你知道全台灣第一位飛行員是誰嗎？今天就來介紹謝文達的故事。
1917 年，還是學生的謝文達，在台中觀看美國飛行員 Art Smith（亞瑟・史密斯）的特技飛行表演。當時飛機在天空中翻滾、俯衝，對台灣人來說是非常新奇的景象。這場表演也讓謝文達下定決心，希望有一天自己也能成為飛行員。
為了實現這個夢想，謝文達後來前往日本，進入千葉縣的伊藤飛行機研究所學習飛行。當時的飛行訓練不只是學習如何操控飛機，還包括飛行理論、飛機製造、發動機、氣象、特技飛行和長途飛行等課程。他也利用課餘時間到維修工廠學習飛機維修，累積實際的航空經驗。
1920 年 3 月，謝文達以第一名成績從伊藤飛行機研究所畢業，取得飛行執照，成為台灣第一位飛行員。同年，他也參加日本的飛行競賽，在高度和速度項目都獲得第三等獎。學成之後，謝文達沒有選擇留在日本發展，而是決定把飛機帶回台灣。他取得一架伊藤式惠美號飛機，並將它命名為「新高號」。
1920 年 10 月 17 日，謝文達駕駛「新高號」在台中進行鄉土訪問飛行，地點是在台中練兵場（今台中市東區練兵場公園、體育場一帶）。這也是台灣航空史上重要的一天。當天約有 5,000 名民眾到場觀看。早上 7 點 37 分，謝文達駕駛飛機升空，先飛越台中市區，再爬升到約 1,000 公尺，飛往葫蘆墩，也就是今天的豐原一帶，最後返回台中，整趟飛行約 41 分鐘。
100 多年前，沒有 GPS、沒有現代航電，也沒有自動駕駛，一架早期飛機就這樣飛上台灣的天空。除了台中之外，謝文達後來也在台北進行公開飛行表演，吸引大量民眾觀看，也讓飛行成為當時台灣社會非常受到關注的新事物。謝文達也因此被後人稱為「台灣第一飛行家」。
不過，謝文達的航空生涯並不只有飛行表演。在日本學飛期間，他也接觸到當時的政治與社會思潮，並和台灣留學生及知識分子有所交流。後來，他開始支持台灣人爭取政治參與和權利的運動。
1920 年代的台灣仍處於日本統治之下。從 1921 年開始，以林獻堂等人為代表的台灣人士，多次前往東京，向日本帝國議會提出請願，希望在台灣設置能代表台灣人的議會，讓台灣人能參與政治、表達自己的意見。這場「台灣議會設置請願運動」一直持續到 1934 年，前後進行了多次請願。
1923 年，謝文達也加入了這場運動。他利用自己飛行員的身分，駕駛由台灣各界捐款購買的伊藤式三型水上飛行機「臺北號」飛到東京上空，從飛機上散發大量請願傳單，傳達「給台灣人議會」的訴求。
這次行動非常特殊。當時飛機仍是一項非常新奇的科技，謝文達卻把它從飛行和表演的工具，變成了傳達政治訴求的工具。而且，他選擇的地點還是日本的首都東京。這次行動也讓他與日本當局的關係發生變化。據相關史料記載，日本方面後來吊銷了他的飛行執照，使他無法繼續在台灣從事飛行工作。之後，謝文達轉往中國發展航空事業。
到了中國後，謝文達繼續投入航空發展，參與航空教育工作，曾擔任航空教官、航空隊長等職務，也培育了不少早期航空人才。他的人生因此跨越了台灣、日本與中國的早期航空發展。
第二次世界大戰結束後，謝文達回到台灣，後來逐漸淡出航空界。1983 年，他在台北辭世，享年 82 歲。
從 1917 年第一次看到飛機，到 1920 年成為台灣第一位飛行員，甚至利用飛機傳達政治訴求，謝文達的一生不只是台灣航空史的一部分，也見證了台灣歷史發展與社會變遷。而以謝文達故事為主軸的紀錄片《尋找1920》，也透過影像重新走訪這段被時間埋藏的航空歷史，帶我們認識這位台灣航空先驅，以及他所處的那個時代。延伸閱讀：《筆記》萊特兄弟於 1903 年 12 月 17 日，完成了人類史上第一次動力飛行
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Taiwan’s First Pilot: Hsieh Wen-Ta
Do you know who Taiwan’s first pilot was? Today, let’s take a look at the story of Hsieh Wen-Ta.
