THE PEOPLE OF THE PETERSON FIELD REGISTER

For its size and geographic location, Peterson Field attracted a significant number of the foremost aviators of the Golden Age. Aircraft manufacturers, record-setting pilots, transport pilots and their passengers are all represented.

At Peterson Field during the period the Register lay open for pilots to sign, 610 landings were by civil pilots, seven by female pilots and 55 by military. Clearly, when most pilots flew, it was generally with someone else on board. Solo flight comprised only 190 landings, or about about 28% of landed traffic.

Unlike the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register which is a part of this suite of Register sites, the Peterson Field Register did not have a specific printed column devoted to passenger identities. Therefore, passengers are under-represented or represented only by numbers, e.g. "4" passengers, rather than by name. This is too bad, since the majority of flights carried passengers for whom we will never know their names.

Please use the dropdown menus below to select pilots or passengers from the database, and to learn about their lives.

by pilot Abbott Parker B. Ainsworth Bob L. Alford Morris Allen Bob Allen R.S. Allison Jim Allison L.R. Ames F.L. Anderson H.W. Anderson xx Angel Jimmie Ansly Don Armstrong F. Ashford T.H. Ather F. P. Athey G.W. Babbitt xx Barber Skeets Barlow Jack Barnes Monty Bates J.C. Baty Fred Baxter H.R. Beach L.M. Beau Lucas V. Beech Walter Bell C.O. Bender H.C. Bible Lloyd Biesley xx Birt Merlyn L. Bishop xx Blair J. E. Blaurick Carl Boggs W. Bounds O.M. Bowen Melvin O. Bowman Les Bowyer Don Braddick Cecil H. Bradley B.G. Braniff Paul Bransom Ben Braukman C.G. Braun Karl C. Brazell James Brewer xx Bridges J.H. Brock William S. Brooker C.M. Brooks Eddie Brophy xx Brown L. Brown Roy W. Brown xx Brutus Lee N. Bucher L.H. Bullit John Burbin R.J. Burford Dean W. Burns D.F. Burns Foster Burns L.F. Burns V.F. Burrows C.A. Burrows Riley Byer Louis Byron O.S. Cabens T. E. Calhoun xx Callahan A.E. Cantrell W.C. Carr C.M. Carr Walter J. Carroll J.C. Carver Dan Caton T.J. Chastain J.B. Chelton Roland Christensen H.S. Christopher E.B. Christopher George Clabaugh C.L. Clark Clarence E. Clark W.B. Cleaver Gay Colbert Ted Colby Tom Combs H.B. Conely J.C. Congelman J.E. Cook Philip B. Cook xx Cooper B. Cordner John H. Cordova Capt. Cousland Cornelius W. Cover Carl A. Cowsert M. E. Cox Taylor Crane W.A. Cundy Oliver Cunningham E. Curry xx Dahlberg xx Daniel xx Darius S. Davidson H. Davis Arthur J. Davis T.W. Dawson M.A. De Lange Rodney Dean R.H. DeFord G.H. Denley Gilbert DeWitt L.V. Dexter J.H. Dick R.J. Dickson J.B. Diegel Don Donley Art Donner Robert Echelman Edgar Robert E. Emming L. England Wallace L. English H.W. Epps E.C. Ernst F.H. Euler Jack Fahy Hub Fales H.G. Fatzer E.B. Feeney J. T. Felas H.G. Flaherty Tom Fleming Pat Foster Thaddeus V. France Charles Francis Richard Frisch Earl Frost John Fuller, Jr. F.W. Gabbert Gene Garrett Bob Gentry J.M. Bud Gill Deane Givens W.M. Goebel Art Golien W.G. Gormly Sam Granger Paul H. Graves R. L. Green Jimmie Greenlee Robert L. Gregory H.A. Griffin B.H. Grimmett J.E. Grow H.B. Haldeman George W. Hall R. Hall R.J. Hall Ralph Hall xx Hammond G.F. Hammond xx Harding W. S. Harrison R.L. Harroun Glen Hart J.D. Hart Jack Hart V.D. Harte George W. Harvey Fred H. Haun Carl B. Hawks Frank M. Hawley Murray Hazeltine xx Hazen R. Hedeen Ed Heimple H.S. Henning Harold P. Hershey Hadley F. Hickam Horace M. Highley Walt Hissong J. David Hobart Al Hoffman K.K. Holladay H. W. Holloway H.C. Holmes Barney H. Holsten Grace Hopkins Nancy Horner P.A. Horrall A.M. Hotchkiss Pop Houston W.D. Hover xx Hughes Lloyd Hughs Edward M. Humphreys O.P. Putnam Putt Humphreys xx Hunt Embree H. Hunt Roy Hunter N.B. Hurlbert Ted Huston W.P. Hutton Perry Inary James C. Inman Rolly Innes W.P. Jackson P.C. Jamellier S.E. Jeffords Jack Jenkins Paul Johns Vernon M. Johnson M.E Johnson xx Johnston Jimmie A. Jones G. Jones L.F. Kane Fred Kaye xx Kelly xx Kennedy James A. Kent Y.O. Kesterson Tom O. Kieffer John King Henry Kinsey xx Kistler Hughes E. Kistler xx Knox Dick Kramer Norman Kraus Walter F. Kreiser xx Kysor C.P. Lajotte Charles A. Lambert Barron LaMer C.J. Lamont Rodney Lance xx LaParle E.E. Larrabee P.F. Larson L.G. Laskey Mike Law George Leech Robert Lees Walter E. LeSage R. S. Levy D. Lewis Wesley Lifflett Ray Liggett Roy Linn H.K. Lippiatt H.C. Livingston John H. Long H.G. Lubbers J. Mantz Paul Martin Eddie Massey O.L. Mauk W.D. May W. McCallum xx McCormick G. McCoy R. McDaniel J.R. McDermott Dees McFarland F.L. McGehee L.R. McInnis R. McKnight N. E. Meissner J.W. Merius W.B. Merrill H.W. Meyer C.J. Miller Harry T. Miller Joe Miller L.J. Mills Art Monday William A. Montague xx Mooney Al Moore J. G. Moore Wilfred, G. Moores W.A. Morehouse Silas Amos Morgan M.C. Moritz O. A. Morris Bill Morris Bing Morris Louise S. Moseley C.C. Mosier O.M. "Red" Muncie Floyd Nagle Robert A. Neville K.E. Newbauer T. Newberry A.W. Newcomb W. W. Newsom, Jr. E.S. Nichols C.A. Nichols Proctor Nichols T.W. Niswander Frank E. Oakley Arthur Ogle F. Omlie Phoebe Fairgrave Ong William A. Osborn Lee Oxnard T.T. Paine R.H Palm E.L. Pandio M.A. Pangborn Clyde E. Parker Billy Parker H.W. Parkison A. Max Patterson Moss Peck Cal Pedigo L.M. Peters Bob Peterson D. Peterson xx Peyton James N. Philbin xx Piele Walter Pomeroy G.C. Poole J.K. Pyle Albert Ragle Richard C. Rankin Tex Rankins Paul H. Ranney xx Reavis Carlos L. Reid Howard Reid Phil Reif Aubrey Reif O. Rhoads E.S. Ridenour Fred Rogers Terry Ross Cecil V. Ruch Larry D. Russell Allen G. Russell Harry L. Saur xx Schneider Eddie August Schneider Max T. Scholts Richard Schultz M.O. Seifert Wayne A. Shellenberg William Shepherd W.E. Sherman C.H. Sherred A.A. Shockley Clyde Shoenhair Lee F. Shupe Cecil O. Sifers N.L. Skoglund N. A. Slakes G.H. Smith C.B. Smith C.W. Smith Harold Smith J. Wesley Smith Luther Smith Major Smith T.A. Smith Tom Sneed xx Snick Paul Spiva Jerry Stafford Jack Stambough Paul Stapp Don Stark John H. Stevenson Barton Stewart Alonzo Story Jack Strait R. G. Stroh xx Stroud J. M. Stubblefield Bob Sutherland Jim Swensen A.S. Tammolier xx Tanenhel H. Tappara Bud Taylor G. Taylor Jay Teel D.M. Terk H.L. Thaden Louise McPhetridge Theis Ray A. Tileston Gordon Todd E.B. Toth Charles Towle Joe C. Towns C.V. Tryor Boyd Tschoep Jennie Tucker R.P. Tucker R.P. Turner L. Turner Roscoe unreadable unreadable Bing unreadable L.W. unreadable W. unreadable xx Unreadable xx unreadable xx Upston J.E. Van Wagenen, Jr. Garrat Bleecker Van Zandt J. Parker Vance Paul VanCott B.Q. Waage G. Wadlow Newman Wadlow Truman Wadlow xx Wahl Fred Wahl Fred W. Walker Burton L. Wallace xx Wallop O.M. Wandell Stuart V. Warren H.G. Watson J.J. Webber Thomas Wellman H. Wellman xx Wells Roland Wells T.A. West xx Wiggains Ezra Wilkinson A.F. Willis J.W. Willis Jane Wilson George Wilson L.C. Wilson R.M. Wilson xx Winsted Carl Wintheiser Art Wolther Ralph Wood xx Yancey Lewis A. Young C. Young H.P. Young Hardy Zeller M.E.

by passenger Hurley, P.J. Nichols Points, Jess Stone, Captain Unreadable

Regardless of how they were represented in the Register, pilots and passengers alike were intrepid, early adopters of flight, experiencing relatively primitive conditions of comfort, scheduling, aircraft reliability, federal regulation and accommodations. Aviation was different in the late 20's and into the 30's from what it is today. Most cockpits were open, navigation aids and charts were few, and fuel stops and commercial housing were just organizing to support the flying population.

Despite the conditions, by exploring their biographies we can determine that they were flying for pleasure, on business, participating in various aeronautical events, early air transport operations, military maneuvers and training, ferrying aircraft and, probably many other reasons known only to themselves. Oil company representatives, airplane manufacturers and dealers ferrying new aircraft, and politicians frequented the Airfield.

Please understand that many Peterson Field pilots have no biographical information YET associated with them. The reason being that I just do not know who they were, or I just haven't had time or resources to research them. If you want to kickstart your journey through my site, please check "What's New on the Site" (link at top and bottom of each Web page) to see links to pilots and passengers I have recently uploaded. Follow those links for examples of the types of extended information I envision for all the people on this site.

Military logistical and training missions used the Airfield several times. The interbellum was a learning period for the young Army Air Corps. How do you move large numbers of military aircraft from one place to another in the country? How to train pilots in cross-country skills? How to use military aircraft, in times of need, for civilian crises such as floods, blizzards or medical emergencies?

You can access information about any of the 179 unique pilots who signed the Register, or any of the 6 unique passengers who rode with them. ALL their names are listed in the dropdown menus above, because YOU, the site user, might know of them and I would like you to share what you know with me via CONTACT WEBMASTER , or via the FORM provided. With your permission, I'll add your information to the Web site with appropriate credit to you.

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UPLOADED: 06/13/13 REVISED: