2021-01-01 Aviation History

LEGENDS ARE SPARKED BY PREVIOUS SPREAD: ©PATRICK J. ENDRES/ALASKA PHOTO GRAPHICS; ABOVE: RUSS DOW PAPERS, ARCHIVES AND
UNBELIEVABLE DEEDS. SO IT WAS SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, CONSORTIUM LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA, ANCHORAGE; INSET: ALASKA AIR MUSEUM
FOR ALASKAN BUSH PILOT BOB
REEVE WHEN HE ASKED A GROUP
OF MOUNTAINEERS TO PUSH HIS AIRPLANE INTO
POSITION SO HE COULD TAKE OFF FROM A CLIFF.
A HArd Buck In 1937 Reeve had landed famed mountain your skunk and I’ll skin mine.”
Above: Bob Reeve, climber Henry Bradford Washburn and his team Washburn’s party then pushed the Fairchild
pilot and owner of on the slopes of 17,146-foot Mount Lucania near
Reeve Airways, fought the Canadian border with Alaska. Reeve quickly into position for Reeve to make a takeoff run off
treacherous conditions discovered the air was too thin and snow too the cliff and were shocked when he actually did
in ill-suited airplanes to slushy for his ski-equipped Fairchild 51 to take off. just that. The bush pilot went over the cliff and
keep his business He tried three times. Then he had a crazy idea. out of view. That was the last Washburn saw of
running. Top: Reeve Reeve figured if he launched off the cliff the rush Reeve until a press conference months later when
poses on the mile-high of air as he plunged downward would provide the the pilot walked in. Stunned, Washburn stood up,
snowfield that served lift he needed. pointed at Reeve and declared he was “the greatest
as an airfield for pilot who ever lived!”
Alaska’s Big Four Mine. Washburn vehemently protested, saying it was
sure death. “I’m a pilot,” Reeve replied. “You skin Reeve was one of only 50 pilots who flew in
the Territory of Alaska before World War II. The

4 6 AH J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1

period from 1924, when Carl Ben Eielson first took plane at all but a collection of assorted parts that Arctic challenge
off into the Alaska sky, to the war is considered happened to be flying in formation. Left: Celebrated bush
the golden age of the Alaska bush pilot. For these pilot Carl Ben Eielson
men there were very few government regulations Almost one-fifth the size of the United States assisted Australian
on flying, and what little enforcement the Civil or two and a half times bigger than Texas, Alas- explorer George
Aeronautics Authority undertook in the late 1930s ka’s terrain encompasses glaciers the size of small Wilkins on his attempts
was conducted by a handful of agents sprinkled states, the highest mountains in North America, to fly to the uncharted
across what amounted to a subcontinent. Thus, hundreds of active volcanoes and miles of endless Arctic. Above: Eielsen
planes flew overloaded, sometimes with drunken wetlands, tundra and unmapped forests. Even (right) and Wilkins
pilots at the controls. Damaged and worn out air- today, the vast majority of Alaskan communities stand with a Lockheed
craft were mended with wire, tape and, in one case, are inaccessible by road. For the people who Vega and supply boxes
tree branches. populate them and the businesses they work, during the 1928
everything has to be either flown in or brought in Detroit News Arctic
Flying to the point of addiction, these bush pilots by barge. Expedition Below: The
faced adverse weather and deep subzero cold in 1927 expedition used
frail aircraft powered by undependable engines. Alaska bush pilots carried groceries, mail, pro- a Stinson Detroiter,
They landed where there were no runways on a vided emergency medical flights and even ferried like this one flying for
daily basis. Reeve joked he was not flying an air- Santa Claus with presents for children to remote Wien Alaska Airways.
villages and cabins. They also flew felons hand-
cuffed to a seat, corpses strapped to the wing and
drugged polar bears. They would tie timber, pipe
and even a bedspring to the outside of the plane
as Sig Wien did—whatever it took to turn a profit.

Getting enough fuel in the Alaska frontier was a
never-ending challenge. Gasoline and other com-

TOP LEFT & RIGHT: UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA, FAIRBANKS; TOP RIGHT:
GEORGE KING COLLECTION, UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA, FAIRBANKS

Glacier Pilot bustibles came in 55-gallon drums. There were Like Reeve’s escape from Mount Lucania, ABOVE & INSET: RUSS DOW PAPERS, ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, CONSORTIUM LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY
Top: Reeve’s Fairchild no automatic fuel pumps, so it had to be hand- the exploits of his fellow bush pilots OF ALASKA, ANCHORAGE; OPPOSITE TOP: ALASKA AIR MUSEUM; RIGHT: UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA, FAIRBANKS
51 sits on Columbia cranked out of the drums and into the aircraft’s became legend on some level—local,
Glacier in the Chugach fuel tanks. If the cap was not put tightly back on regional or national. Several, including
Mountains with the drum, water could get into the fuel, not to Fairbanks’ Eielson and Anchorage’s Russ Merrill,
unloaded tractor mention dirt and mosquitoes. When Joe Cross never lived long enough to enjoy or even know of
engine parts for the crashed in Kotzebue, a ball of mosquitoes was their reputations.
nearby Ruff & Tuff found to have clogged his fuel line.
Mine. Above: Ruff & Tony Schwamm was landing with floats in
Tuff miners pose with They flew during the age of open-cockpit air- southeast Alaska when suddenly he felt his plane
the pilot, who ferried craft with little instrumentation and no de-icing being lifted upward. He had alighted on the back
them south from the equipment. And they crashed—over and over of a whale! Archie Ferguson was transporting
mine to Valdez. again. The four Wien brothers were responsible a polar bear cub when it broke free of its bonds,
for mapping a large section of interior Alaska snarling and swatting the back of his head. Soon
simply by walking out from their crash sites and the airwaves were filled with Ferguson screaming
noting the terrain they crossed. Accurate maps that the bear was loose inside his plane and was
were rare. Some sections of Alaska were still using going to eat him alive. After battling the cub for
19th-century Russian colonial charts as recently 20 minutes, he reportedly made a perfect landing
as the turn of the 21st century. at Kotzebue.

Proper flight bearings were a constant challenge The poster child of this era was Harold Gillam.
for pilots. During the Alaska winter, the sun rises in Dashing, ruggedly handsome and full of personal-
the south, not the east. Compass readings are not ity, Gillam went where others did not dare to go.
accurate. The disparity between true north and He came to Cordova in 1931 as a pilot flying in
magnetic north in Fairbanks is 27 degrees. supplies and equipment to outlying mines nestled
in narrow mountain valleys. In this land of saw-
tooth peaks and dense fog, Gilliam relied on his
instruments and mathematics for navigation. He
believed a good pilot could compute speed, dis-
tance and elevations of the surrounding moun-
tains and fly in any type of weather.

Trapper “Honest John” McCreary gave Gillam
the opportunity to prove his theory. During a
howling snowstorm, McCreary fell and impaled
himself on a large nail. His survival depended on
getting to a doctor at the Kennecott mine125 miles
inland through the Chugach Mountains. Gillam
loaded McCreary into his plane and took off in
the blinding snow. He timed his ascent, climbing

4 8 AH J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1

to avoid the peaks he knew were there but were the skies were clear; flying weather, the usual bad poster child
hidden by the storm. Despite the unseen dangers Alaskan weather; and Gillam weather, conditions Above: Harold “No
and buffeting from high winds, Gillam delivered in which only Gillam would fly—dense fog, violent Kill ‘Em” Gillam was
McCreary to the mine’s doctor. When the doctor winds and horizontal precipitation. the quintessential
said the man would not last the night, Gillam flew bush pilot. Below: A
back through the storm to Cordova and brought Not that Bob Reeve was any less daring. He had Wien Alaska Airways
his son back to be at his side. In that driving snow arrived in Valdez in 1932 with $2 in his pocket Detroiter is fueled up
with high winds, Gillam had mastered the peaks at after being thrown off a passing freighter. There he from a 55-gallon oil
night for a total of 375 miles flying blind. And de- found a wrecked Eaglerock A-7 biplane, repaired it drum. Fuel had to be
spite the doctor’s prediction, McCreary recovered. and then leased it from the owner for $10 an hour. hand-cranked out of
the drums into the
This hair-raising version of early IFR flying The Valdez region had a number of potential airplane’s tanks.
made Gillam a hero throughout the territory. gold mining sites. The problem had always been
When elementary students at the Cordova school how to get equipment up to them. Sometimes
were told to compose a poem about their favorite Reeve would wrap old mattresses around gener-
person, a 3rd-grader wrote: ators, small engines and mining equipment and
He thrill ’em / Chill ’em / Spill ’em / But no kill drop them from the air without landing. Other
’em / Gillam times he would do a “controlled crash” on an
ice field, running his plane into a snowbank so
“No Kill ’Em” Gillam became his nickname. it would stop. Soon he found himself with supply
Gillam continued his mastery of early instru- contracts for 13 mines in the area, earning the
ment flying. On another occasion Oscar Winchell nickname Glacier Pilot.
was one of several pilots weathered in at McGrath.
They were talking in a cabin trying to stay warm Reeve upgraded to a Fairchild, charging 35
when, Winchell later said, they heard a plane land cents a pound for deliveries. His new plane was so
outside. In walked Gillam.
Saying hello, he helped himself to a cup of cof-
fee while his plane was refueled. Then he collected
the mail sack, stepped back into the snowstorm
and took off. The pilots were weathered in at
McGrath for three days while Gillam continued
to deliver mail and supplies to the town and re-
turned to Fairbanks.
Pilots began talking about three types of
weather: Pan American weather, which meant

