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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 It includes across 277 pages previously unpublished photographs and texts, and facsimiles of personal letters, diaries and military orders.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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I'm looking for information and photographs of pilot Vickery 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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CARL V. VICKERY

Carl Vickery landed three times at Parks Airport. He signed the Register first on Thursday, October 10, 1929 at 1:30PM. He flew the Travel Air W-4000, which he identified as NC6469. Based at Chicago, IL, he noted his destination as Chicago. No purpose was stated for his flight, and it is not clear if he carried passengers. But, he was probably flying for the Gray Goose Air Lines Company (see his obituary, below, right).

His second visit was four months later on Tuesday, February 19, 1930 at 10:30AM. He flew the same Travel Air, NC6469 and was still based at Chicago. He cited no destination or purpose (Gray Goose business?) for his visit.

His final visit was on April 2, 1932 (interpolated from the Register; he didn't enter a date or time). This time he flew the Sikorsky S-38B, S/N 214-3, he identified as NC199H. He wrote "917 Wells Bldg." in the home port column; "None" was written in remarks column. He cited his home base and destination as Milwaukee, WI. His airplane belonged to the Walgreen Drug Company, and it is exhibited below in Walgreen livery consisting of the company name superimposed on a mortar and pestle. Curious young men peer through the windows.

Sikorsky S-38B/S-38C, Date & Location Unknown (Source: Woodling)

About two years before his last landing at East St. Louis, Vickery and NC199H appeared in a news article from the Syracuse (NY) Herald of May 13, 1930. The article, below, shows Vickery standing near the entry door of the airplane behind a group of Walgreen employees. The employees were given courtesy rides for being courteous.

NC199H and Vickery, Syracuse (NY) Herald, May 13, 1930 (Source: Woodling)
NC199H and Vickery, Syracuse (NY) Herald, May 13, 1930 (Source: Woodling)

 

Carl Vickery Obituary, Sandusky (OH) Register, June 13, 1933 (Source: Woodling)

 

 

Vickery was born in Ohio, November 4, 1896. His father was born in England and his mother in Pennsylvania. The 1910 U.S. Census places the family in Sandusky, OH, where his father ran a farm. The 1920 U.S. Census agaim documents his domicile as the Sandusky farm. He was 23 years old and living with his parents and sister, Alice M. He was employed as a "Farm laborer," probably with his father.

Ten years later, the 1930 U.S. Census places Vickery in Glencoe Village in Cook County, IL, near Chicago. He was 33 years old, living with his wife, Mary M. (34) and son Don L. (age 8). His occupation was "Licensed pilot" in the "Aviation" industry. It is not clear if he was flying for Gray Goose or Walgreen Drug at the time the Census was taken (April 11, 1930).

Wisconsin State Journal, June 12, 1933 (Source: Woodling)

 

Alas, at his final visit to East St. Louis on April 2, 1932, Vickery had only a little over a year to live. He was killed in a plane crash on Sunday, June 11, 1933.

The seriousness of the crash was well beyond the normal forced landing with minor injuries so common during the Golden Age. News of the crash was widely reported across the country. Vickery's boyhood home, Sandusky, OH, published his obituary, right. The article supplies background on his education, military service and flight experience.

The Nevada State Journal headlined, "World's Fair Plane Falls; 10 Die." The Wisconsin State Journal of Monday, June 12, 1933 included a photograph of the wreckage and the story at left. The same issue of that paper stated, "A gay party of world's fair pleasure-seekers was burned to death late Sunday in an airplane crash so devastating that even the number of victims and the identity of some remained uncertain today."

From other coverage, Vickery knew something was wrong with the airplane, which caused him to abort his sightseeing mission. As he started to land on the water, attendants at the ramp and thousands watching from the shore noticed the wing tilted to the right. Rather than land the airplane on the water near the World's Fair grounds, Vickery raised the airplane back into the air and headed north for the Glenview, IL airport.

According to observers on the ground, the right wing drooped and then departed the aircraft at about 600 feet altitude as Vickery tried to make it to Glenview. It crashed nose first into the ground in a field about two miles south of of the airport, and about 30 miles north of Chicago. The airplane burst into flames after impact, adding to the confusion and difficulty in identifying the number and names of the victims. Some newspapers reported nine deaths; others ten.

The airplane was not NC199H; rather a sister ship, NC141M (not a Register airplane). NC141M had an accident history, having suffered an accident at Glenview on December 14, 1931. I do not know the nature or extent of airframe damage, but if the wing structure was compromised and went undetected, that could have been a set-up for Vickery's crash.

Vickery is buried in Sandusky, Ohio. His gravesite and additional biographical information are at the link.

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