A Helicopter license issued to Coffyn by the National Aeronautic Association of the United States of America Inc. It includes a photo of Coffyn.
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
3.88 Linear feet (4 legal size document boxes; 1 slim legal size document box; 1 28.5 x 1.5 x 22.5 flat box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1945-1997
bulk 1950-1985
Summary:
LA Airways (Los Angeles Airways, Inc) (LAA) was founded by Clarence Belinn as a helicopter airline that operated flights from Los Angeles International Airport to the Disneyland Heliport in Anaheim, Calfornia (located on Disneyland's grounds) and to other area airports.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of records relating to LA Airways (Los Angeles Airways, Inc) (LAA) including photographs; news clippings and publications relating to LA Airways; financial records; stockholder information including meeting agendas and notes, annual reports, information about stockholders, and correspondence; operating information such as route maps, pilot instructions, brochures and time tables; documents relating to Civil Aeronautics Board hearings; biographical information on LA Airways staff; and legal documents and correspondence relating to litigation involving LA Airways and the Hughes Tool Company and LA Airway's subsequent bankruptcy.
Arrangement:
The materials in this collection had no original order. The processing archivists arranged them into 3 series. Within each series, the materials were arranged chronologically.
Series I: Business Papers
Series II: Publicity
Series III: Photographs
Biographical / Historical:
LA Airways (Los Angeles Airways, Inc) (LAA) was founded by Clarence Belinn as a helicopter airline that operated flights from Los Angeles International Airport to the Disneyland Heliport in Anaheim, Calfornia (located on Disneyland's grounds) and to other area airports. LA Airways operated Sikorsky S-51 and S-55 aircraft and later became the first civilian operator of the Sikorsky S-61 family of aircraft. LA Airways is also noted for obtaining the first regularly scheduled helicopter mail route which was inaugurated on October 1, 1947. Two fatal crashes of flights operated by LA Airways spelled the end of the company. On May 22, 1968, Flight 841, operated in a Sikorsky S-61L, crashed in Paramount, California (en route to Los Angeles after leaving Disneyland) killing all 23 people on board. On August 14, 1968, Flight 417, also operated in a Sikorsky S-61L, crashed in Compton, California (en route to Disneyland from Los Angeles) which resulted in the deaths of all 21 people aboard, including Clarence Belinn's 13-year old grandson, Christopher. The causes of both crashes were failures in the rotor system. After these tragedies, Sikorsky S-61Ls were grounded until the problem could be resolved and helicopter service to Disneyland was discontinued. LA Airways (Los Angeles Airways, Inc) (LAA) ceased operations in 1971 upon its purchase by Golden West Airlines. Stephen J. Slade was formerly an employee of LA Airways.
Provenance:
Stephen J. Slade, gift, 2009
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.
This collection includes notebooks containing scientific notes and mathematical calculations, a random assortment of journals and periodicals, published reference books, and a few advertising and promotional brochures all pertaining to American experimental military and commercial vertical flight from the late 1930s to the late 1940s. The collection also contains photographs of the following helicopters: Sikorsky XR-1, XR-4, YR-4, XR-5, XR-6, XR-6A, VS-300; Kellet XO-60 and XO-61; and Rotachute P-4. Also included are photographs of helicopters by Pitcarin, Landgraf, Greyhound Bus, Spratt, Berliner, Ochmichen, and DeBothezat.
Scope and Contents:
The Mandel Lenkowsky Early Vertical Flight Development Collection contains correspondence, manuscript notes, notebooks of scientific and mathematical notes, periodicals, and published reference materials about experimental military and commercial vertical flight from the 1930s to the 1940s. The collection includes photographs of the Sikorsky XR-1, XR-4, YR-4, XR-5, XR-6, XR-6A, VS-300; Kellet X0-60 and X0-61; and Rotachute P-4 helicopters; as well as the Berliner, DeBothezat, Greyhound Bus, Landgraf, Ochmichen, Pitcairn, and Spratt helicopters.
