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Catalog Data

Materials:
brass, silver colored plating, enamel
Dimensions:
3-D: 8.3 x 1.3 x 1.9cm (3 1/4 x 1/2 x 3/4 in.)
Type:
AWARDS-Insignia
Physical Description:
Silver color wings attached to circular badge, "Monterey Park Calif - Inc 1916" in gold on blue background, 3 1/4 in L, brass pinch pins on wing tips.
Summary:
This badge was worn by Lt. Joe Santoro of the Monterey Park California Police Department while flying the first known ultralight aircraft used as a tool in law enforcement (see NASM American Aerolights Double Eagle displayed at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center). Monterey Park Police began flying this airplane on September 2, 1982, and it quickly became a valuable asset. However, the engine proved fragile and Lt. Santoro, project manager, grounded the Eagle after seven engine failures in six months. "Our hilly terrain and lack of appropriate forced landing sites do not allow a viable program in this community," Santoro said after grounding the Eagle, "but the concept is good." Lt. Santoro continued to believe in the idea and experimented with several other types of ultralight aircraft including an improved and more reliable twin-engine Ultraflight Lazair SS EC (see NASM Lazair on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center).
Credit Line:
Gift of Joseph A. Santoro.
Inventory Number:
A20100010000
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Air and Space Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv9a6adbb6a-ca10-49a4-abb7-04249b2fe788
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nasm_A20100010000