From time to time generous individuals come forward who add immensely to our understanding of the people. airplanes, places and events that are celebrated in the old Airfield Registers that are the focus of the suite of Web sites operated by Delta Mike Airfield, Inc. The Collections cited below contain thousands of images, documents and memorabilia of people from the period of the Registers. Many of the items are unique and have never been published before in any medium. We should all be grateful to the contributors for their donations. They have given us considerable time and effort organizing and scanning their materials, or allowing me to visit, review and scan their photographs and documents. Thanks to them for allowing us to view them on the Web. Please direct your browser to the links to learn more about these Register people, the Collection donors and their contributions. The pilots' home airfield(s) are listed (in parentheses) at the beginning of each Collection.
THE COLLECTIONS ARE LISTED IN REVERSE ORDER
OF ACQUISITION AND IMPLEMENTATION
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February 2019 The Silas Amos Morehouse Photograph and Document Collection
(Peterson Field and Grand Central Air Terminal pilot) Silas Morehouse was one of the more accomplished aviators of the Registers, making his mark in civil, military and commercial flying. His Collection comes to us courtesy of Gerald Wheeler in Yakima, WA. His Collection comes to us through Churchill's Book Store, Yakima, WA via Bob Woodling. (Washington State)
June 2015 The Emile Choureé Photograph and Document Collection
(Davis-Monthan Airfield pilot) Emile Choureé's Collection comes to us courtesy of Gordon Leuckenotte of Washington State, who contacted me through dmairfield.org during the fall of 2014. The Collection consists of Choureé's loose photographs, photos of some of his belongings, including vintage uniform elements, and 15 PDF downloads of his scrapbooks and pilot log books. They span his life from his youth in an orphan home to his death as a Naval officer in an airplane crash in 1938. His scrapbooks are especially interesting, since they document two of his early assignments, as an Ensign learning to fly, and as a Lieutenant flying in the Canal Zone. As part of his duties, Choureé was the voice of the Navy's crack public flight performance teams (truly the earliest "Blue Angels"). As such, he attended the National Air Races (NAR) with the teams during the late 1920s and early 1930s. Besides announcing and providing commentary on Navy acrobatics, he compiled detailed scrapbooks detailing the 1929, 1930, 1931, 1933, and 1934 NAR. These are all presented for your enjoyment. Emile Choureé is featured on his own biography page on dmairfield.org at the link. (Washington State)
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July 2012 The Benton Remmers "Lucky" Baldwin Photograph and Document Collection
(Davis-Monthan Airfield pilot) Baldwin's Collection consists of 82 photographs and 35 PDF downloads to enjoy and to help understand the life of this complex man. The materials come from two main sources, credited at the link. They span his life from toddler through WWII and retirement, including a well-traveled and responsible military career and a long civil career with United Air Lines. Among the PDF downloads are six of his pilot log books, as well as a complete set of 12 monthly issues of The Tee, a tabloid-sized newspaper, "Published monthly by and for the Cadets of Randolph Field, Texas, 'The West Point of the Air.'" The issues of The Tee run from from October 31, 1932 through October 6, 1933, the dates of his Army pilot training at Randolph Field. Lucky Baldwin enjoys his own biography page on this site at the link, which includes several dozen additional documents and photographs. (Florida)
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March 2012 The William H. McMullen Naval Aviation Photograph Collection
(Davis-Monthan Airfield pilot) This Collection of 235 photographs provide a clear black & white window into the day-to-day life of Golden Age Navy pilots and sailors. We can date them narrowly between 1928 and 1930, which is, essentially, McMullen's only period of active service with the Navy. His duties took him from Pensacola, FL to San Diego, CA, to Cleveland, OH. He also served on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Saratoga, and in the Panama Canal Zone. His Collection includes photos of each venue. It exhibits over four dozen interesting photographs of aircraft on carrier decks, including the early arresting gear mechanism for capturing and stopping aircraft during landing. William McMullen is featured on his own biography page on this site at the link. (Florida)
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May 2011 The Elmer C. McLeod Photograph and Document Collection
(Davis-Monthan Airfield and Clover Field pilot) This Collection contains 41 items that present to us a unique window into the flying life of Register pilot Elmer C. McLeod. Exceptional among his Collection is the presence of nine log books that give us information about the aircraft he flew and where he took them, including his landing at Tucson. All these books are available as individual PDF downloads for you to study on your own. Thanks to site supporter Tim Kalina for donating McLeod's Collection to Delta Mike Airfield, Inc. (Illinois)
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December 2010 The Aline "Pat" Rhonie Photograph and Document Collection
