The Davis-Monthan Aviation Field Register

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This information comes from the listings of Non-Prefixed and Non-Suffixed aircraft reviewed by me in the archives of the National Air & Space Museum (NASM), Washington, DC.

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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.

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http://www.cafepress.com/content/global/img/spacer.gifThe 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 It includes across 277 pages previously unpublished photographs and texts, and facsimiles of personal letters, diaries and military orders.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.

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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.

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LOCKHEED VEGA Model 5 Executive NC395H

LOCKHEED VEGA Model 5 Executive NC395H

LOANED TO LINDY

This airplane is a Lockheed Vega Model 5 Executive (S/N 88; ATC #93) manufactured during August, 1929 by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, CA.  It left the factory with a Pratt & Whitney Wasp B engine (S/N 1815) of 450 HP.  It was a five-place airplane.

We find NC395H landing at Tucson three times (8/11/29, 8/25/1929, 8/31/29).  Each time it was piloted by Ernest L. Benway.  Benway was the executive pilot for August Belmont Company, New York, NY. 

On August 11th Benway was solo and did not cite his origin or destination.  On the 25th he carried a single unidentified passenger.  They were westbound from El Paso, TX to Los Angeles, CA.  On the 31st he carried two unidentified passengers eastbound from Los Angeles to El Paso.

On November 30, 1929 NC395H was sold to the August Belmont Company.  Interestingly, it was loaned by Belmont before he owned it to Col. & Mrs. Charles A. Lindbergh for a trip to Miami in 1929. Below is a news photo of NC395H at the time it was used by Lindbergh. And, at the link is a news motion picture of Lindbergh, Mrs. Lindbergh and NC395H (about three minutes long) taken the same day as the still. In the movie, various photographers (note the motion picture photographer uses a hand-crank!) cluster in the foreground while the Lindberghs pose. Charles Lindbergh even manages to smile for about a second. Compare the surroundings in the film with the image below. The airplane main wheels rest on a concrete strip and the puddles are visible in both. It is clear the airplane is in the same position. Image and video link courtesy of Tim Kalina.

Lockheed Vega NC395H, September 18, 1929
Lockheed Vega NC395H, September 18, 1929

On April 19, 1930 the airplane was sold to the Detroit Aircraft Corporation, Detroit, MI.  Two months later, on June 14th, they sold it to Corporacion Aeronautica De Transportes (CAT), S.A., Torreon, Mexico.  It was painted red with ivory trim in Mexico and its U.S. registration was cancelled. A Mexican license was applied for on 9/18/30, but no record exists of its issuance.  It was known to be registered as XA-BHM in Mexico.

The airplane was listed in mortgage proceedings against CAT on February 20, 1932.  That was the last record.  Mexican license XA-BHM was cancelled February 19, 1933.

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UPLOADED: 06/02/06 REVISED: 08/29/08, 10/18/11, 09/01/15
 
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I'm looking for other photographs of this airplane to include on this page. If you have some you'd like to share, please use this FORM to contact me.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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