Planning committee for the YMBC "Air Circus," to be held June 13, 1937. The group meets around a luncheon table. Pictured, left to right, are unidentified, M.J. M'Caslin, chairman aviation committee, unidentified, James P. Lesher, President YMBC, Arthur Angove, past president YMBC. The Air Circus would draw over 50,000 spectators to Mueller-Harkins Airfield to view a variety of events including races, stunt flying and a parachute jump by Seattle's "Batman." (filed with Argentum under D768-11; also numbered D779-3)

Air shows--Tacoma--1930-1940; Events--Tacoma--1930-1940; Young Mens Business Club (Tacoma);

Nearly 50,000 spectators watched as Tommy Thompson, the "Bat Man", attempted to soar over Mueller-Harkins airport on June 13, 1937 at the first Tacoma Air Circus. When he stepped from the plane that had carried him aloft, a gust of wind tore the canvas webbing that supported his wings, and spinning like a top, he plunged toward the earth. 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;

Artistic view of hanger, blimp and crew. Special hanger built at Fort Lewis to house the new 105 feet long airship.Men from across the United States make up the 125 member 3rd Balloon Company under Major M. E. McHugo. (T.Times, 3/11/1938, p.1).

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

Close-up of portrait of Army Air Corps blimp pilot Master Sergeant A. E. Miller seated in the two-man motorized undercarriage of the blimp. (T.Time, 3/11/1938, p. 1).

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

A Control Line Model Airplane Meet took place at Tacoma Stadium Bowl. The rescue helicopter from McCord Field made a special appearance at the event. The helicopter arrived and gracefully landed, impressing the large Tacoma crowd. The event was sponsored by the Tacoma Young Men's Business Club (T. Times, 1/27/47, p. 47).

Helicopters--Tacoma; Search & rescue operations; Stadium Bowl (Tacoma); Military air shows--Tacoma; Spectators--Tacoma;

Nancy Savidge, former Navy WAVE who served during World War II, is the first woman training under the GI Bill flight program at Ben Barry's Sky Harbor. Nancy will be flying a "Lucky Piper Cub" plane, and will be the first woman at the flight school to obtain a private pilot rating. Barry's Sky Harbor is reported to be the oldest flight school near Tacoma, it was established in 1937. There are 20 students currently enrolled at the school in the government approved program. The school is located on Highway 99, near the Puyallup River Bridge. (T. Times, 6/3/48, p. 4).

Airplanes--Tacoma; Airports--Tacoma; Airplane wings; Flight training--Tacoma; Aeronautics--Tacoma; Barry's Sky Harbor (Tacoma); Savidge, Nancy;

Publicity shots made at airfield, CAA. The Tacoma Squadron, Civil Air Patrol sponsored the Tacoma Air Show August 19, 1948, at Spanaway Sky Ranch. The exhibition was for the benefit of the cadets' treasury and funds were used for the purchase of new equipment for the unit. Major Orville French, commanding officer of the squadron, left, shows tickets to Joe Sim, College of Puget Sound student and former Air Force pilot who took an active part in the air show. (TNT, 8/22/1948, p.A-5)

Airplanes--Tacoma--1940-1950; Civil Air Patrol (Tacoma); Stunt flying--Tacoma--1940-1950; Airports--Tacoma--1940-1950; Spanaway Sky Ranch (Spanaway); French, Orville; Sim, Joe; Students--Tacoma--1940-1950; Publicity;

On July 28, 1948, this unidentified man, possibly the Bart's Drive-In airplane pilot, had landed his small plane on an ocean beach. It appears that he had made a quick stop for razor clams as his shovels and metal cans seem to indicate. Publicity photo ordered by O'Connell-Ragan advertising agency. (Additional information provided by a reader)

Airplanes--Tacoma; Air pilots--Tacoma; Bart's Drive-In (Tacoma); Advertising--Tacoma; Advertising agencies--Tacoma; O'Connell-Ragan Co. (Tacoma); Publicity photographs;

Students from the Clover Park High School pre-flight class were treated to an air show at McChord Field. The students, under direction of Fred Miner and Wilbur Snyder, were taken on an extended tour of flight operations, flight service, the weather station and the maintenance hangars. Three small airplanes are performing in the sky over the air field. Ordered by Kiwanis Club, H. Barker. (11/23/1952, p.B-6) TPL-5504

Airplanes--Tacoma; McChord Field (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Clover Park High School (Lakewood); School field trips--Lakewood;

Crowds view the crumpled remains of the Boeing Stratoliner, which crashed near 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, was designed to revolutionize cross country transportation by air. March 18th was supposed to be uneventful "Test Flight #19," however the aircraft inexplicably crashed, killing the crew of ten. The Air Safety Board in June of 1939 ruled the accident was due to structural failure. The plane went into an inadvertent spin, subsequent to a stall at an altitude of approximately 11,000 feet. The board felt that the failure of the wings and horizontal tail surfaces were due to excessive loads, cause by air pressure. The loads were in excess of what the wings and tail were designed for. (T. Times, 3-18-39, p. 1, 3-20-39, p. 1; 6/2/1939, pg. 2)

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

Evelyn Burleson beside her airplane, "Miss Liberty", at Mueller-Harkins Airport. On October 1, 1941, the Tacoma aviatrix flew her pictured Taylorcraft monoplane nonstop from Vancouver, Canada to Tijuana, Mexico. She arrived on the morning of the 2nd at 7:30a.m., completing the 1700 mile flight in 16 1/2 hours, 3 hours ahead of schedule. The plane was painted especially for the flight in white with red and blue stripes, a torch bearing Liberty and emblazoned with "WAD" (Women Also Defend.)

Airplanes--Tacoma--1940-1950; Burleson, Evelyn; Monoplanes;

Aerial views of Evelyn Burleson in her airplane, "Miss Liberty," in flight from Canada to Mexico in October of 1941. Tacoma Times photographer Bob Richards and pilot Vernon Hubert met up with her over the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. yards and accompanied her as far as Kelso, snapping these pictures enroute. (T. Times 10/2/1941, pg. 1)

Airplanes--Tacoma--1940-1950; Burleson, Evelyn; Aerial photographs--1940-1950; Monoplanes;

Aerial views of Evelyn Burleson in her airplane, "Miss Liberty," in flight from Canada to Mexico. The Taylorcraft monoplane was painted especially for the trip: white with red and blue stripes, a depiction of Miss Liberty and the letters "WAD," for Women Also Defend. (T. Times 10/2/1941, pg. 1)

Airplanes--Tacoma--1940-1950; Burleson, Evelyn; Aerial photographs--1940-1950; Monoplanes;

On October 1, 1941, Mrs. Evelyn Burleson flew her Taylorcraft monoplane, the "Miss Liberty," nonstop from Vancouver, B.C., to Tiajuana Mexico. She arrived on the morning of the 2nd at 7:30a.m., completing the 1700 mile flight in 16 1/2 hours, 3 hours ahead of schedule. (T. Times 10/2/1941, pg. 1)

Airplanes--Tacoma--1940-1950; Burleson, Evelyn; Aerial photographs--1940-1950; Monoplanes;

On October 1, 1941, Tacoma aviatrix Mrs. Evelyn Burleson took off from Vancouver, B.C. for a solo nonstop flight to Tijuana, Mexico. She flew a petite Taylorcraft monoplane called "Miss Liberty." The plane was painted white with red and blue stripes, a torch bearing Liberty and emblazoned with "WAD" (Women Also Defend.) The plane usually held 12 gallons of gasoline, but 80 gallon tanks were installed for the flight. Tacoma Times photographer Bob Richards and pilot Vernon Hubert took to the air over Pierce County to snap these pictures. They communicated with Mrs. Burleson by sign language as she carried no radio due to weight restrictions. Thursday morning, October 2nd, 16 1/2 hours after leaving Vancouver, she arrived in Tijuana, a 1700 mile flight. (T. Times 10-2-1941 p.1)

Airplanes--Tacoma--1940-1950; Burleson, Evelyn; Aerial photographs--1940-1950; Monoplanes;

ca. 1950. Copy of old prints of airplanes pinned to a board. People boarding United Airlines. Large group of people next to Pacific Air transport air mail airplane. Ordered by WSHS, Chapin Foster, 2/20/50. (Argentum)

Airplanes; Airline industry;

Tacoma Chamber of Commerce. Large group of people in front of and on ramp to inside of airplane. This photograph is possibly connected to the inaugural direct flight of Pacific Northern Airlines from Portland, Seattle and Tacoma to Anchorage, Alaska in October of 1951. It took the DC-4 flagliner 7.5 hours of non-stop flying from Boeing Field to get to Elmendorf Field in Anchorage. Chamber of Commerce presidents from Seattle, Portland and Tacoma were among the dignitaries participating in the event. (TNT 10-4-1951, A-8-article on flight only)

Airplanes;

Copy of customer print. A man appears to be studying plans on perhaps how to complete the body of the aircraft behind him. The fuselage is not finished although windows have been positioned. The plane appears to have been largely constructed of plywood. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association. Original print was imprinted 11-23-1955 with "SM 197293" also on print. Copy of print was made in March, 1958.

Airplane industry; Airplanes;

Copies of a customer's prints, ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. Actual date of photographs is unknown. A man works on the engine housing of the plane, attaching plywood to its curved surface.

Plywood; Airplanes; Airplane industry;

Copies of a customer's prints, ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. Actual date of photographs is unknown. Two men can be seen through the doorway to the right of what will be the cockpit of the new plane. The plane is being built of plywood and the workers mark a sheet of it to the needed dimensions.

Plywood; Airplanes; Airplane industry;

An FH110 helicopter practices landing on a temporary helipad on January 19, 1971, at So. 19th & "J" Sts. The pad is marked with an enormous "H." St. Joseph's Medical Evaluation personnel may have been testing the feasibility of this temporary site. The church in the background is believed to be St. John Baptist Church. Photograph ordered by St. Joseph Hospital.

Helicopters--Tacoma--1970-1980;

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. Various small biplanes fly over the crowd. (T. Times, TNT)

Air shows--Tacoma--1930-1940; Airplanes--1930-1940; Events--Tacoma--1930-1940; Young Mens Business Club (Tacoma);

ca. 1937. Men from the Young Men's Business Club planning Air Circus scheduled for Sunday, June 13, 1937. It is a luncheon meeting and appears to be in a restaurant with blackboard in background listing last names and "Customers Only" sign. Announcement posters on wall. The three men seated in the center of the picture are, left to right, Al Oswald, YMBC aviation committee, Arthur Cook, secretary of the YMBC, and an unidentified man. (filed with Argentum)

Air shows--Tacoma--1930-1940; Events--Tacoma--1930-1940; Young Mens Business Club (Tacoma);

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 photographer stands on the roof of the airport building above the reviewing stand. (T. Times, TNT.

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

On August 22, 1934, several men standing on the roof of the Jones Building (now known as the Pantages) craned their necks to watch the airship Macon fly over the downtown skyline. Thousands lined the streets and rooftops of buildings to watch the dirigible make a wide circle over the city around 8 a.m. Construction of the dirigible cost the US two and a half million dollars. Tacoma was also visited by airships Shenandoah in 1924 and Akron in 1932. The Macon was lost over the Pacific Ocean offshore of Point Sur Feb. 12, 1935. (T. Times 8/22/1934, pg. 1)

Airships--Tacoma; Jones Building (Tacoma); Historic buildings--Tacoma;

On March 10, 1938 the soldiers of Fort Lewis' 125 member 3rd Balloon Company, under the command of Major M. E. McHugo test flew the newest addition to their arsenal. The new blimp was 105 feet lomg and could attain a top speed of 40 miles per hour. It was considered to be a great advance over the blimps used during the First World War. (T.Times, 3/11/1938, p.1).

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

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;

Stratoliner crash at Alder, Washington, March 18, 1939. Close-up of wrecked airplane debris from the Boeing experimental craft. The ten member crew was killed, possibly instantly, when the 20-ton aircraft plunged two miles into the rural hillside. The crew was composed of experienced test pilots, Boeing employees, and two representatives from the Netherlands. The plane, preparing to be licensed for commercial flying, was to be tested on Monday, March 20, 1939, on a governmental inspection flight. Instead, both wingtips and part of its tail broke off while in the air. The Air Safety Board of the C.A.A. would be investigating the accident which occurred under excellent flying conditions with clear visibility. (T.Times, 3-18-39, p. 1, 3-20-39, p. 1)

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

Stratoliner crash near Alder, March 18, 1939. Four men have the grim task of carrying a body on a stretcher to a road near the wooded accident site. Killed were: test pilots Harlan Hull, Julius Barr, Earl Ferguson and William Doyle; Boeing staff John Kylstra, Harry West, Ralph Cram and Benjamin Pearson, as well as Dutch representatives Peter Guilonard and A.G. Von Baumhauer. Escaping death was Bob Bush, Boeing engineer, who had been scheduled to be on the flight but was left off because there was no more room. (T. Times, 3-18-39, p. 1, 3-20-39, p. 1)

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

On October 3, 1939, Beulah Eskildsen (left) and Janet Hatch received instruction from Ben Barry about the instruments in a small mono-plane. Mr. Barry was a commercial pilot at the Mueller-Harkins Airport where the students of the federal government pilot training program, the Civilian Pilot Training Program, received their in-flight instruction. Imitating European countries, America had instituted the Civilian Pilot Training Program (1938-44) to increase the number of civilian pilots and our military preparedness. The program provided new opportunities in aviation for women and Afro-Americans. Women were trained under the program at a ratio of about 1 woman to 10 men, until war preparation demanded that all graduates enlist. At that time, women were excluded from the program because they were not allowed to fly in the military. But by mid 1941, the program had already trained around 2,500 women, many who became Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs.) (T.Times 10-05-1939 p.12; www.nationmuseum.af.mil)

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