Tom Gunn (Tan Gen) with his trophy at the International Aviation Meet, 1910
Los Angeles, California
Courtesy of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, NASM 79-10048
Born and raised in San Francisco, California, Tom Gunn was a daredevil pilot who constructed his own airplanes. He represented China in the 1910 Los Angeles International Aviation Meet, earning the nickname “Wright of China,” which alluded to the American flight pioneers. After the revolution, the new republic sought Gunn’s help in leading China’s nascent air force.