THANK YOU!
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 1925-1936 with all the pilots' signatures and helpful cross-references to pilots and their aircraft is available at the link. 375 pages with black & white photographs and extensive tables
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The Congress of Ghosts (available as eBook) 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 It includes across 277 pages previously unpublished photographs and texts, and facsimiles of personal letters, diaries and military orders.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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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 entrepreneur, 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 (available as eBook) 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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Clover Field: The first Century of Aviation in the Golden State (available in paperback) 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. 281 pages, black & white photographs.
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YOU CAN HELP
I'm looking for information and photographs of pilot Layne and his airplanes to include on this page. If you have some you'd like to share, please click this FORM to contact me.
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Thanks to Guest Editor Bob Woodling for help researching this page.
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LLOYD F. LAYNE
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Lloyd Layne was an internationally-known builder of water wells. He was, in the vernacular of the era, a "sportsman," which generally meant one was monied, lived the high life, affording oneself various trappings such as horses, fast cars and even airplanes. He owned ten airplanes at one time or another. Photograph at left from the Frederick (MD) Post of March 26, 1931. There was no article accompanying this human interest photo and caption.
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Layne landed three times at Parks Airport. His first visit was Wednesday, October 16, 1929 at 11:00AM. He flew an unidentified Bellanca (but see below). Based at Memphis, TN, he cited St. Louis, MO as his destination. He identified no passengers.
His second visit was on Saturday, February 15, 1930 at 2:45PM. Based at Memphis again, he wrote "Jefferson" in the remarks column of the Register, suggesting he was going to stay at the Hotel Jefferson downtown. The old hotel building still stands as of the upload date of this page, although it remains vacant. He flew a Bellanca he identified as NC258M (a model CH-300, S/N 160), which was probably the same airplane he used for his first visit.
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A few months later, Layne was a referee based at Memphis, TN during the 1930 National Air Races (NAR). The article above, from the Kingsport (TN) Times for August 24, 1930, documents Layne's job checking pilots in and out at the Memphis Municipal Airport.
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Layne's final visit to Parks Airport was sometime between August 28 and August 30, 1931 (he didn't enter a date in the Register). This time he flew the Laird NC10591 (a model LC-RW300, S/N 180). Based again at Memphis, his destination was cited as Chicago, IL. He carried a VIP passenger, Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie. Omlie signed the Parks Airport Register ten times between May 29, 1929 and June 26, 1931. She also signed the Davis-Monthan and Clover Field Registers.
Two years later, right, we find Layne lined up at the starting line for the 1933 Bendix cross-country race. The Aircraft Yearbook for 1934 documented the winners of the Bendix. They were Roscoe Turner, first place, and James Wedell, second. Layne and the others are not cited.
Layne passed away on September 7, 1933. He died early at age 41 (or 43, compare the two obituaries) of pneumonia. His obituary appeared in at least two newspapers, at left from The New York Times of September 8, 1933, and below from the Hattiesburg, MS American of September 7, 1933..
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Layne was an accomplished person who managed the business his father started (see left), He was successful in expanding his company's influence in well-building businesses internationally. It is disheartening to think that he was taken so young by a disease that today quickly could be cured with a course of common antibiotics.
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THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 03/07/14 REVISED: