1. RAGONWINGS Laurence Yep by The True Story D

2. Laurence Yep  He was born in San Francisco in 1948 and still lives in California.  Dragonwings is part of his Golden Mountain Chronicles series.  His other series include Chinatown Mysteries and the Dragon of the Lost Sea fantasies.  He adapted Dragonwings into a stage play performed in New York.

3. But there’s a story Behin d the story

4. Fung Joe Guey  He was also known as Feng Ru or Fung Yue.  Born in the Guangdong Province of China in 1883, he immigrated to the U.S. when he was twelve.  He ended up in Oakland, California.  He taught himself mechanical and electrical engineering.

5. The First Success From The Oakland Tribune, September 23 rd, 1909

6. The First Success  It was September 21 st (or September 22 nd ) 1909 at approximately 6 p.m.  He flew in the hills of Piedmont, California, a small town surrounded by Oakland.  The flight was at a height of around ten feet.  After 20 minutes, a broken propeller bolt caused him to crash.  Fung suffered minor injuries – mostly bruises – in the accident. This bust of Fung was first at the site of his workshop, which is now part of Laney College.

7. The Second Plane  This new plane was made out of steel pipes and silk fabric.  It first flew successfully in January of 1910 for about four minutes.  He made several other flights in 1910, attracting a lot of attention.

9. Return to China  Sun Yat-sen requested that Fung return to China, possibly to develop military uses for the plane.  Fung arrived on March 21 st, 1911, bringing a plane or two with him.  Fung also wanted to bring electricity and other technology to his homeland.  Sun Yat-sen made him the first head of the air force. This is a replica of Fung’s first plane built and flown in China in 1912. It’s housed in a museum in Nanjing.

10. Tragic Death  He died on August 25 th or 26 th, 1912.  He was making an exhibition flight in front of around 1,000 spectators.  While attempting to ascend sharply, his plane likely stalled out.  He crashed into a bamboo grove, causing bamboo to pierce his body.  His memorial stone reads: “Pioneer of Chinese Aviation.” Fung’s monument at the Mausoleum of the 72 Huanghuagang Martyrs

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