License folder containing a Mechanic's Identification Card and five Mechanic's License Cards issued by the United States Department of Commerce, Aeronautics Branch, to Paul R. Gruhler as a licensed Engine Mechanic. Identification Card issued on 16 October 1927 with photograph of Gruhler. License cards expired on the 15th of October in 1929, 1931, 1933, 1935, and 1937.
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
License folder of Ralph Upson containing Private Pilot's License no. 10290, issued on 1 December 1929 by United States Department of Commerce, Aeronautics Branch, and a medical waiver dated 13 November 1930. License includes a photograph of Upson and renewals issued between 1930 and 1934. Both documents are loose and held together with strong bound around spine of folder.
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Transport Pilot's License no. 3200 issued by the United States Department of Commerce, Aeronautics Branch, to Roland Rohlfs. The license includes a photograph of Rohlfs and ten renewals issued between 1931 and 1935.
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Pilots' Licenses Collection, NASM.XXXX.0650, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
The Pilot's Identification Card issued to Ralph H. Upson on 1 December 1929 by the Unites States Department of Commerce, Aeronautics Branch, and includes a small photograph of Upson affixed at upper right corner. The Airman Identification Card issued to Ralph H. Upson by United States Department of Commerce, Civil Aeronautics Administration, is not dated. The tri-fold card includes personal description, small portrait photo, and fingerprint card of right hand.
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
This collection consists of the personal papers and memorabilia of Arthur Raymond Brooks. It includes photographs, correspondence, documents, and certificates relating to Brooks' aviation career, as well as personal correspondence, photographs, and diaries (1907-87).
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of the personal papers of Arthur Raymond Brooks. These papers relate to his military career with the U.S. Army Air Service (1917-22), his years in both civilian government service and the private sector (1923-60), as well as a lifetime's involvement in numerous military, academic, aeronautical, and professional associations and organizations. Additionally, there are examples of correspondence and autographed photographs from such aerospace notables as Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle, Billy Mitchell, Clayton Bissell, Reed Chambers, and Michael Collins.
The collection is arranged into two broad series. First, is the material relating to his professional life. This includes Brooks' official military documents (U.S. Army commission, discharge papers, etc.), correspondence, reports, photographs (mostly from his time spent as an Air Service officer in France and the U.S.), handbooks, manuals, brochures, programs, speeches, magazines, newsletters, newspaper clippings, and articles. The second series contains items pertaining mainly to his personal life. Included here are personal documents such as income tax receipts, last will and testament, correspondence, photographs (both largely from and of family and friends), diaries, biographical notes, transcripts from audio tape cassettes, logbooks, travel guides, and books. Miscellaneous materials retained by Brooks such as a commemorative medallion, prints, posters, publications, a stamp album, photograph albums, newspapers, and address books are also found in this series.
Brooks' papers are arranged both chronologically and alphabetically. Official military and personal documents, correspondence, reports, photographs, brochures, programs, newspaper clippings and articles, diaries and day timers, biographical notes, transcriptions, logbooks, travel guides, maps, atlases, timetables, and newspapers are organized by the former method. Handbooks, instructions, manuals, magazines, and newsletters are grouped alphabetically by title. The books are arranged alphabetically by author.
Arrangement:
Series 1: Professional material
1.1 Official military documents
1.2 Correspondence
1.3 Reports
1.4 Handbooks, instructions, and manuals
1.5 Photographs
1.6 Brochures
1.7 Programs
1.8 Magazines
1.9 Newsletters
1.10 Newspaper clippings and articles
Series 2: Personal materials
2.1 Personal documents
2.2 Correspondence
2.3 Diaries and day-timers
2.4 Photographs
2.5 Biographical notes
2.6 Transcripts
2.7 Logbooks
2.8 Travel guides, maps, atlases, and train/airline timetables
On July 29, 1918, Brooks achieved his first confirmed aerial victory by downing a German Fokker aircraft. Later, he destroyed two more Fokkers while flying over enemy lines on September 14. On that day, Brooks single-handedly engaged eight enemy aircraft in combat thus, earning him the Distinguished Service Cross. By the war's end, he had six confirmed kills to his credit.
Following the armistice of November 11, 1918, Brooks remained in France as the 22nd Squadron's commanding officer. His squadron was kept in reserve for possible German occupation duty. Upon his return to the United States in July 1919, Brooks was promoted to Captain. He decided to stay in the Air Service and was subsequently assigned as commanding officer for the 95th Pursuit Squadron, stationed at Kelly Field, Texas. From May 1920 to August 1921, he was put in charge of the 1st Pursuit Group at Ellington Field, Texas. Following that assignment, Brooks attended Air Service Field Officer's School, Langley Field, Virginia. After graduation, he stayed on duty at Langley Field until his resignation from the U.S. Army Air Service in December 1922. This action was spurred both by Brooks' frustration with being on the Army's stagnant promotion list and an interest in entering the private sector. During 1920-21, while in the service, he was involved in a failed Framingham-based commercial aviation business called the Brooks, Banks and Smith Corporation. Also in 1920, Brooks married Ruth. Their only child, Peter, was born in 1929.
