THOMAS CARLYLE YOUNG

T.C. Young, Ca. 1920 (Source: findagrave)

 

Officially, T.C. Young is signed once in the Grand Central Air Terminal (GCAT) Register. He landed on Sunday, January 11, 1931 at 3:18PM. He flew the Kinner Courier (S/N 10) identified as NC4618. He carried one unidentified passenger. However, the same airplane landed earlier, on Sunday, December 21, 1930 at 1:00PM. Tower operator Anton Lygum did not enter a pilot's name in the Register. For both landings Lygum identified the airplane owner as "Dr. Young." Chances are good that the pilot was Young in 1930 as well as in 1931. No destination or other information was recorded by Lygum. Given that both days were Sunday, in the afternoon, suggests he was out for recreational flights. The photograph, right, is from his medical school graduation.

Accident Report, February 25, 1931 (Source: Woodling)

 

About six weeks after his last appearance in the GCAT Register, on February 23, 1931, Young, at age 43, suffered an accident with NC4618 near Chino, CA. An article appeared in the Corona Daily Independent of February 25th that described the accident, left. He and his passenger were killed as the result of what appeared to be a structural failure of a wing. The airplane became uncontrolable and they crashed in an alfalfa field. The airplane was identifed in the article as a Kinner Courier.

Another article in the same paper of February 23rd stated that Young and his passenger Mertz had departed GCAT to fly to Soboba Hot Springs near San Jacinto, where his wife and Mrs. Mertz were vacationing for the weekend. Mrs. Mertz was Young's secretary. The article states that Young had been flying for about ten years.

Further, the article states,

T.C. Young, Ca.1928 (Source: Ref)   He was instrumental in great measure in obtaining the Grand Central Terminal for Glendale. Two Years ago yesterday he took part in its dedication. Dr. Young was regional chairman of [the] aviation committee and regional governor of the National Aeronautical Assocation [photo from 1928 program for the National Air Races, courtesy of a site visitor]. For a year he served as president of the Glendale Chamber of Commerce, retiring from office last November. The plane in which the two men were killed had been owned by Dr. Young since 1922. It was called the "Spirit of Ether." Although the plane had recently had a new motor installed, it was unlicensed. The Department of Commerce had refused to approve the ship for license.

It is confusing to read that Young owned the airplane since 1922. According to aerofiles.com, it was manufactured in 1928. And it was licensed as evidenced by its registration number, NC4618, that appears on the rudder and right wing in the photo below. Perhaps "unlicensed" meant its airworthiness certificate had not been reapproved after the accident.

Regardless, NC4618 had a folding parasol wing and a 100HP engine, and was a custom version built for him. There were no other Couriers, so even though the registration number was not specified in the article at left, we know it was NC4618. Possibly it was the failure of the folding wing locking mechanism that caused the wing to break. Young was the chairman of the California Aviation Council at the time. The logo on the fuselage identified the airplane as the "Official Plane No. III" participating in the 1928 National Air Races and supporting the International Aeronautical Exposition, which was held in Los Angeles beginning September 10, 1928. The logo is readable in the original and in the photograph below, courtesy of Flickr. The pilot was unidentified, but could be Young.

Kinner Courier NC4618, Ca. 1928 (Source: Flickr)

Another photograph, courtesy of the Underwood reference, page 28, at upper left, shows Young with his foot on the landing gear strut of NC4618 in port view.

T.C. Young (R) and Kinner NC4618, Ca. 1928 (Source: Underwood)

This is a posed photograph, because the gentleman attempting to start the airplane by spinning the propeller would start the engine backwards if he did so by pulling his hands downward.

NC4618, GCAT, Date Unknown (Source: aerofiles.com)

 

Interestingly, it appears that Young was involved in an earlier accident with the airplane, this time at GCAT. The photograph below, from aerofiles.com, shows NC4618 damaged and lying on the field at GCAT. According to the notation, Young was not seriously injured. The airplane was christened Spirit of Ether, which you can see lettered on the nose of the airplane in the photo below.

After the accident above, NC4618, below, was repaired, improved with a "fully enclosed cabin" (although the photograph below doesn't seem to show one) and a Townend speed ring around the engine. The people are unidentified. The hairlines suggest that none of them are Young. This photo is found in the Underwood reference in the left sidebar, page 48.

 

Kinner Courier NC4618, Ca. 1930 (Source: Underwood)

Technical specifications and a three-view drawing of the Kinner Courier are below, courtesy of this REFERENCE, page 116.

British Journal Flight, February 14, 1929 (Source: Link)

Thomas Young was born November 7, 1885 in Winterset, IA. His parents were Hamilton R. Young (1846-1921) and Edna Osborn (1849-1929). They were farmers.

In the 1900 U.S. Census, Young is located in Madison County, IA in Scott Township. His father was a farmer, his brother, Samuel (21) was a farm laborer and Thomas was "In School." The 1910 Census, taken in April that year, places him in Burbank as a bachelor. His occupation was "General Physician." I do not know where he went to medical school.

According to a handwritten record I examined at ancestry.com, Young acquired a marriage license on September 13, 1910 in Winterset. He was married there on September 14th. He was 25 years old and his bride, Eva Garnett Baird (sic, see below), was 24. His occupation was listed as "Physician," and he lived in Glendale, CA.

As WWI came, he was called to the draft on September 11, 1918. His draft card (front & back) is below. He was described as tall with blue eyes and auburn hair. I do not know if he was called to serve.

T.C. Young, WWI Draft Card, September 11, 1918 (Source: ancestry.com)

 

Van Nuys News, March 12, 1931 (Source: ancestry.com)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 1920 Census placed him at age 34 at at 509 N. Maryland Avenue in Burbank, CA. His wife was identified as "Garnet B." (age 32). They owned their home free and clear. His occupation was listed as "Physician" and "Osteopedic Surgeon." They had no children living with them.

I do not know where or when Young learned how to fly. It was during the early 1920s (see above), and probably at GCAT. His medical work and his presence at GCAT during 1930-31 suggest he took up flying for pleasure and not to make a living. That he was chairman of the California Aviation Council suggests he not only liked to fly, but was interested in advancing the science and practice of aviation in the State of California, if not the country as a whole.

At the 1930 Census, Young was 43 years old and living with Garnet B. (41) at 400 North Kenwood Street in Glendale. That address today is a modern, two-storey apartment building. Garnet is not employed, even though she was trained as a "country school teacher." They had no children living with them. They owned their home, which was valued at $12,000. This brings us to about a year before Young's passing as described above.

After his death, Young's estate of $40,000 was quickly administered as documented, right, in the March 12, 1931 issue of the Van Nuys News. Velpa [sic] Kapas was his sister-in-law. Her name was Velva (1884-1966). S.F. Young was his brother Samuel. A.L. Baird (1880-1931) was his brother-in-law, Alonzo. I do not know who the others are.

Young's wife,  Eva 'Garnet' Baird Young (1887-1974), lived another 43 years past Young's death. The photograph below, from ancestry.com, shows her sister, Velva at left, their parents, then Eva on the right.

 

Young's In-Laws, The Baird Family, Date Unk. (Source: ancestry.com)

Young is buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, CA. Eva followed him there in 1974.

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