechanical setbacks, including a ruptured radiator and a broken camshaft in Nebraska, Maynard completed the round-trip journey in nine days, four hours, and twenty-five minutes, setting a new world record. He won multiple categories, including shortest elapsed time and fastest flying time for the westbound leg. Notably, he became the first person to fly from New York to Chicago between sunrise and sunset, completing the 810-mile leg in nine hours and twenty-nine minutes.
Of the sixty-seven aircraft that began the race, only eight completed the round trip. Twelve pilots or mechanics were killed, prompting public concern over aviation safety. Nevertheless, the race significantly advanced public interest in aviation and contributed to the development of commercial airfields, including Maynard Field near Winston-Salem, which opened in November 1919 with Maynard making the inaugural landing.
Maynard’s fame grew, particularly in North Carolina. He flew to Raleigh at the invitation of the News and Observer and later attempted a flight to Wake Forest with Governor Thomas Bickett, the first time a North Carolina governor had flown. Although the flight was aborted due to landing difficulties, it underscored Maynard’s symbolic role in the state’s aviation history.
In 1920, following a scandal that led to the cancellation of a planned transcontinental flight, Maynard resigned from the Air Service. Though he announced a return to the ministry, he instead became a barnstorming pilot, performing aerial stunts, officiating weddings mid-flight, and even delivering sermons from the cockpit. His performances grew increasingly hazardous.
On September 6, 1922, during an exhibition at the Rutland, Vermont fairgrounds, Maynard’s aircraft stalled during a spin and crashed, killing his two passengers. Maynard succumbed to his injuries en route to the hospital. He was honored with a funeral procession in New York City and interred at his family’s farm in Sampson County.
References
Arthur, Billy. “The Flying Parson of Sampson County.” The State, 55:9 (February 1988), 12–15.
Bowers, Ray L. “The Transcontinental Reliability Test.” Air Power Historian, 8:1 (January 1961), 45–54; 8:2 (April 1961), 88–100.
Corn, Joseph J. The Winged Gospel: America’s Romance with Aviation, 1900–1950. 1983.
Lancaster, John. The Great Air Race: Glory, Tragedy, and the Dawn of American Aviation. 2022.
Maurer, Maurer. Aviation in the U.S. Army 1919–1939. 2004.
“Maynard Field.” Forsyth County Historic Marker Program. cityofws.org
Norris, Mrs. Garland. “The Flying Parson.” The State, II:18 (September 29, 1934), 18.
Parramore, Thomas C. First to Fly: North Carolina and the Beginnings of Aviation. 2002.