The THE KLEIN ARCHIVE PLACES OF THE DAVIS-MONTHAN REGISTER Page of the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register Website

View products that support dmairfield.org

OTHER REFERENCES

PLEASE NOTE!

Right-click has been disabled throughout this collection.

Please, the Museum wants you to contact them for access to and use of the Klein Archive of Aviation Photographs.

Please click this link to the Museum and you will find guidance on how to acquire photographic-quality images, and instructions for crediting their use.

Klein Archive home.

---o0o---

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.

---o0o---

The 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 It includes across 277 pages previously unpublished photographs and texts, and facsimiles of personal letters, diaries and military orders.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.

---o0o---

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.

---o0o---

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.

---o0o---

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.

---o0o---

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.

---o0o---

THE KLEIN ARCHIVE

PLACES OF THE DAVIS-MONTHAN REGISTER

Below are 7 images (plus one from another source) of places cited in the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register between 1925 and 1936. In many cases these places were recorded by pilots as home bases, or points of arrival or destinations from the Airfield.

The annotation on the image below reads, "Bettis Field, Dravosburg, PA 4 July 1939". Bettis Field is not

**Bettis Field, Pittsburgh, PA, Independence Day 1939**

mentioned specifically in the Register as a home base or destination, however it shows up meaningfully in the lives and activities of several pilots and aircraft. For example, see NC7107, NC752K, NC3908, NX5501, NX4050, the Army's 1st Pursuit Squadron, and these images of Charles Lindbergh, and Post & Gatty.

Below is another original photograph of Bettis Field shared with us by the Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh. Thanks to them for letting us use this very high quality aerial image.

**Bettis Field, Pittsburgh, PA, Date Unknown**

This photo, taken on a typical cloudy Pittsburgh day, is oriented about 30-degrees counter-clockwise from the one above it. The landing circle in the bottom image is at about the same location as the square light area at about 8 o'clock in the top image. DC-3 traffic was handled at this airport in the 1930s. When Lockheed Constellations began carrying the load, the Allegheny County Airport was opened to carry the heavier airplanes. Bettis was eliminated in the 1950s.

Today this airfield does not exist. In its place is the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory (BAPL) operated for the Department of Energy by Bechtel Bettis, Inc. It was formerly operated by Westinghouse Electric Corporation. BAPL is engaged in the design and development of naval nuclear propulsion plants.

---o0o---

Below is Butler Airport located north of Pittsburgh, PA near the town of Butler. The image was taken July 1930. The annotation on the original image states, "Butler Airport (PA), Air Corps Visitors, July 1930". The purpose for the visit by the Air Corps is unknown, however the 1st Pursuit Group was in the Pittsburgh area several years before in 1926 as captured in these images from the Klein Archive on this site. Butler Airport still exists as a thriving uncontrolled, general aviation field under the Greater Pittsburgh airport's veil.

**Butler Airport, July 1930**

---o0o---

The annotation on the image below states, "Cleveland Airport 7/7/39". It may not be a coincidence that the top image of Bettis Field, above was taken just three days earlier.

**Cleveland Airport July 7, 1939**

Cleveland was "Home Base" for 22 pilots who signed the Davis-Monthan Register. As well, it was the "Destination" for an additional 18 pilots, most of them involved in the air race events of the late 1920s and early 1930s. Fourteen pilots originated in Cleveland, including a group of U.S. Navy pilots on their way west to San Diego, CA and the U.S.S. Lexington.

---o0o---

The annotation on the original of the image below reads, "Curtiss Field – Garden City, Long Island, NY 1928". Given that Davis-Monthan pilots who were from there landed between 1927 and 1929, this image pretty much represents what they actually saw when they were airborne.

**Curtiss Field, Garden City, NY, 1928**

Curtiss Field was "Home Base" to four Davis-Monthan pilots, including "Boots" LeBoutillier.

---o0o---

The annotation on the orginal photograph below reads, "Langley Field, Virginia 8/6/25". Among the 45 Davis-Monthan pilots who identify Langley Field, Hampton, VA as "Home Base" are Ralph Royce and Carl Spatz. Both of them landed on July 8, 1927 flying separate Douglas C-1C Transports eastbound. This image is very close to what they saw when they arrived back home. Ten pilots listed Langley as their "Destination".

**Langley Field, Virginia 8/6/25**

---o0o---

Below are two images of the Pitcairn Hangar at Philadelphia, PA. There were 13 landings by Pitcairn aircraft at the Davis-Monthan Airfield between 1928 and 1933. This is the birthplace for some of them, including two PCA-2 Autogiros. Among the pilots flying Pitcairns to Tucson were Bob Buck , Amelia Earhart (flying autogiro NC10780) and John Miller (flying autogiro NC10781).

**Pitcairn Hangar, Philadelphia, PA, 1928**

The annotation on the original image above reads, "Pitcairn Airfield, Philadelphia 1928, A Cessna, “robin”, two Travel Airs and a Command Aire".

Image, below, is dated July 1931. The annotation on the original reads, "Pitcairn Field Hangar, North Philadelphia July 1931, Philadelphia-Atlanta Air Mail terminal".

**Pitcairn Field Hangar, North Philadelphia July 1931**

It is clear from the roof and door geometries that this is a different building than the one in the image above it.

---o0o---

UPLOADED: 11/01/07 REVISED: 11/28/07

CREDITS FOR OUR USE OF THE KLEIN ARCHIVE OF AVIATION PHOTOGRAPHS

Warmest thanks are extended to BRUCE KLEIN, Owner of Bernie's Photo Center, Pittsburgh, PA. His foresight in acquiring image collections on various topics has significantly enhanced our understanding of people and aircraft of the Davis-Monthan Register. His warm and solicitous hospitality was much appreciated as I scanned and organized the images presented for the first time on this website.

And to the staff of the Photo Antiquities Museum of Photographic History, Pittsburgh, PA:

FRANK WATTERS, Executive Director of the Museum, whose enthusiasm for our work with the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register grew consistently as we worked with the volumes of images.

SCOTT YOSS, Senior Curator of the Museum, whose anecdotes and knowledge of photography and the graphic arts were much appreciated.

---o0o---

What's New on the Site?	Contact Us \| Credits \| Copyright © 2008 Delta Mike Airfield, Inc. This website is best enjoyed in a 1024 x 768 screen resolution. Web design by The Web Professional, Inc
Home \| The Register \| People \| Places \| Airplanes \| Events \| Cultural \| Motion Pictures \| Friends \| Non-Profit Status Products & Services \| References \| Publications \| Image Collections \| Guest Editors \| Press Coverage