Aviation's first talking airplane, "The Voice of the Sky," visited Tacoma on May 12, 1929. The crew posed next to the the Fokker USA trimotor passenger airplane parked at Mueller-Harkins airport: (L-R): Lew Gower, pilot; H.E. Wendt, mechanic; B. Knapp, crew chief; Bert McGrath, announcer. The plane, C-1661, has large advertising for Standard Ethyl gasoline painted on its side. This was the first Pacific Coast visit by the "Voice of the Sky" which amazed listeners and viewers with animated audible chatter and music from 2500 feet up in the air. TPL-2020; G12.1-029 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 5-12-29, A-7-article; TDL 5-14-29, p. 1)
Airline industry; Airplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930; Gower, Lew; Wendt, H.E.; Knapp, B.; McGrath, Bert;