1920s 1930s

Crawford's Airport in Seal Beach, California

1920s-1930s

My grandfather, CW Hitchcock, learned to fly at Crawford's Airport, in Seal Beach, California, 1927.  What he learned on was a "wooden blank suspended between two ropes, which had a 'joy stick and stirrups". Once he got good on that (good? LOL) he was told he could try out the "plane" which was nothing more than a glider with a motorcycle engine on it.

He was told to ride it down to the end of the runway and then return. Do that a few times then take off. Grandpa rode down the runway once, turned back then took off. He flew around the airport a few times, with his teacher screeching at him from below "GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE."

I have photos of that glider, which I will find and post.  He learned how to fly that thing all over Seal Beach (which wasn't more than 12 blocks wide and 8 blocks deep), and he loved to take mother (who was 7 at the time strapped to his lap for safety. Oh, and the seat was on top of the glider, open air cockpit, with just a seat belt holding both of them strapped to the fuselage.  My mother loved it.

Grandpa Hitchcock's log 1930s

There was an Inn by the airport called Glider's Inn, which the pilots used to frequent; as well as the entire town. They had a log book there for people to sign in if they were pilots. My grandfather's name was in all three of their log books including people like Amelia Earhart, Wrong Way Corrigan, (see story here http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi1070.htm), Anne and Charles Lindbergh, women pilots, everyone ended up at sometime eating at The Glider's Inn. The Inn is still there but it has since changed hands in the 2000's and is called something different.

Early Long Beach was a mecca for pioneer aviators, and grandpa wanted in on the pack.  At one time, before Long Beach's beaches were ruined with the sea wall, pilots would land on the wide hard-packed sand.  Grandpa told me that Charles Lindbergh did that once, perhaps all of them did.

Here is an excerpt out of Wikipedia of Amerlia Earhart http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Earhart:

 "In Long Beach, on December 28, 1920, Earhart and her father visited an airfield where Frank Hawks (who later gained fame as an air racer) gave her a ride that would forever change Earhart's life. "By the time I had got two or three hundred feet off the ground," she said, "I knew I had to fly."^[37] After that 10-minute flight (that cost her father $10), she immediately became determined to learn to fly. Working at a variety of jobs, including photographer, truck driver, and stenographer at the local telephone company, she managed to save $1,000 for flying lessons. Earhart had her first lessons, beginning on January 3, 1921, at Kinner Field* near Long Beach, but to reach the airfield Earhart took a bus to the end of the line, then walked four miles (6 km). Earhart's mother also provided part of the $1,000 "stake" against her "better judgement."^[38] Her teacher was Anita "Neta" Snook, a pioneer female aviator who used a surplus Curtiss JN-4 "Canuck" for training. Earhart arrived with her father and a singular request, "I want to fly. Will you teach me?"

Ms. Earhart was the first woman pilot who flew solo over the Atlantic Ocean.  She was also the first woman to have a pilot's license.  However, I know that Anne Lindbergh flew her plane, but not sure when she got her license.* (note to self to post this).

Here is an excerpt out of Wikipedia about Anne Morrow Lindbergh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Morrow_Lindbergh):

Anne Morrow and Charles Lindbergh were married in a private ceremony on May 27, 1929 at the home of her parents in Englewood, New Jersey.^[11]

That year, Anne flew solo for the first time, and in 1930 became the first American woman to earn a first class glider pilot's license. In the 1930s, Anne and Charles together explored and charted air routes between continents.^[12] The Lindberghs were the first to fly from Africa to South America, and explored polar air routes from North America to Asia and Europe.^[13]

*Grandpa and friends flew out of Kinner Field many times. He actually ran out of gas and had to make an emergency landing on field near where we live (where Bixby Knolls is now developed). Old man Bixby ran out of his farm house and yelled at grandpas to get that ***damn contraption off of his field.

Eula Belle Hunt Hitchcock

Photo of grandmother

aged 16

Grandmom hated flying, but would fly with grandpa if he took her to visit her sister and mother in Houston, Texas, where they were living at the time.  Grandpa's idea of navigation to Texas, was during the day, via following the roads; by the seat of your pants flying.

Eula Belle and CW

aged 16 and 18

born 1904 and 1997

Dorothy, age 5 and Eula Belle

Houston, Texas

Mother, aged 5, and grandmother at the beach in Houston, Texas.

CW, 1942, 1st Lt. Pilot

WWII

Dorothy

Aged 17, WWII

Patty, aged about 2 or 3

Dorothy, aged 25

John Rudd, adopted dad, born 1918
and
Dorothy, mom, born 1920

Diane Jeannette Rudd

Sister, born 1960 

aged 15

 Strider aged 3
Pat aged 29

I didn't get to any of the planes Grandpa CW owned, but will do that tomorrow.