Autobiography 

by Owen Truman Wyatt (12 Dec 1903 – 10 April 1977)

 (This transcript is being submitted upon request of a member of the OX5 Aviation Pioneers Alabama Wing Awards Screening Committee)

                Activities related commence with what might be termed as adult employment.  During 1916 I was employed by the B & O Railroad as a “Tender Repairman” at Cumberland, Maryland.  The scope of work ranged from performing all of the work on “engine tenders” and all of the odds and ends not included in the job descriptions of journeymen classified as machinist, boilermaker, plumber, electrician, et cetera.  Termination by resignation took place in October 1918.

                With imagination fired by reading a book written by a Canadian boy, Guy Empey, I proceeded to New York and found employment as a “hostler” on a mule boat.  We were transported to Norfolk, Virginia and the boat departed from Norfolk, joined a convoy and headed for Liverpool, England, 1 November 1918.  The war ended and after getting our cargo unloaded we were sent back to the U.S., landing in New Orleans Christmas Eve 1918.  During this journey I purchased from a fellow member a copy of a book written by Lepage.  That book described the maintenance of airplanes and airplane engines, and became a catechism for me …….. regenerating memories of an aviator from Little Washington, Pa., who flew demonstration flights at Cumberland before WW1.

                During 1919 I journeyed to Cleveland, Ohio, following hometown acquaintances.  After a short stint working as an assembler at the Perfection Stove Company, I found an opening at the Glenn E. Martin plant where they were constructing six twin-engine biplanes for the US Postal Service.  My services ended after we had completed covering and finishing the six sets of wing surfaces and the tail surfaces.

                By early spring I found myself in Peru, Indiana, where I was recruited by Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus as a member of the concessionaire team.  The 1920 routing took us into Canada at Hamilton.  I deserted the show when fascinated by the city of Halifax.  Employment at a nearby town in a gold mine.  The work was hard and there was no indication there was any gold for me.  Traveling to New York City, I enlisted in the Army Air Service on 6 August 1920 with serial number 6055635.  I was temporarily attached to the 5th Observation Squadron at Mitchell Field during the processing of orders for transfer to the Air Service Mechanics School at Kelly Field.

                The first operating assignment was a t 5th Balloon Company at Brooks Field which was scheduled to receive airships.  Subsequently I was assigned to the 90th Reconnaissance which became the 90th Attack Squadron when the Third Attach Group was organized.  Papers included with material now reposing in the Birmingham Aero Club Museum at the Birmingham Airport document my association with the 90th Squadron.  This really marked the first association with the OX5 engine. 

                Hank Arnold had, at the end of World War 1, formed a “Forest Fire Patrol” using the Cadets from training classes at March Field.  Hard times overcame the economy and the program had to be stopped.  The dispersal of the cadets included some three or four who came to the 90th Squadron.  At the same time the 90th acquired a “lost” OX5 powered Jenny.  All we had to do was find the wherewithal to support the needs of the hungry beast.  The two most illustrious persons from this illicit operation were a man named Jamieson and M. Sgt. Shester Kolinski.  Jamieson was killed  while flying a Pitcairn Mail Wing north of Richmond while flying fro Eastern Airlines sometime in the early thirties.  He had a brother who also flew for Eastern that wrote much “pulp” aviation fiction.  Kolinsky finagled a Reserve Commission that resulted in the assignment of a Hisso-powered Jenny to the 90th.  Kolinski flew many of the early military motion pictures …..finally killed while performing a soldering repair in the hull of an inverted Liberty-powered Loening.

                As all of this was going on, Jimmie Doolottle had been granted the authority to modify a service type DH4-B to enlarge the gas tank.  His success in achieving the first DH with the capability to fly from San Antonio to El Paso non-stop led to another airplane being modified to his proposal for the DH used to perform the first one-stop flight transcontinental flight from Vero Beach, Florida to San Diego, California with a refueling stop at Kelly Field in September in 1922.  The accomplishment of that flight was rewarded by orders to the Engineering Officer School at McCook Field.  Cum Laude then led to his entrance to MIT where he gained his doctorate.

                Things began to slow down quite a bit in the 90th after Doolittle left us.  I was fortunate enough to win a lot of cross-county assignments because the basic requirements were to be able to “finance” one’s expenses (in those days there was no provision for obtaining an advance for personal expenses).  The next requirement was to be sufficiently proficient that you could carry “rudder” on the DH.  All in all, this was a reward for trying a little harder….. and it sure provided better duty assignments.

                Upon discharge from the 90th Squadron, January 1924, my first employment of note came from joining the Upson Bolt & Nut Company in Cleveland, Ohio, as a die-setter on a roll thread machine producing tie-plate bolts on RR rails.  An injury to my right hand incapacitated me for a period of time with some fear of further injury, I accepted employment with the Jordan-Ohio Company, the Jordan dealer.  The Jordan was built in Cleveland and was one of the first to adopt four-wheel hydraulic brakes.  I thought it was a pretty good car but withal of that there was a lack of stability in the repair shop with uncertain labor problems.  Within the year I was back in the Army Air Service with an assignment to the 19th Headquarters Squadron at Bolling Field, enlisting in November 1924.

                The primary mission of the 18th Squadron was to support the services to afford aircraft to the personnel assigned to the Munitions Building (this was the predecessor to the Pentagon).  Bolling was a good billet and the Air Service was compelled to accept transfers of higher-ranking non-coms from other branches.  That circumstances prevented promotion of persons whose primary capability was aviation oriented.  I lost a 35,000 cubic foot free balloon during inflation as a result of being compelled to undertake the mission with eight men then serving in the brig.  The (heavier-than-air) pilots had a ball chasing the balloon.  Whatever else resulted was never published but lighter-than-air pilots were compelled to thereafter depend on Langley Field for their balloon flight time.  To avoid strictly military duties I chose to volunteer for the flight operations emergency flight crew duty.  Our primary duty was to service visiting aircraft.  The Army Airways was then getting started and it was a lot of fun to establish commendable arrival and departure service.  The small amount of work became boring and about that time the Army initiated a procedure which permitted members to purchase their discharge.  I was discharged by April 1926. 

                Acquiring funds to negotiate the discharge by purchase was acquired by “moonlighting” in the field of installing QUICK CHANGE transmission bands in the planetary transmissions of Model T Fords.  The change of transmission bands in the original equipment required the remove of upper transmission cover to provide access for the removal ear and required a modification of the hi-lo band cross shaft.  The changeover required only the removal of an inspection door to gain access for removing the ears of the three (hi-lo, reverse, & brake) bands using bolt clippers, and sawing the cross shaft, using a hacksaw.  Manual dexterity preferably ambi-dexterity and the willingness to “get with it” were essential attributes. 

                Participated in production of static Air show at Pittsburg in 1927.  The end of the 5th Regiment Armory was removed to get Ford Tri-motor into the area.

                Took examination for A & E License at Hoover Field, Virginia, and upon passing was granted license # 5664, fall 1928.

                Worked in auto repair shops in the Baltimore/Washington area, and at the same time moonlighted with the barnstormers, sometimes with pay and sometimes no pay.  This ended with the inauguration of the New York, Philadelphia & Washington Airways Corporation (better known as the Ludington Line).  I was engaged by Luther (Luke) Harris while he was still in South America with NYR&BA (New York, Rio & Buenos Aries) with the work assignment of securing stores, supplies and shop equipment to maintain a fleet of ten Stinson tri-motors in a hanger on the Washington Airport (now the site of the Pentagon), service was inaugurated September 1930.  EVERY HOUR, ON THE HOUR, STINSON PLANES, LYCOMING POWER.  That was an advertising gimmick used for this single crew member, tri-motored equipment offering the high frequency service between those two cities having the highest travel volume in the nation.  The venture was the scheme of Paul “Dog” Collins, Eugene “Gene” Vidal and Amelia Earhart.  The financing was provided by the Ludington Family of Philadelphia.  Dog Collins was a pilot for the US Air Mail on the New York/Cleveland run and the first VP (Operations Manager) for TAT (now TWA).  Gene Vidal is the father of Gore Vidal, the half-brother of Jacqueline Kennedy.

                The Ludington Line, operating a route of 210 miles with two intermediate stops, carrying twenty passengers, with a one-man crew, without radio, was compelled to operate as economically as humanly possible to survive.  It was, obviously, composed of a team of dedicated persons.  At the time of the “take over” by Eastern Airlines I was the Washington Terminal Chief and was transferred to Atlanta where assignment was to the Airplane Overhaul Department night crew.  Immediately upon learning that Gene Vidal had been selected as one of the directors of the Bureau of Aeronautics by Roosevelt I left Eastern and returned to Washington.  Vidal found a spot for me as an Airport Engineer to serve as the coordinator for the CWA airport program in West Virginia.  The State Director was a man named Smith who lived in Charleston and was an executive in a wholesale grocery company.  Various levels of state government agencies were approached and given assistance in locating and acquiring property for development of airplane landing facilities with CWA labor ….. pick and shovel labor without capital outlay other than wages.  This is one of the roots of the Alabama system of airports which was followed up in Alabama and was allowed to die on the vine in West Virginia, as well as in many other states.  My services were terminated when the Democratic party leadership were able to locate a local native then living in the state to fill the position.  The telegram of termination is, like many other items, included in the papers given to the Birmingham Aero Club museum.

                Shortly after returning to Washington I was approached by John Rogers, an assistant secretary of the Douglas Company who was their Washington representative.  The Douglas Company had an airplane then being examined by the Navy Board of Inspection and Survey at Anacosta Naval Air Station.  The contract between Douglas and the Navy specified that the airplane would be accompanied with a mechanic.  Smiling Harry Wetzel, Don Douglas’s Factory General Manager, found this notion of having a mechanic to accompany the airplane who would be an expense account item as a bit distressing to their thoughts in the matter.  Wetzel contacted Rogers and suggested that a local resident be hired.  I never did learn who or why the manager of Hoover Field (an adjoining airport to the Washington Airport) had been influenced to give Rogers my name.  Anyhow that is the way it was and I was hired in the spring of 1933.

                Undertaking to explain the full responsibilities of the mechanic accompanying experimental, prototype or first production aircraft through acceptance trials in either of the military services would, indeed, be quite a task.  Prolonged tenure of such service is recognized as a badge of honor amongst those in this field, or sort of service.  You have a man on your committee who is fully aware of the perimeter of the capability demanded of these people.  People who fail to cut the mustard simply do not get “second chances.”  The service flying personnel engaged in flight testing of your product will tolerate nothing less than TOTAL honesty in conveyed information and nothing less than extraordinary effort to remedy whatever interferes with continued operation of the aircraft being tested.

                The Douglas Company had no “SERVICE DEPARTMENT” when I was employed.  A service Department was organized about 1936 and I still remained a “resident” representative, based in Washington.  The rumblings of war in 1939 stepped-up the company’s preparations for greater expansion.  I was unable to change my base from Washington to the West Coast for family reasons, a situation which led to my termination.  I must relate that Douglas kept me on their payroll (and expense account) while exploring the employment offers.  I worked at Martin in Baltimore; Republic at Long Island and the Aero Spark Plug Company in New York.  Finally, on feeling comfortable at Aero Spark Plug as their Service Engineer my connection with Douglas terminated.

                While employed at Aero Spark Plug Company, my employer nominated me for membership in the Society of Automotive Engineers and I was classified to MEMBER grade.  I will be found in the 1942 or 1941 roster of SAE.  The Aero Spark Plug was a laminated mica washer insulated design.  Mica was highly vulnerable to moisture absorption and the laminated construction was vulnerable to lead deposits on the core of the plug.  Those two faults combined to bring about a crash development program that resulted in the introduction of ceramic plugs having the capability of serving the air-cooled engine.  I ran for cover when military contracts evaporated, joining the Norden Company in New York City.  A training period intended to prepare me for an assignment ended when there was a dire need for someone to produce a parts catalog (the first ever produced for the product) arose.  Completion of the catalog met “face to face” another dire need to undertake a tool procurement program to support two additional manufacturing facilities for the product with an added set of tools to be cached fifty miles from each of the two proposed plant locations.  The tooling procurement was extremely difficult because the tool drawings had been prepared by the Naval Gun Factory at the Washington Navy Yard and there were many instances where the new tooling introduced another process for the production of a part.  The set of drawings for the end product did not include either sub-assembly or assembly drawings.  There were no drawings for the original tools.  Secret programs can get very sticky.  An opportunity to move back to aircraft came with an offer from the Brewster Corporation to head-up their Tech Pub Department.  This entailed moving to the vicinity of Jenkintown, Pa. (Johnsville).

                Brewster was involved in production of their Bermuda for the Lend/Lease program of supplying England with aircraft.  It was my task to prepare a set of instructions for erecting the airplane in England.  The instructions were supplemented with drawings for the joining material (bolts, nuts , ect.) involved with each component installation to accompany each instruction writing.  All of this work tended to deplete the Publications Group staff into disarray.  The quality of workers ability lessened with each new hire. 

