Aviation Years - Web Page Under Construction

Aviation Years
About the time Otto M. “Buddy” Vehle began high school,
his desire to fly became greater than any other.
Even before High School graduation, he began flying
lessons and got his Private Pilot License.
In the 1930s, a Ford Tri-Motor
landed at Municipal Airport in
Sherman and began a full
afternoon of carrying
passengers across the city.
Otto F. Vehle (left front, back to
camera) took Buddy (at his right)
for his first ride in an airplane.
A seed was planted.
About that time, Buddy’s sister,
Teresa, was dating a dashing
Marine Corps pilot who had been
serving aboard the famous aircraft
carrier, the U.S.S. Saratoga.
Anything and everything about
aviation fascinated Buddy, and as
soon as he reached the eligible
age, he began flight training.
He began taking flying lessons in Denison
and Sherman, Texas. Above is his Student
Pilot Certificate issued April 20, 1940.
The back of the Certificate is endorsed by
his instructor, J.W. (Bill) Fehmel, indicating
his solo on April 25, 1940 in a Taylor Cub.

Flight Training
- Solo -
- Private Pilot License -
- Commercial Pilot License -
- Additional Ratings -
One of the planes he took dual training in was a Taylor E-2
Cub. The E-2 was a remarkable little flying machine. With its
37-horsepower engine, it cruised along at 60-65 miles per
hour, burning only three gallons of fuel. Seating for two --
just like a bicycle built for two,.and, just about as comfortable
The interior view shows very limited instrumentation.
Note the red knob on the end of a rod on the
left wall of the cabin. That’s the throttle. What
looks like a sash cord below the throttle is just
that. A sash cord! That’s the trim. Pull the upper
cord for nose up, the lower cord for nose down.
The next step after earning his Private Pilot License
was to obtain the necessary dual instruction and solo
practice in several training planes, such as the
Stearman (above) at the Lou Foote School of Aviation
in Dallas to qualify for his Commercial License.
This license was later upgraded in 1945 to
Single and Multi-Engine, and following his Civil Air
Patrol and Air Force tour of duty, Land and Sea and
Instrument Ratings were added.

The beginning of the commercial
flying career of Buddy Vehle
Denison Dam and Lake
Texoma The largest dam in the world
at the time of completion was
Denison Dam on Red River between
Texas and Oklahoma, creating the
huge Lake Texoma which holds
nearly six million acre feet of water.
A pioneer resident of
Denison, Mr. George
Moulton, conceived the
idea of a dam on Red
River. Though not an
engineer, he still was
able to study contour
maps to determine that
Baer’s Ferry was a
logical site.
People all over North Texas and
Southern Oklahoma got caught up in a wave
of excitement when construction of Denison
Dam was announced. This excitement
generated great curiosity, and Vehle saw an
opportunity to satisfy that curiosity.
A little graded airstrip alongside
U.S.Highway 75 between Sherman and
Denison served as a base of operations for
Buddy Vehle to fly the curious over the
damsite. On the map above, the location of
the strip and the lake are shown.
At the time, there was nothing much to see, but the curiousity generated by publicity
about the dam resulted in Vehle staying aloft many hours a day in his Ryan airplane.
Below are some photos of the sleek, low-wing Ryan SCW from which many of
these people got to see the clearing of land in preparation for the new lake.

Off to the races
In March 1941, Buddy Vehle flew this
Piper Cub Coupe, owned by T. J. Hogle
(second from left) to the Miami Air Races
with passenger, O. E. Ritchie (left).
At Otto’s right is his mother.
His Culver Cadet
At left Buddy is
showing the second
airplane he owned, a
Culver Cadet, to his
nephew, Ferda Wegener.
At right, two other
views of the
Culver Cadet.
The Aviation business years
Otto became sales manager for Gulf Aeronautics
of Dallas and Beaumont, Texas, distributors for
Culver and Navion airplanes and Schweizer
sailplanes. J.W. “Jimmie” Marshall was its
founder and president. The Dallas office was
first in the air terminal at Love Field, then moved
to Hangar Ten. Gulf Aeronautics bought and
sold used aircraft, as well.
Otto made many trips from Dallas to Wichita,
Kansas where, before taking delivery of a new
Culver and fly it back to Dallas, he would visit
with Al Mooney, designer of the Culver and
later Mooney airplanes.
Al Mooney

Gulf
Aeronautics
In the 1940s, Gulf Aeronautics,
owned by J.W. “Jimmie” Marshall,
had an office in the Terminal
Building at Love Field in Dallas,
Texas, and operated out of Hangar
Two at the airport.
The firm also was base operator
of Municipal Airport in Beaumont,
Texas, and operated a flying school
in Lufkin, Texas.
Otto Vehle was Sales Manager.
Terminal Building at Love Field in Dallas, Texas
Military aircraft
conversions
After World War II, thousands of military
aircraft were declared surplus and auctioned off.
Gulf Aeronautics quickly secured a permit
from the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA)
to convert Cessna C78 airplanes for civilian use
at its Fixed Base Operation on the Beaumont,
Texas, Municipal Airport.
The company got a jump on the market
demand for reliable twin-engined aircraft for use
as executive transports.
As the firm expanded, they began to purchase
for re-sale many other airplanes suitable for
executive use, such as Douglas C-47 (DC-3) and
Lockheed C-60s, which were among the most
popular.
Buddy Vehle was kept busy flying these
airplanes from the “airplane graveyards” to the
Beaumont Airport and the Love Field hangar.
Left and above are views of the military version of
the Cessna C78, affectionately dubbed as “Bamboo
Bomber” because of its wood construction and its
use as a training plane for bombardiers.
Because several military airplanes
manufactured by North American Aviation were
so popular with Air Force pilots, it followed that
when North American introduced a 4-place, lowwing
airplane, demand was instant, and Gulf
Aeronautics secured the distributorship for the
“Navion” in Texas and Oklahoma.
The North American “Navion”

