Hawthorne C. Gray

Who is Hawthorne C. Gray?

Hawthorne Charles Gray was a captain in the United States Army Air Corps. On November 4, 1927, he succeeded in setting a new altitude record in a silk, rubberized, and aluminum-coated balloon launched from Scott Field near Belleville, Illinois, reaching 42,470 ft, but died during his descent after his oxygen supply became depleted. The record was recognized by the National Aeronautical Association, but not by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale because the dead aeronaut "was not in personal possession of his instruments." Gray was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his three ascents on March 9, May 4 and November 4.