The collection contains chapters from Mandel Lenkowsky's unpublished manuscript, The Helicopter, and his correspondence with Macmillan Publishing Company. The book was scheduled for publication in the summer of 1945. In his correspondence, Lenkowsky stated he would like to focus primarily on the development of the Focke helicopter (Germany, 1934-37) and was trying to secure rights to mention it in his book. There is no evidence in the collection that Lenkowsky completed the book or that it was ever published.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into the following series:
Series I: Correspondence and Manuscript Notes
Series II: Scientific and Mathematical Notes, Aircraft Drawings, and Published Works
Biographical/Historical note:
Mandel Lenkowsky was a civil and aeronautical engineer. He attended the Guggenheim School of Aeronautics at New York University from September 1933 until June of 1937. He later attended the School of Engineering at Princeton University from October to November of 1943. His post graduate work detailed the development of rotary wing aircraft.
Lenkowsky was employed as an aeronautical draftsman at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, New Jersey, from February 1941 until June of 1941. In August of 1941, Lenkowsky was employed by the Army Air Forces (A.A.F.) Materiel Center, as a project engineer. Lenkowsky resigned from the Army Air Forces at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio, in October of 1944 to dedicate full time to the completion of his book on the development of the helicopter.
Provenance:
Leslie Lenkowsky, gift, 1989, 1989-0099, NASM
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.
This collection includes a scrapbook of newspaper clippings on the helicopter, before the trials; drawings of the helicopter; and prints of paintings of pioneering flights. It also includes reports written by Bleecker, "A Proposal for the Construction of an Experimental Helicopter" (1926); "A Study of Assisted Take-off" (1937); three mimeographed pamphlets detailing engine operations under the pseudonym "Si Klohn;" photographs of model helicopters used in wind tunnel tests; and 100 photographs of the Curtiss-Bleecker Helicopter.
Biographical / Historical:
Maitland B. Bleecker (b. 1903), inventor for Curtiss-Wright, developed the Curtiss-Bleecker Helicopter for which trials were held in 1930.
Provenance:
Maitland B. Bleecker, gift, 1991, 1991-0029
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
Rotorway Aircraft, Inc (Rotorway International) Search this
Names:
Rotorway Aircraft, Inc (Rotorway International) Search this
Extent:
0.45 Cubic feet ((1 legal document box))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Biographies
Catalogs
Notes
Manuals
Drawings
Audiotapes
Date:
[ca. 1970s]
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of the documentation Rotorway Scorpion Too helicopter kit purchased by Dr. Harold C. Theurer in the early 1970s and built by him as N18849. The material consists of blueprints, weight and balance requirements, Federal Aviation Administration forms, rotor adjustment procedures, Theurer's handwritten notes, a price list, parts catalogs, service manuals, assembly instructions, "Owner's Indoctrination Course" cassette tape and slide training materials, and other technical information. The collection also includes a brief biographical sketch of Theurer, written by a local newspaper.
Biographical / Historical:
Rotorway. Inc. was formed in 1968 to market the Scorpion, a single-seat home built helicopter. In the early-1970s Rotorway offered an unguarded version , the Scorpion Too, which featured side-by-side seating for two. The company offered the vehicle in kit form, including parts, power plant, drawings, and technical documentation. The Scorpion Too was later redesigned Scorpion 133 and offered in both turbocharged and standard versions.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Harold C. Theurer, Gift, 1988, 1988-0033, Rotorway, Inc
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
This collection contains numerous drawings by Isidor B. Laskowitz; patents obtained by Laskowitz; photographs relating to Laskowitz's design and testing work; and many articles and publications by Laskowitz. There is also correspondence relating to a lawsuit between Laskowitz and the United States. Also in this collection are three maps. One is a route map showing the way from Cheyenne, Wyoming to Salt Lake City, Utah, including a listing of landmarks. The second is a U.S. Navy Aviation Chart showing the route from Hampton, Virginia to Morehead City, North Carolina. The third route map details the way between York County, Pennsylvania and Niagara County, New York. This map includes handwritten notations.
Biographical / Historical:
Isidor B. Laskowitz was an engineer and designer who was a pioneer in the field of helicopters and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. In 1925, he founded the Laskowitz Helicopter Company, Inc. Laskowitz held numerous patents for helicopter and VTOL components and wrote numerous articles and other publications in this area. Laskowitz was a member and fellow of the New York Academy of Sciences and, in 1962, established the I. B. Laskowitz Gold Medal Award for Research in Aerospace Engineering Sciences.
