American Aviation Historical Society

Aviation Fact Friday: With Thanksgiving representing the culmination of autumn, it is fitting that this week's Fact Friday features a piece of art that highlights autumn’s natural beauty. Yet, this piece of art also highlights another rich portion of aviation history: rural aviation. The most memorable form of rural aviation was barnstorming. Barnstorming featured pilots performing daring maneuvers above an audience and aerialists performing dangerous tricks on the wings o...f planes. With many adventurous veteran pilots of the First World War looking for work, barnstorming reached the peak of its popularity during the 1920s. However, the dangerous nature of barnstorming eventually led to accidents. These accidents led the government to introduce restrictions for barnstorming. Unfortunately, these restrictions reduced barnstormer’s ability to entertain their audience, which led to the decline of barnstorming. - - - Art by: Nixon Galloway Source: https://hartzellprop.com/hartzell-history-history-barnstor/

Aviation Fact Friday: As mentioned in a previous Aviation Fact Friday, Pan American was a pioneer in the international aviation industry and secured numerous industry firsts: the first American airline to introduce a traffic control system; the first airline to utilize long-range weather forecasting; and the first airline to offer round the world flights. However, Pan American was also known for its famous flying boats: the Pan American Clippers. Twelve Boeing 314 Clipper...s were produced, and nine of these were flown by Pan American. These Pan American clippers were very slow, but were able to travel to a vast array of destinations, because the Clippers did not rely upon runways due to their ability to land on the water. The Pan American Clippers were considered luxury travel, and the average cost of a ticket was an enormous price of $12,000 when adjusted to inflation. Additionally, the Clippers had several luxurious amenities, such as beds, dressing rooms, and dining rooms. However, Pan American eventually retired the Boeing 314 Clippers in 1946. - - - Aircraft pictured: Boeing 314 Clipper Art by: John Amendola Source: https://simpleflying.com/pan-am-clippers/ and https://www.deltamuseum.org//delta-hist/family-tree/pan-am

Aviation Fact Friday: Even after the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, American fighter squadrons continued to fly combat missions until Emperor Hirohito announced the Japanese surrender. One such pilot was Jerry Yellin, a P-51 pilot who flew the final combat mission of the Second World War. Unfortunately, one of Mr. Yellin’s fellow pilots was killed during this mission. The death of this pilot and the deaths of many other fellow pilots during Mr. Yellin’s service during t...he war caused Mr. Yellin to suffer from PTSD throughout his later life. Thankfully, he found a respite from PTSD through meditation, and he even helped several other veterans find a respite as well. Interestingly, Mr. Yellin’s son moved to Japan in 1984, married a Japanese woman, and continues to live in Japan with his family. In a podcast interview, Mr. Yellin expressed that this highlighted to him that humans are alike regardless of nationality. Furthermore, he expressed hope that this common humanity would be embraced by people around the world and that war would cease to be fought. Sadly, in December of 2017, Jerry Yellin passed away at the age of 93. - - - Aircraft pictured: North American P-51D Mustang Photography by: Bob Williams Sources: https://www.nytimes.com//jerry-yellin-93-dies-flew-the-las and https://open.spotify.com/episode/0TknjrxUjT7x9uVP4Z2OdO

Aviation Fact Friday: The F-4 Phantom II was one of the most iconic aircraft of the Vietnam War. The Phantom completed its first successful flight in 1958, and was quickly adopted by the Navy in 1960 and the Air Force in 1963. Although initially designed as an interceptor, the Phantom’s versatility led it to be utilized as an all-around aircraft. It was equipped with one M61 Vulcan 20 mm Gatling cannon and an array of missiles and bombs. Additionally, the Phantom was powered ...by two General Electric J79-GE-17A axial compressor turbojets. By the Vietnam War’s end, five American aviators had achieved the status of ace. And each of these aces had piloted the F-4 Phantom II. - - - Aircraft pictured: F-4 Phantom II Art by: Larry Lapadura Source: https://www.thoughtco.com/vietnam-war-f-4-phantom-ii-2361080

Aviation Fact Friday: When thinking about firefighting, the image of a red truck with sirens blaring typically comes to mind. Yet, some firefighters don’t drive fire trucks, instead they pilot planes! In California, planes are used to fight forest fires. Many of these planes are piloted by firefighters working for CAL FIRE. CAL FIRE’s mission is to prevent wildfires, and they utilize their aircraft to drop retardants that slow the spread of fire. ... CAL FIRE is not alone in their aerial firefighting pursuits. Air National Guard units have also been activated to fight wildfires in the past. The C-130s from these units are equipped with Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems and also utilize retardants to slow the spread of flames. - - - Aircraft pictured: Consolidated PBY-5A Photography by: Charles E. Stewart Sources: https://www.fire.ca.gov/about-us/ and https://www.airforcemag.com/guard-c-130s-fighting-californ/

Wings of Hope, a non-profit that provides free medical transport flights to patients throughout the U.S, is hosting a cinema-themed virtual Trivia Night on Saturday, November 14th! The event will be hosted by a professional online trivia hosting company and will be as authentic of a real trivia night experience as you can get during the current pandemic. Ticket purchasers will be able to play as virtual teams via Zoom breakout rooms, and there will be prizes (including round prizes, costume prizes, and a grand winner prize)! For more information, visit https://wingsofhope.ngo/get-involved/events-calendar/

Aviation Fact Friday: Gabby Gabreski was born in 1919 to Polish immigrants who had settled in Pennsylvania. After two years of college, Gabby joined the Army Air Corps in 1940, and he was stationed in Hawaii after completing his flight training. Initially, his time in Hawaii was peaceful and uneventful. However, on December 7th, 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked. Due to the attack being a surprise, Gabby was unable to take flight until the Japanese had already completed their ...attack. After this, Gabby was rearing for combat. Gabby requested to be assigned to a Polish unit in order to learn from the experienced Polish pilots who had already been fighting the Germans for several years. He was assigned to the Polish No. 315 Squadron, which provided him with invaluable experience before transferring back to an American unit. This additional experience paid off, and Gabby Gabreski achieved twenty eight victories by the war’s end. This meant that he was the top American ace in the European Theater of the Second World War. After the war, Gabby continued his military aviation career and retired after twenty seven years of service. - - - Aircraft pictured: Gabby Gabreski’s Republic P-47 Thunderbolt Art by: Gerald Asher Source: https://www.historynet.com/gabby-gabreski-americas-two-war-

Aviation Fact Friday: San Diego has a long and celebrated history of aviation. Convair was founded in San Diego, the first seaplane flight in the United States was launched from San Diego, and San Diego served as the homeport for the first aircraft carrier. Additionally, Naval Air Station North Island has been located in San Diego since 1917. Not to mention, even before the Naval Air Station’s founding, the first naval aviator was trained in San Diego. Theodore Ellyson, the ...first naval aviator, was trained by Glenn Curtiss at the Curtiss Aviation School on North Island in 1911. It is due to these many accomplishments that San Diego is considered the birthplace of naval aviation. - - - Art by: Jerri Bergen Sources: https://www.cnic.navy.mil//installat/nas_north_island.html and https://sandiegoairandspace.org/museum/museum-history

Aviation Fact Friday: Thomas McGuire Jr. was the second highest scoring American fighter ace of the Second World War. He was born in New Jersey in 1920, and he joined the Army Air Corps prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. After initially seeing relatively limited combat action, McGuire was transferred to the 431st Fighter Squadron. In August of 1943, McGuire earned the coveted title of ace after shooting down five Japanese aircraft in two days. ... Unfortunately, on January 7th, 1945, McGuire was killed in combat. At the time of his death, he had achieved a total of 38 victories. Additionally, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. - - - Aircraft pictured: Lockheed P-38L Lightning Art by: Thiis Postma Sources: https://www.nationalaviation.org/our-ens/mcguire-jr-thomas/

Aviation Fact Friday: Delta is one of the most notable airlines in America. It was initially founded as a crop-dusting company, but, after being purchased by C.E. Woolman, it was converted into a passenger airline. Delta flew its first passenger flight in 1929, began a regular cargo service in 1946, and continued its crop-dusting operations until 1966. In 1991, after purchasing Pan Am’s trans-Atlantic routes, Delta became a global carrier. ... More recently, in 2014, Delta was honored with the designation of being one of Fortune’s most admired companies. - - - Aircraft pictured: Douglas DC-8-61 Photography by: Kase Dekker Sources: https://news.delta.com/deltas-history-dusting-crops-connect

Aviation Fact Friday: Although being known for its relatively large size, the P-47 Thunderbolt was initially designed as a light fighter by an aircraft designer named Alexander Kartveli. However, Republic later updated the design of the Thunderbolt to have increased levels of durability. This increased level of durability and size led the Thunderbolt to be one of the heaviest fighter aircraft of the Second World War. The P-47 was equipped with four .50 caliber machine guns pe...r wing and could reach speeds of over 420 miles per hour. Additionally, over 15,000 Thunderbolts were produced during the Second World War. These Thunderbolts achieved a kill count of nearly 4,000 enemy aircraft. All in all, the P-47 Thunderbolt played a significant role in the Army Air Corps during the Second World War. - - - Aircraft pictured: Republic P-47 Thunderbolt Photography by: Bob Williams

Aviation Fact Friday: While flying cars now seem like an absurd dream from one’s childhood or even just an animated prop used in The Jetsons, during the twentieth century, Convair engineers actually attempted to build a flying car. The Convair Model 118 ConvAirCar was designed by Ted Hall, and it was equipped with a detachable wing, tail, and propeller. While this flying car did in fact fly multiple test flights, ultimately the project was canceled after the plane crashed ...on the third flight. Yet, the dream of widespread usage of flying cars lived on. In fact, several prototypes, such as Moulton Taylor’s Aero-Car, continued to be designed. - - - Aircraft pictured: ConvAirCar Art by: Thiis Postma

