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Early Aviation from Selfridge Field


Garandomatic
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Garandomatic

I picked this packet of pictures up at the antique store yesterday from a local estate. No name, unfortunately, but they all appear to be dated 1929. I'll post a few. If anyone knows anything about the shots, like squadron, aircraft type, and most especially, the guys in this photo, shoot away!

post-9670-0-22455700-1427977413.jpg

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Garandomatic

Last one for now. Fella had a bad day. I don't know what happened, or if the pilot survived or not. It looks like his name was Chetlaief, and I didn't turn anything up when I searched it.

post-9670-0-58786500-1427977746.jpg

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Last one for now. Fella had a bad day. I don't know what happened, or if the pilot survived or not. It looks like his name was Chetlaief, and I didn't turn anything up when I searched it.

 

From the aviation archeology website

 

290727 P-1C 29-246 94PS Selfridge Field, Mt Clemons, MI FLEFNO 5 Chetlain, Frederick H USA MI Swamp 1.5 mi SE of Selfridge Field, MI

 

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbaat.asp?theAT=&offset=23449

 

I think that the 246 is supposed to be 240 or the aircraft was misidentified in the photo

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Garandomatic

Beast, thanks for that. I forgot about that website. I agree, they fouled up the number. I'll post more later.

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Garandomatic

Last one of the crash. Looks like it definitely was a swamp, I think I See mud dripping off the prop hub and the tail. Wonder how it happened?

post-9670-0-48713100-1428152534.jpg

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Garandomatic

My little boy climbed up on my lap just now and said "That's they flying ace, just like Snoopy". Pretty cool.

 

Here's a plane taking off, I think.

post-9670-0-28775700-1428152826.jpg

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Garandomatic

Thanks!

 

I think they have something to do with the 1st Pursuit Group, as the only information I found about Selfridge in this era said that they had the original 15 P1s, and from what it said, they pretty much operated them exclusively as the only pursuit unit in the Air Corps during the lean years of the 20s. It also said that the 27th and 94th Squadrons were there there, but neither of them had that wasp in their insignia that I could tell. Honestly, by '29, they may have just been training another squadron. On the P1 Hawk wiki page, it said that Selfridge was busy training new units and cadres at the time. Almost impossible to imagine that the P-51 would be the preeminent pursuit plane only 15 years later.

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  • 1 month later...
Johnny Signor

Last one for now. P1C, does anybody know what squadron this is from the insignia?

 

Curtis P-1B and 43rd Pursuit Squadron

 

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Johnny Signor

My little boy climbed up on my lap just now and said "That's they flying ace, just like Snoopy". Pretty cool.

 

Here's a plane taking off, I think.

 

Consolidated PT-1 Trainer

 

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Just an FYI, the 43 PS was at Kelly Field, TX from 1922-1936. So maybe there is a mix of places in your pics. I don't remember any high ground at Selfridge like in the second pic, but I was only there once over 10 years ago. It's quite possible they were cross-country but that was rare back then.

 

Randy

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