stood and pulled Allie to me and told her, “Now, babe, you’re all mine.”
I gave her the best kiss on her ruby red lips I had ever given. I said, “I love you, Allie.” Did we get a big hand from the people there? You bet we did, even the little blonde gal was clapping. I was the happiest young guy in the whole dang world that morning, that time is etched in my brain forever.
Chapter 3
Air Shows 1937-39
The morning after the night Allie and I got married in Tijuana, Mexico, we had breakfast then ambled on over to the airport to face Jack, Allie’s daddy.
At his office, he invited the two of us to come in. “Come on in and sit down, I have to talk to you two.” He had already placed two chairs in a way that we had to face him. With legs crossed, hands folded on his stomach he began talking. “I have some serious talk for you two kids.” We both sat wanting to hear his every word.
“Kids, I’m in a whole lot of trouble.” We both looked at each other with questions in our faces. He continued, “This depression has put me in deep debt, I have this place mortgaged to the hilt, I need your help.”
Allie and I looked to each other in wonderment. He went on, “Barnstorming isn’t paying like it used to, people are tired of wing walkers and hangers. The crowds won’t come out to see that anymore. We can still get a few spectators, but nothing like the old days. We can still make a few dollars giving rides, but that’s not gonna cut it anymore. We will never be able to pay the bills; I’ve come up with this idea. I’ve just purchased two Alexander Eagle Rock biplanes; they’re the best stunt planes you can buy. One is up in LA, the other is at the factory in Colorado being refurbished.”
Allie and I were still looking at each other in wonderment at what Jack was getting at.
“I need you two kids to be the pilots.”
I was looking at him like, you’re kidding me.
“Tommy, you’re an excellent pilot, Allie is already a stunt pilot. Tommy, you can be the best if you try.”
I looked at Allie, she had a big smile on her face. She said, “Now we can get married Tommy.”
“Wait one darn minute.” Jack wasn’t going to be pushed into anything. “Later, after we get this thing going. I’m going to bill ya as the two youngest stunt pilots in the world, I’m telling ya, you two will be as famous as Earhart and Lindbergh. How ya like them apples?”
Allie was smiling all over. I could see she wanted to do this. I had reservations.
“Jack, I can’t just walk away from my Uncle Bob. He needs me.”
Jack was ready for that. “I’ve talked to your Uncle; he thinks it’s a great deal for you.”
What could I say? Looked like Jack had covered all the angles.
“Okay,” I said, “I’m ready if Allie is.”
She didn’t have to answer. I could see by her face she was ready.
Jack commenced telling what he had in mind for us. “The two biplanes are being painted to match. You two will do synchronized flying.” He showed us with his hands. “You’ll take off together. That’s after an introduction in front of the bleachers and the crowd. I want you two to stand in the cock-pit and wave, then fire-up, taxi to the runway and take off together side by side. Up you’ll go, do a loop and a bank to the right, then bank to the left, then climb, one break right the other left, do separate loops and then one will pass under the other, all the time trailing smoke. That will be a sensational stunt, the crowd will love it.”
I could see Jack was really fired up about the whole thing. He told us we would have to practice and practice to get it perfect. “We’ll only have a month to get it done, what do ya say guys?”
Allie was all ready to do it. “Tommy,” she said, “I bet we can’t miss, will you do it?”
How could I say no?
The next day I flew the Stinson home. Uncle Bob told me he would fly me up to Colorado to get the Eagle Rock. “That way you’ll get the feel of the plane on the way back.” He also told me he had a pilot coming to take over the charter flying. He said he had put some money in the air show to back Jack. “Do a good job, Tommy boy, I’m counting on ya.” He sure made me feel good about the whole thing.
Uncle Bob and I flew up and got the plane. On the way back I got the feel of her all right. She was a beauty to handle, I had never flown a ship so maneuverable. What a joy it was to fly this plane.
We came home on a Saturday. Sunday I announced I was gonna do a few stunts in the plane. Somehow I attracted a crowd. Louise, Mother, Popie, Pop, my brothers, Helen and Uncle Bob were there and about half our town.
I really had rung the ship out doing loops and rolls. For a final, I came across the runway on her back upside down about forty feet off the ground. Mother had a few words to tell me about my flying. I don’t think she was thrilled at all, just mad I would do that. She said the whole thing was silly to fly that way. “You could be killed. Do you know that?”
I told her not to worry, It was safe as riding a horse. She just shook her head at me. Everyone else told me it was great the way I handled the plane.
That evening we all had dinner at Uncle Bob’s and I stayed the night with Frank in his room. Frank worked the summer in Uncle Bob’s office. We had a nice brother to brother talk, he went on and on about his girlfriend Gloria. He kept asking how I liked her. I never told him I was married, but I told him I had a girl in California who would make Gloria look like a skinny boy. That shut him up about Gloria.
The next day was Monday, I took off early and arrived at Jack’s Airport early in the afternoon. I could see the other Eagle Rock tied down outside the hangar. Of course, I had to buzz the hangar, took her up and did a roll or two then higher up, I put her in a flat spin. What a ship she was to handle. I sat her down easy and taxied to the hangar. Allie, Jack and the whole bunch were there to meet me, Jack didn’t say anything then, but when we were alone he gave me holy-hell for doing stunts without his OK. He told me in no uncertain terms not to do that again. I said I would respect his wishes.
The next morning Allie and I began our synchronized flying. Jack would lay it out on the ground and we would go up and do it. I’m telling ya, Smiling Jack can chew butts and in a way to make ya like it, he chewed on the two of us every time we got back on the ground. He kept saying, “Little mistakes can kill ya.”
I was trying my best to please him. We flew eight hours a day, seven days a week. By the time we finished I could do the routine in my sleep. When we told Jack that he said, “That’s just what I wanted you two to say.” Allie and I were ready.
Most nights, Allie and I would take off and spend the night together. Jack never said a word, but I knew he was suspecting something was going on between us, he never said anything.
We spent several weeks getting the planes ship shape. We were taking four Jennys, a Ford Tri-motor plus the Eagle Rocks on the tour. The Tri-motor carried our mechanics and equipment.
We had two parachutists from France join our company. They do
