Beatty

George William Beatty was born on August 28, 1887 in Whitehouse, New Jersey, graduated from high school in 1904 and was employed as a linotype operator. In June of 1911 he enrolled at the Wright School at Nassau, soloing on July 23 of that year.

Early in 1912, Beatty established a school on Long Island and the next year he shipped his Wright plane to England where he formed a partnership with Handley Page in February 1914 to establish a flying school at the Hendon Aerodrome. Joining him as chief pilot instructor was Edouard Baumann, later of Ruffy-Baumann.

During 1915 Beatty also started an aeroplane parts business at Hendon which prospered through World War I, making wing and tail assemblies and various sub-contract work. Several variants of the Wright design were built by Beatty and his staff but in 1916 he saw the need for a good reliable training machine. A simple two bay machine was designed and built, initially powered by an Anzani but later by an engine of Beatty’s own design. Unfortunately the machine crashed on 13 October 1917, killing its pilot Stanley Cownie.

After World War I the training business slumped and Beatty worked for the British Government for a time in closing out war contracts. He gave up flying and, although he returned to the United States for a visit in 1921, stayed in Europe and went into the motorcycle engine business. He remained in the motorcycle business there until the business depression of 1929 forced him out of the field. Returning to the United States, Beatty did not find a permanent position until 1934 when he returned to the printing business with the Hughes Printing Company of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.

Beatty passed away very unexpectedly on February 20, 1955, at age 67.