Provenance:
Isidor B. Laskowitz, Gift, 1982
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
This collection consists of copy slides of 122 slides taken by Lt. Col. S. F. Watson, U.S. Army helicopter pilot, during the Vietnam War. The slides include shots of helicopters, aerial scenes and air-to-air helicopter shots. Types of helicopters included are as follows: Bell UH-1 Iroquois (Huey); Bell UH-1B (HU-1B) Iroquois (Huey); Bell OH-58 Kiowa; Boeing-Vertol CH-47A Chinook; Lockheed AH-56A Cheyenne; Bell AH-1G Cobra; and the Sikorsky (S-64) CH-54 Tarhe (Skycrane).
Biographical / Historical:
Lt. Col. S. F. Watson, US Army was a helicopter pilot, during the Vietnam War.
Provenance:
Frances J. Watson, Gift, 1993
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
This collection consists of 954 JPG files scanned by Richard Dumas from his photographs/ negatives (both color and black and white) that include shots of the base life, personnel, and aircraft of the 6252nd Tactical Fighter Wing as well as shots of the local Vietnamese people.
Da Nang Air Base was a French Air Force and later Republic of Vietnam Air Force (VNAF) facility, located in the city of Da Nang in southern Vietnam. During the Vietnam War (1959–1975), the United States Army, United States Air Force (USAF), and United States Marine Corps (USMC) stationed units at the Da Nang Air Base. The 6252nd Tactical Fighter Wing was activated at Da Nang on 18 July, 1965, and was responsible as the host unit for operational squadrons assigned to Da Nang, including the 8th and 13th Bombardment Squadrons. Air Vietnam also used the facility from 1951 to 1975 for civilian domestic and international flights within Southeast Asia.
Provenance:
Richard Dumas, Gift, 2018, NASM.2018.0025
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.
This collection consists of 26 black and white prints, mostly 7.25 by 9.5 inch, relating to the Vietnam War era and its aircraft. Most of the photographs were taken by Bengt Öste, in conjunction with his Swedish state media work. The images include photographs of military personnel and aerial views of Vietnam, as well as the following aircraft: Cessna O-1 Bird Dog (L-19); Bell UH-1 Iroquois; Douglas A-4 Skyhawk; Sikorsky H-34; Douglas A3D-2 Skywarrior; McDonnell Douglas F4F-1 Phantom II; Martin B-57B Canberra; Tupolev Tu-16 Badger; and Douglas C-124 Globemaster II. There is also one image of North American P-51 Mustang production in 1944.
Biographical / Historical:
Bengt Öste (1927-2004) was a Swedish journalist. During the 1960s Öste worked in print media, as an editor for both Svenska Dagbladet and Idun Swedish newspapers. In 1971 he joined Swedish state TV2's news program Report, where he worked until his retirement in 1992.
Provenance:
Christer Hedberg, Gift, 2015
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
This collection consists of five factory drawings of the Flettner Fl 282 Kolibri ("Hummingbird") motor and transmission systems, 1940 to1941.
Biographical / Historical:
The Flettner Fl 282 Kolibri ("Hummingbird") is a single-seat open cockpit intermeshing rotor helicopter produced by Anton Flettner of Germany. In 1940, the German Navy made a request for a naval helicopter, and the FL 282 deliveries began in 1942; by the next year, 20 prototypes were in service. The prototypes were build in different variants, one or two seater, closed or open cockpit, and other modifications. Based on the prototypes' success, plans to manufacture 1000 helicopters where approved; however, because the Kolibri was a Navy aircraft, they had little claim on production facilities and the plans to manufacture them were finally aborted due to allied bombing of the Flettner factories. Only three Kolibri survived the war; the rest were destroyed to prevent capture
Provenance:
Roger Connor, Gift, 2004
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
Topic:
Flettner Fl 282A Kolibri ("Hummingbird") Search this
This collection consists of 36 drawings, drawn by Stephen Willis from document research and measurements of the Flettner components at Midland Air Museum.
Biographical / Historical:
The Flettner Fl 282 Kolibri ("Hummingbird") is a single-seat open cockpit intermeshing rotor helicopter produced by Anton Flettner of Germany. In 1940, the German Navy made a request for a naval helicopter, and the FL 282 deliveries began in 1942; by the next year, 20 prototypes were in service. The prototypes were build in different variants, one or two seater, closed or open cockpit, and other modifications. Based on the prototypes success, plans to manufacture 1000 helicopters were approved; however, because the Kolibri was a Navy aircraft, they had little claim on production facilities. The plans to manufacture them were finally aborted due to allied bombing of the Flettner factories. Only three Kolibri survived the war; the rest were destroyed to prevent capture. Today only a few components still exist, including parts of the Fl 282 V-10, which is located at Midland Air Museum, Coventry, England.
Provenance:
Stephen Willis, Gift, 2007
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
Caroline Lachmann-Spivak was a pilot for New York Helicopter and later ERA / Alaska Helicopters. This collection consists of eight color snapshots relating to her career.
This collection is in English.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of eight color snapshots relating to Caroline Lachmann-Spivak and her piloting career. Four of the photographs show the New York Helicopter Sikorsky S-58T that Spivak was piloting. Three of the images were taken in the cockpit showing Spivak piloting above New York City. The last image shows Spivak and four other women authors promoting Jenifer Fratzke's book, Alaska's Women Pilots: Contemporary Portraits.
Arrangement:
Collection is in original order.
Biographical / Historical:
Caroline Lachmann-Spivak was a Sikorsky S-58T copilot for New York Helicopter, a company that offered air sightseeing tours of New York City, mostly over Central Park and the Statue of Liberty. Spivak flew out of Garden City, Long Island, New York and the 34th Street Heliport, New York City. After leaving New York Helicopters, she got her instrument rating and moved to Alaska where she worked for ERA / Alaska Helicopters.
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.
William Donald "Don" Eastman, Jr. (b. 1932) was the first pilot to demonstrate the feasibility of air-to-air refueling of helicopters as well as the first to actually perform aerial refueling of a helicopter during his time as a pilot with the United States Air Force. This collection consists of approximately 0.39 cubic feet of material relating to Lieutenant Colonel William Donald "Don" Eastman Jr.'s career as Test Director and Project Pilot for helicopter aerial refueling tests with the United States Air Force including photographs, news clippings, and publications.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of approximately 0.39 cubic feet of material relating to Lieutenant Colonel William Donald "Don" Eastman Jr.'s career as Test Director and Project Pilot for helicopter aerial refueling tests with the United States Air Force. There is a folder of photographs and news clippings regarding aerial refueling and other flight tests. The photographs are 8 by 10 inch prints and are a mixture of black and white and color photography. Many have been captioned by Eastman. Aircraft pictured in this folder include the Lockheed KC-130 Hercules; Sikorsky (S-61R) CH-3C Jolly Green Giant; Lockheed HC-130P (MC-130P) Combat Shadow; Sikorsky (S-61R) HH-3E Jolly Green Giant; and the Sikorsky (S-65A) HH-53B Super Jolly. There is also a folder of photographs entitled, "Helicopter History" which shows a variety of aircraft models including the Kellett XR-3 Autogiro; McCulloch MC-4; Sikorsky (VS-316B) XR-6A; Seibel YH-24 Sky Hawk; Kellett XR-10 (XH-10); Kellett XR-8; Sikorsky (VS-316A, S-48) R-4B (H-4B); Rotor-Craft XR-11 Dragonfly; Piasecki H-25A Army Mule; Hiller YH-32 (Hiller HJ-1) Hornet; McDonnell XV-1 Convertiplane (XL-25, XH-35); Sikorsky (S-52-2) YH-18A; American Helicopter XH-26 Jet Jeep; Kaman HH-43B (H-43B) Huskie; Sikorsky (VS-317, S-51) XR-5; Piasecki YH-16 Transporter; Hughes XH-17 Flying Crane; Sikorsky (S-55) YH-19 Chickasaw; Cessna (CH-1B) YH-41 Seneca; Bell XUH-1 (XH-40) Iroquois (Huey); McDonnell XH-20 Little Henry; Hughes TH-55A; Bell XV-3; Hiller X-18 Propelloplane (model); Bell T/UH-1F (H-48) Iroquois (Huey); Sikorsky (S-65A) YCH-53A Sea Stallion; Bell XH-15; Sikorsky VS-300, 1st Configuration; Fokker T-2 (F.IV); Doman YH-31 (LZ-5); Platt-Lepage XR-1; Bell 47; Hiller