This collection consists of one typed letter to Betty Skelton from Chuck Allen and one 8 by 10 inch brown toned photograph. In the letter, Allen recounts the last time he saw Skelton. At that time in 1946, a group of people had a day excursion from her father's flying school to Longboat Key just off Sarasota, Florida; on the return trip, Allen flew with Skelton in the back performing aerial rolls not knowing she didn't buckle her seat belt until mid-flight. The photograph is an oblique, low-altitude aerial view of a small group of people in swimwear near seven monoplanes and one biplane all on the ground along coast line between sand and long grass. It is likely that the photograph depicts the story in the letter.
Arrangement:
Arranged by item.
Biographical / Historical:
Betty Skelton (1926--2011) was an American aerobatic pilot and auto racer who gained prominence in the 1950s and 1960s. Born in Pensacola, Florida, Skelton developed a passion for aviation at an early age and purchased her first aircraft in 1946, a Great Lakes (1929) Model 2T-1A. She went on to become a three-time Female Aerobatic Champion and set 17 aviation and race car records earning the nickname the "First Lady of Firsts."
Provenance:
Charles "Chuck" Allen, Gift, 2024, NASM.2024.0017
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.
Parker, Francis Frederick "Fred", 1880-1965 Search this
Extent:
0.13 Cubic feet (1 flatbox)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Programs
Date:
1911-1917
1953
Summary:
Francis Frederick "Fred" Parker (1880--1965) was an early aviator, mechanic, and aircraft designer and builder. This collection consists of a photo album created by Parker (1911 to 1917) and a program for an open house event held at the San Jose Municipal Airport on June 14, 1953 in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of powered flight.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a photo album created by Francis Frederick "Fred" Parker. Aircraft depicted in the album include the Walsh 1911 Silver Dart Biplane; Parker (Francis) Firecracker; Parker (Francis) Firecracker 2; Andermat Biplane Bomber; Parker (Francis) Canard Pusher Biplane (1913); Parker (Francis) Tractor Biplane 1 (1913); and the Andermat Cabin Biplane. Aviators shown in the album include Silas G. Christofferson and Charles Forster Willard. The album also includes aerial photographs and several photographs of aircraft engines. Tucked in the back of the album is a program for an open house event held at the San Jose Municipal Airport on June 14, 1953 in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of powered flight.
Note: Blank pages in original album have not been digitally reproduced in slideshow. Any gaps in numbering of filenames are due to their omission. All pages with content are shown.
Arrangement:
Collection is a single album.
Biographical / Historical:
Francis Frederick "Fred" Parker (1880--1965) was an early aviator, mechanic, and aircraft designer and builder. Prior to his involvement in aviation, Parker worked at various odd jobs, spent time as a cowboy, served as a ship's carpenter on a vessel bound for Australia that was shipwrecked, and worked as a hospital orderly and ambulance driver in California. Parker made his first solo flight in an aircraft he helped build at Dominguez Field in Los Angeles, California on July 20, 1911. From 1912 to 1913, Parker worked for fellow early aviators Charles H. Paterson and Roy N. Francis, and Parker also helped build the Gage 1912 Tractor Biplane (Fowler Gage) in which Robert G. Fowler made a flight across the Isthmus of Panama on April 27, 1913. From 1914 to 1915, Parker served as shop foreman for Silas G. Christofferson in San Francisco, California. In 1915, Parker moved to the Andermat Company in Sunnyvale, California where he mainly engaged in experimental work. Parker designed and built an airplane in 1917 for the Union Gas Engine Company of Oakland, California that was flown by Stanley H. Page. From the 1920s until 1942, Parker worked as a contractor and builder until shifting into work for the war effort from 1942 until 1945, after which he retired. Parker was a member of the Early Birds of Aviation.
Provenance:
Mrs. Fred Parker, Gift, 1960, NASM.XXXX.0224.
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.