Howard Maish, Glendale CA, Date Unknown (Source: Underwood)

Corsicana (TX) Daily Sun, February 18 1931 (Source: Woodling)

Howard F. Maish signed our Registers five times. Three times at Tucson and once each at Parks Airport and Clover Field. For each landing at Tucson he flew Kreutzer trimotor aircraft. His photograph, left, is from the Underwood reference in the right sidebar.

Maish flew the Kreutzer K-3 NC211M twice to Davis-Monthan. He and the airplane were based at Santa Monica, CA Clover Field. Both times Maish carried three passengers, O.M Walker, Don Moyle and W. Sullivan. The first visit was on Thursday, August 22, 1929 at 11:50AM. They identified Cleveland, OH as their destination, which was the location of the National Air Races that year (August 24-September 2). They returned westbound toward home through Tucson Saturday, September 7, 1929 after two weeks "on the road" to Cleveland

None of his passengers signed the Register any other time. But Don Moyle was a pilot who, about two years later, on September 8, 1931, joined Register pilot Cecil Allen to fly from Japan to the United States. Their aircraft was the Emsco B-3, NR153W they named Clasina Madge. You can read about their effort at the link.

His third landing at Tucson was solo on Friday, December 27, 1929 at 6:10PM. This time he flew the Kreutzer K-5 NC982H, S/N 108. A registration record for this airplane is still active in the FAA database even though the registration was cancelled March 30, 1933. At the time of cancellation, it was owned by Henry B. Chapman of New Orleans, LA. Maish remained in Tucson overnight before continuing his journey to Atlanta, GA the next day.

Maish engaged in barnstorming for a couple of years ca. 1930-32. The majority of this work was performed in a Ford trimotor, as described in the article at right. That Ford was very probably NC1781, which was operated by Golden State Airways during that time. Maish also landed in NC1781 at Parks Airport on June 29, 1931, and at Clover Field on Thursday, August 20, 1931.

Below is a snippet from a booklet describing the offerings of the Grays Harbor School of Aeronautics, with which Maish was associated ca. 1927-28. Compare this information to the account in The Pilot article exhibited farther below.

Maish in Grays Harbor School of Aeronautics, Ca. 1927-28 (Source: Link)

I've included a PDF copy (442kB) of the Grays Harbor booklet in case it's ever removed from the Web.

The Pilot magazine, January 1932, featured an article written by him titled "Essential Factors to Success in Modern Barnstorming." Below is page 5 of the article, which summarizes his military and civil flying experience up until the time he landed at Tucson. Note the not very flattering nickname, "Horseface."

Maish in The Pilot, January 1932 (Source: Woodling)

Notice mention of fellow Register pilot Tom Colby.

One of the points made in the Grays Harbor School booklet was the importance of pre-work aimed at gaining supporters to sponsor barnstorming events. The undated news article, below, is an example of a partnership with and automobile sales company.

Undated News Article, Maish Barnstorming, Ca. Early 1930s (?) (Source: Woodling)

Santa Ana Register, June 12, 1934 (Source: newspapers.com)

I've included a PDF copy (242kB) of the linked article in case it's ever removed from the Web. Besides crew and aircraft appearence and advance advertising, Maish provided infornation in his article about barnstorming economics, below.

Maish in The Pilot, January 1932 (Source: Woodling)

Maish was born April 22, 1897 in Rossville, IN. The 1900 U.S. Census, his first, placed him at age 3 living with his father George B. (35), mother Rose (34) and two brothers and a sister. His father's occupation was coded as "Thresher of grain." The 1910 Census reported the family in the same location and his father employed as a thresher. His siblings had grown to seven. His parents had borne eight children during 18 years of marriage. Howard was number three.

Santa Ana Register, September 21, 1927 (Source: newspapers.com)

In 1920, the Census found him in the same place at age 22 and single. He had gained one more brother. His father was unemployed. Maish was working as a farm laborer. I found no Census data for 1930. It is clear, however, that he was married sometime during the early-mid-1920s. The Santa Ana Register, September 21, 1927, left, reported the death of his wife, Dorothy, on September 9th.

Maish flew West on June 8, 1934 at age 37. The cause of his death was a highly unusual accident (see news articles, above right and below). The document immediately below is the U.S. Consulate certification of the death of a U.S. Citizen abroad, in this case Mexico. It documented the date and time of death, as well as transference of Maish's body and personal effects back to his family.

U.S. Consulate Certificate, July 9, 1934 (Source: ancestry.com)

Oakland Tribune, June 10, 1934 (Source: newspapers.com)

Santa Ana Register, April 18, 1929 (Source: newspapers.com)

His body was returned to the U.S. through State Department channels. He was buried at the place of his birth, Rossville, IN.

The accident involved a herd of cows as documented in the Santa Ana Register, Jun 10, 1934, left.

This article and the one above refer to his early flying during WWI, and as a flying instructor at Eddie Martin Airport. Earlier, the Santa Ana Register, April 18, 1929, right, reported on the flying activities there. About 45 students in the flight school formed the Eddie Martin Pilot's Association.

Besides Eddie Martin, one other Register pilot is mentioned, Clover Field Register signer Ethel Richardson. Interestingly, the vice president of the organization, W.C. Mays [sic] would soon attract Richardson and she and Walter Charles Mayes would marry sometime in 1930. Refer to her link for more information.

Howard F. Maish Grave Marker, 1934 (Source: findagrave.com)

Lack of information about Maish's military or early flying experience is not unusual for Register pilots who fly West early before they can accumulate a file of records and newsclippings,or a case of trophies. His grave marker is at left. He flew carrying Transport pilot certificate T68 (an early, low number), which his family memorialized on his stone. If you can help fill in the blanks in his short life, please let me KNOW.

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THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 01/21/19 REVISED: 02/06/19