H-23 Raven; Bell XH-12 (XR-12); Piasecki H-21 Workhorse; Sikorsky (S-58) H-34A (CH-34A) Choctaw; and the Sikorsky (S-56) H-37A (CH-37A) Mojave. This folder also includes aerial photographs of McCook Field and Wright Field and an image of the Sikorsky VS-300 Rotor Test Stand. Also in the collection are three flight test reports, authored by Eastman. They are entitled, "CH-3C Helicopter Aerial Retrieval System" (Test date June 9, 1965); "Aerial Refueling Tests on the HH-3E and HC-130P" (Test date April 29, 1966); and "HH-53B Aerial Refueling Flight Test" (Test date March 2, 1967). The collection also includes a copy of Eastman's master's thesis paper, entitled, "Helicopter Power Reduction in an Aerial Refueling Mode of Flight" (1969); a copy of the June 2003 issue of National Aviation Hall of Fame's Heroes & Legends magazine which features a profile on Eastman; and a copy of a certificate of nomination for Eastman as a candidate for enshrinement in the National Aviation Hall of Fame.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged by type of material.
Biographical / Historical:
William Donald "Don" Eastman, Jr. (b. 1932) was the first pilot to demonstrate the feasibility of air-to-air refueling of helicopters as well as the first to actually perform aerial refueling of a helicopter during his time as a pilot with the United States Air Force. Eastman served as Test Director and Project Pilot for all helicopter aerial refueling tests and the first practicability demonstrations, using the probe and drogue system, were conducted on December 15, 1965. The first successful transfer of fuel using this system occurred on December 14, 1966. For this work, Eastman received the US Air Force Systems Command Primus Award. Eastman was also a combat pilot in Vietnam, flying 77 missions and performing 13 aircrew rescues, receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross for his contributions. Eastman served as the project test pilot for numerous programs and was also involved in acquisition of various aircraft and equipment for the Air Force. Upon his retirement as a lieutenant colonel in 1973, Eastman had flown over 8000 hours and qualified in 52 different aircraft, including 23 helicopters. After retiring from the military, Eastman entered the Civil Service as an engineer manager and supervisor until retiring in 1995.
Provenance:
Lt. Col. William Donald "Don" Eastman, Jr., Gift, 2015, NASM.2015.0032
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
Shepard, Alan B. (Alan Bartlett), 1923-1998 Search this
Extent:
0.05 Cubic feet (1 folder)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Correspondence
Date:
1961
Summary:
This collection consists of twenty-one U.S. Navy photographs compiled for the press kit prepared for the Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3) mission as well as a teletype news article about the recovery.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of twenty-one U. S. Navy photographs compiled for the press kit prepared for the Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3) mission. The photographs show the recovery mission as well as Alan B. Shepard, Jr. during debriefing. There is also a photograph showing the press corps that was selected to be aboard the USS Lake Champlain (CV-39), which is signed on the reverse by many of the reporters. The photographs are all black and white and measure 8 by 10 inches each. The collection also contains a teletype news story filed by the United Press International (UPI) aboard the ship, and a color post card showing the recovery of Freedom 7 by helicopter.
Arrangement:
This collection is in original order.
Biographical / Historical:
On May 5, 1961, Alan B. Shepard, Jr. became the first American in space in the Mercury MR-3 capsule. He named it Freedom 7, the number signifying the seven Mercury astronauts; NASA called the mission Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3). Lofted by a Redstone rocket, Shepard and his capsule attained a maximum speed of 5180 mph and rose to an altitude of 116 miles. The sub-orbital flight lasted 15 minutes and 22 seconds. Freedom 7 parachuted into the sea 302 miles from the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and was retrieved by helicopter, along with Shepard, and both were taken aboard the recovery ship, the USS Lake Champlain (CV-39). Lieutenant (junior grade) Robert J. Jaczko, Sr. was the Public Information Officer for the ship at the time of Shepard's historic flight and was responsible for the press corps aboard for the event.
