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In this section of the Collection I present 18 images and
one PDF
download (39MB, big file because of detail!) containing
15 newsclippings in which Col. C. Burton Cosgrove, Jr. is
the subject.
The images below
of Cosgrove document his life in portraits from two to 93
years of age.
Airplane Ride Card
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His son speaks of his father taking his first airplane ride
as a boy at a barnstorming event for which this image, left,
shows the location (Silver City, NM), type of airplane (Standard,
a popular barnstorming model), altitude and speed reached.
It is boldly signed by the pilot.
The fact that the original card remained in his collection
for over 80 years is testimony to its meaning.
Compare this artifact with some of the items Hap Russell
kept in his curio
box.
Pilot License
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At right is his private pilot license issued in 1930. From
the frayed edge it appears it was carried in a billfold.
The numbering system for pilot licenses beginning in the
late 20s (federal licenses were required after 1926) was
sequential. Thus, Cosgrove was the 1,990th person to acquire
a federal pilot license. This is a fairly low number.
Other pilots of the
Register enjoyed low numbers, too. For example, Clarence
Young was number 2 (notice that Young, as an officer of the
CAA, signed Cosgrove's license), Cloyd
Clevenger was number
141, Phoebe
Omlie 199, Ruth
Nichols 326, Joan
Shankle 417, and
Wallace
Beery was 3298.
Contrast the image above with the one below of his Air Corps
Reserve pilot license issued in 1939. Besides gaining five
pounds and stating his blood type, little has changed.
Military Pilot License
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Below is an image of the black leather cover
for his military license.
Military Pilot License Case, 1939
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---o0o---
Image, below, of a single page from a Cosgrove album. The
two images do not seem to be related to each other. They
are split out below...
Album Sheet
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Below, the principals are identified as "?", Capt. Johnson
and Hunting. "?" is a common symbol used throughout Cosgrove's
photo albums when he was referring to himself.
"?", Johnson, Hunting
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This photo could have been taken February
20, 1926. On that date, Lt. L.E. Hunting arrived at Tucson
in the late morning carrying as passenger Capt. Johnson.
They were flying a deHavilland DH-4M2. Although difficult
to tell the model in the picture, the aircraft above is a
deHavilland.
Douglas C-1 Transport
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Image, above is unidentified as to date or pilot. From the
Register database there were 47 landings by C-1 Transports.
None are in any way identifiable by the number 79. This is
a nice starboard rear quarter shot of the model, however.
---o0o---
Images below of Cosgroves numerous membership
cards for the Anciente and Secret Order of the Quiet Birdmen.
The upper and bottom images are of metal cards issued by
the organization. It seems the cards had to be of metal to
withstand the partying engaged in by QB members.
---o0o---
The image below is of one news article that announces Cosgrove's
role as a Travel Air dealer for Arizona and New Mexico. This
PDF download contains this article, plus 14 others which
range from 1928 and Cosgrove's early affiliation with the
Davis-Monthan Airfield, and 1972 with the obituary of his
wife.
---o0o---
The image below was taken sometime during Cosgrove's tenure
as field manager for American Airlines (1930-31). The person
at left is Ben Fidler, radio operator for American Airlines.
This image shows the AA Terminal in the background. The terminal
was situated at the northwest end of the airfield. Its
location now is under the roadway now called Alvernon Way.
Cosgrove (R) & Ben Fidler
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C.B. Cosgrove, Jr., left, with Mrs. Martin Jensen, Martin
Jensen, B.F. Mahoney, H.A. Edwards & Harvey
Bowlus. Image location and date are unknown, but the airplane
behind them could be Jensen's specially modified Ryan, which
he used to carry the MGM lion in a cage.
C.B. Cosgrove, Jr., left, with Mrs. Martin Jensen, Martin
Jensen, B.F. Mahoney,
H.A. Edwards & H. Bowlus
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---o0o---
UPLOADED: 11/21/06 REVISED: 01/04/07, 02/12/07
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