J. DAVID HISSONG

According to the Register, Dave Hissong visited Peterson Field four times. Each time he flew airplanes belonging to Western Air Express. His first landing was on Sunday, March 8, 1931 at 5:00PM. He was solo in the Stearman NC4011. This airplane landed a couple of years earlier flown by a pilot named Echelman (no first name recorded in the Register). It was operating with Western Air Express at that time. It also landed once at the Davis-Monthan Airfield about 18-months later. Regardless, Hissong arrived from Pueblo, CO and recorded his destination as Denver, CO. At the time, Hissong was flying the air mail route from Cheyenne, WY to Pueblo (see below).

The New York Times, October 20, 1938 (Source: NYT)

Popular Aviation, July, 1931 (Source: PA)

 

As of January, 1920, the 1920 U.S. Census has Hissong living in Iowa with his parents and two sisters. He was identified as working as a "Mechanic" in a "Garage." His age was recorded as 21 years, which would identify his birth year as 1899.

However, from the 1930 U.S. Census, Hissong was listed 28 years old and living at 2116 20th Avenue, Denver, CO with his new wife Anna R. Hissong, age 23. Here, his age would identify his birth year as 1902. So there is a discrepancy in the Census regarding his birth year. Regardless, he listed his occupation as "Aviator," in the "Air Mail" industry. He and his new wife paid rent of $35 per month. Curiously, another index has his birth year listed as 1898.

Hissong's second landing at Colorado Springs was almost a year later, on Monday, February 15, 1932 at 5:50PM. This time he was solo in the Fokker Super Universal NC121M. His arrival and destination locations were the same as for his first visit. He remained overnight and departed the next morning at 11:30 for Denver.

Sometime between his first and second landing at Peterson Field, Hissong was tasked with a special delivery that was described in a short article from Popular Aviation (PA), July, 1931, above left. Although numerous Register pilots were known to perform outrageous acts, to my knowledge this is the only time cats were transported in a light fixture on an airplane.

Hissong's third landing was on Thursday, March 3, 1932 at 6:00PM. He carried three unidentified passengers in the Fokker Super Universal NC123M. This time he arrived from Amarillo, TX. He remained overnight and departed the next morning at 9:30 for Denver.

His final visit was on Monday, June 27, 1932 at 4:45PM. He arrived from Amarillo bound for Denver. This time he was solo in Fokker Super Universal NC9724. Please direct your browser to the link to see photographs and to learn more about this workhorse airplane.

Later, Hissong flew for Eastern Airlines. In 1938 he was involved in a mechanical failure of the right engine on his Houston to New York airplane and was forced to bring it down into a clearing, in the dark, just after departure from the Montgomery, AL airport. The incident is described, at right, in The New York Times, October 20, 1938. The headline, obscured by a scanning anomaly, reads, "PLANE CRASH HEROES." Hissong is at the top. All turned out well and no one of his 13 lucky passengers was hurt or killed. A similar article was published in The Pelham (NY) Sun, October 21, 1938.

Below, from Popular Aviation, February, 1939, a rewards ceremony was initiated by a grateful passenger, Joseph V. Connolly.

Awards, Popular Aviation, February, 1939 (Source: PA)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

J.V. Connolly was head of King Features Syndicate, Inc., purveyor of daily newspaper funnies (e.g. Blondie, Popeye, Prince Valiant, etc.). What can you say of an excellent crew? "They'll Do It Every Time." We can only imagine what super-hero is stamped on their medals.

I have no information about Hissong's family life, or what he did for fun, or his actual birth and death dates. If you can help fill in the blanks, please let me KNOW. He flew carrying Transport pilot certificate T2046.

 

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