Evolution of the Navion
The post-war period of the 1940s was a booming
time for general aviation.
The Navion was North American’s first attempt
at the general aviation market. With knowledge
gained from the highly successful AT-6, B-25 and
P-51 programs, a production line was established
in Los Angeles, CA. Navions were overbuilt with
thick skins and beefy landing gear components, all
throwbacks to North American’s experience with
military aircraft. It featured the P-51 modified linear
flow wing, and was probably the safest, easiest-tofly
airplane ever built.
The undeniable fact is that Navions are expensive
planes to build. Both North American and Ryan lost
thousands of dollars with every plane that rolled out
of their factory doors.
North American built 1,109 Navions, and Ryan
manufactured 1,240.
The military version Navion was L17A
Original production line in Los Angeles
But the rugged construction meant production
costs were higher than the original Navion’s sale
price of $6,999.00.
Combined with a need for more factory space
(for pre-Korean War F-86 orders), North American
sold the type certificate to the Ryan Aeronautical
Corporation. Production continued on the 185-hp
(205 hp takeoff) Navion. Later the Navion B was
introduced with a choice of more powerful engines.
A Navion serving in Korea
Confidence in the abilities of North American’s
design engineers is evidenced by the fact that Gulf
Aeronautics obtained orders (with cash deposits) for
117 Navions before the first one rolled off the
assembly lines.
In the immediate post-war period, most major
aircraft manufacturers began production on a host
of different aircraft, all aimed at capturing part of
the expected boom of pilots returning from the war.
There was really only Beech’s Bonanza in direct
competition with the Navion.
The military version of the Navion and the civilian version
Beechcraft’s Model 35 Bonanza

The Bonanza, a single-engine, all metal, tricycle
geared, was introduced in 1947 with a sale price of
$7,975.00. V-tail production ran until 1982.
The Bonanza, however, lacked at least four of
the major advantages Navions possessed:
1. ruggedness
2. flight stability
3. ease of flying
4. something Navion pilots called, “forgiveness”.
This twin Navion was produced by Ryan Temco
Twin-engined conversions of the Navion caught
on quickly again because of its ruggedness, ease of
handling, and fuel efficiency.
For example, the Cessna C-78 conversion to a
Cessna 50 lagged behind in popularity because it
had a tail wheel, was partly wooden, had either
Continental 190 or Jacobs 195 radial engines, and
was a heavy fuel user.
Navion at Washington, D.C.
Many corporate pilots were accustomed to
multi-engine aircraft, so it was no surprise when
the rugged Navion lent itself to two engines.
Cessna 50, C-78 conversion to civilian use with radial engines
Cessna then introduced its sleek twin-engined
Cessna 310, which was faster and more efficient than
other twins.
A twin-engined Navion
Believe it or not, someone even produced
a tri-motor Navion.
Cessna 310

Gulf Aeronautics received paid orders for 117
Navions even before the first one came off the
assembly lines in California.
Otto demonstrates a Navion to a prospective
buyer, a Dallas lawyer.
Among several aviation
organizations Buddy
belonged to were
THE OX5 CLUB,
TEXAS NAVY,
and the
TEXAS PRIVATE
FLIERS ASSOCIATION.
The motto for the TEXAS PRIVATE FLIERS ASSOCIATION is “90% fun and 10% business,” and
the business sessions were spent trying to find ways to have the 90% fun..
Vehle served twice as President of the TPFA.
This Spartan Executive was one which
Gulf Aeronautics bought for re-sale to
a firm for use in its nationwide travel
needs. A great choice!
After World War II, Gulf Aeronautics
obtained FAA authrity to modify the popular
Cessna C-78 “Bamboo Bomber” for civilian
use. Many were purchased as surplus,
modified, and sold to firms seeking a nice
twin-engine executive aircraft.
Jimmie Marshall’s friend owned a chain
of East Texas theaters, and the one in
Beaumont was used for the world
premiere of “It’s A Wonderful Life.”
Buddy flew Jimmy Stewart and Frank
Capra from Dallas to the premiere in
this twin Beechraft D-18.
Buddy flew this Stinson Tri-Motor
from Boston to Dallas. It is similar to
the Ford Tri-Motor except it is
covered with aircraft fabric instead
of the aluminum on the Ford.
One of his most interesting trips was flying
some Hardwicke-Etter cotton gin engineers
and equipment from Sherman to Los
Mochis, Mexico, in this Cessna 310.
Probably the most exciting flight
Buddy ever made was when Gulf
Aeronautics puchased this beautiful
airplane from Texaco and he flew it
from Pittsburg to Dallas.

