Flying School Detachment, Souther Field, Ga., Composed of Squadrons A, B, C, and D.

(AVIATION: PANORAMA PHOTOGRAPH)

Published by John A. Coles, Jr., Jacksonville, FL, 1919

About this Item

Original panorama photograph of all the members of the four squadrons in front of a modified Curtiss J4. It measures 47 3/4 inches x 8 inches. Archivally matted. Excellent.Souther Field is the oldest continuously operating civilian airport in the United States that participated, through military use, on both World Wars. During WWI, 500 cadets earned their wings here, arriving 25 at a time and training for a period of two months. In 2009 it was renamed the Jimmy Carter Regional Airport. Perhaps the most famous aspect of this airport was its relation to hero aviator Charles Lindbergh. In April 1923 Charles Lindbergh arrived at South Field and purchased his first plane for $500, although he was not yet a pilot. His connection to aviation prior to this was that he was a "wing-walker" and a parachutist in an aerial circus. He bunked at the airport until his plane was finished after which he took his first solo flight and developed his piloting skills from flights out of Souther Field. After becoming proficient he departed for a life of barnstorming. Four years later, in 1927, he became the first person to make a non-stop transatlantic flight, cementing his status n the annal of aviation.

Seller Inventory # 74295

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Flying School Detachment, Souther Field, Ga., Composed of Squadrons A, B, C, and D.
• Publisher: John A. Coles, Jr., Jacksonville, FL
• Publication Date: 1919