Provenance:
Robert J. Jaczko, Sr., Gift, 2018, NASM.2018.0024
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
Collection consists of materials created by and collected by Richard Wheatland II during the period when he served as a Vice President of New York Airways (1953-1968), a helicopter airline operating in the New York City metropolitan area from 1952-1977.
Scope and Contents:
The collection includes a variety of material, probably collected by Richard Wheatland II (1923-2009) during the period 1953-1968 when he served as a Vice President of New York Airways (NYA). The material reflects the administration of the airline and many of the activities of its president, Robert L. Cummings, Jr., as well as its dealings with organizations such as the Air Transport Association (ATA), American Helicopter Society, Bell Helicopter, Eastern Air Lines, the Grand Central Building, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Pan America World Airways (Pan Am), the Port of New York Authority (PONYA), Sikorsky, Trans World Airlines (TWA), other organizations interested in helicopter operations, and the federal government. In addition to administrative correspondence, memoranda, proposals, employee operations manuals, speeches, and reports, there are also a large number of manuscripts and publications, clippings, timetables and other ephemera, and a small number of photographs.
New York Airways' fleet included several helicopter models over the airline's lifetime, including the Sikorsky S-55, Sikorsky S-58, Bell 47H (used for charter work), Vertol V-44 (civil version of the Piasecki H-21 Workhorse), Boeing-Vertol Model 107, and Sikorsky S-61L and S-61N models. The collection contains materials relating to these aircraft and helicopter operations in general as well as other vertical flight and short take off and landing (STOL) aircraft including the Cierva CR Twin (CR LTH.1, Grasshopper III), Hughes H-500, Hiller FH-1100, Bell 206 JetRanger, and Fairchild (Pilatus) Porter (Heli-Porter, Turbo-Porter).
In addition to the material directly relating to NYA, the collection includes material on topics of interest to the NYA executives. This includes information on the other two helicopter carriers, Los Angeles Airways (LAA) and Helicopter Air Services (HAS) of Chicago, as well as the later San Francisco & Oakland Helicopter Airlines (SFO), and other international, national, and local airlines. Also included are a large number of materials directly relating to air transportation and urban planning issues in the New York City metropolitan area (including northern New Jersey), particularly those related to the airports NYA served: Newark International Airport (IATA airport code EWR) and Teterboro Airport (TEB) in New Jersey, LaGuardia Airport (LGA), West 30th Street Heliport (JRA), Downtown Manhattan/Wall Street Heliport (JRB), Pan Am Building Heliport (JPB), and New York International Airport, Anderson Field, commonly known as "Idlewild" (IDL). New York International Airport was renamed as John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on December 24, 1963.
Series 2I (1973 Acquisition) contains more of Wheatland's personal notes on various topics, and also includes materials on topics of general business executive interest such as public speaking and management techniques.
Arrangement:
Contents are in original order as received by NASM Archives. Folders in both series are arranged (roughly) in alphabetical by original folder title. Materials within the folders in Series 2 (1973 Acquisition) tend to appear in reverse chronological order. Multiple copies of the same materials may appear in different folders.
Digital images of materials in this collection were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product and may show irregular cropping, orientation, and color variations. Some materials may not be visible online due to copyright restrictions.
Biographical / Historical:
Incorporated on August 31, 1949, New York Airways (NYA), one of the first three helicopter carriers certificated by the United States Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), began mail service between New York City's three major airports on October 15, 1952, and on July 8, 1953, inaugurated the world's first regularly scheduled passenger helicopter service. As was the case with all of the helicopter carriers, NYA depended heavily on government subsidies for its economic health, but worked steadily towards its goal of financial self-sufficiency, extending its routes into nearby Connecticut and New Jersey, carrying freight, and doing charter work. In October 1955, NYA signed joint fare agreements with many national and international airlines, promoting their service by making it easier for passengers transferring to and from the major New York City airports to go "all the way by air." As ground traffic in the New York metropolitan area became increasingly congested, NYA, based at LaGuardia Airport, worked closely with the Port of New York Authority (PONYA) to establish heliports on the island of Manhattan, inaugurating service into the West 30th Street Heliport in 1956 and the Wall Street Heliport (at Pier 6 on the East River) in 1960. In December 1956, as part of a campaign to break the color barrier in the airline industry, NYA hired pilot Perry H. Young, Jr.; Young made his first regularly scheduled flight for NYA as a co-pilot on February 5, 1957, becoming the the first Black pilot for a commercial airline in the United States.