FinaL FLight battered, however, that he patched its floor Before Alaska’s first commercial flight TOP & MIDDLE: SPUTNIK/ALAMY; INSET: UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA, FAIRBANKS;
Ben Eielson and his with grocery boxes, the labels still on them. by Carl Ben Eielson, freight had to be RIGHT: JEAN-ERICK PASQUIER/GAMMA-RAPHO VIA GETTY IMAGES
mechanic disappeared Mudflats served as his runway in Valdez. A hauled by dogsled to every remote cor-
in November 1929 sign hung over the shack in which he slept, ner of the vast territory. Tall and laconic,
while shuttling cargo advertising: “Always use Reeve Airways. Eielson came to Fairbanks in 1922 to teach
from an iced-in vessel Slow, unreliable, unfair and crooked. school after serving in the U.S. Army Air Service
(top). Harold Gillam Scared and unlicensed and nuts. Reeve during World War I. It didn’t take him long to
(above) first spotted Airways—the best.” start thinking of making money flying supplies to
Eielson’s wreckage; the mines around Fairbanks. But to get off the
the two bodies were Rex Beach, a friend of Wyatt Earp’s ground he needed reliable income. For two years
recovered three and author of the bestselling 1906 book Eielson hounded the U.S. Postal Service to award
months later (middle). The Spoilers, wrote magazine articles about Reeve. him a mail delivery contract, and he was finally
Women began writing to the daredevil pilot want- rewarded with the Fairbanks to McGrath route, a
ing to marry him. One, Janice Morisette, came up distance of 250 miles. The USPS shipped Eielson
looking for him in June 1935. Reeve hid out in the a Liberty-engine de Havilland DH-4B in pieces
Yukon Territory for a month before sneaking back for his use and agreed to pay him $2 a mile—less
to get a peek at her. She soon became Mrs. Reeve. than half the cost of mail delivery by dogsled.
Eventually Reeve found the Alaska hinterland
too tame and launched Reeve Aleutian Airways in When Eielson took off for McGrath in the
1946, taking passengers and cargo out along the open-cockpit biplane at 8:50 a.m. on February
storm-plagued Aleutian Islands. He died in 1980 21, 1924, the temperature was 5 below zero.
from natural causes, but his airline continued for As he approached McGrath a few hours later,
another two decades. musher Fred Milligan and his dogs were arriving
at McGrath with supplies, and Eielson flew right
over him. “The pilot leaned out and waved at me
with his long, black bearskin mittens,” Milligan
said. It was a pivotal moment for the musher as
he thought it marked an end to freight hauling by
dogsled. He quit dog freighting and went into the
airline business, working for Pan American.

After delivering the mail and picking up his
cargo, Eielson made a critical mistake—he shut
down the engine to enjoy a meal. Afterward, it
took him three hours to restart the de Havilland.
Lesson learned. It was that way for several years
as he mastered techniques to successfully fly in
Alaska. All the issues to which bush pilots would
need answers—such as icing or dealing with mag-
netic north—Eielson encountered first and found
solutions. Several legendary bush pilots, including
Joe Crosson, got their starts working for him.

In early November 1929, Eielson flew to Rus-
sian waters to assist a cargo vessel that had become
trapped in the ice. On his second flight in, on
November 9, Eielson and mechanic Earl Borland
went missing. Search parties were organized and
nearly every bush pilot in Alaska flew for Siberia

5 0 AH J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1

to bring Eielson home. Crosson, who had earned that the only sound was the hissing of hot engines PILOTS SAW
a reputation for flying medical supplies to indig- in the snow. EACH OTHER AS
enous villages in the Arctic, led the effort. On COMPETITION,
January 25, 1930, Gillam spotted Eielson’s wreck- Though the cockpit had crushed down on YET THEY
age. A Soviet search party found his and Borland’s Gillam and he suffered a deep gash to his head, he DROPPED
bodies under several feet of snow on February 18. managed to crawl out from the wreckage. He built EVERYTHING
snow shelters for the injured passengers from pieces WHEN ONE OF
Despite the concerted effort to locate Eielson, it of the plane, lit fires to warm them and gave them THEIR OWN
was not an indication that bush pilots were a close food. They could hear blasting from construction WENT MISSING.
fraternity. They saw each other as competition for work on nearby Annette Island, but rescue planes
the same dollar. Archie Ferguson moved landing could not find them due to the tree canopy. On the Continuing legacy
strip flags so that passengers onboard Sig Wien’s sixth day Gillam decided to set out and attempt to In an Alaska not so
plane would have a rough landing. To steal Jack signal a rescue party. different from the era
Jefford’s passengers, Ferguson would land ahead, before World War II,
telling waiting customers that Jefford had crashed. When Gillam did not return, two of the pas- a next-generation
Yet all of them, including Ferguson, dropped every- sengers dragged two others down the mountain- bush pilot prepares
thing when a pilot went missing. side to a better location near the shore. The fifth for takeoff from a
passenger had died, and they left her body by the snow-covered lake.
Gillam continued to study meteorology and wreckage. A Coast Guard patrol vessel spotted
navigational aids to improve his skills. He was one their signal fire along the shoreline.
of the first in Alaska to install a directional gyro,
altimeter and direction-finder in his plane. But the Gillam’s body was found less than a mile away
aviation cliché that there are old pilots and bold from the signal fire. He had wrapped himself in a
pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots, eventually parachute for warmth. There were signs he had
caught up with him. broken through the ice of a nearby stream and then
attempted to dry his clothes before laying down to
World War II found Gillam flying for Morrison- rest. He never woke up.
Knudsen contractors. During the first week of
January 1943 he was assigned to fly five passen- For many, the death of No Kill ’Em Gillam
gers from Seattle to Anchorage in a twin-engine brought a close to the golden age of the Alaskan
Lockheed 10B Electra. Gillam flew through dense bush pilot.
fog on instruments, and since Alaska was consid- Mike Coppock has lived on and off in Alaska since
ered a war zone, maintained radio silence. 1985, working as an FAA flight specialist, general store
clerk, teacher, editor, state park site manager and cultural
As it neared Ketchikan, the plane was struck by interpreter at Denali National Park. Additional reading:
a downdraft, dropping 4,000 feet in the dark. Still Glacier Pilot, by Beth Day; Bush Pilot, by Arnold
flying full speed, Gillam swerved to miss a moun- Griese; Bush Pilots of Alaska, by Kim Heacox; and
tain. Seeing a break in the fog, he headed for it The Flying North, by Jean Potter.
when suddenly his right wing struck a tree. After

5 2 AH J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1

LOST FLIGHT TO BRAZIL

AFTER BECOMING THE FIRST TO FLY ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN SEA, PAUL
REDFERN DISAPPEARED IN THE AMAZON JUNGLE, SPAWNING A DOZEN
SEARCH EXPEDITIONS AND AN UNSOLVED MYSTERY BY GREGORY P. LIEFER

Risky business
Paul Redfern (right) sits beside
Paul Varner, chairman of the
committee backing his 1927
nonstop flight attempt to Rio de
Janeiro, at Sea Island, Georgia.

J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 AH 53

MORE THAN 3,000 SPECTATORS
LINED THE DUNES AND HARD-
PACKED SAND BEACH OF
SEA ISLAND, GA., AS PAUL REDFERN WALKED
SLOWLY AROUND A BRIGHTLY COLORED STINSON
MONOPLANE GLEAMING IN THE AFTERNOON SUN.
Reporters jostled in close, firing questions as the flight or its pilot could remain alert for more than
Endurance run young pilot carefully checked the airframe, fuel 48 hours were questions yet unanswered.
Redfern peers from tanks and engine for the last time. His expres-
his green-and-yellow sion was stern and focused, trying to appear con- Paul Rinaldo Redfern was 25 years old, the
painted Stinson SM-1 fident without the obvious anxiety he surely felt same age as Lindbergh and with the same slim
Detroiter (inset) before over his planned 4,600-mile nonstop flight across build. As a teenager in Columbia, S.C., he had
taking off from the the Caribbean Sea and South American jungle constructed and flown a small glider. During his
beach at Sea Island to Brazil. sophomore year of high school he built a full-size
to begin his aerial replica airplane that was displayed at the Uni-
odyssey (above). The date was August 25, 1927, three months versity of South Carolina. After completing his
since Charles Lindbergh’s historic solo transat- sophomore year, Redfern quit school to work for
lantic flight from New York to Paris had inspired the Standard Aircraft factory assembling planes
many aviators of his generation to seek their for the U.S. Army Air Service during World War
own fame and glory. The Caribbean had yet to I. When the plant closed at the end of the war he
be crossed by air, and to do so by flying from the returned home to finish high school. The follow-
United States to South America would set a new ing summer he purchased a surplus engine and
distance record. Flying the route solo would be some wrecked-plane parts to construct his own
another first, but even more difficult with fatigue biplane, and upon graduation began carrying
potentially playing a major role. Whether the passengers and performing at airshows.
plane could carry enough fuel for the nonstop
Redfern barnstormed across the country and

