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Capt. W.R. Robertson landed once at Tucson, Tuesday, September 11, 1928. He flew the Curtiss Robin NC7496 (S/N 7). He carried his wife as passenger. Based at St. Louis, MO, they were westbound from Roswell, NM to Los Angeles, CA. They remained overnight in Tucson, continuing their flight to Los Angeles next morning at 7:00.
W.M. Robertson in Pilot, 1937 (Source: NASM)
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The good news about Robertson's airplane is that it is currently registered with the FAA and owned by a person in Guam. Because of that, there is no record for it at the Smithsonian (which only maintains records for aircraft that are no longer registered).
This REFERENCE, page 360, presents a tabular biographical sketch. Robertson was born January 25, 1897 at DeSoto, MO. He attended the University of Missouri from 1916-17. He was an officer in the Army. He was a 2nd Lieutenant from 1918-24; 1st Lt. 1924 in the Missouri National Guard (NG).
He went full time with the Air Service from 1924-1928, when he became a Captain in the Missouri NG, then in the reserves from 1929-36. He must have moved to Ohio, because from 1936-39 he was in the Ohio NG (with the 37th Observation Squadron according to the article at right). Note that he signed the Register "Capt." The date of his landing coincides with his service with the Missouri NG.
Robertson learned to fly at Souther Field, Americus, GA in 1918. He held commercial pilot certificate no. 401 (a very low number among Register pilots). He married Pauline Ann Slusher on August 14, 1924. As of 1942, the date of the reference, he had accumulated 6,300 flight hours.
In the late 1920s Robertson began work with the Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA) and moved through the ranks through the 1930s becoming chief of the general inspection branch by 1941. The article, right, from his NASM biographical folder (cited, left sidebar) provides a rambling look at how he was perceived by the aviators he regulated.
Among his CAA duties, he was the director of the Cleveland National Air Races (NAR) from 1929-39. According to the article at right, he was probably on his way to the NAR at Los Angeles in 1928 when he landed at Tucson.
Robertson was a member of the Quiet Birdmen. He died during September, 1980 at age 83 at Miami, FL.
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Dossier 2.1.140
THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 10/24/11 REVISED:
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