High operating costs continued to be an issue for all of the helicopter carriers, and in 1958, after continuing criticism from the CAB on the subject of alleged excessive costs and increasing subsidy need, NYA was forced to suspend some services. In 1961 Congress put a ceiling on helicopter carrier subsidy payments. The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair provided NYA the opportunity to add passenger and sightseeing service to and from the rooftop heliport of the Port of New York Authority Building at the Fair. Ever seeking a way to reduce its need for government subsidies (which were eventually withdrawn), in June 1965 NYA entered into operating support agreements with Trans World Airlines (TWA) and Pan American World Airways, whose passengers were some of NYA's biggest customers. NYA is perhaps most famous for its regularly scheduled passenger service from the rooftop heliport atop the Pan Am Building, inaugurated on December 21, 1965. Though undeniably glamorous, the noisy NYA helicopters were not appreciated by many of their midtown Manhattan neighbors. Service to the Pan Am Building heliport was cancelled on February 18, 1968, due to inadequate passenger loads, then was briefly resumed in early 1977 until a fatal accident on May 16, 1977, ended NYA service from the heliport. Already suffering from financial setbacks and rising fuel prices, NYA ceased operations permanently following a fatal accident at Newark International Airport on April 18, 1979, and filed for bankruptcy the following month in May 1979.
Richard Wheatland II, born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1923, served in the United States Navy from 1943-1946 as a deck officer on a destroyer-minelayer in the Pacific; after his discharge he did one year of graduate work in government at Harvard University and then attended Columbia Law School, receiving his law degree in 1949. From 1950 to 1952, Wheatland was based in Paris, France, employed by the US Government in a division of the Office of the Special Representative in Europe for the Marshall Plan. Wheatland returned to New York to join New York Airways in January 1953 as the Manager of the airline's Traffic and Sales Department, and soon became NYA's Vice President of Sales and Service. He was married in 1954 to Cynthia McAdoo. Wheatland left the company in 1968 to take a position in his native home of Boston, and died peacefully at his home on June 26, 2009.
NOTE: The airline covered by this collection, New York Airways (1951), should not be confused with an earlier New York Airways (1927) which was founded July 8, 1927, operated as a subsidiary of Pan American Airways, and was sold to Eastern Air Transport on July 15, 1931. It should also not be confused with the unrelated but similarly named New York Air (owned by Frank Lorenzo's Texas Air Corporation) which was founded in late 1980 and ceased operations on February 1, 1987, when it merged with Continental Airlines.
Provenance:
Richard Wheatland II, Gift, 1973, 1992, NASM.1992.0052
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.
This collection consists of 333 copy negatives, 51 motion picture films, and publications, including manuals, reports, studies, thesis, and lectures, all relating to the various aspects of helicopters. The 333 copy negatives are from the following work: Rotary-Wing Aircraft Handbooks and History, a series of 18 Volumes, edited by E. K. Liberatore, Prewitt Aircraft Co. This work was prepared for the Wright Air Development Center, Air Research and Development Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio, circa 1954..
Biographical / Historical:
Started in 1943, the American Helicopter Society (AHS) is an international technical society for engineers, scientists and others working on vertical flight technology.
Provenance:
AHS International / M. E. Flater, Gift, 2003
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
This collection consists of twenty-four manuals relating to the Sikorsky (S-62A) HH-52A (HU2S-1G) Seaguard (USCG), including Flight, Maintenance, and Structural Repair manuals and Illustrated Parts catalogs. There is also a set of Inspection and Maintenance Work Cards for both the helicopter and engine.
Biographical / Historical:
In 1958, Sikorsky Aircraft anticipated the Coast Guard's long-standing desire for air-sea rescue capability by developing the S-62, an amphibious turbine-powered helicopter that recycled many dynamic components from the S-55, designed in the late 1940s. Ironically, the Coast Guard initially passed in favor of another design, and Sikorsky was forced to market the S-62 for airline service, for which it was not well suited. The Coast Guard eventually came around to the type and ordered 99 of them, which began entering service in 1962 as the HH-52A Seaguard. The Seaguard remained in service until 1989. The aircraft was small enough to deploy aboard cutters, and its amphibious characteristics gave it a degree of safety in over-water operations that was missing in other helicopters. Natural disasters, the emerging war on drugs, and maritime accidents ensured that HH-52 fleet had ample opportunity to demonstrate remarkable feats of heroism.