5 4 AH J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1

PREVIOUS SPREAD & OPPOSITE TOP: COASTAL GEORGIA HISTORY; OPPOSITE INSET: AP PHOTO; RIGHT, FROM TOP: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA went on to establish the first commercial airfield falling asleep several times with his eyes open, Lifelong passion
DIGITAL LIBRARIES; REDFERN FAMILY COLLECTION; COURTESY OF THE PAUL RINALDO REDFERN AVIATION SOCIETY OF COLUMBIA, S.C. in Columbia. Relocating to Ohio, he started prolonged periods of drowsiness and episodes Top: The teenage
another flying business and worked as a pilot for of hallucination. Redfern would be flying much Redfern’s full-size
wealthy businessman Charles Hillabrand. In 1925 longer. His father, Dr. Frederick Redfern, stated in airplane model was
he married Hillabrand’s daughter Gertrude and simple yet prophetic terms what he thought about displayed at the
moved to Savannah, Ga., where he flew for the his son’s intention to fly to Brazil: “It is a matter of University of South
U.S. Customs Service spotting illegal stills and endurance, pure and simple; continuous running Carolina. Middle:
ships smuggling bootleg liquor. on the part of the machine and the man.” Redfern and his wife
Gertrude pose with
By 1927 aspirations of aviation glory were on After Redfern arrived in Georgia, the the biplane he built
the minds of many pilots, especially the young plane was painted green and yellow— after high school.
and bold like Redfern. Lindbergh’s success only the Brazilian flag’s colors—with Port Above: The pilot’s
fueled the fire. of Brunswick stenciled in white let- Stinson SM-1 rests on
ters on each side of the cowling. The inscription the ramp leading to
Whether Redfern or someone else was the first “Brunswick to Brazil” was added to the fuselage. the takeoff beach.
to propose the idea is unclear, but when the Board
of Trade in Brunswick, Ga., offered a $25,000
prize for a nonstop flight to Rio de Janeiro, he was
the only pilot to accept the challenge. The city of
Brunswick hoped the record flight would entice
new investors and help make their port a major
East Coast shipping center.

The flight from Brunswick to Rio was a sig-
nificant undertaking. Roughly half the distance
was over water and the other half over the dense
Amazon jungle. Landing sites were limited to
beaches on a few islands and coastal areas, mostly
well off the intended route. Any emergency land-
ing in the sea or jungle would leave the pilot with
little hope of rescue. Fuel would be critical, requir-
ing accurate navigation. No radio would be car-
ried to save weight and flying solo required staying
awake for the duration. Many individuals in the
aviation community considered the flight danger-
ous and irresponsible.

For the attempt Redfern chose a new Stinson
SM-1 Detroiter, a reliable single-engine mono-
plane. Powered by a 220-hp Wright J-5 Whirlwind
9-cylinder radial—the same engine Lindbergh
used—the SM-1’s top speed was 122 mph and
normal cruise speed 105 mph. Redfern purchased
the aircraft directly from the Detroit factory with
additional fuel tanks installed in the cabin, increas-
ing capacity from 90 gallons to 525.

During his nonstop flight from the factory to
Georgia, Redfern tested the fuel system with the
tanks near capacity. He was accompanied by com-
pany owner Eddie Stinson, an experienced avia-
tor in his own right. The plane performed well,
averaging 86 mph over the 780-mile route. Based
on a fuel consumption of 10 gallons an hour, the
aircraft’s endurance would be about 52 hours.

Stinson’s only recommendation to Redfern
was for another pilot to go along on the flight,
since he thought going without sleep for such an
extended period “was more than a man could
stand.” Redfern ignored the advice, convinced
he could safely deal with sleep deprivation for
50-plus hours.

In his autobiography The Spirit of St. Louis,
Lindbergh recounted his struggle to stay awake
during his 33½-hour flight to Paris. He described

J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 AH 55

bon voyage As reckless as the endeavor the middle of hurricane season, another reason
Top: Spectators gather appeared, Redfern was metic- newspapers cast doubt on the flight. Weather
around the Stinson ulous in his flight planning. He reporting and forecasts in 1927 were primitive,
prior to Redfern’s plotted the most direct route to dependent on reports from ships at sea and local
departure from Sea the South American continent, observations on land. Storms could appear with-
Island. Above: A minimizing his time over water out notice.
hand-drawn map by while passing close enough to
Redfern shows his larger islands to aid in navi- Redfern’s intended flight track from Georgia
intended route from gation. His friend and fellow would maintain a southeast heading past the
Georgia across the pilot Myron Hutchinson, who Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands and cross
Caribbean Sea to helped with preparations, told Puerto Rico at night after covering nearly 1,300
the South America reporters, “Paul will make it if miles. He would use San Juan’s city lights and
mainland and on anybody can....he possesses a coastal lighthouses to verify his position before
to Brazil. sort of sixth sense to guide him continuing southeast over the Caribbean, roughly
paralleling the inside arc of islands known as the
in the air.” Lesser Antilles.
Navigation would be by
The stretch of open water between Puerto Rico
dead reckoning alone. Redfern and Trinidad, covering more than 700 miles, was
obtained a detailed weather expected to have the worst weather and would be
briefing and plotted an alter- flown mostly during the day. From Trinidad he
nate destination in case of low would continue to the South American mainland
fuel or unexpected winds. He at British Guiana (now Guyana), before turning
also carried survival equip- inland along the coast to Macapá in northern
ment—including flares, life Brazil, near the mouth of the Amazon River.
raft, solar water distiller, net-
ting, weapons and enough food for 10 days—in By then Redfern would have travelled nearly
case of an emergency ditching at sea or forced 3,000 miles and depending on his remaining fuel
landing in the jungle. and weather would either turn south toward Rio
Winds were the biggest concern during the or southeast toward Recife on the Brazilian coast.
long overwater stretch, as even a slight variation He would signal his intent when over Macapá by
in heading could force the plane well off course. dropping a green flare if proceeding to Rio or a
Crossing the thick jungle and inland mountains red flare if diverting to Recife. The distance to Rio
at night was the main challenge once over land. was another 1,674 miles and Recife 1,249 miles.
Redfern would need to identify his exact position
upon reaching the South American coast and Shortly before Redfern departed from Sea
from there navigate another 2,000 miles of mostly Island, a journalist asked him what he would do if
unmapped, inhospitable territory if he hoped to his engine quit over the jungle. “Don’t lose hope of
arrive at his destination. my return for at least six months or more…,” he
Redfern estimated a flight time of 50 hours said. “If I should be forced down over the Ama-
to reach Rio. With a forecast headwind over the zon Valley, I believe I can live for months with the
Caribbean Sea factored in, however, that seemed equipment I am carrying....”
overly optimistic. Even with a favorable tailwind
over South America, he needed to average 92 Agentle breeze was blowing across the
mph for the entire flight. At best he figured he had beach as Redfern’s Detroiter was care-
a two-hour fuel reserve. fully pushed into the wind on August
Ten hours of flight would be at night over the 25. All the available cabin space was
ocean, a point newspaper articles stressed as fool- filled with fuel tanks and survival gear. In addition
ish because the moon was at its lowest phase of to his emergency food, he carried two gallons of
illumination. Redfern’s attempt would also be in water, two thermoses of coffee and a large bundle
of sandwiches, all stashed within arm’s reach.

For the previous two days Redfern had been
anxious to depart, waiting for a hurricane off the
Bahamas to move away from his intended flight
path. By the 25th it was well to the north, pro-
viding the window of opportunity he needed. He
kissed and embraced Gertrude before climbing
into the cramped cockpit and starting the engine.
Redfern waved from the open window, pushed
the throttle forward and raced down the beach
before slowly lifting into the summer sky at 12:46
p.m. The crowd cheered as the plane climbed and
turned out over the Atlantic, fading from view in
the distance.