On Pearl Harbor Day, Dec. 7, 1941, Buddy was flying in an
air show, “The Texas Air Fair,” held at Arlington Downs, a
former race track between Dallas and Fort Worth.
“Texas Air Fair”
“Texas Air Fair” was
scheduled to run nine days
and nine nights, but it
was cut short by war.
Opening on Saturday, December 6, 1941, the
“Texas Air Fair” drew record crowds that
afternoon and night.
The stadium was filling up for the matinee
on Sunday, Dec. 7, when Pearl Harbor was
bombed and the Federal government
immediately grounded all aircraft in the United
States.
Texas Air Fair had thousands of pounds of
explosives and pyrotechnics on hand. They were
confiscated because of a nearby Naval Air Station
and some aircraft manufacturing plants might
have been at risk
The matinee program was scheduled for 2:30
p.m and featured two planes flying “piggy-back”
with Buddy Vehle in the lower plane and Danny
Fowlie flying the airplane couple above. Danny
would cut loose and go into a low-level acrobatic
routine.
Part of his routine was to fly upside down and
cut a ribbon ten feet off the ground with the tail
of his airplane.
High speed, low-level acrobatics were
performed by world-famous test
pilot Don Walters in his colorful
Clipped-Wing Dart.
Captain Alexander Papana of the Rumanian Air
Force also flew precision acrobatics.

Texas Air Fair directed by Steadham Acker
Director of the Texas Air Fair was Steadham
Acker, internationally known aviation consultant,
Clem Hoenkamp flew the world’s oldest airplane
still flying, his 1910 Curtiss “Pusher”
Another breathtaking stunt by
Danny Fowlie was to land and
take off with his Piper Cub
from the top of a
speeding automobile.
promoter and air show
director. He was a Naval
aviator and first manager of
Birmingham Municipal
Airport. He managed 13
national air carnivals which
attracted up to 20,000
spectators in one day.
He was presented Birmingham’s “Man Of The
Year” trophy by Eddie Rickenbacker in 1944.
In 1984 he was inducted into the Aviation Hall
of Fame.
Daredevil parachutist Jack Huber did his jumps from an airplane at 10,000 feet
with smoke trailing behind. He cuts away his first parachute, dives toward the
earth, and then opens his second chute very close to the ground.
Jess Bristow did acrobatics and “dive
bombing” from 10,000 feet in the Laird
“SpeedWing” with lots of noise and
smoke. When he flattened out the prop
on his 450-hp Wasp, the roar was deafening.
Night Performance at 8:15 p.m.
Featuring the Greatest Aviation Spectacle of All Times
“THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN”
Staged for the first time in history with
technical supervision by Lieutenant
Commander Ralph T. Goodwin (USNR) of
New York City, who had just returned from
England.
Sound effects were recorded during the
actual bombing of London. Pyrotechnics and
anti-aircraft fire under the supervision of
Texas’ most famous fireworks expert, “Powder
Bill” Engelke.
Special acts preceded the “Battle Of
Britain.” They were night-stunting routines
by all pilots flying lighted aircraft.
1. Landing and take-off on moving
automobile by Danny Fowlie and Jack
Greiner.
2. Two planes flying “piggy-back” by
Danny Fowlie and Buddy Vehle.

“The Battle Of Britain”
The scene is a peaceful English town with citizens on the streets.
When the air raid siren sounds, lights go out, and citizens run for shelters.
Interceptor “Spitfire” pursuit fighters launch machine gun attacks
against the invading aircraft. (The “Spitfire” pursuit planes were Culver
Cadets, flying with landing gear retracted, from left to right in front of the
grandstand with British markings on their right fuselages facing the audience).
German “Stuka” dive bombers attack in two waves. (The “Stukas” were
the same Culver Cadets, with landing gears down, flying from right to left in
front of the grandstand with German marking on their left fuselages facing
the audience).
The announcer excitedly says that antiaircraft
fire has “accidentally” set a high
flying “bomber” on fire. He hopes that its
crew can bail out in time.
(The “bomber” was a Tri-Motor Ford
with smoke on all three engines, and red
neon lights flashing, simulating fire.)
The announcer builds up the tension,
then breathes a sigh of relief and reports
that all aboard had parachuted safely.
But -- the now “empty” burning airplane begins a diving spiral. As it
nears the earth, it heads directly toward the frightened spectators in the
stands! At the last moment, it pulls up, crosses the highway behind the
stands. A huge explosion is heard from that direction, clearing the crowd
as they rush to see the crash scene.
World War II had begun.
With all aircraft grounded except those
involved in the war effort, pilots and their
planes joined the CIVIL AIR PATROL, an
organization founded by “Southern Flight”
magazine editor and publisher George Haddaway
and others such as D. Harold Byrd.
Haddaway commanded the CAP anti-submarine
base in Beaumont, Texas.

The Civil Air Patrol
Beechcraft “Bonanza”
Ercoupe
Osa and Martin Johnson
A wide array of private planes
made up the CAP armada which
patrolled the Gulf Coast from
High Island, Louisiana, to the
middle Texas Coast.
The CAP coastal patrol flew 24
million miles, found 173
submarines, attacked 57, hit 10
and sank two.
Jimmie Marshall acquired a
world famous airplane from
Osa and Martin Johnson, left,
explorers and naturalists.
It was a Sikorsky S-39 which
had been used by them as they
explored and photographed
in Borneo.
Staggerwing Beechcraft
Culver Cadet
The Johnsons with their S-39
Fairchild F-24
A German submarine
commander later
confirmed that
coastal U-Boat
operations
were withdrawn
from the United
States “because
of those damned
little red and yellow
airplanes.”
Stinson SR “Gullwing”
Spartan
Howard DGA

CAP Gulf Coastal Patrol not dull!
Members of the Civil Air Patrol were all
civilian pilots. Most provided one or more
of their personal airplanes for use in
patrolling the coasts of America. They had
no armament and only provided extra eyes.
It surprises many people to learn that
German submarines were active in the Gulf
of Mexico. CAP pilots spotting a sub were
able to drop pigment bombs and the color
dye floating on the water surface marked
the sub’s location so it could be bombed.
One of the airplanes in which Otto flew coast patrol
was a 145-horsepower Fairchild F-24, owned by
Colonel D. Harold Byrd of Dallas.
Below are photocopies of two pages from the personal flying Log Book of Otto Vehle showing an
entry for September 29, 1942, while he was flying a Fairchild over the Gulf near the Texas-Louisiana
border. They spotted an enemy submarine and dropped pigment bombs to mark its location so when
the Army came they were able to drop depth charges and . . . “got ‘im!” Note that the average patrol
was about three hours, but this one ran six hours and 20 minutes.

Leaders of the
Civil Air Patrol
In 1941 when the Civil Air Patrol
was organized under Civil Defense,
two prominent Texans were named to
provide leadership. They were George
E. Haddaway and D. Harold Byrd.
Haddaway was publisher of
“Southern Flight” magazine. Otto
Vehle, as Sales Manager for Gulf
Aeronautics, became close friends
with Haddaway.
Byrd was an entrepreneur, civic
leader and philanthropist. He was a
successful pioneer in Texas oil.
Otto Vehle and Col. Byrd were both
living in Dallas when Vehle had several
airplane deals with Col. Byrd when he
was Mayor of Highland Park.
This photo was taken at a UT football game in 1973, s few
months before Lyndon B. Johnson died. D. Harold Byrd is seen
on the left (cowboy hat) and LBJ is on the right.
Col. Byrd is fondly remembered for his giving
spirit and loyalty to The University of Texas
Longhorn Band. In 1955 he purchased “Big
Bertha,” the largest bass drum in the world.
The drum is eight
feet in diameter, 44
inches in width and
10 feet tall on her
four-wheel cart.
Bertha weighs more
than 500 pounds.
Byrd thought the
biggest state should
have the biggest
“Big Bertha”
drum.
George Haddaway conceived the idea of an
organization of private pilots which would give
them an opportunity to socialize at fly-ins, and
the “Texas Private Fliers Association” was born.
The Association had monthly meetings. The
Board of Directors consisted of 12 members, and
each of these Directors were assigned a month of
the year when that Director would serve as host
in his city during his assigned month.
Motto of TPFA “90% business and 10% fun.”
Tthe 90% business was spent trying to determine
how to have the 10% fun.
Otto Vehle served two terms as President of
the Texas Private Fliers Association.
This bronze bust of D. Harold Byrd
is in the Texas Museum of Flight
Just before Otto left the U.S. for his overseas
assignments, he was in a New York hotel and
received a “To Whom It May Concern” letter from
George Haddaway which stated that Lt. Otto Vehle
was to be given every courtesy because he was
authorized to provide “Southern Flight” magazine
with articles and photographs.
These were his very first “Press Credentials”

Military Service
In 1942, the President of the United States awarded
him a Direct Commission as a Second Lieutenant pilot.He
earned his Instrument Rating in St. Joe, Missouri, flying
a B-25 and a converted DC-3 American Airlines
SkySleeper.
First Lieutenant Otto Vehle
From 1942 until
1946, his Air Force
service spanned five
Theaters of Operation
and he earned seven
Citations, including the
Air Medal.
He rose through the
ranks to First
Lieutenant, Captain,
and then Major. He
obtained single and
multi-engine, land and
and sea, and instrument ratings.
He was stationed in three North African Air Force Bases:
Cairo, Egypt, Tripoli, Libya, and Casablanca and
Marrakesh in Morocco. While in Casablanca he was flying
C-54s across the South Atlantic Ocean. He spent a tour of
duty in Abadan, Persia (Iran), flying the Persian Gulf to
Karachi, India and beyond, even over “The Hump”.
Major Otto Vehle
Prior to his several overseas
assignments, Otto attended
“The Air War College”
at Maxwell Air Force Base,
Montgomery, Alabama.
Above, in the Persian Desert near
Abadan, Iran, where he was stationed
while flying C-46s between
Abadan and Karachi, India

Ferry Command
Otto Vehle’s first military assignment was to the Fifth Ferrying
Group stationed at Love Field in Dallas, Texas.
During that time, he ferried all manner of airplanes, all across
America and to foreign countries.
He spent most of this time flying the Consolidated B-24 bomber
from factories to and from modification centers.
The B-24 was affectionately called “The Liberator”
North American was contracted to build B-
24s in 1942, and a total of 430 were built.
It had a cruising speed of 215 mph with a
range of over 3,000 miles with a full bomb load.
It could carry 8,000 pounds of bombs and was
equipped with ten .50-caliber machine guns
mounted in the nose, tail, and side turrets.
(Original cost: $336,500.)
It was owered by four 1,200 horsepower Pratt
& Whitney Twin Wasp 14 cylinder engines,
which were later equipped with superchargers.
Otto found it a very easy airplane to fly.
It was originally equipped with a ball turret
and three .50-cal. machine guns in the nose;
however, combat experience showed the
airplane vulnerable, so additional turrets were
installed. A B-24 normally carried a crew of ten.
This is a view in the cockpit of a B-24G.
In addition to the four throttles, mix controls,
and propellor controls, note the black
dial in the center console. After pushing the
throttles to full, this dial was turned to increase
the power by activating the superchargers.

Air Transport Command
As Europe and Asia became embroiled in war
in the late 1930s, Army Air Force and airline
representatives began to plan on an air
transportation system in the event America became
involved in a global war.
On May 29, 1941, the Air Corps created the
Ferry Command to fly aircraft from the U.S.
factories to overseas bases. When the Japanese
attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, the Ferry
Command had already delivered over 1300
aircraft.
On June 20, 1942, The Ferry Command
became the Air Transport Command (ATC), with
world-wide responsibility for ferrying aircraft,
transporting personnel, material, and mail.
Under wartime conditions transport or combat
planes crossed the Atlantic on an average of one
every 13 minutes, the broader Pacific every hour
and a half, and, in one year, more than a billion
pounds of high priority cargo, passengers, and mail
were carried to war theaters around the globe.
After America entered the war, many civilian
transport pilots were commissioned as officers to
ferry military aircraft. Otto Vehle was one of them.
By 1945 the ATC, with more than 200,000
members in uniform, was flying with clocklike
regularity routes that were considered unflyable
before the war. To supply the 14th Air Force and
the XX Bomber Command, it carried fuel, bombs,
jeeps, etc. over the towering Himalayas, achieving
during July, 1945, an average of one plane every
1.3 minutes over “The Hump.”
A C-46 flying over “The Hump”.
Insignia for the ATC was worn in pairs
on the epaulets of uniforms.
The insignia for the ATC is sterling with red
and blue cloisonne. On the silver disc with an
arched base, there are the lines of latitude and
longitude in blue. Over all, a symbolic upright
wing of an aircraft in red and blue. Around the
upper edge is Morse Code dots and dashes in red,
white and blue for the letters AFATC. The badge
represents aircraft being transported from the West
to the East, which refers to President Roosevelt’s
directive to the command that aircraft be
transported “with the greatest possible speed.”
In 1934, C.R. Smith
was elected president of
American Airlines. When
the U.S. entered World War
II, C.R. Smith joined the
Army Air Forces as a
colonel and helped
organize the Air Transport
Command. Col Smith
became a Major General,
serving as Deputy
Commander of the ATC.
When the war ended and
after his military career in
1945, C.R. Smith returned
to American Airlines.
As a prank, one of the
DC-3 pilots rigged up a flag
similar to the ones used by
General Smith with
President Roosevelt.
American pilots prior to
the war as they taxied
up to terminals. It read:
“Snuffy Smith’s
Airline.”

Interesting Instrument training
Early in his military flying
career, Otto was sent to St. Jo,
Missouri’s Rosecrans Field for
instrument flight training.
His final instrument flight
test was taken while flying a
DC-3 which had been
requisitioned from American
Airlines. It was one of their
“SkySleepers.”
American Airlines “SkySleeper” used for Army Air Corps instrument training
Otto learned something interesting about the
early versions of a B-25. On one of his takeoffs,
his instructor cut the left engine. Following
procedures he had learned earlier on other
aircraft, Otto reached for the rudder trim and
turned it to the right to drop the right wing. At
that moment, the B-25 almost did a roll to the
left! Later he learned that a cabeling error had
the trim tab cables twisted so that instead of
correcting the trim away from the dead engine,
the tabs worsened the problem by dropping the
left wing even further. Instructor and pilot
“SkySleeper” upper and lower berths made up for sleeping
quickly corrected the problem!
Below is the
instrument rating
card issued to Otto
following the St. Jo
Instrument
Training School.
The B-25 “Mitchell” in which Otto took his instrument flight training under the hood
B-25 cockpit

North American Aviation made
some great airplanes
The U.S.S. Hornet (CV-8) on April 18, 1942. Aft are B-25s waiting to take off as another B-25 rises into the air off the
bow. The B-25 Mitchells successfully bombed targets in Kobe, Yokohama, Nagoya and Tokyo. The altitude was
about 1500 feet. No aircraft were lost over the target; however, bad weather prevented the flyers from finding their
pre-arranged landing fields in China. Eeleven of the crews had to bail out, while four others crash-landed.
All sixteen B-25s taking part in the mission
were lost. Seven men were injured and three were
killed. Eight crew were taken prisoner by the
Japanese. Only four of those survived the war.
The survivors who landed in Japanesecontrolled
territory were sheltered and attended
by courageous Chinese, and for this the Japanese
occupying force wrought full vengeance on the
local population.
Hollywood later produced a motion picture
of the event: “Sixty Seconds Over Tokyo.”
Pilots who have been fortunate to fly any or
all of North American’s great aircraft love them,
so it was little surprise after World War II that
the North American “Navion” was greeted with
such enthusiasm.
A B-25 takes off from the Hornet en route Tokyo
General Billy Mitchell, 1919
General Billy Mitchell, for
whom the B-25 “Mitchell”
was named, was a
staunch advocate of air
power, even faced Court
Martial for his stand. In the
photo above he poses in
his Thomas-Morse MB-3A
pursuit plane in 1923.
Before Otto could ferry the North American P-51 (left),
he took transition training in the North American AT-6
(right), making back-seat landings to get accustomed
to the blind front view out of the cockpit due to nosehigh
attitude. Landing, both hands must be on the
stick, never touching the throttle, because hitting
power on the high-torque engine would cause the
airplane to snap roll.

Homes away from home
When Otto was sent overseas, his first
assignment was in Tripoli, Libya, then Cairo,
Egypt. He and his co-pilot, Lt. Robert F.
“Wimpy” Neel, Jr. were permitted to rent an
apartment in the Cairo suburb of Heliolopolis.
Otto and Wimpy had a Sudanese houseboy,
Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed, who was a
champion Golden Gloves boxer. He would not
sleep in the apartment, but on a mat outside the
front door. When they wanted bacon and eggs
for breakfast, he refused to cook the pork, and
prayed for the two American pilots as they ate.
After the War, Wimpy became chief pilot for
millionaire H. Lutcher Brown of Orange, Texas,
flying his Lockheed Lodestar (C-60) which had
been converted into a plush interior, and painted
Orange and Brown (what else?). See the next
page for more details of Wimpy’s flying career.
Two blocks from their apartment was the
famous Heliolopolis racetrack.
Apparently there was a funeral home nearby
because there were often funeral processions pass
by in front, with pallbearers carrying the casket
high overhead, and the walking processions were
often quite large.
On one occasion, someone had built a
platform in the street at the front door, and
people were making speeches. Otto, Wimpy and
Mohammed stood among the crowd to listen,
even though they didn’t understand a word
which was being said. Mohammed whispered
something to the next speaker, and as his oratory
began, he would point at the two Air Force
officers, say something, and the crowd would
respond enthusiastically with “Yah, yah, Neel”,
and “Yah, yah, Vehle!” Later we persuaded our
houseboy to interpret, and he said the speaker
was making a political speech, and was assuring
the listeners the President Roosevelt had sent his
two personal messengers, Vehle and Neel, with
a promise for much money, aid, and support.
Next stop: Persian Gulf
While in Cairo, they flew across North Africa
and to the East from Egypt, across the Middle
East to Pakistan, and India, usually with stops
in Abadan, Persia (now Iran).
The Baron’s Hindu Palace in Heliopolis is
subject to more fables, legends and rumors
than any other monument in Egypt.
Life in Heliolopolis was delightful, Good food,
friendly Egyptians, comfortable quarters. That
all changed when Otto was sent to Abadan, Iran.
Not only was the climate horrible, so was
everything else, including the routes, to say
nothing of having to fly the Curtis C-46s with
their overloaded cargos down the Persian Gulf
(mostly un-charted, with very few navigation
aids) to Karachi, India (now Pakistan).
On nearly every flight, the Weight & Balance
Report for the C-46 would show to be the same
48,000 pound limit. During the hot (100-110
degree) temperatures in Abadan, the C-46 would
almost bog down into the asphalt runways and
require nearly every foot of runway for takeoff.
Added to that, the weather. In Abadan it
would be instrument take-offs and landings in a
sand storm, and in Karachi, instruments
required under Monsoon rain conditions.
But there was a bright spot in Karachi. A
wonderful Oriental restaurant, “Sum Chow”.
What a suitable name. Never since has there been
such delicious, huge, fried Prawns. And, there
was something remarkable about the iced tea.
Otto’s room mate was killed when his C-46
props ran away on takeoff. Otto took his body
by train from Abadan to Teheran’s military
cemetery.

Egypt, Cairo, and Heliopolis
The map shows the suburb of
Heliopolis in the far northeaster part of
Cairo. Otto’s apartment was at 34 Shara
El Ahrah, Heliolopolis, was near to the
airport.
Between flights, he had several
opportunities to see the historical and
archeological wonders of that part of
Egypt, some of them depicted on the
following page.
In his mind, Egypt and Pyramids
were synonymous.
His mind’s eye of the Sphynx was
based upon seeing color postcards as a
child. What a surprise when he actually
saw it close up. Guess it shouldn’t have
been a surprise considering the centuries
of erosion by desert sandstorms, but the
nose was gone. He came to understand
that the Pyramids are the oldest, yet the
only surviving of the Seven Wonders Of
The Ancient World.

The Great Pyramids of Giza
The street leading to the Pyramids
Almost as old as the Pyramids are the
camel drivers offering a ride.
Like lots of American cities with a church on
every corner, Mosques abound in Cairo.
One cannot resist the offer of a
ride on a camel. You’ll never
forget it. Camels and Cadillacs
have nothing in common.
Otto’s biggest suprise in Egypt was when he saw the Sphynx in person. It was not
at all as he remembered from picture postcards he saw as a kid.
Cairo does have automobiles -- and
lots of taxis. But the primitive
donkey carts are still prominent.
Street musicians -- a far cry from
American Rock N Roll.
As you can see, The Red Sea east of Cairo is not red at all.

Tripoli, Libya
Tripoli was probably established by the Phoenicians
in the 7th century BC as Oea.
Libya is bounded on the north by the Mediterranean
Sea, on the east by Egypt, on the southeast by Sudan, on
the south by Chad and Niger, on the west by Algeria
and on the northwest by Tunisian.
Islam is the state religion, and almost 97 percent of
all Libyans are Sunni Muslim. A small number are
Roman Catholic. Arabic is the official language although
Berber is sometimes spoken and English and Italian are
used in trade.
When Otto was transferred to Wheelus Air Force
Base at Tripoli, he had many opportunities to explore
this melting pot with its many obvious influences under
several rules such as Roman and Italian. As an officer,
he had access to staff cars, but like most other pilots on
the base, he had a motorcycle which had been salvaged
from the desert after Rommel’s rout. The Base
Commander set up a gas pump for the motorcyclists at
the base entrance.
Port of Tripoli and its natural harbor. Its entrance was
once blocked in 1804 after Tripoli declared war on the U.S.
and to enforce a blockade the frigate Philadelphia, with 44
guns, one of the best ships in the Navy, ran aground and
was later burned During World War II, before Otto arrived
in Tripoli, this port was again blocked when U.S. B-24
bombed and sank many vessels in the harbor.
The Officer’s Club at Wheelus AFB.
The Wheelus Base Exchange.
Pilots flew into the Sahara desert and
“liberated” German and Italian
motorcycles which had been abandoned
as Rommel fled to the east and
discarded the vehicles due to lack of
fuel. Otto first had a huge German
bike which had two big opposing
cylinders which proved to be almost
more than he could handle. Then he
got the speedy little “Gelira” Italian
bike shown above in this photo made
at Mellaha Beach, Tripoli, Libya.
Roman influence evidenced by this
statue of Emperor Lucius Septimius
Severus, AD 146-211.
Minaret shows Muslim influence

Ruins of the Byzantine Church in Tripoli.
The Arch of Marcus Aurilius, AD 163-164
Suburban Tripoli consist of sand and camels.
St. Grorge guards the Castle Castle courtyard A typical graveyard in Tripoli.
Street vendors in Tripoli.
A caravan’s welcome sight, the Oasis.
The motorcycle was left behind when
Otto shipped out to his next Air Force
assignment. He learned the meaning of
“you can’t take it with you.”
A view of Tripoli’s “Old Town”

The C-60 converted to executive aircraft
At right is the military
version of the
Lockheed 18, known as
the C-60 “Loadstar.”
Many were converted
to civilian use after
World War II. One was
purchased by
Orange, Texas
industrialist H. Lutcher
Brown who hired
Wimpy Neel as his
Chief Pilot.
In May 1941, the Army Air Force began using
the C-60 for training and transporting personnel
and freight. Lockheed built 325 for the Army
Air Force.
After World War II, many military Lodestars
were declared surplus and sold to private
operators for use as executive transports. Its two
1,200-horsepower Wright engines provided a
cruising speed of 232 mph.
Wimpy Neel’s boss, H. Lutcher Brown, also
had a home in San Antonio. One day Wimpy
called Otto Vehle to report that he had seen a
story in a Texas newspaper which had a picture
of their old houseboy, Ahmed Mohammed
Ahmed.
Sure enough, there was Mohammed with a
fist raised, standing in front of a large group of
demonstrators. His Sudanese markings on each
temple (three vertical scars) were clearly visible.
The luxurious cabin of Brown’s Lodestar provided
sleeping quarters along with a galley
Looking forward towards cockpit showing the reclining seats
Elizabeth Taylor mourns death of
husband Mike Todd after crash
On March 21, 1958, movie actor Mike Todd
along with several others were killed in the crash
of a Lodestar named “The Lucky Liz,” named
after Mike’s movie star wife, Elizabeth Taylor.
The Lucky Liz encountered bad weather
over the New Mexico Zuni Mountains. Ice was
developing on the wings, putting a load on the
engines.
Pilot Bill Vernier radioed John Johnson, the
CAA person in Grants, New Mexico, and
received permission to climb from 11,000 feet
to 13,000 feet to try to get the ice off. Permission
was granted at 2:05 a.m. That was to be the last
communication to come from The Lucky Liz.
It crashed in a 7,000-feet-high valley of the 9,300
-feet-high Zuni mountains 20 miles southwest
of Grants. The wreckage was scattered over half
an acre.

Final assignment:
Casablanca, Morocco
Casablanca was not exactly as portrayed by
Humphrey Bogart, but 100% better than Iran.
Otto was then sent for C-54 transition training
in Marrakech, south of Casablanca. This was truly
plush. Not only getting to fly his favorite airplane,
the Douglas DC-4 (C54), but the living conditions
were five-star. This city is fantastic, and today is
one of the world’s top vacation spots.
Dakar, capital of Senegal, on Cape Verde
Peninsula, is the busiest port in West Africa.
Late in 1942 U.S. Forces occupied th city and
stayed until the end of World War II. The C-54
flights only re-fueled there and went to
Casablanca or Natal.
Dakar, Senegal, nearing the airport
The Hotel LaMeredien in Marrakech where pilots lived.
Empress Market
Medina (the Old City)
Arriving in Natal, Brazil
Menara Gardens
Koutoubia Minaret
As evidenced by the above photos, the weeks
spent in Marrakech made up for any earlier
hardships. Then it was back to Casablanca to
begin dozens of round trips across the South
Atlantic in the C-54. The westbound 1,900-mile
flights would depart Dakar, Senegal, non-stop for
Natal, Brazil. After an overnight in Natal, back
to Dakar.
Each flight crosses the “Equatorial Front”, and
took ten to twelve hours, depending upon winds.
Approaching the coastline of Natal, Brazil
Natal was founded in 1599, occupied by Dutch
for many years. It grew rapidly during World
War II when the airport was built for flights to
Africa.