                An unsolicited offer reached me from the Budd Company plant in Philadelphia to organize and manage a technical publication department for their Conestoga airplane.  The original contract for that airplane did not include any requirement for the usual data support or procurement inspection procedures…  The contracting agency was dissolved and the procurement of the lot of Conestoga airplanes transferred to the Navy.  Originally intended to be employed as air transportation of tin ore from mines in South America to seaport facilities.  The airplane was a twin-engine high-wing monoplane with stainless steel metal covering (looking somewhat like a Fruehauf trailer).  Despite the unconventions, both airplane and ALL of the support documentation was delivered simultaneously and on time.

                My next move was to return to my place of family residence in Maryland where I found employment with the Engineering & Research Corporation at their plant Riverdale, Maryland.  This was a part of the BERLINER family industrial empire.  My employment was made to support a contract held by them to provide SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES for the airborne mechanical (including electrically and hydraulically operated) gun turrets and used on large aircraft.  Other equipment being supported included all sorts of machine gun firing controls and stabilized (gyroscopic) gun sighting devices.  The U.S. Nay Certified Civilian Certificate of Identification # 7775 was issued to me 18 August 1944.  This ID card presumed to secure for the holder that treatment entitled to a lawful belligerent according to the law and usages of war.  More than a year was spent in the Convair plant at San Diego on the installation of nose and side-waist gun turrets on the B-24 aircraft.  Additionally, tours of duty were fulfilled where crews for other long range bombers were being briefed for combat duty.

                At the close of WW II, Engineering and Research immediately resumed the production of the Ercoupe airplane at Riverdale.  The airplane building project was the recipient of a $50,000/year bequest from Emil Berliner for the development of a “SAFE” airplane.  Fred Weick, an NACA staff member at Langely Field had been the winner of a safe airplane contest and was chosen to be the Chief Engineer ----- he had served as Chief Engineer for all of Erco WW II plant operations.  Harry Agerter, a former Dept. of Commerce Inspector had managed the Sales Dept. thru the pre-war output of 113 Ercoupes; he remained and maintained the Ercoupe sales effort during the war (there was no production for that period).  Henry, son of Emil, was Chairman of the Board but had been selected to serve with a group of 15 industrialists who formed a board to advise the 8th Air Force (Doolittle’s outfit) on the selection of targets most likely to have a severe interference on Hitler’s war production.  Harry had met an Air Force Officer, George Ryan, whose background included the financing of the Continental Airlines.  Ryan displaced Harry Agerter.  I was chosen to work with Ryan as the “Field Service Supervisor.”  My task was to organize and implement an organization to control all distributor, dealer and customer service complaints and adjustments.  Before production was terminated we had delivered more than 5400 Ercoupes.

                During the period of production, Henry had arranged to give employees five Ercoupes to support an employee’s flying club.  Noisy Owen Wyatt was chosen President of that group.  This had its pitfalls and I was compelled to go legal and get a pilot’s certification.  How many pilots do you know who held a commercial ticket on a non-spinning aircraft?  More tragic for me was that, even though I was now residing in my own home in Berwyn, Maryland, my marriage which tottered when inability to move family to California terminated my connection with Douglas, 1939, now deteriorated with wife’s return to her mother which touched off divorce, 1946.  Termination from Erco left me only with returning to the level of playing mechanic with Eroupe dealers engaged in Vet’s flight training programs ---- talk about rat races.  Most of the instructor staffs were WW II trained pilots and working with them gained the sobriquet “Pappy.”  My employer, in an effort to secure some outside repair work, urged me to seek a “Designated Aircraft Maintenance Inspector” rating.  Certificate # 1566 was issued to me, 5 Feb. 1948.

                I remarried on New Year’s Eve, 194Eve, 1949, and relocated with the Chase Aircraft Company in West Trenton, New Jersey in 1950.  An acquaintance named Swazey was heading up the Technical Publications Group and the Company was negotiating a contract.  Swazey needed someone to produce a structural repair handbook.  I was put on the payroll and found that there were many things available for my own edification awaiting the formation of a staff for the projected assignment.  During this period of time the Air Force was trying to force a wedding between Chase and Kaiser interests (principally because of Chase’s financial capability).  Among the propositions suggested to Stroukoff (Chase Senior Operating Executive) was that he consider moving his operation to the Bechel-McCone Plant in Birmingham.  I did considerable missionary work on gathering advance information for a brochure that would have been used to encourage Trentonians to move to Birmingham, if and when, Chase should relocate.  How was I to know that Stroukoff had no intention of ever-ever-ever coming to Birmingham, or that I would eventually be employed in that facility?  For sure, I was indeed, quite familiar with the living conditions before I arrived.

