About Floyd Bennett
Floyd Bennett (October 25, 1890 – April 25, 1928) was a United States Naval Aviator who, along with then USN Commander Richard E. Byrd, made the first flight to the North Pole in May 1926. However, their claim to have reached the pole is disputed. == Biography == Bennett was born in Warrensburg, New York, in 1890. He was an automobile mechanic before he enlisted in the Navy in 1917, during World War I. Bennett attended flight school, learned to fly and was rated as an Aviation Pilot. Bennett served with Richard E. Byrd on an aviation survey of Greenland in 1925, on which Byrd came to respect his ability as a pilot. === North Pole flight === Byrd named Bennett as his pilot for an attempt to reach the North Pole by air in 1926. The expedition was financed by John D. Rockefeller Jr., Edsel Ford, Vincent Astor, Rodman Wanamaker and T.F. Ryan. Bennett was at the controls on May 9 as the two men made their attempt, in a Fokker tri-motor called the Josephine Ford. They returned to their airfield in Spitzbergen on that day. During the flight, one of the aircraft's engines developed an oil leak.
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