The Spirit's Journey

By Dave McKenzie

Dave is a man of determination and dedication in overcoming a challengea man who will not take no for an answer. After a near-fatal airplane accident, Daves doctors told him he would never walk again. But he did! They told him he would never return to his job at Ford Motor Company. But he did! And they told him he would never fl y an airplane again. But he did! The Spirits Journey describes Daves lifelong involvement in aviation with many interesting and humorous anecdotes
Bob Pauley, private and glider pilot, aviation photographer, and author

There is a story buried in this manuscript of when Mac McKenzie flew my mother and me for my first airplane ride. After the flight (I must have been three or four years old), Dave and I sat in the airplane and talked. He explained all the controls, instruments; and how they related to flying an airplane. I was hooked for life. He is responsible for my start in what turned out to be a very great and successful career in aviation
Captain John D. Patten, Delta Airlines, Retired

Theres little doubt in my mind, theres something we learn about ourselves, from the people that enter our lives. After reflecting on Dave McKenzies determination to succeed, courage, and will to overcome the adversities as told in his book, I hope you gain insight to your lifes perspective, its experiences, and that you become the person you truly wish to be.
John O. Maxfield, corporate pilot

In the heartwarming memoir The Spirits Journey, Dave McKenzie shares the inspiring story of how he overcame lifelong pressures, family opposition, and incredible personal hurdles in order to follow his dream of flying an airplane.

As a young boy, he felt there could never be any odor more pleasant than the exhaust fumes that emitted from a small airplane engine. As each airplane he rode in started its take-off run, Dave would revel in the sensation of freedom he felteven as a passenger. He shares how both his mother and his teachers opposed his preferred career choice of becoming a pilot, but he also details how he relied on his determination, effort, and intelligence to make the most of his love of aviation while still enjoying a career as an automobile chassis designer. Yet his adventuresome choices were not without challenges. After he becomes an aerobatic pilot, he chronicles the disasterous air show and subsequent injuries that nearly ended his life and his dreams.

Dave McKenzies story proves that the human spirit is a much stronger force than we ever imaginedeven when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Feb 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781450272193

Dave McKenzie

Dave McKenzie worked as an automobile chassis designer for Ford Motor Company for nearly forty years. After earning his commercial pilot’s license in January 1963, he enjoyed a part-time career as a flight instructor and aerobatic pilot. Dave has published articles in several aviation magazines and currently lives in Michigan.

Book preview

The Spirit’s Journey

Dave McKenzie

iUniverse, Inc.

Bloomington

The Spirit’s Journey

Copyright © 2011 by Dave McKenzie

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

iUniverse books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any Web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid.

ISBN: 978-1-4502-7221-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4502-7220-9 (dj)

ISBN: 978-1-4502-7219-3 (ebk)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010916498

Printed in the United States of America

iUniverse rev. date: 1/28/2011

Contents

FORWORD

INTRODUCTION

PART I

PART II

PART III

PART IV

PART V

PART VI

PART VII

VIII

PART IX

PART X

PART XI

PART XII

PART XIII

PART XIV

PART XV

PART XVI

PART XVII

XVIII

PART XIX

PART XX

PART XXI

PART XXII

PART XXIII

PART XXIV

PART XXV

PART XXVI

PART XXVII

PART XXVIII

PART XXIX

PART XXX

PART XXXI

PART XXXII

PART XXXIII

PART XXXIV

PART XXXV

PART XXXVI

PART XXXVII

PART XXXVIII

PART XXXIX

PART XL

PART XLI

PART XLII

PART XLIII

PART XLIV

PART XLV

PART XLVI

PART XLVII

XLVIII

PART XLIX

PART L

LI

LII

PART LIII

PART LIV

PART LV

PART LVI

PART LVII

PART LVIII

PART LIX

PART LX

PART LXI

PART LXII

PART LXIII

PART LXIV

PART LXV

PART LXVI

PART LXVII

PARRT LXVIII

PART LXIX

Images

STANDARD J-1 (courtesy Experimental Aircraft Association Library)

CURTISS JN4D JENNIE with OX-5 engine. (courtesy Experimental Aircraft Association Library)

COMMANDAIRE (courtesy Experimental Aircraft Association Library)

The only advertisement saved from Mac’s barnstorming career (author’s collection)

The last certificate issued to Maccourtesy FAA files

Jewel & Mac in 1934 (author’s collection)

Curtiss-Wright Junior (courtesy Experimental Aircraft Association Library)

HEATH PARASOL with Henderson motorcycle engine(courtesy Experimental Aircraft Association Library)

WACO –10 biplane (courtesy Experimental Aircraft Association Library)

TAYLORCRAFT BC-12 (courtesy Experimental Aircraft Association Library)

David & Jimmy in 1943 or ’44 (author’s collection)

BRUNER-WINKLE BIRD with 100 H.P. Kinner engine(courtesy Experimental Aircraft Association Library)

PIPER J-3 CUB (courtesy Experimental Aircraft Association

Library)

AERONCA 7AC CHAMPION (courtesy Experimental Aircraft Association Library)

Luscombe 8-A (Shown with rag wings. Mac’s had the all metal wings) (courtesy Experimental Aircraft Association Library)

The Toliver House (author’s collection)

Jimmy’s 1923 Model T with David driving, Evelyn Cannon, Nell Cannon & Jan Hendrix in the back seat. The toddler is a cousin of the Cannon twins. (author’s collection)

Case magneto from an 85 H.P. Continental airplane engine installed on the ’23 Model T Ford engine by Mac. (author’s collection)

Model A Ford engine Note the copper strips between the distributor and spark plugs (author’s collection)

’50 Plymouth with ’49 front end (author’s collection)

Hot Rod project with ’56 Ford engine, ’40 Ford running gear on Model T frame (author’s collection)

Jan Hendrix’s Renault in the creek eight miles north of Evergreen on U.S. Highway 31, July 31, 1957 (author’s collection)

Aeronca Defender in the hangar on the site now occupied by the Big Red hangar (author’s collection)

Preparing to fly after work in April, 1959. Bobby Stewart is assisting. (author’s collection)

Pre-flight inspection being performed by Dave McKenzie on the Defender (author’s collection)

Mac McKenzie giving rides to CAP Cadets in the L-16 in 1961. (author’s collection)

CAP Captain Dave McKenzie and the L-16 at Tuscaloosa, Alabama, May, 1961. (author’s collection)

Cessna 172 flown by Chuck Prince & the Hot-Rod owned by Eddie Edeker & driven by Dave McKenzie in the air show at Middleton Field on October 1, 1961. (author’s collection)

The opening act in the Thrasher Brother’s Air Circus with Grady performing in the Twin Ercoupe circling his brother, Bud making the American Flag Parachute Jump ( photo from a postcard given to the author by Grady Thrasher)

Photo of the Cortez motor home copied from the sales brochure. (author’s collection)

Sylvester and Stinker on the ramp for fueling at Greenwood, South Carolina (author’s collection)

Steve Wittman’s given name was, Sylvester. (author’s collection)

Great Lakes upper wings under construction in David’s basement. (author’s collection)

Mac performing the final welding on the Great Lakes fuselage. (author’s collection)

Great Lakes fuselage ready for return to Michigan from Alabama (author’s collection)

Great Lakes N-88-SK enroute to Grosse Ile, Michigan December 3, 1977 (photo from author’s collection taken by Gail & Bob

Jackson)

1973 Ford Galaxie after collision with locomotive (author’s collection)

McKenzie’s Landing, Howell, Michigan (photo author’s

collection)

missing image file

in memory of Jewel Currence McKenzie &

George Dewey Mac McKenzie

FORWORD

BOOK ENDORSEMENTS:

I have known Dave McKenzie for close to fifty years and have always envied his talents as a pilot, a flight instructor and builder of a beautiful Great Lakes aerobatic biplane. But after reading a copy of The Spirit’s Journey I have seen another side of Dave that is revealed in this book. Dave is a man of determination and dedication in overcoming a challenge. A man who will not take No for an answer. After a near-fatal airplane accident Dave’s doctors told him he would never walk again. But he did! They told him he would never return to his job at Ford Motor Company. But he did! And they told him he would never fly an airplane again. But he did! Not only did he fly an airplane again but, he participated in a number of aerobatic contests following his recovery! The Spirit’s Journey describes Dave’s lifelong involvement in aviation with many interesting and humorous anecdotes and is a must-read for most any aviation enthusiast. But perhaps even more importantly this book describes how Dave was able to overcome the dire predictions of his doctors and therapists and how he proved them wrong. For that reason alone I would highly recommend this book to any individual who has suffered severe trauma. Dave has shown how with determination and perseverance, with tenacity and dedication, and with pure guts he was able to resume a normal life. This book could serve as an inspiration to those individuals who are facing similar challenges in their lives.

Bob Pauley: Private and glider pilot, aviation photographer and author.

Having lived in Evergreen, Alabama all my youth, I knew the McKenzie family well. While I am sure that everything in this book is true, I also know that there are many, many untold stories that should be said; tales of steep hills and old bicycles and old pup tents. I know where a lot of bodies are buried. These stories should also be told.

In writing this testimonial for Dave, something came to mind that I had not thought of in years. There is a story buried in this manuscript of when Mac McKenzie flew my mother and myself for my first airplane ride. After the flight (I must have been three or four years old), Dave and I sat in the airplane and talked. He explained all the controls, instruments; and how they related to flying an airplane. I was hooked for life. He is responsible for my start in what turned out to be a very great and successful career in aviation. Thanks, Dave!

The remembrance of your growing up will return time and time again as you read of the McKenzie family. And, you will laugh often and hard. Enjoy!

Captain John D. Patten

Delta Airlines, Retired

There’s little doubt in my mind, there’s something we learn about ourselves, from the people that enter our lives.

I met Dave McKenzie through our local EAA Chapter when I was young, and over the years, I’ve learned so much about myself from him, his family, friends, and our experiences. Dave was my flight instructor when I passed my private and instrument pilot check rides. He stuck with me when I had a forced landing due to my own neglect. During my High School years, I worked evenings and weekends with Dave, building his Great Lakes Biplane, gaining the knowledge and confidence to build my own plane.

Through my friendship with Dave I’ve been fortunate enough to meet people in all walks of life that have given me perspective of the world, aviation, and of myself. It wasn’t until Dave’s untimely accident though, that I awoke to the true frailty, depth, and importance of the lives we live. It gave new perspective to all of the experiences in my past and new outlook to the experiences of my future.

After reflecting on Dave McKenzie’s determination to succeed, courage, and will to overcome the adversities as told in his book, I hope you gain insight to your life’s perspective, its experiences, and that you become the person you truly wish to be.

John O. Maxfield, Corporate Pilot

INTRODUCTION

The beginning of all of our lives may have begun in the infinite past of time and space in a sphere so infinitely small that it would have been impossible to see or feel. Compressed into that infinitely small sphere would have been the nucleus of all the elements that compose the bodies of all things and living creatures that would appear in the future. Perhaps there was an entity composed of energy called, Spirit that selected the mixture of elements that became homo-sapiens to be the vehicle to transport it through time and space. Perhaps there was an explosion at that time and place that is expanding towards the opposite infinity of the beginning. Perhaps it has already reached that infinity and is now shrinking backwards toward its origin in the original infinity, the beginning.

Somewhere between those two unimaginable limits of infinity there is the time and place where our ancestors, descendants, and we existed and lived and were the vehicles that transported THE SPIRIT of life on its JOURNEY from infinity at the beginning to infinity at the end. Blaney Jewel Currence and George Dewey McKenzie existed, lived, and produced descendants in their own time and place between those two extremes of infinity.

Kenneth McKenzie was a Scotchman who immigrated to North America through Wilmington, North Carolina around 1780 and settled in the Pee Dee River area of South Carolina where he married Miss Mary McLaurin. One of their sons, Duncan and his wife, Barbara McLaurin moved westward into that part of the country now known as southern Mississippi and settled into farming near the community that became known as Bay Springs. One of their sons, John A. became a sergeant in the Confederate army, was captured at the surrender of Vicksburg, paroled, forced to rejoin the army, and was captured a second time at the Battle of Nashville in December, 1864. He died a Confederate POW in Camp Chase, Ohio on January 30, 1865. He had fathered two daughters, three sons, Daniel, John Duncan, and Allen Lee McKenzie.

John Duncan McKenzie fathered two children by his first wife who died of unknown causes, three children by his second wife who died from pneumonia, and his third wife, Ollie English delivered a baby on February 26, 1906 that they named George Dewey McKenzie.

Dewey McKenzie was introduced to aviation in 1926 and made it one of his, passionate loves for the next fifty years. His eldest son, David inherited and nurtured the same passionate love of aviation that became one of his two principle interests for most of his life.

The Spirit’s Journey is the review of seventy years of David’s life that had both the love of aviation and automobiles that led to coexistent careers as an automobile designer, an airplane pilot, a flight instructor, an aerobatic pilot, and a family head.

PART I

GEORGE DEWEY MCKENZIE

The family of the youngest child of John Duncan McKenzie and Ollie English who was twelve or thirteen years younger than John included the two older brothers and three older sisters by his father’s first and second wives and all of them grew up on West 10th Street in Laurel, Mississippi. Ollie and John did have one other child together that died in infancy prior to Dewey’s birth. That might explain why Dewey was raised in a manner that later resulted in his being described as a spoiled brat.

George Dewey McKenzie quit high school when he was sixteen years old and entered the work force probably to satisfy his interest in vehicles that were self propelled. He had been driving automobiles since being twelve years old and it isn’t known when he started riding motorcycles which he called, motorsickles. Incidentally, when challenged about the correct pronunciation of the vehicle’s name he’d ask, Did you give your daughter/son a bicycle or a bysickle?

His additional schooling was both the hard knock variety and some formal training. The night school mechanic’s class instructor who taught him how to, pour a bearing in an engine block was Ray Harroun, the winner of the first Indianapolis 500 automobile race in 1911 driving a Marmon Wasp automobile.

Sometime in 1925 Dewey and his father, John had a familial disagreement and John evicted his son from the home. With no place to live he left Laurel and joined his next older brother who was the maintenance foreman at the Royster Fertilizer Company plant in Savannah, Georgia.

His brother had met, fallen in love with, and married a nurse he’d met in France during World War I who had a daughter slightly younger than Dewey from a previous marriage. The, French Nurse’s daughter and Dewey married.

One afternoon Dewey’s older brother arrived home after working late and found his supervisor in bed with his wife, the French nurse. He responded by fatally shooting his supervisor and the ensuing legal battle for his freedom which his father helped support financially was monetarily devastating to both families. That was probably the source of the pressures that ultimately led to the dissolution of the union of the sixteen year old, Alma and the nineteen year old, Dewey.

After moving to Miami, Florida he was a mechanic at the, Yellow Cab Company for a short time. Then Dewey moved on to Meridian, Mississippi probably because his oldest brother was there and found employment as an automobile mechanic. That led to his being called to the local airport one Sunday morning in 1926 to repair the magneto on an airplane. The compensation he was given for the repair was a ride in the airplane.

PART II

THE BUG BIT

Today on the east side of Meridian U.S. Highway 11 splits into the, bypass that goes south around the city and the old road leads straight ahead into the city. That intersection is at the approximate location of the northeast corner of Meridian’s first airport, Bonita Field which was the base of operations of the, Key Brothers’ Flying Service when they went into business and it was the airport where Dewey first touched an airplane. He went there to take flying lessons and soloed in six hours flying a Standard J-1 biplane He later said that when he soloed and taxied back to the office the operator ran out and said, Don’t shut the engine down. I have a passenger for you to take for a ride." He gave the man his ride and was given his first student to teach to fly when he had thirty hours total flying time in the Standard J-1 airplane.

missing image file

STANDARD J-1 (courtesy Experimental Aircraft Association Library)

A gentleman in Americus, Georgia, John Wyke had purchased an unknown number of Curtiss JN4-D biplanes from the U.S. Government on the surplus market after World War I concluded and then offered those airplanes for sale to civilians. The airplane is commonly known as the, Jenny. Charles Lindbergh purchased his first airplane there. Dewey, who may have begun to use the nickname, Mac by that time has said, You could go to Americus, give the man a hundred bucks and he’d help you uncrate a, Jenny of your choice and assist you in assembling it. You’d take the valve action off the engine and replace it with your own, Miller valve action and you had a brand new airplane to start the barnstorming season with. An OX-5 engine had a life expectancy of about a hundred hours provided you took real good care of it and by that time the airplane would be so beat up that it was junk. One hundred hours was about all the barnstorming you could do in a season so, you’d remove the Miller valve action, junk the airplane, winter in somewhere, and the next spring you’d catch a train and carrying your Miller valve action go back to Americus.

The Miller valve action had one shaft per cylinder bank that all of the valve rocker arms pivoted on and the zerk fitting for greasing the assembly was located on the end of the shaft. The standard valve operating mechanism on the OX-5 had a grease fitting on each rocker arm. That amounts to two valves per cylinder multiplied by eight cylinders equaling sixteen rockers to be lubricated which Mac said, Had to be done at the end of each day so that you’d be ready for the next day’s flying. It is believed that Mac wore out three of the, Jennies.

missing image file

CURTISS JN4D JENNIE with OX-5 engine.

(courtesy Experimental Aircraft Association Library)

At one time, Mac was a smoker. That is he was addicted to the inhaling of smoke from burning tobacco wrapped in paper. It was a habit that he quit in 1935 or ’36 and passionately hated for the rest of his life. He claimed that the barnstormer’s other duty at the end of the day required that he lay his Taylor Cigarette Rolling Machine on the top surface of a lower wing along with the required supply of cigarette papers and tobacco supply and roll the next day’s supply of, smokes. After all, no aviator should appear to be so poor that he had to roll his own and if asked what brand he smoked his response was, Taylormade.

Another standard joke was to respond to the question, Are you married? by answering, Hold on, let me check the map.

The inquirer would always ask, What’s that have to do with it?

Depends on how far I’m from home

There was some rebel in his psyche. He refused to log that is maintain a record of his flying time therefore, it isn’t known when he flew what, where, or how long it required. He did mention owning and/or flying the Detroit Parks, Lincoln-Paige, Curtis Robin, Waco 10, Waco GXE, Curtis Jenny, American Eagle, Swallow, Commandaire, Travelaire, Standard J-1, Aeronca C-3, Aeronca K, Ford Tri-motor, Fairchild 24, PT-19, PT-26, Stinson 108, Stinson 10, Taylorcraft, Piper/Taylor E-2, Piper J-3, Luscombe 8-A, Brunner-Winkle Bird, Meyers OTW, Waco UPF-7, Ercoupe, Great Lakes, Cessna 150, 172, 170, Barling, and the list goes on seemingly endlessly with at least one story accompanying each one of them.

By 1930 Dewey (the populace in Laurel never knew him as Mac) was one of the pilots at Stump Field located at Laurel, Mississippi along with Max Holerfield, Pat Mulloy, Alton Hesler, and James Daniels. Dewey McKenzie and Max Holerfield had a contract with the Mississippi State Fair touring from town to town in the state performing one-week stands. They were the, Flying Circus part of the fair. The fair did not list them on the payroll and only supported them by listing them in advertisements and usually making arrangements with property owners close to the Fair Grounds in each community for the Air Circus to use their cow pasture, cotton field, or whatever for an airport during the fair. It is believed that this arrangement was consummated for three consecutive years. The modus-operandi was to perform an air show each day to attract a crowd that they would attempt to sell rides to after the exhibition flights were completed. That was their only source of income and they have said that some days they sold absolutely no rides and then on others they couldn’t haul all the passengers.

There is no way to know the date and location of the attempt by Max and Pat to announce the arrival of the State Fair and its accompanying troupe of daring, appealing, handsome, financially blessed, suave, charming, accomplished, and worldly wise aviators with their sophisticated modern airplanes powered by proven, reliable, dependable, and powerful engines but, they had arrived at one community and as usual one airplane was making their arrival noticeable to the residents of the community by flying low over town.

Max was flying the airplane and Pat was in the front seat, their usual positions, and Dewey waited in the cow pasture that was going to be the, airport for the week for the results of the inaugural flight over the town.

After arriving over the town Pat climbed out of the front seat and worked his way out to the interplane struts between the lower and upper wings as Max flew around above the community. As they continued the operation, Pat climbed down to the spreader bar between the wheels and sat down. It should be noted that the performance was being executed prior to the installation of zippers on coveralls. (Dewey, for all of his life called them, rompers.) Pat was sitting behind the propeller and the blast of air flowing rearward from it combined with the air flow generated by the forward movement of the airplane was more airflow than the buttons on the coveralls could tolerate. The rompers opened down the front and the air blast inflated them like a balloon. Every time Pat succeeded in buttoning one fastener and released it to button the next one the button that was previously closed would blow open. He couldn’t climb back up to the lower wing and then into the front cockpit with his rompers inflated and creating the aerodynamic drag that they would generate so, he proceeded to remove them.

Of course, Max couldn’t see Pat on the landing gear below the fuselage from his position in the rear seat so; he didn’t realize that Pat was in trouble. He just wondered why Pat was remaining down there so long. He could see people on the ground coming out of stores, stopping cars, exiting their homes, looking up, waving, and exchanging stares with each other. He thought, Business is going to be good.

Pat had removed his coveralls and remained seated on the spreader bar while trying to figure out how to hold onto his, rompers while climbing back to the cockpit dressed only in his drawers, and socks. Max had continued to fly around over the town with the nearly nude wing walker on the landing gear until Pat finally succeeded in climbing back to the lower wing.

It is not known what was thought, reported, or to what authorities, by curious onlookers, representatives of the local churches, the local gendarmes, or potential paying passengers but, no one or anything was injured physically.

Max was illiterate and gave the impression that he was not sophisticated or refined but, barnstorming pilots didn’t have much contact with their passengers. Max raced motorsickles professionally until he was fifty-five years old and was never seriously injured.

Pat Mulloy on the other hand was from an established family who were also financially successful and never attempted to make aviation his career and yet, he was very accomplished and known internationally in later years for his achievements flying sailplanes.

Alton Hesler worked as a mechanic in various automobile and truck garages around Laurel, he became an accomplished pilot and aircraft mechanic, and was later the co-owner of Hesler-Noble Flying Service in Laurel at the airport now serving the community which grew from the original Stump Field and is now named, Hesler-Noble Airport.

James Daniels was a professional pilot for the duration of his life who participated in some short barnstorming trips with Dewey and is probably best remembered for landing an airplane on Canal Street in New Orleans, Louisiana.

James, Dewey, and other pilots in the Southern Mississippi and Louisiana area had met at the new airport beside Lake Pontchartrain and north of the city of New Orleans to participate in the dedication and opening of the airport named, Shushan Field on February 10, 1934. Shushan Field is now named, New Orleans Lakefront. Of course, the objective James, Dewey, and the rest of them had was to haul passengers for their financial benefit.

James Daniels had apparently flown down from Laurel sometime during the preceding week because he had sold a sight seeing flight over New Orleans to a customer prior to the arrival of the other pilots.

During the flight he experienced an engine failure and selected Canal Street as the site for the ensuing forced landing which was successful. He got out of the airplane, opened the engine cowling and was making the necessary repair when the city officials arrived, offered their sympathy and assistance, and when he had completed the repair, blocked traffic for his takeoff and return to the airport.

Not much time was required for the story to circulate around the airport and as should be expected there were those on the airport who questioned the possibility of such an event ever occurring. The world wide financial depression was at its worst and James Daniels recognized the opportunity for a financial realignment. Specifically, Change their money into mine. Wagers were offered on the feasibility of landing on Canal Street.

After the airport dedication was completed James Daniels took off, flew over downtown New Orleans, closed the throttle, landed on Canal Street, got out, and opened the cowling.

The city officials and gendarmes, after noting that this was the second time in less than a week that this pilot landed on Canal Street, refused to give his assertion of it being an emergency very much credibility. In their generosity they offered him overnight lodging in the local calaboose and insisted that he accept the offer of their hospitality however, once they got him in it they did not seem to appreciate him contaminating their calaboose. He was soon released and they blocked the traffic as he flew out after intently listening to their admonitions to stop landing on Canal Street.

One of the other airplanes flown at the airport dedication that weekend was a Curtiss Robin owned by the writer, William Faulkner of Oxford, Mississippi. That airplane was used in 1933, ’34, and ’35 as the refueling plane for the Key brother’s endurance flights at Meridian, Mississippi. The pilot for the, refueler/service plane was Jim Keaton who later became a Captain for American Airlines and lived in Foley, Alabama after his retirement.

William Faulkner wrote a novel based on that airport dedication entitled, Pylon that the movie released in 1958 named The Tarnished Angels starring Dorothy Malone, Robert Stack, and Rock Hudson was based upon.

Prior to the outbreak of World War II James Daniels went to Canada, joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, was stationed in England, ferried aircraft until, in self defense, he shot down a German fighter. He was then transferred to combat duty. After World War II he returned to Mississippi and it is believed that he was overcome by the vapors coming from the dust hopper of a duster that he was flying and was fatally injured in the resulting accident.

While operating as the South Mississippi State Air Circus Dewey and Max once spent a week at Bassfield, Mississippi and on the final day at that location a prospective passenger arrived early in the morning so, Max was taking him for a ride in weather conditions that were nearly perfect and with no wind. Of course, there was no agreement between Dewey and Max on the selection of the, calm wind runway so, Dewey watched Max leave taking off toward the end of the runway that had the power lines crossing it. He expected Max to approach for landing from the other end in the calm conditions so that he didn’t have to cross the obstruction caused by the power line.

Dewey has said, If you ever get lost in an airplane simply select a power line and follow it. It’ll eventually lead you past the end of a runway. Also, the only pilot who’s never been lost is the one who’s never gone anywhere.

Another, paying passenger arrived and Dewey, converted his money from, his to mine, loaded him into the airplane, a Command-Aire" and took off. After his take off another passenger appeared and Max departed taking off in the opposite direction from the one Dewey had selected.

