Roy Minor landed three times at Tucson. His first visit was solo in NX172M, a New Standard D-29. He landed sometime between June 25th and June 28, 1930 (he didn't enter dates of arrival or departure). Based at Los Angeles, CA, he was westbound from El Paso, TX.
His second landing was on September 16, 1930. This time he carried three unidentified passengers in the Travel Air B-6000 NC9813. Based again at Los Angeles, they were westbound from El Paso, TX to Los Angeles. Minor's third landing was between April 2nd and May 19, 1934. He flew the Stinson NC12152 and carried two passengers identified as E.C. Kenton and P.C. Toeffler. Based at Los Angeles, Minor entered neither dates nor destination.
Held on August 31 through September 3, the 1934 National Air Races (NAR) were celebrating a quarter century of air racing and aviation developments and the attractive Brown B-2, named "Miss Los Angeles," carrying race number 33, was a big hit. “Miss Los Angeles,” flown by Roy Minor, placed second (behind Register pilot Roscoe Turner) in the 1934 Thompson Trophy Race. He won $1,500 for his speed of 208.376 MPH.
Minor also took first place in the Shell Speed Dash, winning an additional $765. He placed in a couple of other events winning smaller sums. All in all it was a good year financially for him at the NAR. A history of the 1932-34 NAR, in some of which Minor competed, is available at the link.
Below, courtest of the San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDAM) Flickr Stream, is a photograph of Minor with a young man, probably Minor's son, Roy, Jr., and a racing airplane identified as "Miss Los Angeles." Minor had made a name for himself as a racing pilot flying "Miss Los Angeles."
Roy T. Minor (Sr. & Jr.) With Brown B-2 Racer (Source: SDAM)
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Below, from SDAM, is another view of the airplane being christened by Roy, Jr. From his clothing it appears the christening was performed the same day as the top photo was made (and see the remnants of the ribbon on the propeller).
Roy T. Minor, Jr. Christening the Brown B-2 Racer (Source: SDAM)
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Below, from SDAM, is another view of the airplane with some relevant people identified. The aircraft builder and engine supplier are shown with Minor in the cockpit.
Roy T. Minor With Brown B-2 Racer, 1934 (Source: SDAM)
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Below, from site visitor Joe Kranz, a U.S. postal cachet ca. September, 1934, which commemorates the National Air Races that year.
Roy Minor, U.S. postal cachet Ca. September, 1934 (Source: Kranz)
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Minor's Web presence is limited with most hits focusing on his Thompson Trophy activities. He also landed twice at Clover Field, Santa Monica, CA. Please direct your browser to the link for the context of those landings and for another photograph of Minor.
Minor died later in 1934 from complications with a trivial surgery. In one of the nicest stories to emerge from the pages of our Registers, Minor's widow Terry married Clover Field Register pilot Paul Mantz in August 1937. Mantz adopted Minor's children and they were together as a family until Mantz' passing in 1965. Please refer to Mantz' link for more information.
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THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 07/06/11 REVISED: 09/09/14, 04/13/23
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