(Pitcairn Field and Davis-Monthan Airfield pilot) Aline Rhonie signed the Register as "Mrs. Peter Brooks," as well as her own name. This collection of 85 items is shared with us courtesy of the Hofheimer family via pilot Rhonie's niece, Carol Roberts. I have organized the Rhonie Collection into eight categories. (Pennsylvania)
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July 2009 The Lee Lysle Willey Photograph and Document Collection
(Davis-Monthan Airfield pilot) This Collection comes to us courtesy of Liz Zemke and Scott Willey, Lee Willey's granddaughter and grandson. The 84 images chosen for the Collection, added to the 60 that are on Lee Willey's biography page (q.v.), comprise in sum an intimate look into the major phases of Lee Willey's life, family and flying career. (California)
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August 2008 The Clarence B. Gilpin Collection of Gilpin Air Lines Photographs and Documents
(Grand Central Air Terminal and Davis-Monthan Airfield pilot) This collection of images and documents comes to us courtesy of Clarence B. Gilpin, nephew of Register pilot Charles William "Bill" Gilpin, and his family. His uncle, was a frequent visitor to Tucson, as well as the Grand Central Air Terminal. This is a small Collection of 50 images, artifacts, newsclips and documents illustrative of Gilpin's family, business and aircraft. (South Carolina)
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August, 2007 The Klein Archive of Aviation Photographs
Bruce Klein owns Bernie's Photo Center in Pittsburgh, PA. He also operates the Photo Antiquities Museum of Photographic History at 531 East Ohio Street, Pittsburgh. Bruce's contributions to dmairfield.org came about indirectly. During July, 2007 your Webmaster bought a 1934 Agfa Ansco bellows camera at an antique shop (follow the link to the Archive to see the camera). This type of camera easily could have captured images from the Register era, and I thought I might snap a few images of old airplanes with it to use on this Web site, just to round out the metaphor. I needed film for it and visited Bernie's Photo Center to get some. Bruce stocked the film and asked what I was going to do with the camera. We discussed this Web site and he, like Charles Cooper, below, went into another room and returned with a few dusty photo albums. They were filled with wonderful aircraft photographs, and they were representative of a few dozen additional albums owned by his Museum. I spent four days scanning them. The results of those four days, and Bruce's contributions to dmairfield.org, are exhibited in his Archive. (Pennsylvania)
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October, 2006 The C. Burton Cosgrove, Jr. Photographic and Document Collection
(Davis-Monthan Airfield pilot) Burt Cosgrove, III's father, Cornelius Burton Cosgrove, Jr., was the manager of the old Davis-Monthan Airfield between 1928 and 1932. As well, he was an expert amateur photographer. Many of Burt's hundreds of images on this site were taken by his father. Burt is co-author of this article available as a PDF download in the REFERENCES. He also wrote the Foreword for the book "The Congress of Ghosts." (New Mexico)
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October, 2006 The Harold B. "Hap" Russell Photographic and Document Collection
(Davis-Monthan Airfield pilot) Ed Russell shares with us his father's image and document collection. He wrote most of the biographical information on the home page of the Collection. His father was Harold B. "Hap" Russell, who holds the distinction of being the most frequent signer of the Davis-Monthan Register. Ed is co-author of this article available as a PDF download in the REFERENCES. (Arizona)
October, 2006 The Russell T. Gerow Photograph Collection
Mike Gerow shares with us his father's image and document collection, most of which was collected in the Long Beach - Bakersfield, CA area. Mike is co-author of this article available as a PDF download in the REFERENCES. Russell Gerow was not a Register signer, but he was a pilot and amateur photographer. Many of his photos are relevant to Register pilots and aircraft. (California)
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January, 2006 The Ruth Richter Holden Collection (under construction) (California)
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October, 2005 The Louis Hudgin Photograph and Document Collection (under construction)
Louis Hudgin is the nephew of Register pilot Al Hudgin. I met him at Tucson October 2, 2005 and he invited me to view and scan his collection over the following week. (Arizona)
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October, 2005 The Charles Cooper Photograph and Document Collection
Charles Cooper and I first met at his airport in west Texas. While I was paying my fuel bill, we chatted about this and that. The Web sites came up in our conversation and Charles allowed, "I have something you might be interested in." He disappeared into a hangar for a few minutes and emerged with a few boxes covered with west Texas dust. Because of the wealth of interesting and relevant items in the boxes, I interrupted my cross-country trip and spent all night at a motel in Kermit, TX scanning them. The results are exhibited in his Collection. (Texas)
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In many cases, the images in the Collections shown on this site are only representative samples of photographs and documents owned by the collectors. I only exhibit those relevant to the people, airplanes, events and places of the suite of Airfield Register between 1925 and 1942. In most cases, copyright is reserved by the owners of the Collections.
