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Burdett Airport
School of Aviation |
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| Western Avenue and 104th Street Los Angeles, California |
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| a Burdett Fuller - Jack Frye Ownership and Operation |
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| Said to be the 1st private airport in the Western United States and the largest |
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| The "Glory Days" of West Coast Aviation |
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Home of the 13 Black Cats
early Hollywood aerial stunt team |
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| Sedona Legend Historical Profile |
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The following pages are dedicated to Joseph "June" (Junior) S. Smith Jr. |
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Jack Frye and June Smith at Burdett Airport 1924 |
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| 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. |
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| The beginning of
Los Angeles Air History! |
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| 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. |
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| Regional Los Angeles Airports Associated With Burdett Airport |
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Kelly Airport and California School of Aeronautics
Good looking pilots abounded in the 1920's.
A trend certainly practised, if not started by Jack Frye was,
a tie is always appropriate when piloting a bi-plane! |
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Eagle Airport
Harold A. Speer |
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Bell Airport Pilot
Manager Charles J. Warren |
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Hawthorne Has First Air Circus
Hawthorne- Kelly Field Nov 13 1927 |
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| Hawthorne had its first air circus Saturday under the auspices of prominent local citizens. The meet was held at Kelly Field between this city and Inglewood., with scores of planes taking part in maneuvers. A feature of the day was the first parachute drop made by a student flyer, Robert Wilson of Inglewood, and another drop made by Tom McLaughlin, well-known stunt flyer of Hawthorne. The huge eight-passenger Fokker from the Aero Corporation of California, with Capt. Jack Frye at the stick, and a Travelair plane, the Colleen, from Long beach, were the stars of the afternoon, which attracted some 5000 people to the Kelly Airport on Inglewood Avenue, at Broadway. A feature of the occasion was the dropping of scores of miniature balloons from the planes, many of which bore lucky numbers which entitled the finder to gifts at Hawthorne stores. |
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| Santa Monica, Clover Field, California |
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| Ominous Looking Airship! Double Tail, Twin Engines, and in 1926! |
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This spooky looking airship-
(20th Bomb Squadron, Langley Field, Virginia) looks like it's from some German-World War I movie. On the front nose is seen, "San Antonio," and "20." On the fuselage is seen, "Airways" and "Coast to (sic) Coast, U.S. Army." |
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| Pilots have the worst of it, as was common in the "rough old days," one is seen perched in the nose, and the other standing directly behind him. |
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Mystery solved!
The is a very significant plane: a Martin NBS-1 military bomber, likely on its noted 8,257 mile tour. The insignia on the nose is the give-a-way! |
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Santa Monica California, Clover Field. Here is another version of the same boat-like plane. |
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| Art Goebel- Jack Frye- Gladys Ingle- Clover Field |
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Girl Thrills In Air Rescue
LA Times September 20, 1926
Fair Stunt Flyer Soars to Damaged Plane and Effects Repairs
High Above Gasping Spectators (Black Cat related?) |
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| Piloting an airplane at 2000 feet, a victim of circumstances “enjoying” an enforced ride through the clouds as his plane cut through the air, minus a portion of its landing gear, was the thrilling experience yesterday, of Art Goebel, aviator and stunt flyer. But more thrilling still was the part played in the dramatic episode by Gladys Ingles, dare-devil stunt girl, and herself a licensed pilot who hastened to the rescue in another plane, boarded the disabled plane and effected the necessary repairs in mid-air, that enabled the pilot to land safely, while hundreds of thrilled spectators witnessed the feat at Clover Field. |
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| Pilot Goebel was doing stunts for the benefit of those who had gathered at the field, when one of the wheels of the landing gear of his plane disengaged itself and dropped to the earth. Spectators gasped! Goebel however stayed in the air. An attempted landing meant a wrecked plane or even a fatal injury to the pilot.
