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 It includes across 277 pages previously unpublished photographs and texts, and facsimiles of personal letters, diaries and military orders.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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WILLIAM BALLANTINE WHEATLEY

William B. Wheatley, Ca. 1939 (Source: Link)

 

William Wheatly landed once at Santa Monica, on Friday, March 6, 1936 at 10:30AM. He was solo in the Consolidated Fleetster NC700V, Model 17, S/N 3. He arrived at Santa Monica from San Diego, CA and departed the same day back to San Diego. Wheatley was test pilot for Consolidated and the airplane belonged to the Consolidated Aircraft Company. No purpose was given for his flight. Earlier, Wheatley brought the same airplane to the Davis-Monthan Airfield, Tucson, AZ between December 16-18, 1931 (he didn't cite an exact date or itinerary). Please direct your browser over to the link in Tucson for additional information about Wheatley.

Portrait, left, is from a Web page describing the first flight of the Consolidated XB-24, the prototype of what would be the B-24 Liberator bomber of WWII. Wheatley was the test pilot for that flight. His prototype airplane is shown in a U.S. Air Force photograph, below, right.

Consolidated XB-24, 39-556, in Flight Near San Diego, CA (Source: Link)
Consolidated XB-24, 39-556, in Flight Near San Diego, CA (Source: Link)

 

William Wheatley was born at Chester, NY December 17, 1902, exactly a year before the Wright Brothers' first flight. The 1910 U.S. Census, his first, placed Wheatley at age seven living with his parents and younger sister in Middletown, CT. His father (age 41) was listed as a "Superintendent" of "Public Schools."

Mary Esther Wheatley's Poem, 1945 (Source: Site Visitor)

 

 

 

The 1920 Census found Wheatley (age 17) living with his parents and younger brother and sister in Hartford, CT. His father was then cited as an "Agent" for an "Insurance Company." Wheatley learned to fly during the late 1920s while in the U.S. Army.

The 1930 Census cited Wheatley at age 27 living in Buffalo, NY with his wife Esther (25). They rented their home for $75 per month. His occupation was listed as "Pilot" for an "Aeroplane." He was listed in the Buffalo, NY city directories for 1932 and 1933 as president of Niagara from the Air, Inc., probably a tour company offering airplane rides over Niagara Falls. At some later point he began working for the Consolidated Aircraft Company, which was based in Buffalo at the time, but moved to San Diego in 1935.

Ten years later lots had changed for Wheatley. The 1940 Census placed him (age 37) living in San Diego, CA with his wife, Grace (36), son John (3), daughter Grace (3) and daughter Charlotte (9-months). His second marriage seems to have worked out better than his first. Regardless, they lived at 4554 Euclid Avenue in a home they owned that was estimated to be worth $6,000. Wheatley's occupation was listed as "Chief Test Pilot" for a "Commercial Aircraft Factory," namely Consolidated, which had moved to San Diego.

Wheatley died a young man on June 2, 1941 in San Diego. The Tucson link, above, provides information about the airplane accident that took his life.

His daughter wrote a poem to him after his death, which was published in the Anniston Star (AL), June 17, 1945, left. Wheatley flew West with Transport pilot certificate T419.

 

 

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