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There is no biographical file for pilot Nomis in the archives of the National Air & Space Museum (NASM), Washington, DC.

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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 with all the pilots' signatures and helpful cross-references to pilots and their aircraft is available at the link. Or use this FORM to order a copy signed by the author, while supplies last.

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http://www.cafepress.com/content/global/img/spacer.gifThe Congress of Ghosts 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 It includes across 277 pages previously unpublished photographs and texts, and facsimiles of personal letters, diaries and military orders.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 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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Art Goebel's Own Story 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 is available at the link. What was it like to fly from Oakland to Honolulu in a single-engine plane during August 1927? Was the 25,000 dollar prize worth it? Did the resulting fame balance the risk? For the first time ever, this book presents the pilot and navigator's stories written by them within days of their record-setting adventure. Pilot Art Goebel and navigator William V. Davis, Jr. take us with them on the Woolaroc, their orange and blue Travel Air monoplane (NX869) as they enter the hazardous world of Golden Age trans-oceanic air racing.

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Clover Field: The First Century of Aviation in the Golden State. 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.

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Davis-Monthan Aviation Field Register
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LEO ERNEST NOMIS

Leo Nomis was born May 5, 1889 (one source says 1892) as Ernest Simon. He lived a short, but hazardous life. He was born with a gift of great dexterity and coordination, and built an early career performing stunts and making parachute drops from tethered balloons at fairs and carnivals.

As his notoriety increased, he changed his name to Nomis, because he didn't want newspaper reporters to have the option of calling him "Simple Simon" in print. Nomis, you have probably noted, is Simon spelled backwards. When he came to Hollywood, CA in 1914 to do motion picture stunt work, he changed his name legally to Leo Ernest Nomis.

Nomis landed twice at Tucson. The first time was Tuesday, August 18, 1928. He arrived in the Travel Air NC4419 carrying as passenger Bob Moore. Based at Santa Monica, CA, Clover Field, they arrived from El Paso, TX. Curiously they cited New York, NY as their destination. They noted in the remarks column of the Register, "Ferrying."

Below, a striking photograph of Nomis that comes to us from Register pilot Dick Ranaldi's page on this site. Nomis taught Ranaldi how to fly. Nomis appears to be wearing a fake beard.

Leo Nomis, Date & Location Unknown (Source: Ranaldi)
Leo Nomis, Date & Location Unknown (Source:  Ranaldi)

Nomis landed the second time on Tuesday, September 11, 1928, again carrying Moore as passenger in NC4419. This time they were westbound from El Paso to Yuma, AZ. No purpose was given for their flight in the Register. Please direct your browser to the airplane's page to learn about another landing made at Tucson by NC4419, this time flown by one-time owner Pancho Barnes. Nomis also taught Barnes how to fly.

During the 1920s and early 1930s, Nomis was a member of the elite Motion Pictures Pilots' Association. He suffered numerous injuries while plying his trade, as evidenced by his nose in the photograph above. He is cited numerous times in the book by Wynne found in the REFERENCES. Interestingly, according to aerofiles.com, Nomis flew in "The Flying Fool," (1929) starring William Boyd (aka Hopalong Cassidy), in which he flew a Travel Air 4000, which had a high probability of being our NC4419.

Nomis died February 5, 1932 in a crash while flying for the film "Sky Bride" starring Richard Arlen. He had performed earlier in some movies directed by the first owner of NC4419, Howard Hawks.

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THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 09/15/11 REVISED:

 
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