Aviation Fact Friday: First developed by General Dynamics in 1976 and currently produced by Lockheed Martin, the F-16 Fighting Falcon occupies an integral position in the United States Air Force’s arsenal. Consequently, the Fighting Falcon has been deployed during multiple conflicts involving the United States, including the Persian Gulf War and the Global War on Terror. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is equipped with a M-61A1 20mm multi-barrel cannon and is capable of carrying si...x air-to-air missiles. Additionally, the Fighting Falcon can reach maximum speeds of up to 1,500 miles-per-hour. Not to mention, according to the United States Air Force, the Fighting Falcon’s ...maneuverability and combat radius (distance it can fly to enter air combat, stay, fight and return) exceed that of all potential threat fighter aircraft. The specific F-16 Fighting Falcon pictured was flown by the Happy Hooligans, which is known officially as the 119th wing of the North Dakota Air National Guard. The Happy Hooligans have been awarded twenty one Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards and currently fly the MQ-9 Reaper. - - - Aircraft pictured: F-16A Fighting Falcon Photography by: Robert Greby

Aviation Fact Friday: Wilbur and Orville Wright, frequently referred to together as the Wright brothers, were born in 1867 and 1871, respectively. Their father was a minister and travelled frequently. During these travels, he would purchase gifts for the brothers, and one of these gifts was a model helicopter that piqued the Wright brothers’ interest in aviation. After founding a newspaper and managing a bike shop, the Wright Brothers used their businesses’ profits in order ...to fund their aviation pursuits. Taking inspiration from their childhood model helicopter, the flight dynamics of birds, and German aviator Otto Lilienthal, the brothers developed their own aircraft. On December 17, 1903, in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the Wright brothers successfully completed the first powered and sustained flight. This historic flight lasted 12 seconds and spanned 120 feet. - - - Aircraft pictured: the Wright brothers’ flyer Art by: Kenneth Fox

Aviation Fact Friday: Although the Grumman F4F Wildcat was an integral part of the Navy’s fleet of aircraft during the Second World War, there were many roadblocks in its path to wartime service. After originally being designed as a biplane, the Wildcat was updated to meet the Navy’s desire to outfit its squadrons with monoplanes. Furthermore, the F4F Wildcat experienced multiple additional redesigns before the Navy finally adopted it into their arsenal. The Wildcat was initi...ally equipped with four fifty caliber machine guns, and was later upgraded with an additional two machine guns being added to the F4F-4 variant. Additionally, the Wildcat could reach maximum speeds of up to 331 miles per hour, and it was renowned for its durability, which provided the Wildcat with an advantage over the Japanese Zero. By the war’s end, the Wildcat had achieved a victory to loss ratio of 6.9 to 1, and eight Wildcat pilots had been awarded America’s highest military honor, the Medal of Honor. - - - Aircraft pictured: Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat Photography by: Jack H. Tegler

Aviation Fact Friday: Pan American World Airways was founded in 1927 as an airline tasked with shuttling mail between Florida and Cuba. Yet, in the years that followed, Pan American became the largest international airline based in the United States. Pan American was a pioneer in the international aviation industry and secured numerous industry firsts: the first American airline to introduce a traffic control system; the first airline to utilize long-range weather forecasti...ng; and the first airline to offer round the world flights. In addition to these firsts, Pan American was known for its upscale service. The aircrews were generally college educated and served lavish meals. However, after suffering from increasing oil prices, global economic decline, and a disastrous terrorist attack, Pan American was forced to file bankruptcy in 1991. - - - Aircraft pictured: Boeing 707-321B Art by: Michael Machat

Aviation Fact Friday: The United States Army Air Service, in desperate need of a fighter aircraft during the First World War, adopted the Nieuport 28 design after the design was rejected by the French. As a result, the Nieuport 28 possessed multiple flaws, including the unfortunate tendency of sustaining damage to its top wings and the emission of fumes from the castor oil fueled engines that induced nausea in many American pilots. Yet, even with these two flaws, the Nieupor...t 28 was used by many skilled American pilots. On April 14, 1918, Douglas Campbell and Alan Winslow scored the first American victories of the First World War while piloting the aircraft. More notably, Eddie Rickenbacker, a Medal of Honor recipient, fighter ace, and race car driver, flew the Nieuport 28. He ultimately scored twenty six victories by the war’s end. All in all, while the Nieuport 28 was blemished by a handful of flaws, it still successfully served its role as America’s first fighter aircraft used in the First World War. - - - Aircraft pictured: Nieuport 28 Photography by: USAF

Aviation Fact Friday: During the 1930s, the National Air Races were the leading air races in America. Rather than catering to the aviation industry, the National Air Races catered to the general public. This meant that the National Air Races were organized as a spectator sport. The National Air Races consisted of multiple competitions. The Thompson Trophy Race was a closed-course event, which meant that the aircraft competed directly against each other. This direct competiti...on was introduced with the goal of drawing a larger audience due to the increased level of action. Additionally, the Bendix Trophy Race was introduced as a long distance race, but it failed to achieve comparable levels of popularity to action packed closed-course events. All in all, while the National Air Races offered pilots the opportunity to attain fame, the National Air Races also threatened pilots with the possibility of suffering fatal accidents. In fact, even expert pilots perished during air races, including multiple winners of the Thompson Trophy. - - - Event pictured: the National Air Races of 1934 Art by: Nixon Galloway