5 6 AH J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1

The first sighting of Redfern’s plane was by mph over the remaining distance to Rio, with no “PAUL WILL
shrimp boats off the Georgia coast, then nothing fuel reserve. His alternate destination of Recife MAKE IT IF
for five hours until a freighter 110 miles east of the was more realistic, requiring an average of 84 mph. ANYONE CAN....
Bahamas reported seeing the green-and-yellow In any case, arriving safely over Macapá shouldn’t HE POSSESSES
Stinson flying at 2,000 feet in a southerly direc- have been in doubt. A SORT OF SIXTH
tion. That position was 550 miles from Sea Island, SENSE TO GUIDE
reflecting a ground speed of 105 mph—better Later that day local residents saw a plane flying HIM THROUGH
than planned but aided by a favorable wind trail- inland near the mouth of the Orinoco River in THE AIR.”
ing behind the hurricane. At that speed Redfern Venezuela, and American engineer Lee Dennison
would pass Puerto Rico before sunrise the next also observed it from Bolivar City, 150 miles far- Best-laid plans
morning. Factoring in the expected moderate ther upriver. Dennison confirmed the plane as Port Had his marathon
headwinds over the Caribbean, he should have of Brunswick by the registration number painted in flight to Rio de Janeiro
arrived over Macapá later that afternoon. large letters on the wing. He observed a thin trail succeeded, Redfern
of black smoke coming from the engine as it circled would have joined
Redfern never arrived over Macapá, but he and then headed in a southeasterly direction. Charles Lindbergh as
did make contact with the Norwegian steamship an early aviation hero.
Christian Krohg after midday on August 26, 160 Redfern’s arrival over the Orinoco River Delta
miles north of Trinidad between the islands of was off track by well over 100 miles. There was
Saint Vincent and Barbados. He circled the ship no reason he should have headed inland along
for 45 minutes, dropping five messages, the last ask- the Orinoco River unless he had misidentified his
ing the captain to point the ship’s bow toward the position. Georgetown, Guiana’s capital, was 200
mainland and to wave a flag once for each 100 miles miles farther southeast, and Macapá another 670
in distance. The captain obliged by turning south miles. Had Redfern been aware of his exact posi-
and signaling twice. Redfern rocked the wings in tion he could also have easily flown to Caracas,
thanks and continued in the direction indicated. some 400 miles in the opposite direction. But by
then he had been awake for nearly 40 hours.
The position and time of the sighting meant
that Redfern had encountered strong headwinds With a lack of sleep impairing his reasoning
or gone off course a considerable distance after ability, Redfern likely confused the Orinoco
passing the Bahamas. His overall time and dis- with the Amazon, since both opened into large
tance since leaving Georgia reflected a ground deltas and flowed in the same direction. Falsely
speed of only 69 mph. Even with favorable winds assuming he was off course to the south instead of
over South America, he needed to average 100 north, he headed upriver toward what he thought
was Macapá. After arriving over Bolivar City he

OPPOSITE TOP: REDFERN FAMILY COLLECTION; OPPOSITE INSET: COURTESY OF THE PAUL RINALDO
REDFERN AVIATION SOCIETY OF COLUMBIA, S.C.; RIGHT; ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL REAGAN

J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 AH 57

REDFERN NEVER turned southeast over the featureless jungle, prob- Whether the sightings on the 27th were of
ARRIVED IN ably still believing he was over the Amazon and Redfern’s plane or not is unknown, but if accu-
RIO, INSTEAD heading for Rio de Janeiro. If Redfern had real- rate he would have been without sleep for nearly
VANISHING ized his mistake he would surely have turned back 60 hours and at the limit of physical endurance.
IN THE SOUTH to the coast instead of continuing inland. Finding a place to land would have been a priority.
AMERICAN Cultivated fields around the few scattered com-
JUNGLE. Flying southeast from Bolivar City would have munities were suitable for at least an emergency
taken Redfern into the Guiana Highlands, a large landing, but by then he was likely experiencing
Nowhere Man mountain range bordering Venezuela and Brazil extreme mental confusion.
Pilot Art Williams with peaks rising above 10,000 feet. His second
(second from left) led night aloft was fast approaching. A successful Over the years rumors and secondhand
a search in Brazil for crossing would have been required with minimal reports told of a white man, thought to
Redfern nine years illumination and while under increasing symp- be Redfern, living with a tribe of Indians
after he disappeared. toms of sleep deprivation. He never arrived in deep in the Amazon jungle. Most of the
Rio or any other city, and instead vanished some- stories described how a man fell from the sky in an
where in the South American jungle. airplane and was being held captive by the natives.
Other accounts claimed the man was hobbled by
A limited search ensued on August 28, primar- broken limbs or living peacefully with an Indian
ily focused along the coast after additional reports wife who had borne him a son. A dozen expedi-
came forward of an airplane flying over the Ori- tions were launched into the Amazon Basin over
noco Delta and near St. Cuthbert’s in British an 11-year period ending in 1938 in an attempt
Guiana on the 27th. Later that same day a plane to find and rescue him, including searches spon-
was also heard 60 miles south of Bolivar City on sored by the U.S. government and the Smithsonian
the Caroní River. By then Redfern’s fuel would Institution. No confirmed evidence of Redfern’s
have been nearly exhausted. Some search planes fate was ever found.
flew a short distance inland over the Amazon
Basin, but the vast territory and thick jungle made Questionable sightings were also reported
spotting a downed aircraft almost impossible.

LEFT: COURTESY OF THE PAUL RINALDO REDFERN AVIATION SOCIETY OF COLUMBIA, S.C.; ABOVE; HEMIS/ALAMY by two pilots who frequently flew over the area flew the area several times searching for evidence, fatal error
where Redfern likely disappeared. While con- but nothing was visible after 55 years. Redfern likely mistook
ducting an aerial survey of Brazil’s Tumuc Humac the Orinoco River in
Mountains in January 1936, pilot Art Williams For many years after Redfern vanished his wife Venezuela (above) for
overflew a remote village and said the natives had and family believed he had survived and was liv- Brazil’s Amazon River.
hid from the sound of his plane but a white man ing with Indians in the Amazon jungle. Only after His Stinson still awaits
remained out in the open waving excitedly as he Redfern’s parents sponsored their own expedition discovery somewhere
circled overhead. He plotted the location on his in 1937, which found no verifiable proof of his or in the vast jungle.
map and later borrowed a boat to travel upriver the plane’s whereabouts, did they finally give up
with a companion, but on arrival several heavily hope. He was pronounced dead in 1938. DESPITE A
armed tribesmen forced them to leave before they DOZEN SEARCH
reached the settlement. Although he is mostly forgotten, Paul Redfern’s EXPEDITIONS,
legacy lives on. He was unquestionably the first NO CONFIRMED
Pilot Jimmie Angel, noted for his discovery of pilot to fly nonstop across the Caribbean Sea. A EVIDENCE OF
Angel Falls in Venezuela, claimed he often passed city street in Rio de Janeiro and an airfield on St. REDFERN’S
over Redfern’s crashed plane while flying back Simons Island (today site of the Redfern Village FATE WAS
and forth from the Guiana Highlands. He even shopping center) were named in his honor. A EVER FOUND.
provided a latitude/longitude coordinate for the movie loosely based on Redfern’s flight, Too Hot
site that was approximately 120 miles southeast to Handle, was released in 1938.
of Bolivar City. Unfortunately, because of his
tendency to stretch the truth, Angel was never A week after Redfern vanished, in referencing
believed. After he died his wife verified the story, the recent losses of aircraft on long-distance flight
claiming she had accompanied her husband on attempts, Eddie Stinson said it best: “The success
two flights during which she observed Redfern’s of Colonel Lindbergh should not be accepted as a
green-and-yellow Stinson submerged in a swamp. standard....the very men who are good enough to
She said the wreckage had sunk deeper into the attempt such hops are the very men whom avia-
marsh on each occasion until only the top of the tion today can not afford to sacrifice.”
cabin was visible. Gregory Liefer is a retired military and civilian pilot
with 32 years’ flying experience. His books include
Pilot/author Robert Carlin and author Dale Aviation Mysteries of the North, Broken Wings:
Titler conducted a thorough investigation and Aviation Disasters in Alaska and The Last Flight:
aerial search for Redfern’s aircraft in 1982. They A Novel. Further reading: Wings of Mystery: True
were convinced the pilot had died after crashing Stories of Aviation History, by Dale M. Titler; and
in the jungle where Jimmie Angel said. They over- Oceans, Poles and Airmen, by Richard Montague.

J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 AH 59

supply ship strike
During the mid-1960s civil war in
the Congo, a Douglas B-26K
Counter Invader wearing the flag
of the Republic of the Congo, but
operated by the CIA and crewed
by anti-communist Cubans,
rockets a boat smuggling rebel
arms across Lake Tanganyika.

6 0 AH J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1

CUBANS OVER THE CONGO

AFTER BITTER DEFEAT AT THE BAY OF PIGS, THE CIA SENT AN “INSTANT
AIR FORCE” TO AFRICA TO FIGHT COMMUNISM…AND CHE GUEVARA

BY DON HOLLWAY

ENGINES WARMING ON THE RAMP, BOMBED PREVIOUS SPREAD: DON HOLLWAY; ABOVE: GILBERTO ANTE/ROGER VIOLLET VIA
UP, GUNS AND ROCKETS LOADED, THE CUBAN GETTY IMAGES; OPPOSITE PHOTOS: JUAN C. PERON/INVADER HISTORICAL FOUNDATION
LIBERATION AIR FORCE WAS RARING TO FLY TOP
COVER OVER THE BAY OF PIGS ON APRIL 16,
1961, WHEN THE UNITED STATES LOST ITS NERVE.
No less than a U.S. major general took a jeep White House grounded them, leaving their coun-
ironic target out to the flight line at Puerto Cabezas on the trymen stranded on the beach, “It was like a cold
On April 15, 1961, Nicaraguan coast to give them the throat-slash, bucket of water poured over my head....How can
during the abortive cut-engines wave, then threw his hat to the ground they do this?” The Cuban pilots, their U.S. military
Bay of Pigs operation, in disgust. “This is straight from Washington,” he advisers, the CIA officers running the show—all
Cuban exile Gustavo fumed. “We can’t make another flight.” knew their counterrevolution was doomed. Cas-
Ponzoa destroyed this tro himself said as much, when asked why the inva-
DC-3, which he had At dawn the previous day Cuban exile Gustavo sion failed: “They had no air support.”
once flown for Cubana “Gus” Ponzoa had flown the first attacks on the air
Airlines. Here Cuban base at Santiago de Cuba. In a vintage Douglas The Bay of Pigs left both the Communist dicta-
workers remove the B-26B Invader bomber disguised with Cuban air tor and the Company, as CIA insiders called the
wreckage at Santiago force insignia, he’d blown up a DC-3 he once flew agency, overstocked with Latino revolutionaries
de Cuba’s air base. for Cubana Airlines and returned to base feel- looking for trouble. Through a Miami front com-
ing “sky high,” positive he and his fellow exiles pany the agency rehired its exiled vets to form what
were going to free their island from Fidel Castro’s the New York Times would later call an “instant air
Communist regime. force” that could be sent to any hot spot where
Washington needed plausible deniability.
“You couldn’t get a better bunch of guys,”
Ponzoa said. “We were strong as hell.” When the That turned out to be Africa, where Castro was