In 1917, while he was still a student, Hsieh Wen-Ta watched an aerobatic flying show by American pilot Art Smith in Taichung. Seeing the aircraft roll and dive through the sky was something completely new to people in Taiwan at the time. The experience inspired Hsieh Wen-Ta to dream of becoming a pilot himself one day.
To make that dream come true, Hsieh Wen-Ta later went to Japan and studied aviation at the Ito Flight Research Institute in Chiba. Flight training at the time was about much more than simply learning how to fly. Students also studied flight theory, aircraft construction, engines, weather, aerobatics, and long-distance flying. Hsieh Wen-Ta also spent his free time working in a repair shop, learning about aircraft maintenance and gaining hands-on experience.
In March 1920, Hsieh Wen-Ta graduated from the Ito Flight Research Institute at the top of his class and earned his pilot's license, becoming Taiwan's first pilot. That same year, he took part in a flying competition in Japan and won third place in both the altitude and speed events.
After completing his training, Hsieh Wen-Ta decided not to stay in Japan. Instead, he wanted to bring an aircraft back to Taiwan. He obtained an Ito Emei aircraft and named it "Niitaka."
On October 17, 1920, Hsieh Wen-Ta flew the "Niitaka" in a hometown flight demonstration at the Taichung Military Training Ground, around what is now Lianbingchang Park and the nearby stadium area in East District, Taichung. It was an important day in Taiwan's aviation history.
Around 5,000 people came to watch. At 7:37 a.m., Hsieh Wen-Ta took off, flew over downtown Taichung, climbed to about 1,000 meters, and then flew toward Huludun, now known as Fengyuan. He eventually returned to Taichung, completing the flight in about 41 minutes.
More than 100 years ago, there was no GPS, no modern avionics, and no autopilot. Yet an early aircraft took off and flew over Taiwan.
Hsieh Wen-Ta later also gave public flying demonstrations in Taipei, attracting large crowds and making aviation one of the most exciting new technologies in Taiwanese society at the time. He later became known as "Taiwan's First Aviator."
But Hsieh Wen-Ta's aviation career was about more than flying demonstrations. While studying aviation in Japan, he was also exposed to the political and social ideas of the time. He met Taiwanese students and intellectuals in Japan and later became involved in movements calling for greater political participation and rights for Taiwanese people.
In the 1920s, Taiwan was still under Japanese rule. Starting in 1921, Taiwanese leaders including Lin Hsien-Tang traveled to Tokyo several times to petition the Japanese Imperial Diet. They called for the establishment of a Taiwanese parliament that could represent the people of Taiwan and give them a greater voice in politics.
This movement, known as the Taiwan Parliament Petition Movement, continued until 1934 and involved multiple petition campaigns.
In 1923, Hsieh Wen-Ta also took part in the movement. Using his skills as a pilot, he flew an Ito Type 3 seaplane called "Taipei," purchased with donations from people across Taiwan, over Tokyo. From the aircraft, he dropped large numbers of petition leaflets calling for "a parliament for the people of Taiwan."
This was a very unusual move. At a time when airplanes were still a new and exciting technology, Hsieh Wen-Ta turned an aircraft from a tool for flying and public demonstrations into a way to deliver a political message.
And he did it over Tokyo, the capital of Japan.
The action also changed his relationship with the Japanese authorities. Historical records indicate that his pilot's license was later revoked, preventing him from continuing to work as a pilot in Taiwan. Hsieh Wen-Ta eventually moved to China and continued his career in aviation there.
In China, Hsieh Wen-Ta remained active in aviation and aviation education. He served as a flight instructor and aviation unit commander, and helped train some of the early generation of Chinese pilots. His career eventually connected the early development of aviation in Taiwan, Japan, and China.
After World War II, Hsieh Wen-Ta returned to Taiwan and gradually stepped away from aviation. He passed away in Taipei in 1983 at the age of 82.
From seeing an airplane for the first time in 1917, to becoming Taiwan's first pilot in 1920, and eventually using an airplane to deliver a political message, Hsieh Wen-Ta's life was about much more than aviation.
His story is also part of Taiwan's history and reflects the major social changes taking place more than 100 years ago.
