THANK YOU!

YOUR PURCHASE OF THESE BOOKS SUPPORTS THE WEB SITES THAT BRING TO YOU THE HISTORY BEHIND OLD AIRFIELD REGISTERS

Your copy of the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register (available in paperback) with all the pilots' signatures and helpful cross-references to pilots and their aircraft is available at the link. 375 pages with black & white photographs and extensive tables

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The Congress of Ghosts (available as Kindle Edition eBook) is an anniversary celebration for 2010.  It is an historical biography, that celebrates the 5th year online of www.dmairfield.org and the 10th year of effort on the project dedicated to analyze and exhibit the history embodied in the Register of the Davis-Monthan Airfield, Tucson, AZ. This book includes over thirty people, aircraft and events that swirled through Tucson between 1925 and 1936. It includes across 277 pages previously unpublished photographs and texts, and facsimiles of personal letters, diaries and military orders. Order your copy at the link.

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Military Aircraft of the Davis Monthan Register, 1925-1936 (available in paperback) at the link. This book describes and illustrates with black & white photographs the majority of military aircraft that landed at the Davis-Monthan Airfield between 1925 and 1936. The book includes biographies of some of the pilots who flew the aircraft to Tucson as well as extensive listings of all the pilots and airplanes. Use this FORM to order a copy signed by the author, while supplies last.

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Art Goebel's Own Story (available as free PDF download) by Art Goebel (edited by G.W. Hyatt) is written in language that expands for us his life as a Golden Age aviation entrepreneur, who used his aviation exploits to build a business around his passion.  Available as a free download at the link.

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Winners' Viewpoints: The Great 1927 Trans-Pacific Dole Race (available as Kindle Edition eBook) is available at the link. This book describes and illustrates with black & white photographs the majority of military aircraft that landed at the Davis-Monthan Airfield between 1925 and 1936. The book includes biographies of some of the pilots who flew the aircraft to Tucson as well as extensive listings of all the pilots and airplanes. Use this FORM to order a copy signed by the author, while supplies last.

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Clover Field: The first Century of Aviation in the Golden State (available in paperback & Kindle Edition) With the 100th anniversary in 2017 of the use of Clover Field as a place to land aircraft in Santa Monica, this book celebrates that use by exploring some of the people and aircraft that made the airport great. 281 pages, black & white photographs.

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NORTHROP ALPHA 3 NC961Y

 

Northrop Alpha NC961Y, Glendale, CA, Ca. 1931 (Source: USC Library)
Northrop Alpha NC961Y, Glendale, CA, Ca. 1931 (Source: USC Library)

 

This sleek airplane landed at least 13 times at Glendale during 1931. It was a workhorse mail plane for Transcontinental and Western Airlines (TWA).

At right is a photograph of NC961Y on the ground at the Grand Central Air Terminal (GCAT), ca. 1931. The photograph is from the University of California Digital Library at the link. Please direct your browser to the link and enjoy the image inspection tools provided by the Library for you to magnify and view the details of this great airplane.

As well as the striking TWA logo painted on the fuselage, you can see the steps used by the pilot to ascend to the cockpit, the venturis to supply vacuum to instruments and radio antennas that extend from the vertical stabilizer to masts on the wingtips.

Another high-quality image of NC961Y is at the link. The description at the link identifies NC961Y as one of five Alpha 3s delivered to TWA. Each was a three-place combination mail-passenger aircraft. The photograph at the link places NC961Y at GCAT in 1931, so you see it in that image as it was when it landed and was signed into the GCAT Register.

Popular Aviation, September, 1933 (Source: PA)
Popular Aviation, September, 1933 (Source: PA)

 

NC961Y operated over the route from Glendale to Kansas City, MO and points east. One of its visits, on Tuesday, April 21, 1931, was documented in the remarks column of the Register by the Tower Operator as, "First airmail (24 hr) from N.Y." the airplane and the mail arrived at 8:00AM, probably after an overnight flight from points east. At left is a short article from Popular Aviation (PA) magazine for September, 1933. The credit for the time reduction is probably due the Northrop fleet employed by TWA.

Regardless, the pilot was identified on this flight as "Hull." No first name was given, but we know the pilot was Harlan Hull. None of the other dozen flights of 1931 identified the pilot at all.

At least ten Alphas landed at Glendale during the first half of 1931. The majority were working for TWA.

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THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 08/10/13 REVISED: 10/31/13, 06/25/14