In 1907, Ben T. Epps, a 19-year-old mechanic and electrician from Athens, Georgia, built and flew the first airplane in Georgia. ò Although it flew only 100 yards, it heralded the birth of aviation in the Peach State.ò During the next 30 years, Epps built and flew a number of aircraft, including his 1912 Monoplane.ò In 1919, Epps and L. M. Rolfe opened the Rolfe-Epps Flying Service offering flying instructions, aerial photography, and passenger flights.ò In 1922, the Clarke County commissioners granted Epps permission to use a tract of land located just outside Athens as a flying field, creating Georgia's first airport.



The aircraft on display is a replica of the Epps 1912 Monoplane.ò Built in 1969 by Ben T. Epps, Jr., it was exhibited and flown at numerous airshows until its retirement in 1979.ò It is on loan to the Museum of Aviation honoring Ben T. Epps, Sr., a member of the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame.