Just Julie’s Takes

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Douglas World Cruiser Departure, Almost!

Of all the best laid plans, the launch of an around-the-world flight still ranks as a prodigious undertaking—and that’s in the modern era, with reliable aircraft, satellite imagery, and global weather sourcing. Any number of calamities grave and minor could conspire to scuttle the start of the epic journey proposed by the U.S. Army Air Corps for its quartet of Douglas World Cruisers.

Still, hope springs eternal—and certainly it did in the Roaring Twenties. March 16, 1924, was selected as the target, and the city of Santa Monica hosted its World Flight Day on that pleasant Sunday. With a high of 65 degrees F and no precipitation, it would have made a perfect day to take off from Clover Field for points north but for one thing.

The entire Douglas family—at the time, Donald, Charlotte, Donald Jr (born in 1917), William (1918), and Barbara Jean (1922)—fell ill to whooping cough and missed the festivities. The family would catch up to the mighty DWCs as they were prepped to go in Washington state a couple of weeks later.

And who would fly these ships of wood and metal and fabric around the world? Each one would carry a pilot and a technician—one to fly and one to keep it flying—and the roster represented what the Air Corps considered to be its top ranking pilots, as well as ones capable of the mission ahead.

In Ship Number One: Major F.L. Martin, commander of the World Flight and Commandant of Chanute Field in Rantoul, Illinois; and Staff Sergeant A.L. Harvey, mechanic.

In Ship Number Two: Lt. Lowell Smith, a transcontinental ace and holder of the world’s endurance record at the time; and Technical Sergeant A,H. Turner, technician.

In Ship Number Three: Lt. Leigh Wade, former test pilot at McCook Field; and Staff Sergeant A.H. Ogden from the First Pursuit Group in Detroit.

In Ship Number Four: Lt. Erik Nelson, engineering officer for the World Flight; and Lt. John Harding Jr., maintenance officer.

Alternate crew members were there as well: pilots Lt. Leslie P. Arnold, and Lt. LeClair Schulze, a Pulitzer racer in 1922.

As the pilots assembled for the flight, they were supposed to bunk at the posh hotels in Santa Monica, but none would give the DWC crews special rates. I suppose pilots were cheap even back then… fortunately, the Christie Hotel in Hollywood stepped up to the plate.

From “Sky Master”: “Although an excellent hotel, the Christie wasn’t among the blue-blood establishments. The offer was accepted. When the flyers returned as heroes to Santa Monica after encircling the world, the managers of the luxury hotels begged the men to be their guests without any charge. The flyers thanked them, smiled, and returned to the Christie.”

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Jet-A Tax on BizAv?

The recent budget proposal from the White House includes a number of positive points—but one stands to kneecap the aviation industry just as it starts to leave the chocks on sustainability.

That’s the proposed 4X increase (from 22 cents to $1.06/gallon over 5 years) in the fuel tax on Jet-A for bizav operators, a line item that surely resonates with the green set, but bodes poorly for the ability to grow capability, capacity, and jobs under the sustainable aviation umbrella. The quest to net-zero by 2050 absolutely depends on it.

Here are my quick takes:

  1. The healthy flow of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) into the market relies upon the demand for Jet-A. While commercial aviation represents the bulk of the volume, business aviation has the flexibility and higher margins to accommodate the experimentation required to bring new sources of zero-emission fuel into play. 
  2. The infrastructure investments required to deliver SAF lean on the ability of local FBOs and governments—and distributors—to justify the cost to equip. With lower flowage into these wide-spread locations, the business case grows even more difficult than it already is in some places.
  3. Bringing aircraft production into the U.S.—and keeping what we have—is central to providing skilled labor with well-paying, satisfying work. Keeping sales and delivery volumes to what they reached in the bizav sector before and after the pandemic is vital to offering these desirable positions.
  4. And, at a time when aircraft OEMs fight hard to secure the workforce they need, the ability to appeal to the younger generation with sustainable aviation projects is critical to attracting the brightest minds to our industry. They want to be part of the solution. Raising the tax on one sector that provides some of the coolest jobs in aviation—across the board from engineers to marketers—is at best shortsighted and at worst a true crux for the industry.

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Dateline: Santa Monica, 1924

If you pick your way along the paths that front the ocean between Malibu and the Santa Monica Pier, you’d best stay heads up from your phone, lest you get creamed by slender blondes and bronzed others ricocheting past on a run.

That’s not the Santa Monica that Donald Douglas knew—nearly a century has passed since he first walked down to the shoreline from his new house on San Vicente Boulevard in the early Thirties.

The Brown Derby chain opened in the 1920s nearby, with locations on Wilshire Boulevard and in Hollywood.
Ballast bobs from the SS Catalina given away as souvenirs in 1923.

What would you have seen, though? I follow a couple of historical accounts on X/Twitter, including Pamela Grayson’s Lost Los Angeles, and the Santa Monica History Museum. Recently they’ve published a few photos from late 1923 into 1924… take a look at the pier that was—and the fire that nearly wiped out the Ocean Park Pier.

The Ocean Park Pier property was acquired just two weeks after the fire for $2 million in 1924 dollars.
Aftermath from the February 1924 fire that wrecked the Ocean Park Pier in Santa Monica.
The ruins of the roller coaster at the Ocean Park Pier in Santa Monica after the 1924 fire.
During the 1924 fire, smoke covered the streets near the ocean in Santa Monica.

This is the scene within which the Douglas Aircraft Company finished assembly and test flying of its Douglas World Cruisers ahead of their planned launch from Clover Field (now KSMO) on March 16.

You might also enjoy this piece from Los Angeles Magazine, “When Santa Monica Airport Was Clover Field,” published in 2014.

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Delivery Day at Clover Field

While testing on the aircraft took place throughout the spring of 1924, the U.S. Army Air Corps took official delivery of the last of the five units of the Douglas World Cruiser on March 11.

Testing on the prototype took place at McCook Field, in Dayton, Ohio, with trials on the floats in Hampton, Virginia, and again in San Diego, California. The DWC featured the 400-horsepower Liberty V-12 engine—a proven mount that the Air Corps already knew well from its use in a variety of airplane during the Great War—and it could cruise at 100 mph. According to the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, 20,748 of the Liberty engines were built by auto manufacturers, including Ford, Packard, Buick, Lincoln, and Marmon for aviation use.

The Liberty A model V-12 engine, in the collection of the National Air & Space Museum. [Credit: Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum]

One of my most cherished books is an original edition of “Sky Master: The Story of Donald Douglas,” signed by Douglas himself. From those pages, I quote the specifications of the DWCs, from a DAC report.

“The fuselage is made in three detachable sections and is constructed of steel tubing. Wings are of the standard wood box beam and built-in rib construction. The wings may be folded back for convenience in storage. The water-type landing gear consists of twin pontoons of built-up wood construction, the top covering being of three-ply veneer, and the bottom planking being two plies of mahogany.

“The specifications of the World Cruiser are as follows: Weight, empty, as a seaplane, 5,500 pounds; disposable load, 2,615 pounds; gross weight, 8,000 pounds; as a landplane, weight, empty, 4,300 pounds; disposable load, 2,615 pounds; gross weight, 6,915. Gasoline capacity, 450 gallons [up from 155 gallons in the DT-2], or enough for eighteen hours of non-stop flight. Wing span, both upper and lower, 50 feet; height 13 feet seven inches; length, 35 feet six inches…”

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The Origin of the Douglas World Cruiser Idea

The race to circle the globe has its roots in the first flight made by the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk—though it took nearly 20 years for the technology of aviation to advance to the point where such a concept became feasible.

Donald Douglas, in fact, made his first stab at the design that would inform the successful round-the-world model back in 1915, in collaboration with Boston millionaire Porter Hartwell Adams. A couple of years later, Douglas would develop another variation, the Model S seaplane, for the Glenn Martin Company.

In 1920, under the first iteration of the company that would become DAC, the Davis-Douglas Aircraft Company, Douglas’ team of engineers built the Cloudster. The Army Air Corps took a shine to the land-based sportplane its initial prospectus to Douglas, now on his own, in 1923—but he already had a better answer: the DT series.

The Douglas DT-2 on land gear served as a torpedo bomber for the U.S. Navy, and it could also fly on floats. [Credit: Naval History and Heritage Command]

Having sold several to the Navy, Douglas felt the DT-2 was a mature product ready for a new expression. He submitted the design with a handful of proposals for round-the-world requirements. The brass back in D.C. loved the idea, and dropped other manufacturers from the competition, which had included the Fokker T-2.

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Women in Aviation Day, by Joby

On Wednesday, March 6, Joby Aviation hosted a reception celebrating Women in Aviation in honor of the official #InternationalWomensDay on March 8. It gathered a handful of significant women in leadership to speak, including Bonny Simi, president of operations for Joby, Joanna Geraghty, CEO of JetBlue and Senators Duckworth and Cantwell. From their inspiring words—and boards crafted from the FAA’s Women in Aviation Advisory Board report out last year—I walked away with the following takes:

1. We need women to make up a larger percentage of the pool of potential aviation careerists so that we can swell the numbers in that group—and thereby draw the best stars from a larger pool. If we only attract half the population with our promise, we may wait longer for the geniuses we need to deliver on that promise.

2. Women leaders serve as role models to those entering the industry, as well as those rising through the ranks. At every stage in my career, through all its twists and turns, I’ve had women and men who have guided me—but those women in CEO or business ownership positions have resonated with me on a viseral level. In my role at Flying, I felt this keenly, calling on a wide range of mentors who motivated and supported me.

3. Thanks to Insta and its influencers, women pilots are more visible, and reach out to inspire young people who may not have known what was possible back in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, as Sen. Duckworth noted from her own entry into the service. And though the percentages entering airline classes have ticked up—at some airlines more than others—the stubborn truth is that we haven’t moved the needle enough to even match the percentages of women in other STEM fields—20 vs 26 percent. Work rules that benefit all parents will help more—and as Bonny pointed out, short-range eVTOLs naturally suit any pilot who prefers to—or needs to—spend each night at home. 

4. And Sen. Cantrell’s observation that she noticed a higher percentage of women in the composites area at the Technology Center at the University of Washington? While she compared the mix of chemistry and physics in elaborating new processes to baking, I think that the complex problem solving within a quieter environment would hold appeal to those more in tune with the laminations of a pastry chef as opposed to the brute force often involved in bending and shaping metal—male or female. As the science evolves, so will the workforce to craft it. As we highlight the women succeeding every day in these fields, we expand the appeal of our industry to everyone, lifting us up—together.

For a highlights reel, visit our YouTube channel.

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Heli-Expo Takes: a First for VAI

The biggest one yet? Perhaps not—but guaranteed there’s never been a Heli-Expo as widely ranging. It’s part of the reason the 70-year-plus organization went through a serious rebranding, to Vertical Aviation International, to encompass all types of vertical lift. Now that VTOLs (electric and otherwise) claw towards certification, VAI feels like a necessary pivot for an association that used to wear “helicopter” in its title and DNA.

My other key takeaways?

  1. This is a big-money show. It now approaches NBAA’s annual BACE in size and spend. Record crowds hovered into the last Heli-Expo (the 35th, before its rebranding to Verticon next year in 2025), bringing the total to 15,000. Last year’s BACE in Vegas hosted 20,000. For folks focused on fixed-wing lift, the numbers may surprise you—but they make sense to anyone watching this space take off.
  2. Women now take on more visible roles, since Karen Gebhart’s leadership a few years back. Now we have the dynamite Nicole Battjes serving as chairman of VAI’s board of directors this year. We caught up at lunch on day two, and her company, Rainbow Helicopters, plans significant growth in the years to come—even as the team garnered well deserved recognition for its efforts following the Lahaina fires.
  3. State of the art lift still centers on traditional rotorcraft designs, like the upcoming Bell 525, and the Leonardo AW09, both coming into TC later this year, perhaps. Fly-by-wire and envelope protection rule the immediate future, as these protocols enter maturity ahead of their incorporation into eVTOLs.
  4. Powerplants evolve too—witnessed by Safran, Airbus, GE, and Pratt & Whitney with carbon-based thrust as well as each OEM’s forays into electric, hybrid, and hydrogen power. Watch this space for the weekly reports coming out as each model enters or continues flight test on various platforms—on rotor, powered lift, and fixed-wing aircraft.
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What Happened at GAMA 2024?

The annual report out livestreamed by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association Wednesday delivered good news mixed with ongoing challenges to the industry.

My key takeaways?

  1. The GA industry delivered more than 4,000 units across the piston, turboprop and jet segments last year—more than we have in a decade. That’s exciting and shows continuing strength in the face of supply chain, inflation, and workforce pressures.
  2. The MOSAIC comment period is open again—and we need to weigh in strongly against the proposed shift to Part 36 noise compliance, which would add spurious testing to already extensive certification programs.
  3. We need to push for a commensurate book & claim system in Europe—especially as SAF availability moves to commercial airports and out of reach of BizAv where it can be used to foment innovation.
  4. As we move towards the publication of the SFAR governing advanced air mobility lift, as well as facilitating bilateral agreements we must keep building guidance that is clear and actionable for the front line FAA, EASA, ANAC, and Transport Canada folks to implement.

More on unleaded fuel, electric and hybrid progress, and fallout from Boeing to come.

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A Royal Honor For Honest Vision

When I traced the history of Donald Douglas in researching “Honest Vision: The Donald Douglas Story,” one intriguing event in his life took place during a trip he made with his family to England, Scotland, and around Europe in May 1935. The impetus for the trip? An invitation to deliver the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Wilbur Wright Memorial Lecture in London.

To track down the details of that event, I contacted the librarian for the Royal Aeronautical Society in Farnborough, England. Brian Riddle paid careful attention to my request, and I was able to go a step further and visit their archives on a research trip to the UK in 2014. Excerpts from the lecture, and its publication in the Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society in November 1935, warranted inclusion in the book–and with the permission of the Society, of course.

Mr. Riddle and I have stayed in touch on a couple of other research questions–and he also asked, after the book’s publication, if we would mind sending a copy for review. Not only is that review forthcoming in the new RAeS magazine, Aerospace, but “Honest Vision” has now joined the stacks within the library itself.

Honestly, I could not think of a more fitting place for this labor of love to reside. Thank you to the Royal Aeronautical Society, and to Mr. Riddle, for your enthusiasm to preserve the story of Donald Douglas.

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Ad Hoc Flight: ACV

Havera melhor maneira de terminar o dia?

“Is there a better way to end the day?” A rhetorical question when you’re flying just above the ridges in a cosy Cessna 152, turning circles to collect the sunset inside the little cabin. Rafa has just shown me his favorite local flight, dipping down close to a barrragem, or reservoir, not far from the Aerodromo de Viseu in Portugal.

  • The TL 2000 (aka “Sting”) looking out on to the ramp at the Aerodromo de Viseu
  • Capitão Rafa makes the turn into the sunset
  • Looking out over the lake and the Serras in the distance

These sorties are sweeter because they can happen with an ease you don’t find often in the more constrained airports around Portugal and Spain. An understanding allows for short flights to take place ad hoc, without the extensive flight plans normally required when you’re flying place to place around Europe. The Aéro Clube de Viseu (ACV) takes full advantage of this, and respects the privilege—but it causes me to shake my head. Most of my flying has been just as self-propelled, VFR, free from restriction, and wide open to serendipity—not the exception.

Like the sun coming down over the Serra da Estrela, the highest mountains in Portugal. We have just enough time to hop in the 152, run up, clear for takeoff, and make a few 360s around the lake, the river, the capela on the hill. The air is butter smooth, and Rafa graciously gives me the controls. I get current in a handful of landings. Current enough for this, I believe.

ACV has been flying for more than 50 years, with its foundation on March 16, 1966. Today, it includes the informal extension of the no-longer-active EAA chapter, with several members shepherding homebuilt projects, and a flight school. Prominent among the experimental aircraft on the scene: the first Sonex to take its birth-flight in Portugal—a bright yellow bird proudly flown by its owner-builder, rumored to be the past EAA chapter president.

  • The historic hangar for Aéro Clube de Viseu on a bluebird Saturday in December
  • Ready for takeoff to the south at Viseu
  • A new feeling: to fly level with a centuries-old chapel

The aéro clube has its own aircraft as well—the 152, used for private pilot instruction, and the Portuguese-built LAND Africa for ultralight pilots. A course for an ultralight certification (allowing you to fly an aircraft up to 450 kg under the program) runs about €3,500, reflecting the lower fuel costs and total time required for that certificate. A private pilot license will take about €7,500 of investment. When you consider the low cost of living in north central Portugal, the generally good weather, and the open airspace, it could be a great deal for a prospective pilot seeking something different.

For most ACV members, though, the club’s primary feature is its social fly-out calendar. Every month during spring through fall, the club finds a place within Portugal—or as far afield as southern France—to take a gaggle of airplanes and spend a few days in the air. Recent trips have been to a fly-in ranch in Alentejo, and a summer trip up to Carcassonne, France.

  • Putting the sunset into our rear view as we return to the aerodromo
  • The Cabinet of Fame at ACV
  • Of course the little ones need inspiration too!

The airport at Viseu hosts internal airline flights, firefighting operations, and powered parachutes. It’s an eclectic mix—and a tenuous balance. Some would have the general aviation side disappear completely in favor of more commercial aviation, though there is not yet the population base to support much more than what is offered. 

The threat of change keeps everyone focused on flying as much as possible in the meantime. As the days grow longer and the sunsets deepen into choral oranges and reds over the mountains, it’s easy to find excuses to just go fly.

Check out the LAND Africa taxiing out on our new YouTube channel!

Aéro Clube de Viseu, Av do Aerodromo, Viseu, Portugal