Dakar, Senegal
Natal, Brazil
Route of the 1,900-mile trip between South America and Africa cross over “half-way point” Ascenction Island
After hours flying east or west, the
Ascension Island, almost exactly in the middle
of the South Atlantic, was always a welcome
sight, and the radio navigation assistance kept
flights on track. In addition to radio navigation
from Ascension, the U.S. had ships in the
Atlantic providing similar directions.
In 1942 US Army Engineers built an
airfield. Landing there during the Atlantic
crossing flights was rare, and only for severe
weather conditions or some mechanical problem.
Ascension is a small island of 34 square miles,
volcanic in origin, but has superb white sand
beaches made up of shell and coral.
It is rugged, dry, barren, and inhospitable with
most of its surface covered by basalt lava flows
and cinder cones. Inhospitable, except for the
welcome radio signals keeping us on course.

The beautiful Islands of the North Atlantic
Some of Otto’s ocean flights took him over
the North Atlantic.
Often, after weeks in North African bases
without freedom to eat fresh vegetables due to
contamination, it would always be a wonderful
opportunity to stop over in the beautiful island
group, The Azores.
Here, lush vegetation, island lakes, and
excellent Portugese quisine were a welcome
respite. Even fresh milk was completely safe.
As these photos show, The Azores are lovely.
Santa Maria Island is the easternmost island
of the Azores Archipelago. The airport is located
near the Vila do Porto, the main urban center.
The airport was a pioneer in the region.
Located in the Atlantic Ocean between
Europe and North America, the Azores are on a
parallel with Lisbon. The nine islands have a
total surface area of over 575,000 acres.
The peak of the volcano on Pico Island attains
a height of 7,713 feet, constituting the highest
point to be found on either the Azores or
mainland Portugal.
Population of the region was 237,795
inhabitants in 1991.
Historically, the Portugese came on the scene
in 1427. Due to its strategic position, the
archilelago was to become an important
waypoint in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The Azores have a temperate climate all year
round, practically with no significant
temperature changes which vary between 55
degrees and 76 degrees, the pleasant average
temperature in August.
The short length of the runways back in the
World War II years left something to be desired,
but it must be remembered that the rugged
terrain had little in the way of flat land.

Natal offered great accomodations for the
weary pilots and crew at the Vila do Mar hotel
This map of northeastern Brazil
shows the location of Natal
Here’s why the great Douglas C-54 is
Otto’s favorite military aircraft
The Douglas C-54 “Skymaster”, known in civil form as the DC-4. The one above was dubbed
\the “Sacred Cow” because it was assigned to the President of the United States.
When Otto completed his transition from
two-engine to four-engine aircraft in the C-54
he had discovered the finest military aircraft
he had ever flown.
In three years during World War II, Otto
flew dozens of the 79,642 crossings of the
Atlantic, and only 3 were lost. Powered by four
Pratt&Whitney R-2000 1,450 hp engines, the
C-54s carried up to 49 passengers at a speed
of 273 mph with a range of 3,877 miles and
service ceiling of 30,000 feet.
One great feature was the method of
steering while taxiing on the ground. The
steering wheel can be seen on the left side in
this cockpit photo at the right.
C54 cockpit. Yellow line points to nosewheel steering wheel

Crew accomodations on the C-54 were truly
comfortable. Just behind the cockpit was an area
which had a small galley, and upper & lower bunks
for crew relaxation during the sometime 12-14
hour trans-Atlantic crosssings.
Otto spent some of resting time lying in a bunk
reading “Gone With The Wind” and other books.
He never did finish Tolstoy’s “War And Peace”.
Following one very uneventful flight from
Dakar to Natal carrying several injured soldiers,
many on crutches, the C-54 softly touched down
(as usual). Helping some of the injured down the
steps, one stopped to thank Otto for such a smooth
ride and landing. Otto was reminded that during
his daring (and stupid) air show antics, he never
had anyone compliment his flying abilities.
The view at left and above show the graceful C-54
“Skymaster coming in for a landing. Otto got many
grateful handshakes for a great flight and a gentle
landing from war-weary troops he was
returning from World War II. But he akways insisted
that the Skymaster almost lands by itself -- so easy to fly.
The C-54 was a mainstay life-saver during
the Berlin Airlift of 1948-1949
Named the “Spirit Of Freedom”, the Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation completely restored this C-54 which served
in the famous Berlin Airlift, and now tours the world to commemorate its importance in winning the cold war.

Navion B&Wclouds Navion BluWh Navion over DC
Navion L17A
Navion MaxAir
Navions Military and Civilian
Navion Military Red-White
Navion Military Version L17
Navion serving in Korean War
Navion Red Stripe
New Navion Engine
Beech Bonanza
Cessns 310
Cessna 50 C-78 conversion
Navion production
Navion tri-motor
Two views of Navion twin
Navion twins
Canada
Navion twin
Ryan Temco