6 2 AH J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1

already sending military advisers and the newly Invader” standard, with fresh wings, upgraded heavy hitter
independent former Belgian colony of the Congo engines, wingtip fuel tanks and more. Over the Above: B-26Ks fly a
was shaping up into a Cold War battleground in Congo their bomb bays packed internal fuel for mission over the
1964. Rebel Simba tribesmen armed with spears even more range and loiter time, since bombs Congo. Left: The
and machetes relied on witch doctors and sav- and napalm were political overkill and eight Cuban exiles’ airplanes
agery—including cannibalism—to terrify their nose-mounted .50-caliber machine guns and four carried the beer logo–
enemies, but viewed aircraft with near-supersti- 19-rocket pods were more than sufficient against inspired emblem of
tious fear. Reluctant to become mired in Africa, the the tribesmen. For the Simbas it was a whole new the “Makasi air force.”
U.S. sent its Cuban proxies to help the government war. A Washington analysis declared, “The rel- Below: Locals examine
put down the rebellion. Exile Félix Toledo was atively heavily armed B-26Ks represent such an a newly arrived
told: “‘When this mission is completed, you will escalation of anything ever experienced in this Counter Invader.
have our unconditional help in the fight against part of Africa that they have caused a profound
the Castro regime.’ We believed this to be an ideo- psychological shock.” “THE RELATIVELY
logical deal and hence we accepted.” HEAVILY ARMED
But air power can only do so much. To B-26KS…HAVE
At first it was sufficient, in their unarmed ex- reclaim the Congo, mercenary Michael CAUSED A
Italian T-6 Harvard trainers with Congolese col- “Mad Mike” Hoare enlisted 300 soldiers PROFOUND
ors, to buzz the Simbas at treetop level and frighten of fortune. His main column of 200 trucks PSYCHOLOGICAL
them off. But when the rebels captured arms from and jeeps included Swedish armored personnel SHOCK.”
feckless government forces, the Cuban pilots began carriers and a German-made Ferret armored
taking ground fire. They answered with hand gre-
nades dropped in drinking glasses to release the
safety levers on impact, until the CIA sent machine
gun pods, rocket launchers and more-power-
ful T-28 Trojan trainers fitted with .50-caliber
machine guns, 500-pound bombs and rockets.
“Once the planes were armed,” said CIA Congo
Station Chief Lawrence Devlin, “they became an
invaluable aid to the government. Without them
the government would have fallen.”

It nearly came to that. By early August 1964 the
Simbas had conquered half the country, includ-
ing the eastern provincial capital of Stanleyville,
instigating a hostage crisis. Neither the T-6 nor
the T-28 had the legs to cover the Congo’s vast
expanse, almost twice the size of France, Germany
and Spain combined. The Company delivered up
the old familiar B-26, but the exiles refused to fly
them. The Invaders had served from World War
II through Korea, and were lately starting to shed
their old wings in hard maneuvers. “The normal
B-26s were not suitable for the Congo war,” said
mechanic Segisberto Fernández. “…In fact, our
pilots preferred the T-28.”

Way ahead of them, the U.S. Air Force had
revamped 40 Invaders to a new B-26K “Counter

hostage rescue car on point, flying red flags fore and aft. For the Bravos came out of the sun and loosed off their
Above: A U.S. Air Cubans above, everything ahead of it was a target. rockets in a silent swoosh to explode on the target
Force C-130 from the with a sonorous didoom!”
464th Troop Carrier “That was a thick jungle in the Congo, as you
Wing delivers Belgian can imagine,” recalled Ponzoa, nicknamed El “He saw that we knew how to fly—and how to
paratroopers to free Mirlo, the Blackbird. “We had to fly low—very shoot,” said Ponzoa. “From then on, he couldn’t
civilians in Stanleyville low, usually following the roads. That was the do without us. He was always slapping us on the
on November 24, only way to navigate over that jungle area. I’d spot back when we met, all smiles.”
1964. Above right: the enemy and I’d radio down to Hoare’s men:
Mike Hoare (right) and ‘Throw a smoke grenade, let us know where you Evidence began to mount, however, that they
his mercenaries help are.’…Hoare would radio up, ‘We’re down here! were up against more than blood-mad tribesmen.
evacuate the hostages. You guys are gonna hit us! You’re too close!’…It Hoare’s mercs captured 60mm mortars bearing
Below: Ground crew took a couple of missions before Hoare felt com- Chinese inscriptions. Enemy ground forces cut
prepare a Makasi T-28 fortable with the Cuban CIA air support. He’d in on copilot Reginaldo Blanco’s radio to trade
Trojan for a mission. never had any that was quite that close before.” curses with him in Spanish. “I didn’t see Cubans
from the Castro regime as my countrymen,” he
On November 1 the mercenary advance said. “I saw them as the enemy.”
reached a rebel headquarters upstream from
Stanleyville at Kindu. Ponzoa reported: “As we “We knew the Cubans were trying to get a
approached what appeared to be the town square stronghold in Africa,” said Bay of Pigs veteran
we saw that the rebels had taken all the male hos- Frederico “Freddy” Flaquer, “and we knew not
tages to the square, stripped them to their under- only were we going to fight the Communists but it
wear and prepared to execute them. There was was going to be Cuban against Cuban.”
no time to ask [ground forces] for a decision; we
strafed the would-be executioners and radioed But first came rescuing Western hostages in
for the invading forces to move.” Stanleyville. At 5:45 a.m. local time on November
24, 1964, two Counter Invaders led the way,
In his memoirs, hard-bitten mercenary Hoare destroying rebel anti-aircraft guns at the airport.
remembered his air cover with childlike enthusi- Belgian paratroops arrived in USAF C-130 trans-
asm: “The warplanes came screaming down from ports staged out of the British base on Ascension
5,000 feet, each blasting off its eight Browning .50 Island. The CIA’s Cuban ground fighters saw to
machine guns in a terrifying cruuuump! Now two the rescue of captive Americans. Even with Simbas
still threatening one end of the runway, the air
contingent landed that afternoon to take over.
Hoare’s mercenaries liberated a Makasi (“strong”
in the Lingala language) Beer brewery, and with

