Akron Aviation - Hardcoverby James I. II Pryor (Author) Everyone loves a good adventure story. The history of Akron aviation provides all the real life pathos of any adventure novel. It all began in 1875, when a young farmer named Jack C. Johnston launched himself and his balloon on one of the wildest flights ever recorded. In 1906, John Gammeter, an Akron inventor, built his own airplane and began making regular flights over the city. In Akron, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber