Lawrence Sperry Lawrence Sperry Lawrence Burst Sperry (21 December 1892, Chicago, Illinois, United States – December 13, 1923, English Channel) was an aviation pioneer. He was the third son of the gyrocompass co-inventor, Elmer Ambrose Sperry and his wife Zula. Sperry invented the first autopilot, which he demonstrated with startling success in France in 1914. Sperry is also credited with developing the artificial horizon still used on most aircraft in the early 21st century. On 13 December 1923 Sperry took off amid fog in a Verville-Sperry M-1 Messenger from the United Kingdom headed for France but never reached his destination. His body
Aviator Arena Aviator Arena Aviator Arena Sports and Recreation Facility is located on the site of the former Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, New York. Aviator Arena hosts sporting events and shows throughout the year, and the occasional air show. The field outside the arena is still used as an official heliport by the New York Police Department (NYPD). Once inside the indoor entrance to Aviator Arena, an entire inner wall tribute several stories high is dedicated to the history of Aeronautics which took place on the site of the sports facility and the people of flight who made the former Floyd