Of the two flights, Dewey’s was the first to return so, he approached from the obstruction free end and just prior to touch down he sighted the other airplane approaching from the wrong end. He held the airplane low to allow the other airplane to pass above his, misjudged the clearance to the power line, hit it, broke the propeller, stopped the engine, and eliminated the offensive power line. The next obstacle in his path of flight was a house, which he then maneuvered around and found himself faced with a series of terraces crossing his direction of flight as he followed the hillside onward. He was attempting to stretch the glide to level ground beyond the terraces when the airplane finally stalled, dropped in, struck a terrace, and nosed over onto its back (upside down).

Dewey grasped the fire extinguisher in one hand, released his seat belt with the other, and fell out of the inverted airplane. He complained later about the fire extinguisher mounting bracket causing a cut on one finger.

Gasoline was leaking out of the inverted airplane and he could hear the passenger kicking or beating something in the front seat so, he got up, reached into the front seat area, and released the passenger’s seat belt who promptly fell onto the bottom surface of the upper wing center section. The passenger’s legs were bleeding below the knees where he had injured them by kicking against the corner of the fuel tank located behind the front instrument panel. There were no other injuries.

missing image file

COMMANDAIRE (courtesy Experimental Aircraft Association Library)

The airplane was disassembled and returned to Laurel where it was repaired at, Stump Field near Laurel. Housewives who resided in the neighborhood of the airport hung their laundry out to dry in the evening so that the aviators would not convert their bed sheets into aircraft covering material. The world wide financial depression was at its peak and aircraft parts and supplies were still expensive.

missing image file

The only advertisement saved from Mac’s barnstorming career (author’s collection)

Two of Dewey’s older sisters had moved to Tylerton, Mississippi. One had married Dewey Collins who was related to a former Governor of the state and the other had married a sawmill owner and moved there with him and their children. Dewey would ride his, motorsickle to Tylerton regularly during the, off-seasons for visits.

Beside a road, which was on a hill near one of his sisters’ home, was a gravel pit, which he soon dug an opening to for access from the gravel road providing suitable ingress/egress for his, motorsickle. He would ride up or down the hill in the road and when he reached the gravel pit he’d turn into it and roar around the wall with the bike perpendicular to the wall held onto the wall by centrifugal force just as has been performed in carnivals at the exhibit called the, motordrome.

Dewey’s principle source of amusement in Tylerton was to invite someone to join him on the bike for a brief, pleasure ride and then take him or her around the gravel pit without announcing his intentions. He was usually the only one to derive any pleasure from the ride. Like everyone else, he exhibited some characteristics in his psyche that were not completely acceptable to some of the people observing them. One of those traits was to adopt deportment that displayed a lack of etiquette and mannerisms that would be associated with ignorance, crudeness, and lack of sophistication. He really was none of those things but sometimes he’d assume the behavior to deliberately embarrass some who were emotionally close to him. Perhaps his mannerisms were sometimes an imitation of Hughey and Dewey Long of the Louisiana political dynasty. If it, pissed you off he loved it. Overall though, he was no one’s enemy and those who did annoy him had to work hard to do it.

In 1926 the United States Government decided it was necessary to regulate and control aviation for the benefit and safety of the public. The Department of Commerce started testing pilots and mechanics, inspecting aircraft, issuing licenses and certificates, and composing standards and requirements for the performance of everything, and everybody involved in aviation. Of course, those things were done by decree of that collection of, bureaurat conceiving money eaters called, Congress.

About 1930 Dewey was based in Laurel and it isn’t known what type airplane he owned at that time. It is a fact that he did not have a Pilot’s License. None of the other pilots operating from, Stump Field had a license either.

What good is a piece of paper? It won’t provide the skill, talent, knowledge, ability, or anything else. It just provides a job for conceited, self-serving, officious bureaurats. At least that’s what one might be led to believe was the opinion of the barnstormers around, Stump Field. They owned, flew, taught each other, and maintained their airplanes with no approval from anyone or any organization.

An, Inspector from the Department of Commerce arrived at, Stump Field and directed the pilots, mechanics, and anyone else interested in flying to line up in front of a table he commandeered, copied their names, addresses, asked what function they served, which airplane they flew, etc., and then left.

A couple of months later the U.S. Mail carrier delivered a small wooden jewel box wrapped in a red, white, and blue ribbon which when opened revealed on its blue velvet lining a, Transport Pilot certificate numbered 24031. In later years it became a Commercial Pilot Certificate. Pilot certificates were numbered in chronological order so; it indicates that there were only 24,030 pilots licensed before George Dewey McKenzie in the United States.

missing image file

The last certificate issued to Mac

courtesy FAA files

Mac became acquainted with Monroe Sanders who had grown up in Brooklyn, Alabama. Monroe asked Virginia Hunnicut of Cuba, Alabama for a date one evening in the spring of1932 and she accepted with the provision that he bring a friend along to accompany her friend who lived down the road.

PART III

JEWELL CURRENCE

Jewel Currence had begun her life on July 13, 1912 and was the youngest of the four sisters and older than only one of the four brothers in the family headed by Anne Miller, and husband Julien Currence that resided in the little community called Cuba on U.S. Highway 11 in Alabama just twenty seven miles east of Meridian, Mississippi.

Jude Miller, Anne’s father was native to Choctaw County and it isn’t known where Julien Currence’s family originated from because his parents were fatally shot by a guest in their home when he was an infant and he was then raised by a neighboring family named, Hall that never changed his name or legally adopted him.

It is known that Jewel didn’t always maintain the strictest control of the emotion identified and described as anger. That personality characteristic may have been genetic and inherited from her father who was known for periodic outbursts of temper. Her father died of coronary failure at a relatively young age, his early sixties.

The periodic exhibition of the verbal attempt to remedy frustration, verbally relieve tension caused by uncooperative devices and people, and also be a substitute for any medically prescribed sedative inspired Jewel’s sons to ask their maternal grandmother why she had allowed her daughter to, cuss.

Granny, as she was known to all of her grandchildren described how she had broken the butter paddle on, Jewel’s little behind when she was six years old and still couldn’t get her to desist in the use of profanity which she probably learned from her father, Julien. Granny said, She cussed every time I hit her with the paddle so, I just gave up.

Jewel had graduated from High School in Cuba with a good academic record, was a pretty girl, had all of the social graces, and became a beautiful woman, intelligent, refined, industrious, and later, a good mother to her two sons. She was known as a meticulous housekeeper and became an antique furniture collector who was known by dealers from Atlanta to New Orleans and from Pensacola to Birmingham.

Jewel Currence was engaged to marry a young man from Whitfield, Alabama who was attending college near Chicago, Illinois and hoped to become an electrical engineer. He contracted pneumonia while in school and died but, Jewel never forgot his mother, Mrs. Maggard or his Aunt, Miss Belle Flowers who were referred to as Mrs. Maggard and Aunt Belle for the rest of their lives by Jewel’s family. Jewel’s sons vividly remembered spending several nights in the two storied house built before the 1850’s in Whitfield of squared logs with the, dog trot splitting the lower story running from the front porch to the rear one.

Monroe Sanders and Mac met the girls at Virginia Hunnicut’s home in Cuba and went for a drive in the Essex roadster owned by Monroe followed by snacks, beverages, and small talk back at Virginia’s home. There was no discussion of any future dates but, Mac did learn that Jewel was going to visit friends in Whitfield that coming weekend so, he decided to, barnstorm the Whitfield area that weekend.

Mac has described the typical/traditional line of spectators at his barnstorming, events as rows of people standing beside the fence watching the airplane land, taxi up, turn around, unload the passengers, reload, and takeoff again even though their faces became coated with a mixture of perspiration and dust blown up by the airplane’s slipstream when it turned around to the point that their eyeballs and teeth would contrast with the color of their faces. They looked like, Minstrel Show" black face performers. Of course, most of ‘em were hopin’ to see an airplane crack up."

Near sundown that Sunday afternoon in Whitfield Mac addressed the crowd saying, That’s all for today, folks. I want to take my girl friend for the last ride of the day.

Jewel got in the front seat of the, Command-Aire open cockpit biplane as Mac held the small door on the side of the fuselage open, then closed it after fastening the seat belt. He, hand propped to start the engine running, got in the pilot’s seat, and took-off to very smooth flying conditions. The sun was, on the horizon. The light breeze died and the earth had started to cool which eliminated the generation of heated columns of air rising that would then cool when reaching higher altitudes and descend to make contact with the warm earth and start the entire process again. Except for the steady, smooth sound made by the engine turning the propeller it was like sitting in the living room at home except for the panoramic view of the planet slowly drifting by and in so doing revealing all of its secrets to view. Whitfield is just west of the Tombigbee river and approximately fifteen miles south of the small city named Demopolis which is the second oldest settlement in Alabama, second in age only to Mobile and both communities had been established by the French settlers in the early 1700’s. They were flying over a sparsely settled agrarian area with the longest European history in Alabama.

Suddenly Mac’s vision toward the front