sedona legend helen frye

Burdett Airport
School of Aviation

Western Avenue and 104th Street Los Angeles, California

a Burdett Fuller - Jack Frye Ownership and Operation

Said to be the FIRST private airport in the Western United States

The "Glory Days" of West Coast Aviation

Home of the 13 Black Cats
early Hollywood aerial stunt team

Sedona Legend Historical Profile

The following pages are dedicated to Joseph "June" (Junior) S. Smith Jr.

Jack Frye and June Smith at Burdett Airport 1924

This historic web display would not be possible but for the generous contributions of Denis Smith who desired to share with this electronic portal his rich archive of historic memorabilia. The vintage aviation images on the following pages are remnants of his Uncle June's aviation career, displayed on the Sedona Legend Website with historic captions. Smith was one of the earliest California - Arizona aviators and a flying associate of Jack Frye and the early aviators of Burdett Airfield.

The beginning of Los Angeles Air History!

On this page you will find a unique window into the Burdett Airport operation, found no where else in the world. Photos and clippings- most previously lost, having never been seen by the public up until now. Displayed for the sole purpose of bringing to life the glorious beginnings of west coast aviation. Often I am offered such historic materials, however, many times these materials are offered with uncomfortable strings. Refreshingly the Smith archive has been offered just to get it "out there" with no shading or agenda. The pages are oriented around Jack Frye's association with Burdett Airport, as before he came on the scene in 1923, Burdett Field was just another dusty Los Angeles landing strip. Although Burdett Fuller founded the airfield, I daresay, he himself would feel Jack Frye was the one who launched it to stellar heights. Burdett brought Jack on board as a partner because he recognized an aviation power-house. Their close friendship is legendary, their aviation school was the best on the west coast! With great men there often comes great change, men with vision charisma and perseverance are the ones that alter our world. Burdett Airport is remembered as a shining example of all things great about the west coast's immersion into an exciting new world of aviation. Because of this association the memory of this flight operation has reached great historic heights in the collective aviation memory. Jack Frye was the hub at which this wheel of accomplishment spun. Not only did the experience enable him to branch into numerous related ventures and associations, but in time he became the most valuable founding force of Transcontinental and Western Air. Great men gravitated toward him and monumental milestones were accomplished. With the essence of a true visionary and entrepreneur, Jack Frye affected the lives of millions of people. Yet in barely 50 years, he was gone from our planet. Thankfully though his legacy will continue for an eternity. June Smith was a close friend of Jack Frye and Burdett Fuller.

Those Brave Young
Aviators of Burdett Airport

Incredibly many were just boys at barely 18- yet these "boys" were to become some of the most revered aviation heroes ever known. Following are just a few of these pioneers of aviation!

Burdett Fuller took June for an air flight

Jack Frye (age 20) is the flight instructor who taught June (age 19) to be a first class aviator! (1924)

Joseph (June) S. Smith Jr.
(1926) in unidentified uniform.
His scrapbook memorabilia was the inspiration for this work.

Click on photos
for larger files

April 23, 1905
January 14, 1957

June Smith- pilot and flight instructor

Joseph S. Smith's
Burdett Airport business card

An incredibly poignant portrait of a man and his machine- could easily be an image from Howard Hughes' "Hell's Angels." June Smith in the cockpit high above Los Angeles- a time long gone, an era never to be recaptured.

June and friend Lillian
at Burdett Airport

June and Gladys, Zelda Smith, (June's sister) and Jack Frye in 1924,
at Burdett Field.

June pours it on crop dusting.
Rogers Field, 4-10-29.

June takes a lady passenger into the clouds over Los Angeles, California.

Paul Richter and friend June ham it up for the camera at Burdett Field. Notice both are wearing white Burdett Airport maintenance overalls- 1925.

This photo is named, "My Old Sweetie" it is not known if June is referring to the plane or the girl?

"June swoops out of Burdett Airport in his speedy Jenny but doesn't return- tragedy marks this day- but pilot and passenger are spared- having crashed-landed in a freshly plowed field!"

August 11, 1925

Article refers to passenger as Paul Lichter, but may be a typo, perhaps it was Paul Richter?

Excited ground crews pour over wreckage of June's crumpled Jenny airplane.

What does a twenty year old aviator keep in his pockets?
Click on the Los Angeles Receiving Hospital admission slip to find out.

This mangled piece of June's Jenny is from the fuselage, right below the cockpit. Pilots of June's day would display their name on their planes in this manner. This piece of June's wrecked Jenny survives with June's family to this day. Notice photo of June in his Jenny pictured above, with this piece shown.

June Smith relocates from Los Angeles to Glendale AZ.