Brooks' first job after his honorable discharge from the Air Service was as secretary for the National Automobile Association during 1923-24. During 1924-25, he worked in advertising sales for the financial magazine, United States Investor. Once again, his desire to be engaged in commercial aviation compelled him to become involved in establishing and organizing the Florida Airways Corporation from late 1925 into 1926. In time, Florida Airways became Eastern Airways. Brooks left this financially struggling enterprise and joined the Department of Commerce's Aeronautics Branch in August 1926. For the next seventeen months, he worked as an airway extension superintendent and associate airways engineer. His main task with the Aeronautics Branch was to survey air routes and supervise the installation of beacons to assist air mail pilots navigate the Appalachian Mountains from Virginia to Pennsylvania. He left government service in early 1928 and was hired by Bell Telephone Laboratories. He spent the next few decades working as a scientist, engineer and chief pilot for the company at Hadley Field, New Jersey. There, Brooks and his staff conducted pioneering research on ground-to-air radiotelephone communications and electronic aviation navigation equipment. During much of this period, he piloted a Fairchild FC2-W Wasp and a Ford Tri-Motor that operated as flying laboratories for the team's communications research. He was Bell's publications manager for New Jersey operations at the time of his retirement in 1960.
Brooks stayed active in aviation for the remainder of his life. Even in his nineties, he enjoyed flying all sorts of aircraft, including ultralights, gliders and hot-air balloons. He belonged to many aviation-related and professional associations and organizations such as the American Legion, Military Order of the World Wars, Combat Pilots Association, Order of Daedalians, OX-5 Aviation Pioneers Association, Telephone Pioneers of America, Cross and Cockade, Associate Fellow of the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics, Quiet Birdmen, WWI Overseas Flyers and the American Fighter Aces Association. Brooks also remained involved with the alumni affairs of his alma mater – MIT. He attended numerous air shows and reunions, including the sixty-fifth, and final reunion, held for the Lafayette Flying Corps in Paris, France in 1983. In 1980, he was inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame of New Jersey. Brooks lived long enough to see his Smith IV restored by the National Air and Space Museum during the 1980s. Brooks, the last surviving American World War I ace, died in Summit, New Jersey, on July 17, 1991.
General note:
Other materials: medals and memorabilia transferred to NASM Aeronautics Division.
Provenance:
A. Raymond Brooks, Gift, 1989, NASM.1989.0104
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
John Matthew Miller III Collection, Acc. NASM.2001.0036, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Application for Certificate of Airworthiness for Export for Curtiss Condor T-32 (Condor II), Signed by Edward V. "Eddie" Rickenbacker
Creator:
United States. Department of Commerce. Aeronautics Branch Search this
Extent:
0.05 Cubic feet (1 folder)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Application forms
Date:
January 22, 1937
Summary:
Curtiss Condor T-32 (Condor II), registration no. NC12353, c/n 21, was the first aircraft of its type to be built by Curtiss under Aircraft Type Certificate (ATC) 501, issued March 1933. This collection consists of two identical notarized, signed copies, dated January 22, 1937, of a US Department of Commerce, Aeronautics Branch form, Application for Certificate of Airworthiness for Export for Curtiss Condor T-32 (Condor II) (listed here as model T-32C Special), c/n 21.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of two identical notarized, signed copies, dated January 22, 1937, of a US Department of Commerce, Aeronautics Branch form, Application for Certificate of Airworthiness for Export for Curtiss Condor T-32 (Condor II) (listed here as model T-32C Special), c/n 21. The recorded owner for the aircraft is North American Aviation, Inc. and the foreign purchaser is listed as Servicio Aereo Colombiano, Colombia, South America. Both copies of the application are signed by Edward V. "Eddie" Rickenbacker in his capacity as Vice-President of North American Aviation, Inc. The application form includes detailed information on the aircraft as well as various components including the propeller (Hamilton Controllable Pitch); engines (two Wright Cyclone 9 [SGR-1820F-2] 9-Cylinder Radial engines); equipment; and instruments.
Arrangement:
Collection is two copies of a single document.
Biographical / Historical:
Curtiss Condor T-32 (Condor II), registration no. NC12353, c/n 21, was the first aircraft of its type to be built by Curtiss under Aircraft Type Certificate (ATC) 501, issued March 1933. The aircraft was later redesignated the T-32C after it was brought up to AT-32 standards, including the addition of controllable pitch propellers and National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) cowlings on the engines, and was issued a new ATC number 547. The aircraft was originally owned by Eastern Air Lines (Eastern Air Transport) who sold it to North American Aviation, Inc. North American sold the aircraft to Servicio Aereo Colombiano (SACO), Colombia, South America in 1937 where its registration was changed to C-35. SACO sold the aircraft to SCADTA International Air Transport (Colombia) in 1939 where the registration became C-100, who sold it to Transportes Aereos Centro-Americanos (TACA) in Nicaragua in 1942 when the registration was changed to AN-ABG. The aircraft was subsequently in Mexico under the registrations XA-FAJ and XB-GIT.
Provenance:
Unknown, material found in collection, NASM.XXXX.0945.
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Application for Certificate of Airworthiness for Export for Curtiss Condor T-32 (Condor II), Signed by Edward V. "Eddie" Rickenbacker, NASM.XXXX.0945, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Bendix Air Races Collection, Acc. NASM.1988.0115, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