I recognize also, in alphabetical order, the following donors whose contributions are not entire collections, but much more than just single photos.
Rob Bach has provided images of Travel Airs NC9024, NC9049; Bach NC302E, NR7092, NC8069 and many others. Rob's Web site of aviation and other photographs is at the link. (Burlington, WI)
John Bybee has provided many photos, articles, identifications and color commentary on Fokker aircraft. With 328 landings by numerous models of Fokker aircraft, I appreciate his generosity, sharp eye and insightful comments. See for example NC5614.
Brian Dalton is the owner of Travel Air NC4834. There were 163 landings by Travel Air models recorded in the Register. Brian has provided images and commentary about NC9049, NC5426, NC4834, Julius von der Heyden and Walter Beech. (Dallas, OR)
Andy Heins is President (as of the upload date of this page) of the National Waco Club. He runs the day to day business of the Club, and has shared with us many images of Waco aircraft (and many photographs and anecdotes about their pilots) to help us understand better the Wacos that landed at the Davis-Monthan Airfield. There were 107 landings by Waco aircraft recorded in the Register. Andy and I discussed each one. Many of the images of these airplanes are from the Waco Club, or from Andy's own collection. Some examples are: the Waco company, NX7527, NX5533, NC11440, NC12443, NC13578, NC13424, Gilbert Sykes, Charles Mayse, "Tex" LaGrone, John Wood, Lee Brutus, George Zinn, Bessie Owen, Freddie Lund and many others. (Dayton, OH)
Tim Kalina has shared with us from his own collection many of the Lockheed aircraft photographs that you see on this site. As well as his excellent images, Tim provides a considerable amount of "color reporting," providing little-known facts and anecdotes about the images of airplanes and people he shares. He is also a faithful overseer of new additions to the site and provides many helpful facts and comments. He is quoted many, many places on the Web sites. Too many to count. Here are some examples of his contributions: NC926Y, NC2756, NX9017, NC4770, NC7863, NC6477, NC4278, NC3318, NC32M, NC49M, NC11Y, NR8494, NC676H, NC105N, NC9424, NC972Y, NC869E, NC858E, NC288W, NC13W NC117W, 26-202 , NC849E, Grand Central Air Terminal, Tom Colby, Ruth Barron, Ira Eaker, E.E. Aldrin, Eddie Hedeen, James Dickson, Carl Squier, Peter Dana, NC625E, Jimmy Collins, and many, many others. (Chicago, IL)
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John Underwood has shared with us from his extensive collection many photographs of people, aircraft and places relevant to the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register. John has authored books, many with history and photographs relevant to dmairfield.org. Left, John in his massive photo "archive" with your Webmaster, May, 2009.
He has contributed photos for Peter Brooks and Aline Brooks, Lee V. Brusse, Clare Bunch, Ace Bragunier, Bob Buck, Eddie Bacque, Leslie Bowman, Martie Bowman, Eddie Bellande and many others distributed across the alphabet. He is the author of several books relevant to the Airfield Register.
As of the 4th quarter, 2011 John is an inductee into the Experimental Aircraft Association Hall of Fame. Below, from the American Aviation Historical Society Newsletter (2011. 177: 4), is a description of the honor. This is a well-deserved honor. Congratulations! (Glendale, CA)
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