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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. ISBN 978-0-9843074-0-1.

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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. ISBN 978-0-9843074-2-5.

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There is no biographical file for pilot Garrett in the archives of the National Air & Space Museum (NASM), Washington, DC.
 
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KENNETH GARRETT

Lt. Kenneth Garrett landed twice at Tucson. His first landing was solo on Sunday, February 12, 1928. He flew the deHavilland 68592, which is identified at Joe Baugher's site as an XDH-4M-1, serial number 518. The airplane was assigned McCook Field Project Number P337. Based at Riverside, CA, March Field, Garrett arrived from Douglas, AZ. He remained overnight, departing northeastbound to Gila, AZ the next morning at 8:30AM.

His second landing was on Friday, May 17, 1929. He carried one passenger, a Sgt. Walters in the Douglas O2-K 29-194. Still based at March Field, they arrived from Riverside. They remained for two days and cited their destination as Riverside as they departed at noon on the 19th.

There is no biographical folder (left sidebar) for Garrett at the Smithsonian and I have no information about his military service (he was a lieutenant when he visited Tucson) or life in general. He has a very sparse Web presence.

Below, shared with us by site contributor Andy Heins, is a 1923 photograph of Garrett (R) with fellow Register pilot Victor E. Bertrandias. This photo does precede 1929, because Bertrandias resigned from the military that year. Note the inscription painted on the engine cowl and compare with the event described below.

Victor E. Bertrandias and Kenneth Garrett (R), 1923, Location Unknown (Source: Heins)
Victor E. Bertrandias and Kenneth Garrett (R), Date & Location Unknown (Source: Heins)

Below, courtesy of the Maryland Garrett County Historical Society (I don't know if the pilot and the county are related in any way), is a photograph of a crashed deHavilland aircraft flown by Garrett.

Crashed DH, Pilot Garrett, Date Unknown (Source: Link)

Below, from a blog (not linked because it is old and I'm not sure if it will be a reliable resource), another photograph of the crashed DH at Little Meadows near the National Road (Rt. 40) and the Transylvania Trail (Rt. 219). [That intersection is in western Maryland, east of Grantsville] The pilot was Lieutenant Kenneth Garrett. This airplane could be the same as the one above. It does have "AIRWAY" painted on the engine cowl, but not the smaller print. The two lower photos show a large numeral "12." The photos probably represent to stages of the disassembly of the airplane after the crash. The propeller appears to be absent in the photo above, and the port wing apears intact in the image below, but not in the one above.

Crashed DH, Pilot Garrett, Date Unknown (Source: Web)
Crashed DH, Pilot Garrett, Date Unknown (Source: Web)

From the blog, it says about Garrett, "He was involved in several of the airplane races popular after the First World War. In October 1919 he was a participant in a New York-to-San Francisco race sponsored by the U.S. Army. Most of the planes in the contest were two-seaters ... and had a pilot and a "passenger," or co-pilot. Lt. Garrett was the passenger in the plane piloted by Maj. A.H. Gilkeson, who would later be Brigadier General Adlai H. Gilkeson (not a Register pilot).

"The September 2, 1923, Brooklyn Daily Eagle had a picture of Lt. Garrett (co-pilot again) in the cockpit with Lt. Victor Bertrandias. The caption said they left 2 days earlier in a De Haviland plane 'on a pathfinding flight across the United States.' They wound up setting a record of 22 hours, 15 minutes, for their 3,000 mile flight between New York and Seattle." Compare the description of this feat with the inscription on the engine cowling of the top photograph.

The blog goes on to say, "He was born August 5, 1894, in Thayer, Missouri." There is no entry in the Social Security Death Index for a Kenneth Garrett born on that date. I do not know his date of passing.

At one time Garrett was President of Air Transport & Sales Co., at Toney Field, Pine Bluff, AR. There was a Lt. Col. Kenneth L. Garrett who commanded the 51st Fighter Group from June, 1948 to March, 1949. If you can help fill in the details of Garrett's life, please let me KNOW.

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THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 0928/11 REVISED: 09/11/15

 
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I'm looking for information and photographs of p;;ilot Garrett and his airplanes to include on this page. If you have some you'd like to share, please click this FORM to contact me.

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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, or use this FORM to order a copy signed by the author.  ISBN 978-0-9843074-4-9.

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