Provenance:
John Siemens, Gift, 2016
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
This collection consists of color slides taken by Don Blair during his coverage of astronaut crew splashdowns and recoveries, 1960s.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of 35 mm color slides taken by Don Blair during his coverage of astronaut crew splashdowns and recoveries for the following missions: Gemini 9, June 1966 with USS Wasp (CVS-18); Gemini 10, July 1966 with USS Guadalcanal (LPH-7); Gemini 11, September 1966 with USS Guam; (LPH-9); Apollo 11, July 1969 with the USS Hornet (CVS-12); and Apollo 15, August 1972 with the USS Okinawa (LPH-3). The collection also includes two 35 mm black and white negative strips from Apollo 15, a small contact sheet of 35 mm three negatives from Apollo 11, and a few 35 mm copy slides of official National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) photographs. A set of digital scans of most of the original slides was provided by the donor on a USB flash drive.
Arrangement:
Slides are arranged by space mission recovery event, with black and white negatives appearing at the end of the collection.
Biographical / Historical:
Donald W. Blair (1933-2018) served in the Army from 1953 to 1955, and then attended the Cambridge School of Radio and TV in Manhattan, New York. The first 10 years of his career were spent in local radio before he joined the Mutual Network and from 1966 until 1989 he worked at Mutual, WCBS Radio, ABC Entertainment and NBC. Blair covered astronaut splashdowns and recoveries for the following missions: Gemini 9, June 1966 with USS Wasp (CVS-18); Gemini 10, July 1966 with USS Guadalcanal (LPH-7); Gemini 11, September 1966 with USS Guam; (LPH-9); Apollo 11, July 1969 with the USS Hornet (CVS-12); and Apollo 15, August 1972 with the USS Okinawa (LPH-3). Blair detailed his experience in his book, Splashdown: NASA and the Navy, which was published in 2004.
Provenance:
Robert Fish, Gift, 2019, NASM.2019.0034
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.
This album contains eleven photographs of the de Bothezat Helicopter in flight, a photograph of Dr. George de Bothezat, an illustration of the de Bothezat Helicopter, and memorandum from the War Department Air Service Engineering Division from April 28, 1923 concerning the test flights of this helicopter at McCook Field.
Biographical / Historical:
During the early twenties many experimenters in aviation undertook the challenge of making a craft which would rise vertically and hover in the air. Realizing that such a machine would have military value for observation and fire-control, the war department of several nations encouraged such inventions. The de Bothezat Helicopter was developed by the U. S. Air Service, Engineering Division in 1921 with these ideas in mind. Dr. George de Bothezat, a noted Russian aeronautical engineer at the time, designed the helicopter. The de Bothezat was 65 feet long, 65 feet wide, and 10 feet high. It was powered with a 180 h.p. engine and weighed 3,600 lbs. The engine was located at the center above the four-wheeled chassis. Four triangular framework arms extended at right angles, and at their extremity each supported a six-bladed air screw, which is the chief feature of the de Bothezat. Many power tests were made at McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio. The test on December 18, 1922 was notable with a duration in the air of one minute 42 seconds which was attained at a maximum height of six feet.
Provenance:
Phillip Weiner, Gift, 2002
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
This collection consists of the following: eight letters between Captain Patrie and her husband Chris; twenty color photographs of Patrie during Operation Desert Storm; copies of Patrie's military orders; and an 'Aviation Procedure Handbook.'
Biographical / Historical:
Captain Ann Patrie was assigned to the 872nd Medical Detachment Reserves, 5th Army, to fly medivac helicopters after graduation from flight school. She was later reassigned to the 374th Medical Detachment Reserves, and it was with this unit that she went to Operation Desert Storm after the unit was assigned to active duty. After Operation Desert Storm, Patrie was reassigned back to the 5th Army in April 1991.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Captain Ann H. Patrie, gift, 1993, 1993-0053, NASM
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
