The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania offers tributes to aviation history in the towns of Washington, Latrobe and Sewickley within the Western Region and in Kurtztown in the Eastern Region.
DeLloyd Thompson, at the controls of a Wright Model B biplane ~1910. Photo:
Observer-Reporter.com
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK Finding your Aviation Ancestry O
ne of my favorite web sites is Paul Freeman’s, “Abandoned and Little- Known Airfi elds,” which is divided by state and lavishly illustrated with rare
maps, photographs, documents and updated information on fi eld closures in obscure places. I was scrolling through the web pages for the area eastern region of the Common- wealth of Pennsylvania, and found a plaque commemorating the Kurtztown Airport. In 1995 the airport celebrated its 50th anniversary with a ceremony and hopes for the future. Sadly, this charming general aviation fi eld has recently been closed, and despite objections by many area residents, is destined to be the location of a shopping center. Pennsylva- nia has seven major airports. It also has over 130 public use airfi elds, but the plaque at Kurtztown reminds us that we are losing many of our once thriving small municipal and regional airports across America. While exploring the western region of Pennsylvania in
search of our aviation history, I discovered the origins of the famous OX5 engine club, a remarkable tribute to the Tuske- gee Airmen, and a town determined to rename their airport for a local Early Bird. These stories symbolize the theme of my column this year in which I am encouraging you to be on the alert for your aviation ancestry. In 1955, a plaque was placed at Latrobe Airport located near Pittsburgh, to commemorate the founding of the OX5 Club of Pennsylvania. Latrobe is now Arnold Palmer
04 2014 24 By Giacinta Bradley Koontz
Regional Airport (LBE) and the OX5 Club became the national organization known as the OX5 Aviation Pioneers. This unlikely name for a group of pilots is derived from the Glenn Curtiss engine fi rst built in 1910. Following a series of prototypes and collaborating with power plant designer, Charles Manley, Curtiss manufactured thousands of OX5s. During the 1920s, when surplus engines were inexpensive, the OX5 was used on general aviation aircraft such as the Laird Swallow, Pitcairn PA-4 Fleetwing II, Travel Air 2000, Waco 9 and 10, the American Eagle, the Buhl-Verville CW-3 Airster, and some models of the Jenny.
“Poor is the nation having no heroes. Shameful is the one having them that forgets.” – Unknown Author
Latrobe is about seventy miles from the town of Washing- ton which proudly claims David Lloyd “DeLloyd” Thomp- son [1888-1949] as one of their own. Thompson shortened his name by combining his fi rst initial with his middle name. His fl ying friends called him “Dutch.” By 1910, Thompson had made a name for himself racing automobiles when he became air-minded. At St. Louis, Missouri, Thompson studied under the
expert supervision of the Wright brothers’ fi rst instructor, Walter Brookins [1889-1953]. Wright biplanes had dual controls, allowing students to sit beside their instructor
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