OPPOSITE: (TOP LEFT) PHOTO12/UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP VIA GETTY IMAGES; (TOP RIGHT) PRIYA RAMRAKHA/THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION VIA GETTY IMAGES; typical combat pilot bravado the Cubans adopted comrades in arms machine guns—little more than was carried in the
LEFT: T-28 TROJAN FOUNDATION; ABOVE LEFT: BRIDE LANE LIBRARY/POPPERFOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES; ABOVE RIGHT: MUSEO CHE GUEVARA the brand’s snorting-buffalo logo as nose art. Above: Simba rebels nose of one B-26K. Harried from the air and on
advance on a Congo the ground, in November 1965 Guevara made a
The liberation of Stanleyville infuriated the road in February 1964. forced retreat back to Tanzania, and by the end of
rebels’ Soviet and Chinese supporters. Castro’s Right: Ernesto “Che” the year the Simba rebellion was strangled.
right-hand man, Ernesto “Che” Guevara, viewed Guevara (left), leader
Western victory in the Congo as a setback in of the Cuban troops Hoare went home to South Africa, but some of
their global revolution. He soon departed for who fought with the the government’s French and Belgian mercenaries
Africa to lead the campaign himself, but like the Simbas, poses with a had been lording it over eastern Congo too long to
exiles would find it quite different from fighting rebel and his baby. give it up. In July 1967 they staged their own revolt.
in Cuba. “At least two of our guys were shot down For a few weeks it was mercenary versus merce-
in the Congo,” Blanco recalled, “and both of them “AT LEAST TWO nary, but the rebel commandos made the same
were eaten.” OF OUR GUYS mistake the Simbas and Guevara had. Strafing
WERE SHOT and rocketing, the Makasi air force drove them out
By mid-1965, as proven by captured docu- DOWN IN THE of the country.
ments, Guevara commanded 200 Cuban fighters CONGO, AND
in-country, with weapons entering the Congo from BOTH OF THEM The exiles hadn’t fought for money. Bringas
Tanzania across Lake Tanganyika. In response the WERE EATEN.” took a pay cut to join and received his bonus pay
CIA set up a “Makasi navy,” including a pair of in worthless Congolese francs. “The only bonus
radar-equipped Swift boats imported in sections we got at the end of our tour of duty was a large
aboard C-130s. With Cuban exiles overhead by disappointment,” he said.
day and gunboats patrolling the water by night,
supplying Guevara became exorbitantly expen- On their return from Africa the Cubans found
sive. Swift crewman Generoso Bringas recalled, a changed world. President John F. Kennedy
“We confiscated a shipment of Chinese weapons and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev had made
to Congo which was valued at $2 million in 1965 a mutual hands-off agreement about Cuba, and
[$16.5 million today].” though both were gone, their successors stuck to it.
“When we returned from Congo, our leaders were
“We had overwhelming superiority on the water told that conditions had changed, and that they
and in the air,” said Hoare, who assembled a ver- were no longer in a position to help us,” Félix To-
itable invasion fleet on the lake. “…The convoy ledo said. “The rug was pulled out from under us.”
made an impressive sight as six T-28s and two
B-26s flew overhead....Two hundred voices raised Like many Cuban Americans, the Makasis
a cheer, as they dipped their wings in salute.” longed all their lives for a free Cuba. No one can
say they didn’t do their part. “For me it was a priv-
Bad weather, however, grounded the air force ilege to fly with these people, the ones who died—
when the troops hit the beach. Rebel opposition, the Americans, the Cubans,” said Gus Ponzoa
fighting in disciplined European style from fixed at the 2004 groundbreaking for the Bay of Pigs
positions with heavy weaponry, pinned the merce- memorial at Miami Executive Airport. It includes
naries down until the skies cleared. Then, Hoare a restoration of the B-26 he flew in the aborted lib-
recounted, “Six T-28s swooped down low over our eration attempt. For him and all the other Cubans
position and began to strafe the enemy. As though who flew and fought in the Congo, the Makasi air
to make up for their absence the previous day, the force at least helped to even that score.
Cubans put on a show of aerobatics to beat any Frequent contributor Don Hollway recommends for
flying display, their white wings flashing in the sun- further reading Cold War in the Congo, by Frank
light.” After several days of air attacks Guevara’s R. Villafaña. For more about the Simba Rebellion, see
men abandoned the fight. The Simbas went back “Mad Mike and His Wild Geese” at historynet.com.
to relying on magic, made an old-fashioned charge
and were slaughtered.

“This little air force,” Guevara wrote Castro in
October, “is sowing terror among the Congolese
comrades.” His Soviet and Chinese suppliers never
gave him what he needed most: anti-aircraft guns.
The rebels’ AA defenses came to just 10 12.7mm

J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 AH 65

WREvIEWS

JAYHAWK hawk outta hell
George Cooper piloted the
Love, Loss, Liberation, and Terror B-25D Jayhawk with the
2YHU WKH 3DFLÞF 499th Bomb Squadron, the
“Bats Outta Hell,” of the
by Jay A. Stout with George L. Cooper, Casemate, 345th Bombardment Group.
2020, $34.95.
commander with the 499th
While George Cooper’s background is Bombardment Squadron
unusual, the story of his commendable of the legendary 345th
service in the U.S. military during World Bombardment Group.
War II epitomizes the contributions of Author Jay Stout, himself
UQTTQWV[ WN )UMZQKIV[ _PW [MTÆM[[Ta N]TÅTTML an air combat veteran of
their patriotic duty. George’s father, Operation Desert Storm,
Lawrence, left his native Kansas in 1907 for hits his stride describing the
a teaching job in the Philippines, marrying grueling attacks on Rabaul
a Filipino teacher and starting a family. > and Wewak. Through it all,
Cooper never lost his human-
> The second of three sailed to America to begin his graduation, Cooper became ity. Prayers for his parents U.S. AIR FORCE
children, George grew up studies at the University of a medium bomber pilot, IVL [Q[\MZ _PW []‫ٺ‬MZML ]VLMZ
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while observing aircraft in broke out, the young man’s homage to the well-known answered when they were
the Philippines such as the plans were interrupted and, KU mascot. liberated thanks in no small
U.S. Army’s Keystone B-3A with his nation’s survival at measure to his own heroism
bombers and Pan Am’s stake, he entered the Army Cooper was thrown into QV \PM 8IKQÅK \PMI\MZ 0QOPTa
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In March 1940, George and Dobodura as an aircraft Philip Handleman

6 6 AH J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1

LOCKHEED XF-90 rejected and the requirement
PENETRATION FIGHTER was cancelled.

by William J. Simone, Ginter Books, 2020, $39.95. Lockheed XF-90 Penetration
Fighter includes extensive
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Due to the need to accom-
Robert Guttman

SIX-DAY WAR 1967 DAVID MCCAMPBELL

Operation Focus and the Top Ace of U.S. Naval
12 Hours That Changed Aviation in World War II
the Middle East by David Lee Russell, McFarland &
Company, 2019, $45.
by Shlomo Aloni, Osprey Publishing,
2019, $24. Volumes have been devoted to
American World War II ace of aces
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the Israeli author seems somewhat biography of America’s leading
self-conscious regarding his cred- naval ace. There was far more
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before he transitioned into aviation. He served in Europe
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Q[ I OMV\TMUIV IVL JMKI][M PM Q[ IV WX\QUQ[\ º <PM WVTa ÆI_[
Six-Day War 1967 UIa W‫ٺ‬MZ I ]VQY]M ILLQ\QWV \W IVa RM\ IOM QV \PM JWWS IZM OZIUUI\QKIT¸I [\WZa [W KWUXMTTQVOTa _ZQ\\MV
military aviation scholar’s library. Given the lessons learned KW]TL PI^M OZMI\Ta JMVMÅ\ML NZWU [WUM KWV[KQMV\QW][ MLQ\QVO
WV XZMXIZMLVM[[ \PI\ Q\ LMUWV[\ZI\ML Q\ Q[ ]VTQSMTa \PI\ IVa IQZ
IZU¸QVKT]LQVO 1[ZIMT¼[¸Q[ TQSMTa \W IKPQM^M []KP I TWX[QLML Jon Guttman
surprise victory against a comparable enemy force again.

