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 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 It includes across 277 pages previously unpublished photographs and texts, and facsimiles of personal letters, diaries and military orders.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 Minor 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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ROY T. MINOR
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Roy Minor landed twice at Santa Monica. His first landing was in the Waco MNF, NC11246. Although he didn't enter the date, by interpolation from other dates in the Register we can deduce that he visited on August 17, 1931. He carried one unidentified passenger. He landed again (solo) somewhere between August 23 and 27, 1931. This time he flew the Waco MNF he identified as NC11239. At both of his landings he arrived from United Airport, Burbank, CA. He cited no destination.
Minor has a spotty Web presence, related mostly to the Thompson Trophy Races. Thanks to a site visitor we have the following information and the photograph at left. Minor was a well-known air racer. His day job was as a pilot for Transcontinental and Western Air Lines.
He flew Benny Howard's DGA-4 "Mike" to third place in the 1933 Thompson, and wound up practically owning the races, with a final record of four firsts, two seconds, two thirds, one fourth and two fifths. In 1934 he flew the Brown Racer "Miss Los Angeles" in the Thompson (second place) and the Greve (fourth).
He wrecked the rebuilt GeeBee R-2 (actually a composite of the wrecked R-1 and wrecked R-2, see NR2101), running it into a ditch in 1933. During a test flight out of Springfield, MA he made thirteen landing attempts before finally getting it on the deck. With all its power, the ship had a tendency to float during landing, causing Minor to overshoot on landing and touch down at mid-field. Earlier a thunderstorm had drenched the field and he found he could not stop on the wet grass. The plane went up on its nose in the ditch, made one or two revolutions on its prop and then leaped over the fence to land upright on its gear in the adjoining street.
Minor was thoroughly disgusted as he climbed out of the aircraft and tossed his helmet and goggles over the fence to the Granvilles, who had raced to see what remained of their aircraft. The resulting damage eliminated the ship from all competition during that year, and as things turned out, ended the Granville Brothers' racing career.
Minor died April 2, 1935, from complications following surgery. He was only 30. His widow, Terry Minor, later married famous Hollywood pilot Paul Mantz, who adopted the two children she had had with Minor.
He also landed and signed the Davis-Monthan Register three times. Roy Minor's biography is at the Davis-Monthan Web site at the link. I do not know his birth date. He carried Transport pilot certificate T3142.
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THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 06/13/13 REVISED: