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 It includes across 277 pages previously unpublished photographs and texts, and facsimiles of personal letters, diaries and military orders.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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YOU CAN HELP
I'm looking for information and photographs of pilot Diegel and his airplane 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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DON DIEGEL
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Don Diegel landed once and signed the Register at Peterson Field. He arrived solo on Monday, November 23, 1931 at 1:30PM. He flew the Alexander Eaglerock Flyabout, NC528Y. Based at Colorado Springs (probably Alexander Airport), he identified his destination as Tulsa, OK.
Diegel was test pilot for the Alexander Aircraft Company, based at Colorado Springs. A photograph of the company headquarters is below.
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According to this REFERENCE, Alexander Aircraft, between July, 1928 and July, 1929 was reputed to be the largest manaufacturer of small airplanes in the world, turning out eight craft per day. Diegel, along with Register pilot "Red" Mosier and a few others, tested new airplanes every afternoon at 5PM. Test flying the new airplanes was an exciting adventure. Townspeople would line the fences to watch as the new biplanes were put through their paces.
in 1928, Alexander Aircraft designed and built a high-wing, 8-passenger transport. This craft was significantly different than the small craft that built the company reputation. Diegel was chosen as the test pilot.
Long story short, the airplane was underpowered, the Depression came along, and the aircraft was sold for $150 to an eatery and acted as, "THE WORLD'S FASTEST HOT STAND!" Below, from the REFERENCE linked above, page 56, Diegel stands in front of the Alexander transport craft, registration number NX6380.
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There were three important pilots related to the Alexander Aircraft Company who signed the Peterson Field Register. They were Don Diegel, Al Mooney and Proctor Nichols.
Diegel was involved in a horrific accident on February 18, 1928 that left him injured and sorely remorseful. Below, from the Oakland Tribune (CA) of February 19, 1928, is a brief description of the accident and its aftermath. It occurred in Columbia, SC.
FLIER COLLAPSES AFTER TWO GIRLS ARE KILLED. Columbia, S.C., Feb. 18. -- An aviator's nerves gave way in a hospital tonight, 12 hours after his plane had crashed and killed two 17-year-old girls who went up with him for their first airplane ride. "I begged them not to go up; it wasn't my fault," DON DIEGEL sobbed. ALMA HOPE and MILDRED ROGERS, high school girls, were the victims. They went out to the state fairgrounds this morning with Mrs. Rogers and some friends. DIEGEL runs an airplane livery. He said tonight, his face swathed in bandages from cuts he received in the crash, that he tried his best to persuade the two girls to wait for another time. A heavy wind was blowing and flying conditions were bad. But DEIGEL took them up. He sent his plane once over the city of Columbia. As he flashed by a light tower of the Southern Railway, witnesses saw the plane swerve and hit the structure. It dropped and burst into flames. The bodies of both girls were burned beyond recognition. DIEGEL was thrown clear and suffered only minor injuries. |
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