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 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 It includes across 277 pages previously unpublished photographs and texts, and facsimiles of personal letters, diaries and military orders.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 Nichols 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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PROCTOR W. NICHOLS
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Proctor Nichols landed six times at Peterson Field between 1931 and 1933. Five of those times he flew three different Alexander Eaglerock aircraft, viz. NC528Y (twice, S/N 3002), NC750H (twice, S/N 858) and NC760H (S/N 873). His third landing, on Wednesday, June 8, 1932, was with the Stinson Junior he identified as NC12305. His flights all were round-robin trips back and forth to Alexander Airport.
Nichols was a native Coloradan, born December 27, 1902. His father owned and operated the Cliff House, a Victorian bar. He was educated in the "east" and received a degree in architecture from Princeton. He returned to Colorado and formed a flying school with Earl Zimmerman, who taught him how to fly.
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His flying school failed and Nichols applied to Alexander Aircraft Company for a job as an engineer. He worked briefly for the Company in that capacity, until the owner discovered his educational background and made him an aeronautical draftsman.
Regardless, he was a self-taught engineer (tutored by another aeronautical engineer at the Company) and tested most of the Alexander aircraft produced during the late 1920s and early 30s. Article, right, appeared in Popular Aviation (PA) magazine, December 1931, and describes Nichols' return flight to Colorado Springs from the 1931 National Air Races (NAR). His "Flyabout" could be NC528Y, the same one he brought to Peterson Field twice in June that year. The Alexander line of aircraft, company history and a complete listing of all aircraft built can be found in this REFERENCE.
Unfortunately, the Alexander company went bankrupt in August 1932, a victim of the Great Depression. Nichols then briefly operated the Mountain States Air Photo service.
Soon, some of the Alexander buildings were leased by Nichols for his new company, Aircraft Mechanics Inc. (AMI). Alexander Airfield was renamed Nichols Field and remained in operation as such until approximately 1960. Please direct your browser to the link for Alexander Airport, above, for a contemporary aerial view of the site as it appears today. As a principal in the AMI operation, Nichols remained with the company for the next 35 years. He retired from AMI in 1967, as Chairman of the Board.
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His Aircraft Mechanics operation grew successful with the coming of WWII. The small article at left from Flying magazine, August, 1942, announces the opening of a forged parts manufacturing operation early in the war. Subcontracting to larger aircraft manufacturers was common. See, for example, Solar Aircraft.
Right after WWII, AMI pioneered aircraft ejection seats. Today, the company now operates as AMI Aircraft Seating Systems and is owned by B.F. Goodrich.
I know very little about Nichols, his date of passing, his family life, or what he liked to do for fun. If you can help fill in the blanks, please let me KNOW.
Nichols was voted a member of the Colorado Aviation Historical Society (CAHS) in 1972. The photograph of Nichols later in life at the top of the page is part of his very short biography on that Web site. According to the Register, he flew carrying Transport pilot certificate T2012.
There are three important pilots who signed the Peterson Field Register. They are Don Diegel, Al Mooney and Proctor Nichols.
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THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 07/16/14 REVISED: