Frank A. Van Dersarl

Frank August Van Dersarl (1895 – 1983) was a self-taught pilot and aircraft builder of early aviation the Colorado. Van Dersarl owned an aviation company, and taught flying; also owned the Denver Union Airport.

Biography

Early years At the age of 12, Van Dersarl started assembling, with help from his brothers, a Louis Bleriot aeroplane from plans purchased from France. He flew his Bleriot XI airplane on August 10, 1911 at Sable Airstrip located in Aurora, Colorado at the junction of Sable Blvd. and the Union Pacific railroad tracks. Sable Airstrip was known for a favored location for early flyers and auto racers. During these young years Van Dersarl also built and flew a glider, which was built from a booklet ordered from a London company. It crashed on its first flight. In 1931, Van Dersarl designed, built, and flew an unnamed biplane to 13,000 feet, with a speed of 28 miles per hour; claimed to take-off within 10 feet.