Departures of note

Augustus Post was an American adventurer who helped shape the early automotive and aviation industries. In 1902, he founded what became the American Automobile Association (AAA) and later helped establish the Glidden Auto Tours, a series of long-distance driving competitions that promoted a national highway system. He also set a North American balloon distance and duration record in 1910, flying with Alan Hawley in the balloon America II, a record that stood for 95 years.

Post was born in Brooklyn in 1873 to a wealthy banking family. After attending Amherst College and Harvard Law School, he traveled the world by rail and steamship in 1898. He then bought an early Duryea automobile and became a vocal advocate for improved roads and auto safety. He established the nation's first parking garage and first bus service, and he received the first traffic ticket in New York City. In 1904, he conceived of an auto cup race that became the Glidden Auto Tours, and he drove his custom White Steamer in the first three tours.

Post was also a pioneer in aviation. He was the thirteenth man to fly solo in an airplane, and as a founder and secretary of the Aero Club of America, he served as official timer for Orville Wright's record-setting 57-minute flight in 1908. He worked with Alexander Graham Bell's Aerial Experiment Association and with Glenn Curtiss, testing aircraft and helping to develop early flight technology. He advocated for air mail service, coined the term 'airport,' and designed the first air mail route, which was flown in 1918. He also helped establish the aeronautical engineering program at New York University, enlisting his former Amherst classmate, President Calvin Coolidge, to endorse the program.

Post survived numerous crashes and near-disasters, including a balloon fall of nearly 5,000 feet in Berlin in 1908 and being sucked into a cyclone during a race in 1911. He was also an actor, author, and musician, appearing on Broadway and writing books and songs. In 1914, he predicted transatlantic flight and inspired hotel owner Raymond Orteig to offer the $25,000 prize that Charles Lindbergh won in 1927. Post died of a heart attack in 1952 at age 78, having remained active in aviation and civic causes until the end of his life.