OX5 NEWS VOLUME 52 - NUMBER 2 April 2010 Published by and for the Members of the OX5 Aviation Pioneers Celebrating 55 years WEB-SITE www.ox5news.com Aviation Pioneers - Royal Leonard From the end of 1935 to the end of 1942, Captain It was also about this same time that the Royal Leonard fl ew from one end to the other of London-Melborne air race fell due. Jackie the Republic of China. At that time he was the Cochran, sponsored by Floyd Oldum entered. only man who had fl own over every town and Leonard and Wesley Smith were approached village from the wilds of Outer Mongolia to the to be co-pilots and both accepted. Leonard’s metropolis of Shanghai. He was the only man who fi rst job was to take a sixty-day tour around the knew every Chinese landing fi eld, public, military world to establish bases after which he returned and secret, in nearly three million square miles of to test Cochran’s new plane – a Northrop that land. How did that come about? Gamma with a Curtiss Conqueror engine. Leonard was born in Wisconsin but moved Unfortunately, it continually had motor with his family to Texas when he was four. Th e problems, and Cochran fl ew another plane, but family lived at Waco where he attended school. failed to complete the race. Oldum then sent As far back as he could remember, he wanted to be an Leonard on an extended tour of the Atlantic to prepare bases aeronautical engineer. His fi rst contact with planes was for a transatlantic airline. Upon his return to California, when he was eleven with “Cap” Th eodore, a barnstorming Royal received a cable inquiring if he would like to fl y for pioneer off ering rides to citizens of Waco. When he was China where he spent the next six years. 20, he was accepted for the Army Air Corps fl ying cadets For most of those six years, he was the personal pilot of where he graduated from advanced training school at Kelly Generalissimo, Chiang Kai-shek, and the Young Marshal, Field. Leonard’s fi rst job was as an assistant barnstormer Chang Hsueh-Liang. Th e 37 year old Texan held the at Colorado Springs. He was paid to take passengers aloft rank of captain in the Chinese Army, and had more than at three dollars a head, two at a time which averaged about 11,000 fl ying hours in virtually every type of airplane. He $30.00 a day. He fl ew for Western Air Express on the rocky held the record of being the youngest senior pilot in the route between Pueblo, Colorado, and Cheyenne, Wyoming history of commercial fl ying at that time. He fl ew for the and he continued with Transcontinental & Western after United States Army the merger in 1931. Air Corps, the Chinese During this time he was responsible for several out-of- Army, the Chinese the-ordinary items in aviation history. Th e fi rst was the National Airlines, the inauguration of the fi rst westbound passenger ship out of Western Air Express and Kansas City, Missouri, with Leonard as the pilot. At the Transcontinental and young age of 24, Leonard was given the pilotship of the Western Airlines. By F-32, a thirty passenger, four-motored Fokker, the fi nest 1942 he was fl ying on and biggest passenger liner in the world at that time. In secret orders for the 1928, he decided to United States Army Leonard on the right about 1940 prove that blind fl ying Intelligence Division. was not only possible He was one of the last pioneers and last adventurers. He but practicable. He died in 1962. continued to practice at (For more information on his years in China, you can it, until he managed to read I Flew For China, written by Captain Royal Leonard in make the whole Pueblo- 1942.) Cheyenne run by blind Top photo and information curtesy of OX5 member - fl ying. Two years later he Henry E. Johnson. who writes, was blind fl ying the giant “Royal and I were good friends back in 1942-43 when F-32 up and down the he fl ew for CNAC and I was a Locheed representative Royal Leonard and family about 1930 California coast. with the Chinese Air Force. PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE SECRETARY’S MESSAGE How good it is that the Ohio I was shocked when Marguerite Wing has reorganized after Lawrence passed away. She has a few years of inactivity. Carl been a pillar in aviation: OX5, Belville is the new president 99s, EAA, and also with her and James Beisner is the family and church. She was a vice president. Both of these very active person. Bobbie and I members are established and have taken her with us on several experienced OX5ers and the trips. She had no apparent illness, Wing will do well. even helping with the last Kansas Not only has the Wing Wing newsletter. She was a reorganized, but they are regular at our OX5 reunions, and arranging to host the 2010 served on both local and national OX5 reunion in Dayton in September. Th e next-door Boards of Governors. She also attended regularly Cliff Ball Wing of Western Pennsylvania has agreed to AirVenture, Sun ‘n Fun, and any place aviation was pitch in and help. Th e Dayton Ohio area is a long-time going on. heart of aircraft manufacturing and off ers the famous Th anks to the newly organized Ohio and the Cliff ord U. S. Air Force Museum which make it the perfect Ball Wings, our OX5 Aviation Pioneers National place to hold our 2010 reunion. Reunion will be held in Dayton, Ohio September 23- Annual reunions are the chief highlight of our 26, 2010. Ohio President, Carl Belville has planned activities. Members from all over the U. S. (and a few the Dayton portion of the reunion. It promises to be from Canada) merge to a selected locale to discuss a great time. It is an honor to be where the Wright OX5 actions (the General Membership Meeting). Brothers created the airplane that provided both Wing Presidents meet and tell what their membership powered and controllable fl ight. I hope to see you all is doing and provide their critique of national activities. there. Th e National Board governors and offi cers meet to A major feature of our reunion is the awards banquet, design the year’s actions in accordance with the By- and having the awards presented. As Chairman of the Laws. Th e host Wing arranges interesting tours and Awards committee, I hope to receive several award entertainment activities. nominations. I know that many of you have aviation Many members rarely miss a national reunion. If friends, such as pilots, mechanics, and those who you have not attended one of these unique gatherings, have been signifi cant to the advancement of aviation. they are vital, constructive and fun. Let’s get together Nominate one or more persons. Th ese people are a in September for our 55th annual reunion in Dayton, major part of aviation history. I have observed that Ohio. I hope to see you there. many do not think of themselves as important to aviation, and that it takes a friend to recognize their talents and to nominate them. It is a special honor to receive one of these rewards. George P. Vose, President Harold L. Walter, Secretary In every issue, usually on this page, (now on Page 3) is a list of offi cers and addresses. It is there so that you can send requests, memberships, dues, or make inquiries to the right person or address. PLEASE, look at it. Th row out all your old addresses, and old forms!!! Th e offi cers are working very hard putting things back in order. Th ere is a NEW ADDRESS: Send membership forms, change of address to, and pay your dues at: ADDRESS CHANGES OX5 Aviation Pioneers A Newsletter that is forwarded to your new Attn: Member Services address costs the organization 50 cents. But if PO Box 18533 there is no forwarding, and it is returned - that Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0533 can be as much as $1.30. And it means your name is taken off the list. So you no longer Cliff ord Ball Wing Secretary, get this or any other newsletter. I know this Dennis G. Yerkey is being addressed to YOU and since you are is working on a current roster. If not on the list any longer, you won’t be reading you have any questions, or need this. So if any member knows of someone who help, you can contact him at: is not getting the newsletter and who has paid their dues, tell them to contact us with a correct Home phone: 412-653-4454 address. And PLEASE, PLEASE send us any Cell phone: 412-445-3940 changes - if not to save time here, then to save the organization money. THANKS. E-mail: [email protected] – 2 – MEET THE GOVERNOR OX5OX5 NEWSNEWS Published by-monthly by the OX5 AVIATION PIONEERS Cheryl Dewey started fl ying NON-PROFIT ORG, U. S. POSTAGE PAID, CHILLICOTHE, MO, PERMIT NO. 106 when her father, OX5 Past POSTMASTER: Send address changes to OX5 NEWS, President, Charles Dewey Sylvia Cook, R. R. 1 Box 97A, Princeton, MO 64673-9733 temporarily lost his medical 2009 NATIONAL OFFICERS AND GOVERNORS qualifi cations to fl y. She PRESIDENT George P. Vose recalls how happy her father Box 908, Alpine, TX 79831 was, in a hospital with back Phone: (432) 837-5788 - E-mail: [email protected] surgery, when in November 1st VICE PRESIDENT Michael G.