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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 It includes across 277 pages previously unpublished photographs and texts, and facsimiles of personal letters, diaries and military orders.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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CHICKASHA, OKLAHOMA

Chickasha, OK (pronounced "CHICK-a-shay" by locals) is one home base and destination cited by Wiley Post. The one historically used by Post was the original Curtiss-Wright Field, according to the link. The lat/long of that site as N35 57, W97 57. The latter coordinates define a point just east of Lake Hefner, which is now a neighborhood of middle-class housing according to Google Earth. It is west of downtown Oklahoma City.

He flew there to and from Tucson on November 17, 1928 and December 17, 1928. (Coincidentally, December 17, 1928 was the 25th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' first flight. I wonder if he thought about that.) On both of those flights passing through Tucson he was flying Lockheed Vega NC7954. This brand new Vega was the first "Winnie Mae", c/n 24, built on August 12, 1928.

Several photos, below, shared by M. Dickenson, are significant because they were taken at the original Curtiss-Wright Field during July-August, 1931, soon after Post's round-the-world flight with Harold Gatty (June 23-July 1, 1931, see farther below). Immediately below, Post and Gatty are greeted by Native Americans.

Post (L) & Gatty, Ca. July-August, 1931 (Source: Dickenson)
Post (L) & Gatty, Ca. July-August, 1931 (Source: Dickenson)

Below, a National Guard flyover in celebration of Post and Gatty's world flight.

National Guard Flyover, Ca. Late July, 1931 (Source: Dickenson)
National Guard Flyover, Ca. Late July, 1931 (Source: Dickenson)

Next, a VIP lineup including Post and Gatty.

VIP Lineup, August 1, 1931 (Source: Dickenson)
VIP Lineup, August 1, 1931 (Source: Dickenson)

 

TO DIFFERENTIATE: The contemporary Chickasha Municipal Airport is not the same one referred to in the Register by Post, or where the photos above were snapped. Today's Chickasha Municipal Airport is located southwest of Oklahoma City at 35 05.77N 97 57.97W. It did not exist in Post's day during the 1920s and 30s. Chickasha Municipal Airport looks like this today. Images below were taken by your Webmaster on September 11, 2002 (yes, I just had to fly on this day). The two airborne shots were through the prop disk over the nose of my airplane.

Chickasha, OK Crosswind
Chickasha, OK Final 35

Left, flying crosswind for runway 35 (changed recently to 36) on approach from the northeast.

Right, final approach for runway 35 (now 36). Runway 18/36 is concrete. The other two runways (4/22, 18/36) are turf and difficult to see in these images. They are to the right (east) of the paved runway and taxiway.

On the ground, the airport was sleepy that early fall day. Only one FBO, and no rental cars or restaurants were on the field (although some of each are nearby).

On the eastern apron, there were hangars from the WWII era (below, left). On May 3, 1999 the Chickasha airport was hit by a massive F5 tornado.  This really hurt the hangers and now they are just decaying away. But before the tornado they were still being used and in good condition. Today, the canvas ceiling insulation is crumbling and falling to the ground, and inhabitants, like this tarantula beginning to crawl up the wall (below, right), made their way over and under the debris.

WWII Hangars
TARANTULA!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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UPLOADED: 01/09/06 REVISED: 08/02/06, 09/11/18, 10/16/18

 
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I'm looking for images of the original Chickasha airport from the 1920s or 30s. I'd also like history. If you have some to share, please use this FORM.

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OTHER BOOKS FOR YOU

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 entreprenePost (L) & Gatty, Ca. July-August, 1931 (Source: Dickenson)ur, 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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