Jon Guttman

J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 AH 67

REvIEWS AVIATION ILLUSTRATION: ©2013 JACK FELLOWS, ASAA
H I S T O RY
DEAD RECKONING
STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND
The Story of How Johnny CIRCULATION (required by Act of August 12, 1970: Sec-
Mitchell and His Fighter tion 3685, Title 39, United States Code). 1. Aviation Histo-
Pilots Took on Admiral ry 2. (ISSN: 1076-8858) 3. Filing date: 10/1/20. 4. Issue
Yamamoto and Avenged frequency: Bi Monthly. 5. Number of issues published
Pearl Harbor annually: 6. 6. The annual subscription price is $39.95. 7.
by Dick Lehr, Harper, 2020, $28.99. Complete mailing address of known office of publica-
tion: HistoryNet, 1919 Gallows Rd. Suite 400, Vienna, VA
OPERATION VENGEANCE 22182. Contact person: Kolin Rankin. 8. Complete mail-
ing address of headquarters or general business office of
The Astonishing Aerial Ambush that publisher: HistoryNet, 1919 Gallows Rd. Suite 400, Vien-
Changed World War II na, VA 22182. 9. Full names and complete mailing ad-
by Dan Hampton, William Morrow, 2020, $28.99. dresses of publisher, editor, and managing editor. Pub-
lisher, Michael A. Reinstein, HistoryNet, 1919 Gallows Rd.
On April 18, 1943, about a year and a half after the sur- Suite 400, Vienna, VA 22182, Editor, Carl Von Wodtke,
prise attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese admiral who HistoryNet, 1919 Gallows Rd. Suite 400, Vienna, VA
PIL WZKPM[\ZI\ML Q\ _I[ I[[I[[QVI\ML VMIZ \PM 8IKQÅK Q[TIVL 22182, Editor in Chief, Alex Neil , HistoryNet, 1919 Gal-
of Bougainville in a precisely timed and expertly navigated lows Rd. Suite 400, Vienna, VA 22182. 10. Owner: Histo-
aerial interception by American P-38 Lightning pilots based ryNet; 1919 Gallows Rd. Suite 400, Vienna, VA 22182. 11.
out of Guadalcanal. Ever since, the 1,000-mile make-or- Known bondholders, mortgages, and other security
JZMIS UQ[[QWV PI[ JMMV \PM [\]‫ ٺ‬WN TWZM _Q\P \PM [\WZa LWU- holders owning or holding 1 percent of more of total
inated by the question of which pilot, Thomas Lanphier Jr. amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities: None.
or Rex Barber, scored the decisive blow. Coincidentally, two 12. Tax status: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12
mammoth books about the mission to shoot down Isoroku Months. 13. Publisher title: Aviation History. 14. Issue
Yamamoto were released in 2020 just months apart, and date for circulation data below: September 2020. 15. The
both arrive convincingly at the same conclusion as to who extent and nature of circulation: A. Total number of cop-
ÅZML \PM NI\IT [PW\[" 4QM]\MVIV\ *IZJMZ ies printed (Net press run). Average number of copies
each issue during preceding 12 months: 42,494. Actual
In Dead Reckoning, journalism professor Dick Lehr makes number of copies of single issue published nearest to
deft use of his access to the diary and correspondence of ace filing date: 28,342. B. Paid circulation. 1. Mailed out-
and mission leader Major John Mitchell. Mining a wealth side-county paid subscriptions. Average number of cop-
of additional sources, Lehr traces the lives of Mitchell and ies each issue during the preceding 12 months: 22,820.
Yamamoto from childhood to military service in alternating Actual number of copies of single issue published near-
chapters that provide in-depth character portraits against est to filing date: 22,669. 2. Mailed in-county paid sub-
\PM JIKSLZWX WN I _WZTL LM^WT^QVO QV\W OTWJIT KWVÆQK\ 7\PMZ scriptions. Average number of copies each issue during
leading players like the U.S. Navy codebreakers at Station the preceding 12 months: 0. Actual number of copies of
0aXW QV 0I_IQQ IVL \PM 5IZQVM[ ÅOP\QVO LM[XMZI\MTa \W PWTL single issue published nearest to filing date: 0. 3. Sales
on at Guadalcanal are brought into the story as it builds to the harrowing clash between through dealers and carriers, street vendors and counter
the American airmen and Yamamoto’s Japanese escorts. sales. Average number of copies each issue during the
preceding 12 months: 5,398. Actual number of copies of
In Operation Vengeance, veteran F-16 pilot Dan Hampton also relies on extensive single issue published nearest to filing date: 1,068. 4.
groundwork, including interviews with Rex Barber’s son. Indeed, Rex Barber is the cen- Paid distribution through other classes mailed through
\ZIT ÅO]ZM QV \PQ[ IKKW]V\ \PI\ QV\MZ[XMZ[M[ ^QOVM\\M[ WN MIKP TMO WN \PM UQ[[QWV _Q\P \PM the USPS. Average number of copies each issue during
WZQOQV[ IVL ]VNWTLQVO [\IOM[ WN \PM 8IKQÅK ?IZ QV ITT Q\[ JTWWLa PWZZWZ *MOQVVQVO _Q\P I the preceding 12 months: 0. Actual number of copies of
LM\IQTML LM[KZQX\QWV WN ÅZQVO ]X \PM 8 ¼[ \_QV )TTQ[WV MVOQVM[ 0IUX\WV X]\[ ZMILMZ[ single issue published nearest to filing date: 0. C. Total
QV \PM KWKSXQ\ [W _M NMMT \PI\ _M IZM ÆaQVO ITWVO[QLM *IZJMZ IVL PQ[ NMTTW_ XQTW\[ M^MZa paid distribution. Average number of copies each issue
step of the way. during preceding 12 months: 28,218. Actual number of
copies of single issue published nearest to filing date;
Setting the tone for his version of events, Hampton provides detailed and graphic 23,737. D. Free or nominal rate distribution (by mail and
descriptions of the land and naval battles required to preserve Guadalcanal as a strategic outside mail). 1. Free or nominal Outside-County. Aver-
launch point for the projection of American air power. He pulls no punches, condemn- age number of copies each issue during the preceding
ing Admiral Frank Fletcher for having “deserted” the American forces on Guadalcanal, 12 months: 0. Number of copies of single issue published
embracing the gritty Marine grunts as exemplifying the best of the “Old Breed,” suggest- nearest to filing date: 0. 2. Free or nominal rate in-county
ing that the American death toll would probably have been much higher if Yamamoto copies. Average number of copies each issue during the
had not been killed and alleging the Japanese admiral knew he was waging an unjust war. preceding 12 months: 0. Number of copies of single is-
4MPZ¼[ \ISM Q[ UWZM V]IVKML KMTMJZI\QVO \PM ^QK\WZa W^MZ 2IXIV _PQTM W‫ٺ‬MZQVO QV[QOP\[ QV\W sue published nearest to filing date: 0. 3. Free or nominal
the imperfections of American culture at the time. rate copies mailed at other Classes through the USPS.
Average number of copies each issue during preceding
*]ZQML _Q\PQV \PM[M PMI^QTa ZM[MIZKPML \WUM[ IZM I NM_ OTQ\KPM[" ;MKZM\IZa WN ?IZ 12 months: 0. Number of copies of single issue published
0MVZa ;\QU[WV Q[ UQ[QLMV\QÅML I[ [MKZM\IZa WN [\I\M QV 4MPZ¼[ JWWS IVL \PM [QVSQVO WN \PM nearest to filing date: 0. 4. Free or nominal rate distribu-
Bismarck is attributed to British torpedo planes (which actually jammed the ship’s rudder) tion outside the mail. Average number of copies each
in Hampton’s book. But these do not detract in any way from such sweeping chronicles of issue during preceding 12 months: 481. Number of cop-
UMV I\ _IZ <PM I]\PWZ[ JZQVO \PMQZ LQ[\QVK\ XMZ[XMK\Q^M[ \W JMIZ QV W‫ٺ‬MZQVO MUXI\PQK VIZ- ies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 482. E.
ZI\Q^M[ \PI\ PWVWZ \PM TMOIKa WN \PM XQTW\[ _PW X]TTML W‫\ ٺ‬PM QUXZWJIJTM UQ[[QWV Total free or nominal rate distribution. Average number
of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 481.
As would be expected, the two books overlap in their coverage of certain aspects of the Actual number of copies of single issue published near-
[\WZa )\ \PM [IUM \QUM \PMZM IZM LQ‫ٺ‬MZMVKM[ JM\_MMV \PMU QV \MVWZ IVL \MKPVQY]M *W\P est to filing date: 482. F. Total free distribution (sum of
are meritorious histories and highly recommended. 15c and 15e). Average number of copies each issue
during preceding 12 months: 28,699. Actual number of
Philip Handleman copies of single issue published nearest to filing date:
24,219. G. Copies not Distributed. Average number of
6 8 AH J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1 copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 13,795.
Actual number of copies of single issue published near-
est to filing date: 4,123. H. Total (sum of 15f and 15g).
Average number of copies each issue during preceding
12 months: 42,494. Actual number of copies of single is-
sue published nearest to filing: 28,342. I. Percent paid.
Average percent of copies paid for the preceding 12
months: 98.3% Actual percent of copies paid for the pre-
ceding 12 months: 98.0% 16. Electronic Copy Circula-
tion: A. Paid Electronic Copies. Average number of cop-
ies each issue during preceding 12 months: 0. Actual
number of copies of single issue published nearest to
filing date: 0. B. Total Paid Print Copies (Line 15c) + Paid
Electronic Copies (Line 16a). Average number of copies
each issue during preceding 12 months: 28,218. Actual
number of copies of single issue published nearest to
filing date: 23,737. C. Total Print Distribution (Line 15f) +
Paid Electronic Copies (Line 16a). Average number of
copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 28,699.
Actual number of copies of single issue published near-
est to filing date: 24,219. D. Percent Paid (Both Print &
Electronic Copies) (16b divided by 16c x 100). Average
number of copies each issue during preceding 12
months: 98.3%. Actual number of copies of single issue
published nearest to filing date: 98.0%. I certify that 50%
of all distributed copies (electronic and print) are paid
above nominal price: Yes. Report circulation on PS Form
3526-X worksheet 17. Publication of statement of owner-
ship will be printed in the January 2021 issue of the pub-
lication. 18. Signature and title of editor, publisher, busi-
ness manager, or owner: Shawn G. Byers, VP, Audience
Development & Circulation. I certify that all information
furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand
that anyone who furnishes false or misleading informa-
tion on this form or who omits material or information
requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanc-
tion and civil actions.

W

AIRWARE Red Baron Pack
Digital Combat Simulator I-16
Mad Otter Games, $10.
OctopusG, Eagle Dynamics SA, $40.

Digital Combat Simulator’s The Red Baron Pack is a rere-
I-16 is a good follow-up lease of a set of older World
to last Airware’s Yakovlev ?IZ 1 ÆQOP\ [QU]TI\QWV[ I^IQT-
Yak-52 coverage. The able through Steam. It com-
stubby Polikarpov I-16 prop bines the original Red Baron and a sequel, Red Baron 3D.
ÅOP\MZ ZMKITT[ QUIOM[ WN \PM
Granville Gee Bees and the The original games are critically acclaimed products, but
*ZM_[\MZ . ) *]‫ٺ‬ITW J]\ Q\[ XZWL]K\QWV NIZ MKTQX[ML \PMU \PMa LMJ]\ML QV !! IVL !! ,W \PMa [\IVL \PM \M[\ WN \QUM'
Like most DCS aircraft, the I-16 is lovingly rendered and you <PM IV[_MZ Q[ ¹Q\ LMXMVL[ º 6W[\ITOQI P]V\MZ[ _QTT ÅVL \PQ[ I
can see up-close in this sim how tough its pilots must have cheap trip back to games that at the time were stellar. But these
JMMV 1\ Q[ VQUJTM J]\ Y]QZSa ZMY]QZQVO I TW\ WN XQTW\ QVX]\ \W Æa reissues come with little change to the original software and
have graphics stuck in the pre-3D and early 3D eras. They are
The lack of a detailed manual, a trademark of most DCS playable but a little hard on the eyes, especially compared to
XZWL]K\[ Q[ TIUMV\IJTM 1 _I[ IJTM \W ÅVL I VQKM IT\MZVI\Q^M the more recent WWI sim Rise of Flight. While modern systems
online written by a DCS player, but it should have been should have no trouble with performance, these oldies can also
included in the installation. This airplane module is also sparse JM I TQ\\TM KIV\IVSMZW][ \W KWVÅO]ZM
in other ways, lacking any historical campaigns or missions.
0Q[\WZQIV[ PW_M^MZ _QTT ÅVL [WUM ][MN]T UI\MZQIT <PM OIUM[
The DCS I-16 fortunately seems to be well modeled. I were made back in a time when creativity and imagination
ÆM_ Q\ IOIQV[\ I 5M[[MZ[KPUQ\\ *N ! IVL \Z]M \W TMOMVL \PM helped compensate for graphics limitations. Flight sims then
\MVIKQW][ 1 KIV PWTL ]X IOIQV[\ MIZTa UWLMT[ WN \PM ! 1 typically had great manuals and were good about including
KW]TL W]\ \]ZV \PM ! IVL \ZQML \W LZIO PQU \W I TW_ IT\Q\]LM role-playing elements in historically inspired campaigns. The
ÅOP\ J]\ \PM KWUX]\MZ IL^MZ[IZa _I[ [UIZ\ IVL ][ML \PM Red Baron Pack includes digital versions of the original manuals
5M[[MZ[KPUQ\\¼[ []XMZQWZ ^MZ\QKIT XMZNWZUIVKM \W [\Ia IPMIL NWZ JW\P OIUM[ IVL \PMa IZM ÅVM ZMIL[ TWILML _Q\P PQ[\WZa IVL
of me. We traded several passes but my terrible gunnery ulti- photos. Both games feature historical scenarios, and both have
mately led to my doom. mission creation and editing capabilities. On the balance, the
chance to revisit these classics proved more pleasing than not.
I-16 is a nice module but the lack of accessories makes it a
bit harder to recommend than others. Bernard Dy

Taking Flight 312 pages, 74 black and white photos,
13 color photos, Cloth $29.95
The Nadine Ramsey Story

Raquel Ramsey and Tricia Aurand

Foreword by Maj. Gen. Jeannie M. Leavitt, USAF

“Taking Flight, Nadine Ramsey’s story, is more than the tale of her days as a
WASP pilot ferrying high-priority army aircraft across the skies of wartime
America. It is the heartfelt account of her family and its collective grit,
patriotism, and raw courage. We learn of Nadine’s painful recovery from an
early plane crash, the healing that allowed her to fly as a WASP, and finally
her battle against the recurring pain in later life. A good read and a ton of
great research.”—Sarah Byrn Rickman, author of The Originals: The Women’s
Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron of World War II and WASP of the Ferry Command:
Women Pilots, Uncommon Deeds

“From humble beginnings, Nadine Ramsey was destined to fly. Chasing
planes and opportunities, she honed her skills as a ‘hot pilot.’ Soon she was
in the ranks of the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots in World War II and was
one of the first women to fly military aircraft. This honest and heartfelt book
chronicles the life of a woman who struggled to overcome the barriers of
her day, and occasionally brushed the bounds of heaven.”—Lisa K. Shapiro,
author of No Forgotten Fronts: From Classrooms to Combat

Ebook edition available from your favorite ebook retailer.

University Press of Kansas

Phone 785-864-4155 • www.kansaspress.ku.edu

FLIGHT TEST

>MYSTERY SHIP Can you identify this BUSH
attack aircraft? See LEGENDS
TOP: SAN DIEGO AIR & SPACE MUSEUM; BOTTOM: AKG-IMAGES/ULLSTEIN BILDthe answer below.
1. Who established the
DIVE BOMBERS’ Hans-Ulrich Rudel Farthest North Aviation
GREATEST HITS Company, Alaska’s first,
1. HMS Hermes in 1923?
Match the pilot to the warship he 2. HIJMS Hyuga A. Marten Hartwell
helped sink. 3. Marat B. Donald Sheldon
4. HIJMS Kinugasa C. Carl Ben Eielson
A. PO1C Kichichiro Yamada, Hiryu 5. HMS Cornwall D. Noel Wien
B. Lieutenant Edward A. Sieber, VB-82, Bennington 6. USS Hornet
C. Captain Eric D. McIver, 803 Squadron, FAA 7. HIJMS Shoho 2. Who discovered the
D. Lt. (j.g.) Shunko Kato, Junyo 8. Königsberg world’s tallest uninterrupted
E. Lieutenant Paul Brehm, VB-87, Ticonderoga 9. USS Yorktown waterfall, which now bears
F. Lieutenant Hans-Ulrich Rudel, StG. 2 10. HIJMS Yamato his name?
G. Lieutenant Akira Sakamoto, Zuikaku A. Jimmie Angel
H. PO1C Takeo Yamazaki, Soryu B. Marten Hartwell
I. Lt. (j.g.) William E. Hall, VS-2, Lexington C. Max Ward
J. 2nd Lt. Robert E. Kelly, VMSB-132 D. Tom Lamb

3. Whose Arctic bush flights,
totaling a million miles,
earned him the First Nations
nickname of Snow Eagle?
A. Bob Reeve
B. Welland Phipps
C. Russ Merrill
D. Clennell “Punch” Dickins

4. Which Canadian received
the U.S. Air Medal for locat-
ing and rescuing 26 crewmen
from three grounded B-26s
in January 1942?
A. Russ Baker
B. Earl Frederick Crabb
C. Bob Reeve
D. Donald Sheldon

5. Who was first to solo
a single-engine airplane
(Piper L-4) up the Alaska
Highway in 1946?
A. Beryl Markham
B. Rusty Blakey
C. Pearl Laska Chamberlain
D. Noel Wien

ANSWERS: MYSTERY SHIP: Vultee XA-41. Learn more about it at historynet.com/aviation-history
DIVE BOMBERS’ GREATEST HITS: A.9, B.10, C.8, D.6, E.2, F.3, G.1, H.5, I.7, J.4. BUSH LEGENDS: 1.C, 2.A, 3.D, 4.B, 5.C.

7 0 AH J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1

BEFORE WORK
STARTED, AN
ACTUARIAL FIRM
PREDICTED 13
WORKERS WOULD
BE KILLED DURING
CONSTRUCTION OF
THE GATEWAY ARCH.
HOW MANY WORKERS
ACTUALLY DIED?

Twelve, two, seven, or none?

For more, visit

WWW.HISTORYNET.COM/
MAGAZINES/QUIZ

HISTORYNET.com

ANSWER: NONE. HOWEVER, IN 1980
A FATAL ACCIDENT CLAIMED THE LIFE
OF A PARACHUTIST WHOSE TWO-PART
STUNT WENT AWRY. HE’D MANAGED
TO LAND SAFELY ATOP THE ARCH AND
FROM THERE INTENDED TO BASE JUMP
TO THE GROUND USING A SECOND
PARACHUTE. THAT CHUTE FAILED.

AERO ARTIFACT ALL PHOTOS: ROYAL AIR FORCE MUSEUM, HENDON

up for adoption

Britain’s Royal Air Force Museum has launched an
unusual fundraising initiative coinciding with the
80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. For as little
as £25 ($33), members of the public can “adopt”
any one of 50 unique artifacts from the museum’s
collection for 12 months. In addition to helping
support the museum, contributors receive a digital
QUIOM WN \PM IZ\QNIK\ IV W‫ٻ‬KQIT ILWX\QWV KMZ\QÅKI\M
and recognition on the museum’s web page. You can
browse the options at rafmuseum.org.uk, but we’ve
selected a few of our favorites here.

Clockwise from right: This lifejacket artwork
(£50) features a black cat, which in British tradi-
tion augers good luck for sailors. For £25, you can
adopt a fabric doll in the likeness of air pioneer Amy
2WPV[WV _PW QV ! JMKIUM \PM ÅZ[\ _WUIV \W
Æa [WTW \W )][\ZITQI 8MZKa \PM 8MVO]QV Š _I[
the mascot of Flt. Lt. Stanley Chapman of No. 158
Squadron. In 1944, when Chapman’s bomber was
PQ\ Ja IV\Q IQZKZIN\ ÅZM W^MZ /MZUIVa PM [\]‫ٺ‬ML
8MZKa QV\W PQ[ RIKSM\ IVL XIZIKP]\ML \W [INM\a
*W\P [XMV\ \PM ZM[\ WN \PM _IZ I[ 87?[ =XXQVO
the stakes, an authentic piece of the Möhne dam,
one of the Ruhr Valley targets of 1943’s famed
¹,IUJ][\MZ[º UQ[[QWV Q[ I^IQTIJTM NWZ Š )
JZI[[ TIXMT XQV WN I ;XQ\ÅZM Š KZIN\ML NZWU IV
WTL -VOTQ[P XMVVa _I[ XIZ\ WN I N]VLZIQ[QVO M‫ٺ‬WZ\ \W
J]a IQZKZIN\ L]ZQVO ?WZTL ?IZ 11 .QVITTa NWZ Š
aW] KIV ILWX\ \PM TWOJWWS WN NIUML TMOTM[[ ??11
ace Sir Douglas Bader, one of the best-known names
in RAF history.

7 2 AH J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1

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