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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 It includes across 277 pages previously unpublished photographs and texts, and facsimiles of personal letters, diaries and military orders.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 Colby and his airplane 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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THOMAS BERRY COLBY

 

T.B. Colby (Source: Kalina)
T.B. Colby (Source: NASM)

Tom Colby landed Wednesday, October 2, 1929 at Parks Airport. He flew an unidentified Great Lakes airplane, but it was probably NC840H in which he is pictured at right.

Colby was born of priviledge. At the times of his landing at Parks he was building his family business, Berry Brothers, which sold aircraft finishes – paints – and other coating products. The business had been founded by his maternal grandfather.

Although Berry Brothers sold coatings to the automobile and marine sectors, Colby chose to focus on the aviation business. When he visited Parks Airport he was Aviation Sales Manager for the organization, having been appointed to the position in 1927.

To promote the business, Colby participated in some of the premiere aviation events of the Golden Age. He started early, before he even learned to fly (he learned in 1928).

For the 1927 National Air Races (NAR) and the 1928 Ford Reliability Tour he hired Charles W. Meyers, then chief test pilot for Advance Aircraft Co. (makers of Waco planes) to fly. Colby went along as passenger. They took 4th place in the National Air Tour, and first place in the NAR New York to Spokane, WA Class B race in 1928.

Colby flew in the 1931 (final) Ford Air Tour. He did not compete. Rather, he accompanied other Tour aircraft as the "Berryloid Official Tour Airplane", clearly an advertising and marketing opportunity. Aviation publications of the era featured colorful advertising from the Berry Brothers comany. Below, some examples of full-page spreads of brightly painted aircraft.

Berry Brothers Advertising, Ca. 1920s-30s (Source: Kalina)
Berry Brothers Advertising, Ca. 1920s-30s (Source: Kalina)

The company's products were marketed under the Berryloid brand, and they were featured not only in popular magazines as illustrated, left, but also in supply catalogs and other publications oriented toward commercial aircraft maintenance enterprises.

Coating technologies have changed immensely (and for the better) over the years. Now, catalyzed epoxy and polyurethane finishes are available, which are far superior in appearance and durability (not to mention flammability qualities) to the nitrate dopes and lacquers of the Golden Age. Prices have changed, too. Whereas you could, according to one catalog, purchase a gallon of pigmented Berryloid for $8.35 in 1931, as of the upload date of this Web page, a gallon of catalyzed epoxy paint can cost over $100.

Besides partipating, Colby was active in flying events throughout the U.S. and especially the Midwest. He was a founder and officer of the Aeronautical Activities Association of Michigan.

He was also pegged by the society pages as one of Detroit’s most eligible bachelors. However, while participating in the Florida Air Cruise in 1933 he met one Juliette Brown of Philadelphia during the stop in Miami. Two years later they were married.

Thomas Berry Colby was born on May 15, 1900 in Detroit, M. He died in November, 1974 at Pauma Valley, San Diego County, CA. Besides his single landing at Parks Airport, Colby also visited and signed the Registers at Clover Field (twice), the Davis-Monthan Airfield (five times) and Peterson Field (twice). Colby's biography is online at the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register Web site at the link.

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