(Mis)named for English aircraft engineer Geoffrey de Havilland (1882-1965). That’s de Havilland, with two l’s, and yes, he was related to Hollywood stars Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine: their fathers were half-brothers. De Havilland built his first biplane in 1909; it only flew 100 feet before crashing, but it was the start of a stellar career. He designed several British fighters used in WWI, and in 1920 he founded the de Havilland Aircraft Company. The firm’s innovative models included the wood-framed Mosquito – flown by the Royal Air Force in WWII while this very street was being named – and the Comet, which made the world’s first commercial jet flight (London-Johannesburg) in 1952. De Havilland’s sons Geoffrey Jr. and John were both test pilots for their father’s company; both perished in test flights.
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