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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 It includes across 277 pages previously unpublished photographs and texts, and facsimiles of personal letters, diaries and military orders.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 Ridenour 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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Thanks to John North for help researching this page.
GEORGE FREDRICK RIDENOUR
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Fred Ridenour landed and signed the Register four times at Colorado Springs during the five years between Thursday, August 7, 1930 and Saturday, August 10, 1935. He flew the Travel Air NC678K (probably twice), the Stinson NC441H and the Waco NC14014. His itineraries were generally between Peterson Field and Wichita Falls, TX. Neither Ridenour nor his airplanes are signed in any other Registers.
Photograph, left, courtesy of Ridenour's son, Freddy, via John North, is undated. Ridenour was born November 10, 1908 in Manitou Springs, CO. The 1910 U.S. Census, his first, listed him living at age one with his parents and two boarders in Colorado Springs, CO. He was the only child. His father and mother were unemployed.
At age 11, the 1920 Census placed him living with his parents at 3210 Garfield St. Wichita Falls, TX. His father was a "Foreman" in a "Glass Factory."
The 1930 Census coded his family name as "Rednour." It placed him at age 21 living with his parents and five sisters in Wichita Falls. His occupation was coded as "Aviator."
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He was married in 1932, as documented in the Wichita Daily Times, June 12,1933, right. The 1940 Census recorded his residence as of April 1, 1935 in Wichita Falls. The Census listed Ridenour (age 31) at 936 Francis St,, Pampa, TX living with his wife, Una (28; nee: Gose: 1912-1991). I've seen her name spelled "Euna" and "Unia." They rented their home for $35 per month. His occupation was coded as "Airplane Pilot" for the "Carbon Industry" (he flew for the Cabot Carbon Company). His salary was $3,100 per year. I found no mention of their marriage.
Ridenour served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He was a pilot before going in the Army, and was a career pilot for Braniff, continuing to fly for them during the War, 1941-1946. During WWII, he was, “in charge of delivering Army airplanes all over.” When he left the Army after the War, he was a corporate pilot for J.S. Bridwell (1885-1966; Bridwell Oil Company).
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Depending on your source, he founded in 1946 or 1948 or 1951 (with only $27 in his pocket) and owned the Longhorn Trailer & Body, Wichita Falls, TX. He started this business while he was flying for Bridwell. He made trailers and stock beds out of wood with a saw. According to a 2008 article in a local newspaper, the company was still operating with Ridenour's son, Freddy, leading 20 employees. An interesting area of the facility was a museum filled with World War II memorabilia and hundreds of photographs chronicling his father’s life. As of January, 2015, the company was closed. Its Web site URL is for sale. A local TV news video segment describing the closure and highlighting Ridenour's aviation collection is at the link. Fred Ridenour and his son are featured. Photograph, right, of him and Una was captured from the video.
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At left, another view from the video that shows Ridenour at age 90 in 1998. Fred Ridenour died June 18, 2003. He lived 94 years, 7 months and 8 days. He was one of only a handful of signers of any of our Registers who lived to see the 21st century (see also Alexander Chase, Harold Boddorff, John Miller, Bobbie Trout, Bill Piper, Jr., Ken Rearwin, Jesse McClure, Cameron Briggs, Busch Voights, and Bob Buck). All these pilots signed one or more of the airfield Registers that are the focus of these Web sites. Ridenour carried Transport pilot certificate T6768.
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THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 08/22/13 REVISED: 01/12/14, 7/22/18