The only flying Boeing 40-C will participate in the annual Jim Wright Memorial Stearman Fly-in at the Cottage Grove, Ore., airport July 31-Aug. 2, hosted by the Oregon Aviation Historical Society (OAHS).
Restored and flown by Addison Pemberton of Spokane, Washington, this is the only flying example of this historic line of aircraft that ushered in the advent of passenger air service as part of its primary purpose of carrying mail.
This will be a homecoming of sorts for this aircraft. In 1994 a group of OAHS volunteers headed by Ron Bartley of Ashland, Ore., recovered the few remaining artifacts of this Boeing from Canyon Mountain in southern Oregon where it was forced to crash land on Oct. 2, 1928, due to weather. The pilot was seriously injured but survived. A passenger from Los Angeles died in the crash and was found the next day.
In 2000 Pemberton purchased the plane to restore it to like-new condition. Obviously very few of the original pieces were usable in an airworthy aircraft. However, Pemberton was able to incorporate some parts and use others as patterns or help in determining how the original structure was built.
The OAHS also will raffle off the opportunity to win a ride in the Boeing 40-C.
For more information: OregonAviation.org.
