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[AAC Cadet Leader]

Mom's Log
Day 42
Friday, July 8
California
SantaYnez
Dave Pyeatt drove Martha to Torrance Field where his father keeps his plane and met with Dave’s acquaintance, Dick Smith who flew Martha to Chino Airport in his 1929 Travelair. From there they flew to the “Wings and Wheels Weekend” at Santa Ynez Airfield, near Santa Barbara, CA. [We all we had lunch at famous Flo's Restaurant at Chino, then on the way to Santa Ynez, Dick flew me flew past the HOLLYWOOD sign.]



[insert photo of Hollywood sign]

The pilots of the antique planes exchange rides with owners of the antique cars. Freia Hooper who is also a writer for Pacific Flyer flew Martha near the mountains in her Taylorcraft L-2. She is Tom Mc Kenna’s friend.





Dave and his friend, Joe Sand and Freia went to dinner at a restaurant and had a terrible dinner. Martha stayed the night at Freia’s house. At the air show at Santa Ynez they witnessed a plane landing with the gear up. The propeller was curled over. No one was hurt, but the poor pilot was terribly embarrassed.

Day 43
Saturday, July 9
California



M walked around the town of Santa Ynez and talked to Tom McKenna, original Barnstormer, 80 years old, Lee Spencer’s friend from Santa Barbara. [He told me about his days long ago, training pilots, including Hollywood stunt pilots, Frank Tallman and Paul Mantz.]

Steve Lyons flew her in his 1947 Stampe.

Returned to Friea’s at 5 p.m. and got dressed for the barbeque.



Stu MacPherson in his white 1929 Travelair biplane was giving rides for $40. He took Martha up for no charge. She sat in front and they flew over mountains and valleys - beautiful sights - no houses - just pastures, cows, trees and fields.

When they landed approximately 100 people were on the field [at the barbeque]. Four or five were being given recognition for having the oldest car, coming the farthest distance, etc. The emcee, Leo Gay introduced Martha. Martha told the crowd about what she was doing, then gave them all the Air Adventurers Club pledge and passed out AAC membership cards.

Tom in his 1926 car drove Martha to David Pyeatt’s Waco to get her bags and she returned to Freia’s for the night.

[AAC Cadet Leader]

[AAC Cadet Leader]

This photo has been inserted out of sequence on purpose to protect the innocent. Or perhaps it's the guilty.



You'll have to buy the printed version of the book to see the second photo in this series.

[AAC Cadet Leader]

Mom's Log
Day 44
Sunday, July 10
California
10 a.m. flight around Santa Ynez with Gordon Brown in his 1942 DeHavilland Tiger Moth. He did a super-smooth loop over the countryside.

The DeHavilland planes were designed by a man who was interested in moths’ beauty and collected them. He named his planes the Tiger Moth, Gypsy Moth, Hornet and one other?

At the “Wings and Wheels” she rode with 20 others in the back of a big army truck (1906-1930) and for 3 or 4 hours toured the countryside in a long convoy of old jeeps and Army trucks [and antique touring cars and Model T Fords]. They stopped at an old mission where an Irish priest, dressed as a monk welcomed the gathering with a brief, humorous speech and a serious prayer, then served donuts and juice. Afterwards they all drove to another pretty spot for a box lunch. Driving back to the airport the pilots rode in different antique cars. On the ride back to the airfield, Martha rode in a 1910 Model T with four other people.



When the aviators and antique car owners brought the pilots back to the airfield, the exchanges for airplane rides started.




M met Fess Parker, (actor who played Daniel Boone) and his friend, Morgan Woodward with his Cessna 170. Morgan Woodward flew her around the area.

Martha met approximately 50 more people after landing and gave them the pledge. Kyle Abello 8 years old gave Martha a rock and a boy named Travis same age – builds model airplanes had his picture taken with her.

Highlight of this day—
Kent Blankenburg, co-publisher of a large publication landed in his silver Lockheed Electra 12. She visited with him - only 3 or 4 left. They flew it, leaving airshow with Stu MacPherson in one of the back seats to Camarillo, California (between Ventura and Thousand Oaks). Martha took the controls of the plane for 15 minutes over and through the passes. It took them 35 minutes at 160 mph from Santa Ynez.

Kent told Martha he has let only one other person besides her ever to fly it. He sounded serious, but she was not sure if he really was. She felt immensely privileged.

Another air show was on at Camarillo. When they got out of the plane someone remarked to Martha, “Gee if I didn’t know any better I’d swear you were Amelia Earhart.”

Kent’s business card has a picture of Cessna 195 with a great description of the plane. He showed Martha the 1938 original sales brochure of the Lockheed Electra which was in perfect condition. He put Martha’s post card in the brochure.

Dave Pyeatt flew into Camarillo in his Waco where it is hangared. From there he flew his Bonanza to Torrance Airport. His father-mother-sister were at Camarillo. His family has five other planes. He is an aerospace engineer -freelance - solves problems. At Torrance his friend drove Dave to his apartment at Manhattan Beach. Joe Sand drove Martha in a jeep down the coast - beautiful ride - past movie stars homes (Johnny Carson) and she took pictures of roller skaters [at Muscle Beach].

In evening Joe – Dave - Martha went out on a pier and Martha went on the beach to at least put her feet in the cold Pacific Ocean. They ate at a very interesting Japanese sushi bar with four cooks that put on a fancy show, making the food in front of the customers at an elegant, very modern diner-like bar. [This was Samurai Sushi Restaurant in Hermosa Beach, California, close to the ocean. Here I was introduced to California rolls and the proper method of eating them, which is to pick them up with chop sticks and put the whole big piece in your mouth at once. I had never before been in a sushi restaurant, nor had I seen or eaten raw fish. Dave and Joe assured me that I’d like it. I did, but not so much the raw part. A word of caution to anyone going to a sushi place for their first time: the green food substance that looks like avocado – isn’t!]

[AAC Cadet Leader]

Mom's Log
Day 45
Monday, July 11
California
No report this day. [I walked to Manhatten Beach, wrote letters and postcards there, walked to a couple of nearby vintage clothing shops along Highway 1A and bought two old-style dresses and a hat. Made phone calls for two hours to line up more rides.]

Day 46
Tuesday, July 12
California
[Phoned California contacts and arranged printing of more AAC membership cards. Caught up on some record keeping and boxed up some excess baggage to send to Mom and Dad in Ohio.]

Day 47
Wednesday, July 13
California
Dave Pyeatt, Joe Sand and Martha toured the Spruce Goose with P.R. woman, Jennifer. The day it flew in 1947, there were eight men behind the eight engines—largest plane ever built. After the tour they went to Jennifer’s office in the Queen Mary. Martha was given souvenir glasses and a book on Howard Hughes’ life. The three had lunch on the Queen Mary in the Sir Winston Dining Room.

Fantastic Clark Gable look-alike was entertaining the diners.

Then they drove to the Goodyear Blimp in Long Beach. The pilot, Nick [Nicolary] took the Blimp up to altitude and Martha piloted it for 25 minutes of the 30 minute ride. Joe Sand and an L.A. Times photographer videoed. They flew from Carson—over Torrance—Redondo Beach and back to Carson. Martha wore her new black dress (1930’s style) big shoulders—white sailor bow tie—little silver metal mad money purse, and hat—black button shoes.





When the Blimp landed, nine guys pulled on the lines to anchor it and Martha joined them in pulling.

Then they drove to Torrance and talked to people who own a Waco which they use for spotting swordfish for fisherman.

L.A. Times photographer gave M his phone number.

[AAC Cadet Leader]

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[AAC Cadet Leader]

Mom’s Log
Day 48
Thursday, July 14
California
[no report]

Day 49
Friday, July 15
California
M arranged with Spruce Goose (Hughes H-1) people for Monday afternoon to have a picture taken in the cockpit beside the wax figure of Howard Hughes. Called TV and newspaper people to arrange meeting there. Not much luck. Sorted out all paper work collected from meeting people and packed miscellaneous things to send home.

Day 50
Saturday, July 16
California
Left with Dave Pyeatt and Joe Sand for the San Bernadino Nat’l Forest in Joe’s four-wheel drive jeep. Traversed to top of two mountain peaks and camped out.




Day 51
Sunday, July 17
California
Returned [from mountains] Sunday July 17 at 7:00 p.m. Very exciting trip.

Day 52
Monday, July 18
California
Arrived at Torrance Airport at 2:00 p.m. from Camarillo in Dave Pyeatt’s Waco and was interviewed for 45 minutes by The Daily Breeze and by NBC TV.



Flew Dave’s Bonanza and Waco - Helicopter air to air coverage. Went to the Queen Mary Lounge (Art deco of the 1930’s). Two character entertainers, Mae West and Clark Gable offered great fun for Martha, Dave, Joe Sand, and Doug (Dave’s neighbor).

Day 53
Tuesday, July 19
California
At 2:45 p.m. Doug drove Martha to LA Times where Martha was interviewed by Paul Dean and Richard Rorabeck for more than an hour. [This was in the large, open L.A.Times newspaper office where lots of reporters were at their desks. Richard Rohrbeck, the reporter, who also happens to be a pilot, took me over to one of the many filing cabinets in the office, opened it up and pulled out a thick file he’d been compiling for years. It was research he’d been doing on the disappearance of Amelia Earhart.]

At 6:00 p.m. Martha sat in the cockpit of the [Hercules H-4 Flying Boat, a.k.a. the] Spruce Goose next to the wax figure of H. Hughes, [and I was told by the hosts that I was one of three people ever given the privilege to sit there – I wonder.] TV and Dave, Joe, Doug video taped. Shown on CH 7 NBC at 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. [in Los Angeles area.]

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[AAC Cadet Leader]

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[AAC Cadet Leader]

Mom's Log
Day 54
Wednesday, July 20
California
At Torrance Airport, Martha met with Torrance Parker and had pictures taken at his 1928 Travel Air [by photographer Scott Daniels for John Bogert’s article in the Daily Breeze]. Torrance Parker will fly Martha tomorrow to Cable Airport to meet with Lane Leonard and then to Chino, east of L.A. There is an Air Museum at Chino with many WWII warbirds. Torrance Parker’s father, Will D."Billy" Parker was the 44th pilot to be licensed. [Although, he had been flying for about a dozen years already since 1915, he was issued #44 in 1927 when the US Department of Commerce began requiring pilots to be licensed.] Both of Torrance Parker’s parents were famous barnstormers, and he has photos of the period. He is teaching his 8 year old grandson to fly.



Day 55
Thursday, July 21
California
[Flew with Torrance Parker today in his bright red 1928 Travelair 4000 from Torrance to Chino.] They had lunch at Flo’s on the airfield–greasy spoon.