BEKMANIS, EDVINS

• January 4, 1919 - Born, in Aluksne
• Received his early education in Aluksne, advanced education continued in Liepaja.
• 1932 - at age 13, he is already building and flying contest-winning model airplanes.
• 1934 - as an early sign of his design and construction talent, he designed and built his own canoe.
• 1935 - Member of the Liepaja 121st Aviation Scouts, where he built competition flying models.
• April 19, 1936 - wins the distance category at the first Latvian nationwide model aircraft competition with a flight of 263 metres.
• Graduated from the Liepajas Valsts Technikums
• Member of the Aizsargu Aviacija. (Rank: Sargeant)
• Leader of the 87th Pioneer aviators club (Tosmare, Liepaja), of which he was once a founding member.
• Built two gliders - Gaigalina and Spriditis. At the time of his death, he was beginning work on a powered aircraft design.
• June 30, 1938 - Graduated from the Liepaja flight school with his pilot's license.
• October 15, 1938 - Died, in a plane crash, near Liepaja.