These 14 images present Davis-Monthan people who were participants in early air lines, air racing and stunting. As well, some of the local wildlife is depicted at the Davis-Monthan Airfield!

Below, two images identified as early TAT pilots...

TAT Pilot Lineup

... an enlargment of the left-most nine in the image above. Both these images are in the Cosgrove albums, with no explanation of why the enlargement was made. However, the pilot at center front row with hat askew is Harry Campbell, friend of the Cosgrove family. See this link on this site to read a 'special' letter written by Campbell. Can you identify any others of these pilots?

TAT Pilot Lineup Detail

UPDATE OF 05/31/17 A site visitor pointed out that the first photograph above also appeared in the August 1989 issue of TARPA Topics, a magazine devoted to T.W.A. retired flight crews. The image is below, and identifies the date as June 10, 1929, and the location as the front of the Jefferson Hotel in St. Louis, MO. It also names the pilots, some of whom are Register pilots, namely, Dean Burford, John Guglielmetti, Moye Stephens, Eddie Bellande, John Collings and F.V. Tomkins.

TAT Pilot Lineup, June 10, 1929 (Source: TARPA Topics via Site Visitor)

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Below, Clarence L. Tinker, right, was a major in the AAC when he landed twice at the Airfield and signed the Register in 1929 and 1933. The gentleman on the left is unidentified on the back of the image, but could be his passenger on his 1929 visit, Staff Sgt. Clendening. The airplane appears to be a Curtiss Falcon.

If the image is of the January 7-9, 1929 visit, then the airplane is a the Curtiss A-3A Falcon 27-310. Note the name on the cowl, "Bird-O-Prey", a fitting name for the Falcon. Shadows suggest a late morning or early afternoon photo op. It's hard to interpret body postures: it looks like Tinker might be getting ready to crank the inertial starter, and the other gentleman is kicking the chock under the wheel.

General Tinker was killed in action during a pre-dawn bombing raid on Wake Island on June 7, 1942. Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, was named in his honor on October 14, 1942.

Clarence L. Tinker, Right

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Below, Roscoe Turner, center, with Jackie Cochrane, left, and unknown gentleman. Such merriment as was present during the Golden Age! The propeller, behind, festooned with flowers suggests this image was taken perhaps during one of the racing events of the late 1930s.

Turner landed and signed the Register four times at Tucson. His first landing in 1928 was with his Sikorsky S-29-A, that he called the Edgeworth Special flying tobacco store. A self-promoting, bombastic entrepreneur, Turner was always trying new gimmicks. His Sikorsky served not only as personal transportation, but also as a variety and notions store. He had his wife and two mechanics with him.

Roscoe Turner, Center

Below, Roscoe Turner with a relatively young Gilmore, the lion cub. Date unknown, but probably at one of the air races of the mid to late 1930s.

Roscoe Turner, Right, with Lion Cub Gilmore

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Below, Staff Sgt. Fred O. Tyler who landed seven times at the Airfield. The image shows him overhead at Tucson on November 1, 1925. Tyler was one of the first people to sign the Register, then newly placed at the Airfield. The date on this photo does not agree with his first entry in the Register, however. That entry was made on November 8th.

Tyler made several visits to Tucson in November, however, so perhaps he didn't log this one. Chances are this is the de Havilland DH-4M1, 31-306 that he flew to the Airfield on all his visits during November.

Fred O. Tyler

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Fun at the Airfield, wildlife-style. The area around the Davis-Monthan Airfield then, as now, had interesting wildlife. Below, an unknown man with a gila monster attached firmly to the arm of his chair. The location is the terminal building at the Airfield, date unknown.

Gila Monster

Below, same gila monster, different man.

Gila Monster

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Below, more wildlife. Unidentified man with local rattlesnakes. It was probably a good idea to perform a thorough pre-flight inspection of your airplane at Tucson. Imagine having one of these in your cockpit when aloft!

Rattlesnakes!

Another view of the rattlesnakes. From the shadow of the hat, the photographer might be the same gentleman in the chair with the gila monster, above.

Rattlesnakes!

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Leonard Weddington landed thirteen times between 1926 and 1931. He was a lieutenant in the Air Corps. Most of his landings were with passengers aboard. None of the aircraft he flew match the number of this one, however.

Leonard Weddington, Right

Under the cockpit is written "By Order of the Chief of Air Service This Plane is To be Used For Photographic Work Only". You can see the starboard camera mounted on the aft cockpit. The camera on the ground is probably mounted after the photographer gets situated in the rear seat. Because of Weddington's service time with aerial photography, this image is probably ca. 1924.

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Below, Al Wilson flew this airplane to Tucson from Wilcox, AZ on September 28, 1930. He stayed two days and departed northbound on the 30th for Phoenix. He was on his way from Chicago to Los Angeles. Imagine a voyage halfway across the U.S. in this aircraft!

His airplane, N3378, is a Timm-built replica made in 1927 of a 1911 Curtiss Pusher. Note the steer horns mounted over the radiator. These horns are not visible on the image second below, making us think these images are not both taken during his visit to Tucson. Notice also his method of managing his luggage. We can only imagine the effect on airspeed and yaw of this large bag.

Al Wilson

Another image of Wilson in the New York American of Wednesday October 8, 1930 shows Wilson in these same clothes, with the same luggage arriving in Los Angeles. His itinerary must have taken him a week from Tucson.

Wilson was a Hollywood movie stunt and air show pilot. This airplane was flown at the 1932 National Air Races by Wilson, who worked an air show dogfight routine with John Miller flying an autogiro. Wilson was killed in 1932 when he crashed after being caught in the down-wash of the autogiro. Follow the link for additional images.

Al Wilson

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Below, the boyish Lowell Yerex did not sign the Davis-Monthan Register, but his early contributions to South American air transport development make him worth including on this page. However, he did touch one of our airplanes, Stinson NC10815. This airplane was transferred to his wife Lillian C. Yerex, Tegucigalpa, Honduras on June 17, 1933.  It was ferried to the Mexican border.  Although its use and disposition are unknown, it was probably used on the Yerex-owned T.A.C.A. (Transportes Aéreos del Continente Americano) line in Central American countries. The mechanics shown here are appropriately intense for their line of work.

Lowell Yerex, Center, ca. 1921, Location Unknown

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UPLOADED: 01/23/07 REVISED: 02/02/09