Flying Governor

A Flying Governor

Governor Trumbull becomes first governor in the nation to qualify for a pilot’s license
and makes his first solo flight, ca. 1928 – Hartford Public Library, Hartford History
Center, Hartford Times Collection and Connecticut History Online.

Plainville is also the home of John H. Trumbull, who served the state as governor from 1925 to 1931. Although no relation to the previous Connecticut governors with whom he shared a name, Trumbull became famous in his own right when he developed a passion for flight. A resident of Plainville since childhood, Trumbull earned his pilot’s license at the age of 53 and became known as the “Flying Governor” when he began piloting his own flights to gubernatorial functions. He also helped found an airport in Groton that still bears his name. For years, this airport operated under the guidance of another Plainville man, John N. Kelly.