June documents his first flight on Maddux Air Lines. Thus we find the Ford Tri-motor flight was on May 4, 1929, Los Angeles to Phoenix, distance 400 miles, flight time 4 hours 3 minutes. In 1929, Maddux was purchased by Transcontinental Air Transport (T.A.T). Standard Air Lines merged with Western Air Express in 1930, later that year this company was merged with Transcontinental Air Transport-Maddux to form Transcontinental and Western Air, or what became T.W.A.

Maddux Air Lines was founded Sept of 1927

Because of June's skill as an aviator he secures the Chief Pilot position at the new Golden Eagle School of Aeronautics at Glendale, Arizona.

The Swallow training plane is shown to the left, in Glendale Arizona with June's family and friends, 1929

Glendale Flying School
Growing In Popularity

Clippings of June's Career as follows:

The above photograph shows the Swallow training plane used at the Golden Eagle School of Aeronautics, owned by Charles Ulrich of Glendale, and conducted at the Municiple Airport four miles south of the city. To the right, is shown J. S. Smith, chief pilot and head of the school, with a number of his students. (1929?) See article.

June searches for drowned youth

Warren Whitford tragedy (1930)

Carpinteria Airport dead stick (1930)

Santa Barbara Goleta Airport
adds new members

Boulder Dam contruction tours

Santa Barbara Cooperative School of Aeronautics Dead Stick Demo

Burdett D. Fuller- instructor
founder co-owner of Burdett Airport

Burdett Fuller standing in front of a plane with "Crawford Airport" on it. Behind him is Jack's personal Jenny (see photo below in Jack Frye section). Location is likely Burdett Field about 1924.

Burdett Fuller and June's sister, Zelda Smith. 1923- Burdett Field

Burdett Fuller and Burdett Airport personnel looking over airplane wreckage in a freshly plowed field.

Burdett Fuller changing a flat tire on a plane, thought to be second man from the left.

More information regarding Burdett Fuller can be found on the San Diego Air and Space Museum website. Please see here.

BURDETT D. FULLER DIES

Los Angeles, California, December 26, 1949
Burdett D. Fuller famous airman, died on Saturday in the Veterans Administration Center, Sawtelle Calif., at the age of 58. Mr. Fuller came here from Michigan forty-five years ago and trained many noted pilots, including Jack Frye, former President of Trans World Airlines; Paul Richter, former general manager of TWA; Jake Moxness of Douglas Aircraft Company; Bon MacDougall, movie stunt flier, who piloted photographers for the old Pacific and Atlantic Photo Service in the Twenties, and many others who made their mark in aviation.

Paul E. Richter Jr.- flight instructor-
founder Aero Corp & Standard Air Lines
Hollywood Black Cat Stunt Pilot

Paul, as with his partners, held many titles, one of which was the General Manager of Standard Flying Schools.

Jack Frye, Mrs. W.E. Matlock,
and Paul Richter Jr., 1925.

Paul Richter and Jack Frye in 1925
Burdett Airport. Tom Frye Collection

W.E. Matlock and Paul E. Richter Jr., (both Black Cats) in Paul's personal plane, note the "PER" on the side.
Burdett Airport- 1925.

More information and photos of Richter can be found in the "Black Cats" section.

Jack Frye co-owner Burdett Airport founder-president Aero Corporation and Standard Air Lines, Hollywood stunt pilot

A serious Jack Frye in flight about 1924.
The Man and the Legend is shown here at the beginning of his aviation career! Photo signed:
"To my friend June, From Jack Frye."

Lieut. Jack Frye and an unidentified lady at Burdett Airport. He is holding a model airplane with prop spinning. Jack and his brother Don were known to have built model planes as teenagers. Previously a mystery photo- finally after 5 years I may have connected an event that corresponds to the photo or a similar event as seen below.

July 29 1929 LA Times-
In part- A model airplane contest in which many new and unusual stunts were tried out successfully by the tiny gliders under the guidance of more than 50 boys was held at the airport of Aero Corporation of California at Ninety-Fourth Street and Western Avenue yesterday. The contest was under the auspices of the Standard Airlines and Desmond�s Boys Store��. Judges were A. W. Poole of the Chamber of Commerce; Lieut. Jack Frye, president of Standard Airlines, and Dudley Steele, manager of the Aviation Department of the Richfield Oil Company.

Jack Frye and June Smith in front of a K6 Standard.

Above, we see a rare image of Jack Frye, with his arm around his little brother, Donald Frye. Don at about 16 years old, loaned Jack part of the money needed to buy an equal partnership in the Burdett Flying operation in 1923-24. This operation eventually launched Transcontinental and Western Air (T.W.A.) by 1930. Jack taught Don how to fly and Don eventually worked for Jack's Standard Air Lines. Don is said to have been at one time, the country's youngest pilot. Both men were truly remarkable aviators and entrepreneurs, remaining close all their lives. The setting is Burdett Airport about 1924, the plane, perhaps Jack's, is a Curtiss Jenny (JN-4).

Don Frye, Burdett Airport, in 1924. The erased reg. # on fuselage reads- A.S. (for USA Air Service)- 31271. This reg # is former military, Boeing De Haviland, DH-4M-1 (model 16?). Below- Don Frye's Burdett Burdett Airport business card.

This photo shows lettering on the side which reads: "JACK FRYE PILOT." Although I have seen Jack photographed with many planes, this is the only "Jenny" which I have been able to identify with his logo under the cockpit. According to aviation writer John Underwood, Jack's private plane during this time frame was a Curtiss JN4D Jenny. The next known private plane of Jack Frye was the NC 624E Lockheed Vega in the early 1930's.

Titled "First Hop" the image likely refers to Jack Frye taking his dog up for the first time in his Jenny. As seen, Jack introduces his four-legged-friend to his passenger.

Man Saved To Fly Another Day!

One interesting story from the mid-1920�s, as related by Tom Frye, Jack�s cousin, goes as follows: Tom, as a boy, with his family lived in Los Angeles for a time near Burdett Airport, so the kids would often attend many of the Burdett Air Shows, which were quite popular at the time. One event remembered vividly by Tom was a botched stunt where a plane roared past the bleachers with a man hanging upside down on a rope ladder.

What was not part of the show was the stuntman got tangled at the bottom of the rope and couldn�t get back up! It seems while climbing down the ladder he slipped and got his foot tangled. Jack Frye jumped in a plane and took off immediately, following the plane which was slowly circling the field unable to land. Jack pulled his plane under the trapped performer and helped him into his plane- "Jack Frye saved that man�s life," said Tom.

Lillian, a frequent visitor to Burdett Airport helps Jack Frye with his trophy (1925?)

Lillian and Jack partake of a little victory Champaign! Jack's trophy collection accumulated throughout his life rivaled those of most bowling alleys.

Caption with photo: Is It Safe? Photo shows Dorothy Revier, little screen star, inspecting the plane in which she will fly to Philadelphia to appear at the Sesqui-Centennial Exposition. Lieut. Jack Frye is explaining the plane.

September 1928- Los Angeles Times ad- One of Jack Frye's favorite fashion accessories was a fedora, and yes, he was a snappy dresser. As seen to the left, Jack Frye is wearing "The Aviator" hat designed by the famous Logan Hatters in Los Angeles. Jack Frye, a true "aviator" in every sense of the word was likely the inspiration for this hat design!

The focus of this website is Jack Frye; however, in the fray of this enthusiasm we must not forget two other important early key players of TWA- Walter A. Hamilton and Paul E. Richter Jr. Below is a priceless and invaluable excerpt of an article that appeared in TWA's Skyliner Magazine (the official spokes-magazine of TWA) May of 1936

�Mr. Hamilton�s association with the air industry started in 1924, when he learned to fly in California. His instructor, interestingly enough, was TWA�s president, Jack Frye. Paul E. Richter, vice-president in charge of operations, (1936) was taught to fly by Mr. Frye about two months afterward. The friendship which grew up among the three resulted in a business association which evolved into one of the predecessor companies to TWA. For the three subsequently formed Aero Corporation of California, an organization which was an aeronautical ancestor of our TWA of the present time.�

�Interest has been expressed frequently in the fact that Mr. Frye was president of that early concern; that Richter was vice-president in charge of operations, and that Mr. Hamilton was in charge of maintenance. The interest attaches from the fact that the relative positions held then by the three still are held-- now in TWA-- by the same men. It has been a case of lasting friendships and prevailing partnerships among this trio of air transport men which has led to the frequent references to them as-
�The Three Musketeers of Air Transport.��

As for Hamilton-
�In any event, it was that early beginning in the air business which created the foundation upon which the Hamilton experience in maintenance was and is founded. One enthusiastic booster for the superintendent of TWA�s maintenance department has said: �It was from these first connections with aviation that he has worked his way up to where he is now, one of the most experienced aircraft and engine maintenance men in the country, and organizer of the most efficient maintenance system in the world.�

Please note- the only reason Hamilton is not featured on this page is that there were no images of him in the scrapbooks of June Smith. Although obviously he was a participant of early Burdett Airport history. Eventually I will locate early photos of Hamilton to add.

To e-mail the webmaster of this webpage
please contact: admin@sedonalegendhelenfrye.com

A majority of the materials on this webpage were graciously
submitted by Denis Smith, nephew of Joseph "June" Smith.
Additional information and files came from the Sedona Legend Research Achive.

a Jack Frye

Transcontinental and Western Air

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