NC303N landed once at Tucson, Friday, May 9, 1930 at 10:45AM. Flown by Hubert B. Griggs, he carried two unidentified passengers. Based at Chicago, IL, they were northwest bound from El Paso, TX. They stayed on the ground for an hour, then departed to Phoenix, AZ. Griggs wrote in the Remarks column of the Register, "None yet."
One Model of Majestic Radio, Ca. 1930 (Source: Web)
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The Fall 1959 American Aviation Historical Society AAHS Journal, page 179, identifies the airplane as serial number 414-1, a type S-38B, built during December, 1929. It was used by the Grigsby-Gurnow Co., Chicago, IL. The company engineered, manufactured and sold the Majestic radio, left.
NC303N was used for flying company personnel and for sales promotion. In early 1930 NC303N, which was named "Majestic," delivered the millionth Majestic radio set built by Grigsby-Gurnow. Another photograph of NC303N in "Majestic" livery is at Griggs' link.
The Grigsby-Gurnow Company went out of business soon after the Great Depression set in. It was purchased for $15,000 in April, 1931, by Northwest Airways, Inc., St. Paul, MN (NWA). It was listed as NWA plane No. 40 and began service May 30, 1931. NC303N flew the Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth run until May, 1935. The airplane was ideal for the route, because Duluth didn't have an airport per se and landings there were made on the water. Below, from the AAHS Journal, op. cit., page 165, is a photograph of the airplane departing Duluth Harbor ca. 1931-1935.
Northwest Airways, NC303N, Ca. Early 1930s (Source: AAHSJ)
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On an unknown date, it was sold to H.L. Plummer. It is possible that Plummer was acting as agent for Bol-Inca Mining Corp, NYC, as NC303N was registered to them a short time later. No later information, but possibly exported to Bol-Inca.
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THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 03/02/12 REVISED:
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