(WILLIAM GENTRY?) SHELTON, Jr.

A pilot with the last name Shelton is signed three times in the Grand Central Air Terminal (GCAT) Register during March-May, 1931. None of the tower Operators, including A.J. Lygum, listed his first name. I'm taking a guess and saying he was William Gentry Shelton, Jr. who, besides three landings at GCAT, also appeared, fully named, in the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register and the Parks Airport Register. Please direct your browser to these last two links for photographs and biographical information about W.G. Shelton, Jr.

Shelton's first appearance at GCAT was on Tuesday, March 31, 1931 at 12:50PM. He carried no passengers and arrived in NC9787, a Curtiss Thrush, S/N G-2. The owner of the Thrush was noted by Lygum as The Curtiss-Wright Company. NC9787 was a frequent presence at GCAT, signed in the Register 48 times between December 21, 1930 and June 7, 1931. It was flown by Mason Menefee, Harold Sweet and J.P. Gaskill and Shelton, and at least one student. The majority of these flights occurred early to mid-afternoon, lasted only ten or fifteen minutes, and all were local. The tower Operator identified them as "scenic" in the Register. A good guess was that they were scenic hops around the immediate airspace of Los Angeles.

Shelton's second entry in the Register was on Monday, April 6, 1931 at 7:53AM. He flew the Lockheed Vega NC6526, S/N 9. Much like the Thrush, NC6526 was a workhorse for Curtiss-Wright and is recorded 33 times at GCAT during the six-month period December, 1930-May, 1931. The pattern of flights was similar, indicating scenic flights in the local area.

His third entry was on Sunday, May 10, 1931 at 2:16PM. He flew the Curtiss Robin identified as NC387K owned by B.J. Busch. He remained on the ground only a short time, departing at 2:33 for a local flight. No passengers were identified and no reason was given for this flight. NC387K was not a frequent visitor to GCAT.

The aircraft he flew, mostly Curtiss models, and their owners, mostly the Curtiss-Wright Company, tied him to the work he was known to do at that time. Shelton was a Lambert Field, St. Louis-based pilot. He was an authorized sales agent for the Curtiss-Wright Flying Service in St. Louis, MO. Chances are good that he was on the west coast overseeing some sales-related activity and was recruited by Curtiss-Wright to fly some scenic hops.

With this slimmest of inference, I leave this page until some better information comes along. If you can confirm or dispute that "Shelton" was or was not W.G. Shelton, Jr., please let me KNOW.

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