South Minneapolis native Alexander Heine, born in 1885, worked for the Milwaukee Railroad. But the railroad wasn’t his first love. Alexander became enchanted by the magic of powered flight and caught the flying bug at an early age. He ventured to California, where he attended the Curtiss School in San Diego. When he returned to Minnesota, he couldn’t afford to buy an airplane, so he built one.
Although Wilbur and Orville Wright were given credit for the first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Glenn Curtiss became an early aviation powerhouse, known for his innovative aircraft designs and the speed records he set. Curtiss planes quickly became recognized as the pinnacle of airplane design. Heine modeled his own airplane on the Curtiss pusher aircraft, which had become popular. He built it from scratch and flew it from a grassy meadow near Fort Snelling. He went on to design, build, and fly eight airplanes. One of his most famous flights was around the courthouse in Minneapolis in 1913. Heine had many close calls as he barnstormed around the country. He once crash-landed in Montana and sustained several broken ribs. He avoided total disaster by missing a cattle pen.
Neighboring North Dakota was crazy about aviation, and North Dakotans took notice of Heine’s adventures. The Grand Forks Air Meet on July 19, 1910, is credited as the state’s first recorded aeronautical event. Aviators quickly became a staple of North Dakota fairs. These events fueled North Dakota’s obsession with aviation.
On this date in 1915, the Dickinson Press made an exciting announcement. The directors of the Missouri Slope Fairgrounds announced that Alexander T. Heine was scheduled to give a flying exhibition the following day. The article described Heine as “one of the most daring of American flyers.” He was expected to perform a loop-the-loop, fly upside down, and execute other hair-raising stunts. He would be flying a Curtiss-type plane.
Alexander Theodore Heine passed away in 1960. He is buried at Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery in Minneapolis. He was inducted into the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame in 1998.
Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- Dickinson Press. “Will Fly in Mandan On Sunday, October 17.” Dickinson ND. 10/16/1915. Page 1.
- Find a Grave. “Alexander Theodore Heine.” https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/118979564/alexander_theodore-heineAccessed 9/27/2026.
- Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame. “Alexander T. Heine.” https://mahof.org/inductee/alexander-t-heine/ Accessed 9/27/2026.
