Young Men's Business Club (YMBC) airshow at Mueller-Harkins airport June 13, 1937. 25 planes took part in the first annual air circus with nearly 50,000 spectators cheering them on. Tommy Thompson, the "Bat Man," waits beside an airplane with two men. His metal wings fold and have handles on the inside for manipulation. He is planning to jump out of the airplane and soar to the ground; a plan that was foiled by heavy winds that damaged his wings. He was saved by his second parachute. (T. Times, TNT).

Air shows--Tacoma--1930-1940; Young Men's Business Club (Tacoma); Clubs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Events--Tacoma--1930-1940; Thompson, Tommy;

Governors Review at Fort Lewis. Nine bi-planes flying in formation. These were from the 91st and 116th observation squadrons. They, along with the men of the 9th Corps. and the 5th Brigade, passed in review before Governors Charles D. Martin of Oregon, Clarence D. Martin of Washington and Roy E. Ayres of Montana and top military brass on August 21, 1937. Thousands of civilians journeyed to Fort Lewis to watch the military pageant. (T. Times 8-21-37, p. 1, 8-23-37, p. 1)

Biplanes; Military parades & ceremonies--Fort Lewis;

Boeing Stratoliner crash at Alder, Washington, on March 18, 1939. A large crowd gathered around airplane wreckage manage to get very close to the smashed craft. The experimental craft had its cigar-shaped fuselage cracked wide open in three places. Both of its wingtips and part of the tail had broken off without warning, causing the plane to plunge directly to the hillside two miles below. The tragedy was viewed by many residents of this rural community, far away from normal flight paths. On Sunday, March 19th, crowds driving out to view the sight of this tragedy clogged the Mountain Highway. Parking was not available for a mile in either direction. (T. Times, 3-18-39, p. 1, 3-20-39, p. 1)

Aircraft accidents--Alder--1930-1940; Boeing Stratoliner;

Looking more like a crumpled soda can than an airplane, the experimental "sub-stratosphere" Boeing plane, the "Stratoliner," lies where it crashed on March 18, 1939 in the Nisqually Canyon, 1/4 mile from Alder. In nearly ideal flying conditions, the half million dollar plane, designed to revolutionize cross country flying, took off on its 17th test flight. It carried 10 people; test pilots for Transcontinental and Western Airlines, Boeing test pilots, engineers and executives and 2 representatives of the Royal Dutch Airline. Shortly after 12 noon, the four engine plane, all engines running loudly, took a nose dive and plunged to the hillside about two miles below, wing tips and tail structure breaking off enroute, and killing everyone on board. The tragedy was witnessed from the ground by at least 20 individuals. (T. Times 3/18/1934- 3/30/1934, pg. 1)

Aircraft accidents--Alder--1930-1940; Boeing Stratoliner;

State Patrol officer Joe Sladek's head juts from the wreckage of the experimental aircraft, the Boeing Stratoliner, which crashed near Alder on the afternoon of March 18, 1939, killing everyone on board. The 33 passenger aircraft was intended by Boeing to revolutionize cross country air travel. The plane had already logged in sixteen successful test flights and was to receive government inspection, preparatory to being licensed for commercial travel, in just a few days. However, on routine "Test Flight #19," the plane, all four engines roaring, lost its wingtips and tail section and smashed into the hillside 2 miles below. The accident was witnessed by over 20 rural residents. As word of the accident got out, police were required to keep the crowd back. Even so, spectators managed to carry off several essential pieces of the debris. (T. Times, 3-18-39, p. 1, 3-20-39, p. 1)

Aircraft accidents--Alder--1930-1940; Boeing Stratoliner; Sladek, Joe;

Girls from the College of Puget Sound interested in government training for pilots. Ben Barry, instructor, discusses the propeller operation with Beulah Eskildsen, left, and Janet Hatch. Radiators are mounted on each side to the nose of the airplane.These co-eds are part of the 400 nationwide taking the federal government up on its offer to train women as student pilots. (T. Times 10/5/1939, pg. 12)

Airplanes--Tacoma--1930-1940; Flight training--Tacoma--1930-1940; Monoplanes; Eskildsen, Beulah; Hatch, Janet; Barry, Ben; College of Puget Sound (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Students--Tacoma--1930-1940; Mueller-Harkins Airport (Lakewood);

A solemn pilot gazes from his uncovered cockpit in September of 1927. Advertising on this Bergen Bromley Flying Service plane in September of 1927 indicates that the plane is equipped with Tsungani "slipper" pistons. Tsungani pistons were manufactured by the Tsungani plant located at 625 E. 11th St. They made lightweight alloy pistons for automobiles, motorcycles and Liberty airplane engines. TPL-8076; G12.1-077

Airplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930; Bergen Bromley Flying Service (Tacoma); Advertising--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tsungani Piston Co. (Tacoma);

On August 12, 1929, men and women connected with Tacoma Airways aviation school lined up in front of two biplanes at the Mueller-Harkins airport with several automobiles further down the row. A Richfield service station is in the distance. TPL-532; G12.1-001

Tacoma Airways (Tacoma); Airline industry; Vocational education--Tacoma--1920-1930; Biplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930; Airplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930; Automobiles--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Two planes, one much smaller than the other, at an unidentified field the day after Christmas, 1929. The larger plane, a biplane, has tarp covering the open pilot cockpit and passenger seating. Photograph ordered by Tacoma Airways. G12.1-027

Airplanes--1920-1930;

ca. 1929. Harold Bromley, on the right, and a second man, probably his benefactor John Buffelen, stand next to Bromley's Lockheed Vega monoplane, the "City of Tacoma." Between them they hold a map on which has been drawn the course that Bromley intended to fly, non-stop from Tacoma to Tokyo, a continuous trip of 4,700 miles. Buffelen and a group of Tacoma businessmen had funded the design and manufacture of the Lockheed plane, hoping to make Tacoma as famous as Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis." The plan ended in disaster. The first plane crashed on take off in front of a crowd of 25,000 at the Tacoma Field. The second and third planes crashed during test flights, the third crash killing test pilot H. W. Catling. The fourth plane was manufactured by Emsco; the plan adjusted to fly from Tokyo to Tacoma, taking advantage of tail winds. It flew for 24 hours, before exhaust fumes forced Bromley and co pilot and navigator Harold Gatty to return to Japan. The plane was stored in a Japanese hangar and the Tacoma money men were stopped by the Depression from ever funding another attempt at the record.

Bromley, Harold; Airplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930; Aeronautics--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1929. Harold Bromley's airplane, the "City of Tacoma," being viewed at Tacoma Field by citizens in July of 1929. During the spring and summer of 1929, newspapers carried front page stories filled with the exciting news of Bromley's planned flight across the Pacific Ocean from Tacoma to Tokyo. Bromley and his backers had planned the flight for two years. The plane was being built by Lockheed in California, a bright orange low wing Vega monoplane. The final testing of the plane was done at the Muroc dry lake bed, 200 miles northeast of Burbank, but its flight to Tacoma was delayed. Finally on July 19, 1929, Bromley landed at Tacoma Field after a 8 hour and 17 minute flight from Los Angeles. Thousands cheered as the plane landed safely in Tacoma. Over 59,000 people made the trip out to the airstrip to view the plane prior to its July 28, 1929 inaugural flight.

Bromley, Harold--Associated objects; Airplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930; Aeronautics--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1928. A young woman wearing a flyers jacket, boots and flight cap is helped into a parachute while standing next to a Bergen Bromley Flying Service bi-plane. Photo probably taken at Mueller Harkins Airport. For more images of the same woman, see TPL images 7034 and 7035.

Airplanes--Tacoma--1920-1930; Bergen Bromley Flying Service (Tacoma);

Waldren Flying Machine Hoquiam This three-wheeled flying contraption was piloted by a Mr. Waldren in Hoquiam on the 4th of July in 1910. Among those standing near the "flying machine" was John A. ("Jack") Croston, who is believed to be second on the right of the pilot. Mr. Croston operated a garage and Chevrolet agency at 1135 Tacoma Avenue South, across the street from the Tacoma Public Library, during the years 1917-19. Copy of photograph made on February 19, 1928. TPL-2688; G71.1-141

Airplanes--Hoquiam; Croston, John A.;

ca. 1930. Harold Bromley's fourth airplane, NR153W also called the "City of Tacoma," preparing for his Tokyo to Tacoma flight. The red Emsco single engine monoplane roared off on September 14, 1930 from a 6,800 foot strip of hard packed sand at Sabishiro Beach, 350 miles north of Tokyo. Twenty four hours and 52 minutes later, it landed about 35 minutes north of its starting point. About 1200 miles out, 12 hours after taking off, the plane's exhaust system failed. Sickened by the fumes, Bromley turned the plane back to Japan. With his navigator Harold Gatty comatose, Bromley fought to keep consciousness and land the plane. The pair were discovered on the beach unconscious by Japanese fishermen. Both recovered, but Gatty refused to make the flight again. Bromley recalculated the flight and determined that it could not be made with this slow, heavy plane without refueling. His Tacoma backers, their money flow stalled by the Depression, abandoned the project. TPL-216

At dawn on July 28, 1929 Harold Bromley climbed into his Lockheed monoplane, perched at the top of a ramp, preparing for takeoff on his proposed 4,762 mile "hop" to Tokyo. A crowd of 25,000, some of whom had waited since 2a.m., gathered to see the plane take wing. The wooden vessel carried 904 gallons of gasoline and not much else, a flying gas tank. The new Tacoma airport, built with a $30,000 bond issue, had a 5,400 foot airstrip. An additional ramp was added at the beginning of the strip; when the plane rolled off the ramp it would gain momentum equivalent to another 1,000 feet of runway. At 6:08 a.m., the plane roared down the ramp and continued down the runway before swerving sharply and crashing. BGN-310I

Harold Bromley's Lockheed monoplane, the "City of Tacoma, " poised at top of the ramp at Tacoma Field prior to take off. The ramp was designed to give the large plane more lift. The huge orange Vega had a 48 foot wingspan, a open cockpit near the tail and a cruising speed of 150 miles per hour. Bromley was proposing to make a solo, nonstop 4,762 mile "hop" Tacoma to Tokyo. His flight ended in disaster when the overfilled tanks spewed gasoline, blinding him and he crashed the plane. Bromley, unhurt, oversaw the production of three more "City of Tacoma" planes. Two were designed by Lockheed and crashed during test flights. The final plane, designed by Emsco Aircraft of Downey, California, flew for 1,200 miles until fumes forced Bromley to turn back. BGN-310G

Harold Bromley's airplane the "City of Tacoma" poised at the top of the ramp prior to its July 28, 1929 take off. Bromley and his plane were financed by a group of Tacoma businessmen, the most voluble being lumber magnate John Buffelen, who wanted to put Tacoma on the map, in the same way that Lindberg made "St. Louis" a household world. The whole city of Tacoma supported the dashing Bromley, even voting a $300,000 bond to build a 5,400 foot air strip. A 100 foot wooden ramp was constructed at the beginning of the runway. The plane was placed at the top of the ramp. When the plane rolled off, it would gain momentum equivalent to another 1,000 feet of runway. At 6:08a.m., the huge monoplane roared down the ramp, veered sharply and crashed about 1,500 feet after its take off.

A Beachcraft T-34, owned by the McChord Flying Club, is being wheeled into a T-shaped hangar at the South Tacoma Airport on September 9, 1958. An unidentified man in a checkered shirt and cap is maneuvering the airplane by a wing while Frank Bly is pushing with his hands on the propeller. Another parked aircraft can be glimpsed in the adjacent hangar space. Mr. Bly would build a hangar at the South Tacoma Airport in the late '50s. He would use the hanger to restore and keep his 1931 Stinson W. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association. (Additional information provided by readers)

Airplanes--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hangars--Tacoma; Bly, Frank; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

Tri-motored Stinson airplane crashed at Tacoma Air Field. Nightime scene. The sight-seeing flight over Puget Sound ended with four killed and seven critically injured. One wing is intact with "Fly 50" inscribed. (T. Times, 10/25/1937, p.5).

Accidents - Aircraft Accidents - Airplane Accidents Transportation - Aircraft - Airplanes - Stinson Airplanes

Young Men's Business Club (YMBC) airshow at Mueller-Harkins airport June 13, 1937. 25 planes took part in the first annual air circus with nearly 50,000 spectators cheering them on. A section of the crowd of 50,000 was photographed on the side of the airfield. Automobiles, airplanes and an ambulance were also parked along the side of the field. The show featured races, stunt flying and a jump by Seattle's own "Batman," Tommy Thompson. (T. Times, TNT)

Air shows--Tacoma--1930-1940; Young Men's Business Club (Tacoma); Clubs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Events--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Cropped version of D779-9, showing the uniform of Tommy Thompson, the "Bat Man", as he boards a plane June 13, 1937 at the first Tacoma Air Circus. He has metal wings and an outfit stitched into a sheet, to allow him to glide. He intends to jump out of this plane and glide to Earth. However, he narrowly avoided disaster when a gust of wind tore the canvas webbing that supported his wings as he stepped out of the plane in flight. He began to plunge to the ground. Luckily he was wearing two parachutes. Although the first became tangled in his wings, the second brought him safely to land - although one of his wings was bent. The air circus was sponsored by the Young Men's Business Club of Tacoma. (T. Times, TNT)

Air shows--Tacoma--1930-1940; Young Men's Business Club (Tacoma); Clubs--Tacoma--1930-1940; Events--Tacoma--1930-1940; Thompson, Tommy;

Fort Lewis's new 105 feet long blimp flies at forty miles per hour on its first flight since arriving at the army base on February 10. The new blimp serves as an observation balloon. (T.Times, 3/11/1938, p.1).

Balloons (Aircraft)--Fort Lewis; Balloonists; Air pilots--Fort Lewis; Military personnel--Fort Lewis; Fort Lewis (Wash.);

This photograph from March 1938 shows the crew members of the 3rd Balloon Company at Fort Lewis struggling with ropes to position a helium filled blimp in its specially constructed hanger. Considered the latest in observation balloons, it was equipped with a manned, motorized undercarriage that held both a pilot and co-pilot. The 105 foot long blimp could attain a top speed of 40 miles per hour. (T.Times, 3/11/1938, p.1).

Balloons (Aircraft)--Fort Lewis; Balloonists; Air pilots--Fort Lewis; Military personnel--Fort Lewis; Fort Lewis (Wash.);

Dirigible ground crew of the 125 member 3rd Balloon Company, Fort Lewis, surround the motorized C-6-3 undercarriage and the airship's pilots Master Sergeant A. E. Miller and Corporal Henry Pelhum. The new blimp is making its first flight since arriving on February 10. (T.Times, 3/11/1938, p.1).

Balloons (Aircraft)--Fort Lewis; Balloonists; Air pilots--Fort Lewis; Military personnel--Fort Lewis; Fort Lewis (Wash.); Miller, A.E.; Pelhum, Henry;

Airplane crash at Mueller-Harkins Airport. Group of people checking out airplane.

Accidents - Aircraft Accidents Transportation - Aircraft - Airplanes Transportation Facilities - Airports - Pierce County - Lakewood - Mueller-Harkins Airport

Boeing Stratoliner crash at Alder, Washington, 30 miles southeast of Tacoma, on March 18, 1939. Close-up of wrecked airplane debris. The experimental craft, costing $500,000, and weighing 20 tons, crashed and killed a crew of ten on Saturday afternoon, March 18, 1939. Both wingtips and part of the tail broke off without warning, plunging the aircraft to the hillside two miles below. Flying conditions were excellent and there was clear visibility. The Stratoliner was preparing to be licensed for commercial flying and was scheduled for a governmental inspection flight on March 20, 1939. It had already logged in twenty flight hours. The plane's crew was composed of several experienced Boeing pilots and two Dutch representatives. (T. Times, 3-18-39, p. 1, 3-20-39, p. 1)

Aircraft accidents--Alder--1930-1940; Boeing Stratoliner;

Stratoliner crash at Alder, Washington, March 18, 1939. A large crowd gathered around the wrecked airplane which had unexpectedly broken up and plunged two miles into the rural hillsides near Alder, 30 miles southeast of Tacoma. There were no survivors among the ten member crew. The tragedy would draw people from all over the state, necessitating the deputizing of several local residents to handle crowd control. Despite additional police help, avid souvenir hunters made off with bits of debris from the Boeing craft. The $500,000 airplane weighed twenty tons and its cabin was constructed to carry 33 passengers when completed. It was designed to fly "sub stratosphere," 5-6 miles above earth, in the "no weather" zone. It had already logged in 20 hours of flight time prior to the accident. (T. Times, 3-18-39, p. 1, 3-20-39, p. 1)

Aircraft accidents--Alder--1930-1940; Boeing Stratoliner;

March 18, 1939, Boeing Stratoliner crash at Alder, Washington. Large crowd standing on and around the wrecked airplane. Pierce County Sheriffs and police from surrounding communities had to move the crowd back from the crushed aircraft. 3000 gallons of gasoline had spilled under the plane and the danger of explosion was present. The accident occurred approximately 1:21 p.m. on Saturday, March 18, 1939, when the experimental craft lost its wingtips and part of the tail and plunged into the rural hillsides near Alder. Ten men lost their lives, including two representatives from the Netherlands. The four-engine aircraft was supposed to revolutionize cross-country transportation and had already logged in twenty hours of flight time. (T.Times, 3-18-39, p. 1, 3-20-39, p. 1)

Aircraft accidents--Alder--1930-1940; Boeing Stratoliner;

View of cracked fuselage. On March 18, 1939, people living near Alder, 30 miles southeast of Tacoma, looked-up to see this Boeing Stratoliner fall to earth in a fatal tailspin. The four-engine aircraft, designed to revolutionize cross-country transportation, broke apart as it fell and crashed into Nisqually Canyon. All ten men on-board the test flight were killed. The Air Safety Board of the Civil Aeronautics Authority immediately ventured to the scene to investigate the tragedy. (T. Times, 3-18-39, p. 1, 3-20-39, p. 1)

Aircraft accidents--Alder--1930-1940; Boeing Stratoliner;