Realizing his danger in the predicament, Miss Ingles seized a spare wheel from a near-by hangar and took to the air in another plane, piloted by Jack Frye. With the wheel strapped to her back, she made the mid-air leap from Frye’s machine to that of Goebel’s. |
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| Working her way beneath the plane she adjusted the wheel only to find the axel had slipped, making it impossible to lock the wheel in place. Strapping the spare wheel to the framework of the ship, she maneuvered to a position where she could force the axle to its proper place. Returning to her perilous position Miss Ingles adjusted the wheel, inserted a collar-pin to hold it in place and begrimed with grease and nursing numerous small cuts and scratches, made her way to the cockpit to make a safe landing, amid cheers from the hundreds who had witnessed the rescue. |
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| Miss Ingles accomplished the feat of taking to the air, making the plane change and repairing the disabled ship for a safe landing, in less than an hour. More than 500 persons swarmed around the plane to congratulate the pair. Goebel on the narrow escape, and the girl for her daring in accomplishing the feat.
(Real rescue or staged- you decide? Also I have spelled Ingles as such in the above article even though it does also appear Engels.) |
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| Rogers Airport |
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| Here is a photo of the famous airship "Shenandoah" cruising over Los Angeles, with Navy biplane escort. The U.S. Navy airship toured the Western United States October 1924 timeframe and was based briefly at San Diego. This rare image shows the ship one year before it was lost in a violent thunder storm, September 3 1925, over southeastern Ohio. Unfortunately 14 crew members were lost. Courtesy Rogers Airport Photos and June Smith, this airport was near Burdett. |
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| Santa Ana Airport (as reported in local papers-) |
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Air Jubilee Concluded
Largest Crowd of 3-Day Carnival in Attendance as Santa Ana’s Aviation Show Ends- |
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Santa Ana-
July 4, 1927
The international aviation peace jubilee concluded here today with the largest of the three-day carnival in attendance. |
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| A spectacular triple-parachute jump was an event of the early afternoon, the three jumpers being, Finley Henderson, Henry Fieldhouse and J. J. Stiles of Hollywood. The plane was piloted by W. H. Dodson, instructor in parachute-jumping at the San Diego naval air station, Fieldhouse and Henderson had never jumped before. |
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| Henderson announced that arrangements could not be made in time for his airplane-crash stunt in which he flies his plane into a “dummy” building. The daredevil stunt may be held here next Sunday, it was said. |
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| A special dispatch of air mail was sent from the field tonight through the co-operation of the Pacific Air Transport Company, which operates a mail and passenger line between San Francisco and Seattle. The special air-mail postcards were addressed to Mrs. Bertha Landes, Mayor of Seattle, who was to dispatch them back to the sender immediately, illustrating the speed of the air mail. |
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| The thirty-mile race for planes of 100 horsepower or less was won by Lieut. Burrows of Clover Field in 10m 10s. Paul Richter of Clover Field and Leo Nomis of Clover Field tied for second, Harry Spear of Venice was fourth. |
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The balloon-strafing contest was won by Frank Clark of Clover Field. Leo Brest of Clover Field was second and Paul Richter of Clover Field was third. Jack Frye of Santa Monica won the dead-stick contest. He cut off his engine at a high altitude and landed his plane within ten feet, six inches of a mark in the center of the field. Dick Romaldi of Clover Field was second and Frank Clark of Clover Field was third. |
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| John Bowers and his wife, Marguerite De la Motte, flew from the field in the Thunderbird, which has just purchased by Bowers. Bowers is taking lessons and hopes to be able to fly his own ship within a few weeks. |
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To e-mail the webmaster of this webpage
please contact: admin@sedonalegendhelenfrye.com |
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A majority of the materials on this webpage were graciously submitted
by Denis Smith,
nephew of Joseph "June" Smith.
dditional information and files came from the Sedona Legend Research Achive. |
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| a Jack Frye |
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| Transcontinental and Western Air |
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| Historical Web Site |
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The Sedona Legend Helen Frye Website
is Totally Non-Profit and Receives no Income. |
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Copyright © 2003
Sedona Legend Helen Frye Website
Created By R. D. Reynolds
All Rights Reserved |
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| View From The Jack Frye Ranch in Sedona Arizona |
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Proceed back to the
Burdett Airport Entry Page |
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| Thank You For Your Interest In |
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| Sedona Legend Helen Frye |
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