                Mike Stroukoff, head of Chase, has a son, Boris, who was an extraordinary engineer.  Mike was no slouch.  When the C-123 contract was cancelled in mid-year I was retained by the Chief Engineer as custodian of Engineering Data until late October 1953.  Obviously, getting another job was going to be necessary.  I corresponded with all of the manufacturers who were in the running to GET the C-123 contract.  I also sent letters to others including Hayes here in Birmingham.  An interview with Fairchild at Hagerstown, Maryland led to an acceptance in Tech Pub supervision.  They were unionized and one of the conditions was that supervisory personnel were not permitted to perform direct labor functions.  There was no discussion of wages ---- on the second weekend I returned to Spotswood, N.J. where my home was located.  An offer exceeding the Fairchild pittance by 66.6% required little consideration.  The remainder of the termination details were consummated by letter.  Acceptance to Hayes was made by wire and letter; including removal of furniture and putting property into hands or realtor.  My wife was working in Washington and she took time off to accompany me to Birmingham over Thanksgiving weekend.  Purchase of a house was concluded and 12 December (my 50th birthday) and I left the next day on a labor recruiting mission covering Trenton, Philadelphia and Baltimore.  This provided me with a means of sharing the Christmas holidays with my wife in Washington and my mother in Cumberland.

                The details of my selection at Hayes is interesting.  The choice was made by Frances Hewes, Tech. Pub. Dept. head.  My communications had included reference to employment at Ludington and one of Hewes young luminaries at the Baltimore. Plant of Glenn Martin was youngster named Paul Metzendorf.  I learned of this some three or four years after going to work for Frances.  Paul came to work here in b’ham and Hewes arranged a confrontation.  I needed to be introduced and Paul took the time to describe our first meeting.  Paul had secured an approved repair station near Washington Airport.  Earl, by promising me a piece of the world had induced me to provide him with some suprv. Assistance.  Earl and I had gone down to the shop and he introduced Paul.  Earl left and Paul proceeded to display his “pride and joy” tools.  Eacg of them were tossed to the floor with the admonition that he had better plan on getting some usable tools.  He related that he then asked me what kind of tools he should buy and that I told him to buy Cornwell open end wrenches and Plumb sockets; adding that he was still buying them.  I had to admit that what he was relating seemed to sound what I most likely said.

                My first assignment at Hayes was to organize a Quality Control Group for Technical Publications.  For a short spell I supervised a second shift operation when delays in product delivery were encountered.  Within less than a year I was able to secure an assignment in the Engineering Department where I remained until I was retired.  During this service I was chosen to become a member of the Army Ordnance Association and was selected to be a member of the DOD (Dept. of Defense) Engineering Documentation Committee.  My retirement became effective 1 February 1967.  My labor classification on retirement was Senior Design Specialist.  During employment at Hayes I achieved almost three semester years of credit toward a Mechanical Engineering degree.  I never attended high school.  College entrance was accomplished by acceptable grades on the GEDT examination.  College work was acquired at both Howard College and at the UAB (Birmingham).  Activity with OX5 Aviation Pioneers commenced before retirement from Hayes.  I had retired from Hayes after becoming a member of the Birmingham Aero Club.

               This is much more material than I contemplated preparing at the outset.  Writing it all is reluctantly done in an effort to prevent rumblings of sour grapes.  Replete, of you will, with an abundance of cited documentation.  So much so that I dare say neither of my good friends, Roy Bridges or Mitch Gray, have escaped being scooped with some of the citations.  More to the point, that which can not be proven most likely DID NOT happen.

                Gentlemen, I have complied with your query.  Won’t you please respond by honoring my request to defer any action in an implied consideration by your committee.  I believe that I can fulfill my National Committee obligations in a commendable manner to the honor of both the Wing and myself and I pledge myself thereto.  Your committee has it within their power to cooperate and I will appreciate your effort.

Most Sincerely,

Owen Wyatt