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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 It includes across 277 pages previously unpublished photographs and texts, and facsimiles of personal letters, diaries and military orders.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 Headle 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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MARSHALL "Babe" HEADLE

 

He served in WWI, learned to fly in Tours, France in 1917 and served as a flight instructor until 1919. His resume tersely cites “misc. flying” between 1920 and 1924 (although the Blue Book of Aviation, 1932 cites him as serving with the U.S. Embassy in Paris, France between 1919 and 1922), and “U.S. Marines” from 1924 to 1929.

Marshall Headle & Lockheed Altair NR15W, May 29, 1931 (Source: Kalina)
Marshall Headle & Lockheed Altair NR15W, May 29, 1931 (Source: Kalina)

 

Regardless, beginning in 1929 he resigned from the Marines and flew for the Lockheed Aircraft Company as test pilot.

At left, Headle stands with the Lockheed Altair NR15W, which was purchased by The Crusaders, an anti-Prohibition organization that lobbied for the return of beer and light wines to the legal market. This may or may not be representative of Headle's position on prohibition. He was the acceptance test pilot at Lockheed that flew the airplane last before it was turned over to the Crusaders. In the photograph he carries a fountain pen in the breast pocket of his well-worn jacket. His hair trim shows signs of the use of typical hand clippers of the era (below).

Golden Age Hair Clippers (Source: Web)
Golden Age Hair Clippers (Source: Web)

Marshall Headle landed once at Parks Airport, on Thursday, April 23, 1931. Not surprisingly, he flew a Lockheed Vega 5C Special, NX965Y. Based at Burbank, CA, he cited his destination as Burbank, too. He gave no reason for his visit at St. Louis, nor did he note carriage of passengers. The airplane was later owned by Amelia Earhart and was destroyed by fire at Memphis, TN, August 26, 1943. His Lockheed landed at St. Louis a couple of months later on June 22, 1931 flown by a pilot identified only as "Marshall." Pilot Marshall was eastbound from San Francisco, CA to New York. It's tempting to think it was Headle flying again, signing in with only his first name, but it is difficult to make the handwriting match.

At Lockheed, Headle became Chief Pilot in Charge of Flight Operations in 1930 and served in that capacity throughout the decade. Over the years he worked for Lockheed, his role evolved from test pilot, “old style” to a sort of international business diplomat: Chief Test Pilot, “new style.” From 1935 on, he traveled internationally and demonstrated new aircraft and oriented new owners to their chosen Lockheed product.

In addition to his signature in the Parks Airport Register, he also signed the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register three times. Marshall Headle's full biography is online at the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register Web site at the link. More photographs, links and downloads are at the link that further define this accomplished pilot. He carried Transport pilot certificate T7274 and was a member of the National Aeronautic Association, Professional Pilot’s Association and the American Legion. Marshall Headle was born March 21, 1893 at Winthrop, MA. He died May 4, 1945 of a heart attack at Burbank, CA.

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THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 06/28/13 REVISED: