From time to time, because of information in news articles, films or other sources, it becomes fairly certain that a particular pilot or aircraft visited the Davis-Monthan Airfield, but failed to be entered into the Register. This page documents those visits.

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PEOPLE

AIR MAIL HISTORY We can be fairly certain that Earl Ovington, airmail pioneer, landed at the Airfield during September, 1931. Below, from Mike Gerow, are three news articles dated September 23-24. The articles describe the beginnings of festivities commemorating the 20th anniversary of the first airmail flight flown by Ovington in 1911.

Oakland (CA) Tribune, September 23, 1931

At left, from the Oakland (CA) Tribune, details of the flight have it departing at 8:15 AM from United Airport, Burbank, CA, to Sky Harbor Airport, Phoenix, AZ and finally to Tucson, with an estimated time of arrival of 12:15PM. Ovington carried a single passenger, past Postmaster General Frank H. Hitchcock.

Likewise, below, from the Dunkirk (NY) Evening Observer, we find descriptions of the first airmail flight in 1911, Ovington's airplane at the time, and details about the couple of thousand pieces of mail he flew. We learn that Ovington flew the first leg from Burbank to Tucson only, as part of this trans-continental anniversary flight.

Dunkirk (NY) Evening Observer, September 24, 1931

San Antonio (TX) Express, September 24, 1931

At right, from the San Antonio (TX) Express, we discover that 575 pounds of mail were carried by Ovington to Tucson. He and his passenger returned to Burbank after leaving the mail at Tucson. Note the Washington, DC byline that describes radio coverage of the event by the current Post Master General.

Unfortunately, there is no entry in the Register that documents or even suggests the presence of Ovington, or his trimotored Fokker airplane. Neither is there any clue to an eastbound aircraft that may have been flying the mail on the next leg.

However, passenger Hitchcock is cited in the Register earlier, on Sunday November 4, 1928 as a passenger with pilot J.W. Sharpnack in the 1928 Fairchild FC2W2, NC7034. I have no information about this pilot, the Fairchild, or the purpose of that flight.

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AIRCRAFT

TOUR AIRPLANE, the Ford Trimotor NC3443.This airplane is NOT recorded in the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register. However, we know it was here because we have it on movie film on the ground at Tucson. It was flown to the Airfield on July 10, 1928 by Frank Hawks as airplane #2 in the Ford Reliability Tour of 1928. Follow this link to see a motion picture film of the 1928 Tour landing at Tucson. You will see Hawks' Ford Trimotor just briefly, and be able to note the registration number under the left wing, as well as The Texas Company corporate logo.

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THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 09/19/09 REVISED: