built his first airplane—the first airplane built and flown successfully on the Great Plains by a resident... and the first of hundreds of thousands of airplanes, worldwide, that would bear the "Cessna" name. Cessna would become one of the United States' first major advocates of monoplanes, carrying forward Moisant's support of the then-controversial concept. According to some historical accounts (reportedly later disputed by Cessna, himself), Cessna went to the Queen Aeroplane Company in New York, and worked in their factory for a month, learning the art of construction of Bleriot-type monoplanes. According to these accounts, when Moisant was killed, Cessna purchased a Queen/Bleriot fuselage that was being assembled at the Queen factory for Moisant—and that became the basis for Cessna's first airplane. Moisant Field The international airport of New Orleans, Louisiana was originally named Moisant Field in his honor, though it has since been renamed Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. The airport retains its "MSY" identifier, thought to be derived from "Moisant Stock Yards," and is located in suburban Kenner, only a few miles from the field where Moisant's fatal airplane crash occurred. References External links Early Aviators: John Moisant Moisant Aviation Archive Doug McCash, "John Moisant, aviation pioneer, died a century ago in New Orleans", Times-Picayune, December 31, 2010. Moisant and Madamoiselle Fifi John and Alfred Moisant Early Aviation Archive at The Historic New Orleans Collection 1868 births 1910 deaths Accidental deaths in Louisiana Aviators from Illinois Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States Burials at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery People from Kankakee, Illinois American people of French-Canadian descent American emigrants to El Salvador Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1910 American aviation record holders Members of the Early Birds of Aviation