A Douglas OA-4 Dolphin leads the parade of marauding aircraft at Schofield Barracks in September 1935. Hot on his tail are a gaggle of Keystone bombers.

Newly-minted mechanics of the 5th Bomb Group at Hickam Field in 1941. The names of the men are on the back of the photo and research shows that one, unfortunately, was killed December 7th 1941. Another man was killed at the Battle of Midway.

Lt. F. H. Goodrich, Major Lloyd Showalter, and Capt. Ralph Snoke admire a P-6 Hawk from Selfridge Field.  All were serving in the Air Corps reserve when this photo was taken in 1932.

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The 5th flew the O-31 from 1928-36.  I’m betting this thing really had a whistle going through all those wires.  Hey, at least you knew you were moving.

Republic AT-12 (41-17509) was a two-seat trainer version of the P-35.  Built for the Swedish air force, The AT-12 and other foreign-bound aircraft were impounded by the US early in WWII.  This AT-12, like most of the impounded aircraft, entered US service.

Emblazoned with a Wright Field arrowhead, and a complimentary decal from the Prestone company.

Crews of the 17th Bomb Group and their B-25’s in the summer of 1941.  Sharp-eyed viewers will spot several of the men who will soon become forever famous as Doolittle’s Tokyo raiders.  Photo #1 has the future author of “30 Seconds Over Tokyo”, Ted Lawson, on the right.

Crissy Field in California wasn’t huge, but it was one of the better known airfields of its day.  Photo #1 shows O-2’s of the 91st Observation Squadron.  Photo 2, taken a few years earlier, has a pilot of the same squadron taking a smoke break with his O-25.

The Martin B-10 was many things, but it will always be associated with its newsworthy flight to Alaska in 1934.  Here, the boss of that mission, Major Hap Arnold, discusses things with some of the locals.

 

33rd Division, Illinois National Guard.  Aircraft #3 is 31-363, #6 is 31-366.

Great airplane, but the Air Corps bought only one.