MANAGEMENT IN AVIATION HISTORY BENCH MARKS
guarding the entrance walkway. “Chapter One” of the Ex- perimental Aircraft Association (EAA) calls the nearby Flabob Airport its home. One of America’s most unusual but impor- tant tributes to aviation is not found at an airfi eld, but within Riverside’s historic Mission Inn. Built in stages between 1902 and 1931, the Inn is an eclectic combination of multi-level architecture that includes a courtyard with a giant animated clock, a chapel, a museum and art collection, and the Famous Fliers’ Wall. The Inn is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The idea to honor aviators began with the Inn founder’s son-in-law and daughter, DeWitt and Allis Hutchings. The Hutchings were aviation enthusiasts who were known for their travels as passengers aboard early airliners to foreign places. Their close association with aviators based at March Field fueled the idea to honor aviators at the Inn. Dur- ing the early 1930s, the Inn’s chapel was dedicated to Saint Francis, whose reputation for protecting birds expanded to include “birdmen.” In 1934, the Hutchings created a wall where honorees nailed their “signed” wings to the edifi ce near the chapel, accompanied by a commemorative event. Most often it was a small group of local politicians, past honorees and friends of the Hutchings family, but on occasion it was a full-fl edged, black-tie aff air with a ban- quet, band and aircraft fl y overs. Author Walter Parks wrote “The Famous Fli- ers’ Wall of the Mission Inn” in 1986 and revised it in 2004. His book is the source of many details found only within those pages. According to Parks, the only criteria the Hutchings held for the honor was that a person made a considerable contribution to aviation. Another qualifi cation was that the honoree had at one time visited the Inn, if not attended the ceremony. Never- theless, at least two honorees never visited the Inn. “Orville Wright was too ill to attend,” says Parks, “so ‘Hap’ Arnold stood in for him.” Lind- bergh had already passed away so his grandson did the honors. No other specifi c qualifi ca- tions were set and all future managers of the Inn were left to choose whom they favored, causing considerable diversity and occasional controversy. There were years of inactivity as well as spurts of revived interest.
Since 1934, 158 10-inch copper wings have been nailed to the wall, now safely viewed
through a delicate Spanish-style iron fence and gate.
COPPER WINGS AND LEGACIES NOT FOUND ELSEWHERE
The fi rst four wings honored Maj. Gen. B.D. Foulois, Lt. Col. H.H.“Hap” Arnold, Brig. Gen. O. Westover, and Lt. Cmdr. H.V. Wiley. The ranks given were those held at the
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Brig. Gen. Lucas V. Beau nailed his wings to the Famous Fliers’ Wall in December 1943. He established the WWII maintenance and repair base at San Bernardino, CA. He is pictured here with fellow offi cers. In the front row (left to right) are Elizabeth Ulysses Grant McQueen (also a wall honoree), Allis Hutchings, Gen. Beau, Ethel Beau and DeWitt Hutchings. Photo: W.W. Parks
time of their inductions. Among the 16 women are famous aviatrix Ruth Nicols, who held three world’s records in 1931, and Mary Calcano, who was the fi rst female pilot in Venezuela in 1938. Non- pilots, aircraft designers and others were honored, including Elizabeth Ulysses Grant McQueen, a one-time resident of the Inn. McQueen was an advocate for women in aviation and founded the Aero Policewomen’s Association of Cali- fornia in 1938. Six wings belong to men for whom air bases were named, such as Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg. Four were aircraft builders, including Glenn Martin. There are plenty of unique stories connected with this
group who nailed their wings to the wall. (Major) Dr. Thomas R. White volunteered to be a gunner on the WWII Doolittle raid on Japan. While returning from the mission, all planes ran out of fuel and crashed. The gunner and doctor tended to the survivors under remarkable circumstances.
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