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Some of this information comes from the biographical file for pilot Reid, CR-205000-01, reviewed by me 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 It includes across 277 pages previously unpublished photographs and texts, and facsimiles of personal letters, diaries and military orders.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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THOMAS G. "JACK" REID

Jack Reid landed at Tucson Sunday, December 9, 1928 flying Travel Air NC9006. He carried a single passenger, Carl McConnell. Based at San Diego, CA, they were westbound from El Paso, TX to San Diego. Almost a year later in 1929 Reid was killed flying Emsco B-3 NX832H (not a Register airplane) at the Cleveland Air Races.

Below, shortly before Reid's fatal crash with the Emsco, he is shown at left with Emsco aircraft designer Rocheville at center. Another image of Reid is with Register pilot R.O.D. Sullivan.

Cleveland News, August 31, 1929 (Source: NASM)
Cleveland News, August 31, 1931 (Source: NASM)

Site contributor Mike Gerow shares with us images taken by his father, Russ. Reid was an Emsco employee and old Navy friend of Rocheville. He set a new world’s solo endurance record with the airplane below on Aug. 31, 1929, but fell asleep and crashed 38 hours 40 minutes into the flight. In a snafu emblematic of Emsco’s chronic hard luck, Reid was actually airborne hours earlier waiting for the delayed official timing of the flight to begin. The two photographs below were taken by Russ Gerow, Long Beach Airport, 1929.

Emsco NX832H, Long Beach, CA, 1929 (Source: Gerow)
Emsco NX832H, Long Beach, CA, 1929 (Source: Gerow)

In both these photos, NX832H is seen readying for a test flight at Long Beach. In the lower photo, note glare reflecting off the immaculate finish for which EMSCO aircraft were famous. Russ Gerow’s note on this picture reads: “Jack Reid’s ‘Death Ship.’ This ship lifted over 6,000 lbs. of gas and oil with a single 300 h.p. engine.

Emsco NX832H, Long Beach, CA, 1929 (Source: Gerow)
co NX832H, Long Beach, CA, 1929 (Source: Gerow)

What looks like stripes on the wheel farings of this airplane is actually reflected light from the ridges in the taut fabric comprising the outer covering of the pants. The aircraft is "leveled" by propping the tail skid on an oil drum.

A vignette from the New York Times, below, shows the fate of Reid's Emsco NX832H near Cleveland.

New York Times, September 8, 1929 (Source: NASM)
New York Times, September 8, 1929 (Source: NASM)

Below, again courtesy of Mike Gerow, is the Emsco B-2 "Challenger" NC849E. To view other images of this airplane, please direct your browser to the airplane's link and the other links therefrom.

Emsco "Challenger" NC849E, Pre-1930 (Source: Gerow)
Emsco "Challenger" NC849E, Pre-1930 (Source: Gerow)

This photo, also taken by Mike's father, possibly captures the roll out of this aircraft. Mike says about the photograph, "The ... man on the left is probably Jack Reid. The first official EMSCO aircraft, 849E was powered by three 170 hp Curtiss “Challenger” engines, hence the aircraft’s name. It was advertised as being able to take off with a full load with any two engines operating. In January 1930, the aircraft was converted to a twin-engine configuration using 300 hp Wright J-6s and redesignated Emsco B-5 “Whirlwind.” After a 7,000-mile promotional junket to Emsco’s various holdings around the country, NC849E was flown in August 1933 by Register pilot Paul T. Adams to its new owner in Guatemala City, where its ultimate fate remains a mystery."

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Dossier 2.1.135

THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 04/18/11 REVISED:

 
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