Derring-do and an aviation first | Washington State Magazine

WSU’s Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections houses correspondence, business and financial records, photographs, printed material and other records belonging to Clyde Pangborn, donated by his brother Percy Pangborn in 1962. The collection is extensive and most of it must be viewed at the holdings but some of it can be examined at WSU Libraries Digital Collections.

Here is a video of former WSU archivist Mary Avery discussing the Pangborn Papers⁠—originally from KWSU-TV’s Mosaic series in 1967⁠—now available on WSU Libraries’ Films YouTube channel:

Here is a slideshow of some of the digitized photos from the collection, as well as photos from additional sources.

Clyde Edward Pangborn: American aviator, barnstormer, and flew the first non-stop flight across the Pacific Ocean. (Photo Clyde Edward Pangborn Collection, WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections)

USPS airmail stamp in 1981 commemorating the Pacific flight by Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon Jr. — The Pacific flight by Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon Jr. was commemorated fifty years later by a USPS airmail stamp. (Stamp errata: This was the first *nonstop* transPacific flight.)

Gates Flying Circus newspaper advertisement — After World War I (during which he was an Air Service flight instructor), Pangborn performed with the Gates Flying Circus—which he co-owned with Ivan Gates. (Courtesy Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center)

Pangborn automobile-to-airplane transfer on Coronado Beach — Pangborn became famous for changing planes mid-air, and automobile-to-airplane transfers. (Photo Clyde Edward Pangborn Collection, WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections)

Pangborn’s only somewhat serious accident — Not all of these were successful—this was his only (somewhat) serious injury during his entire career in flying. (Photo Clyde Edward Pangborn Collection, WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections)

Inspecting the rope ladder in his act. (Photo Clyde Edward Pangborn Collection, WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections)

Pangborn assisting in a mid-air rescue of stuntwoman Rosalie Gordon illustration — Pangborn received national fame after assisting in a mid-air rescue of stuntwoman Rosalie Gordon. (Lithograph Clyde Edward Pangborn Collection, WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections)

Pangborn and Herndon after transPacific flight — In 1931, Pangborn and Herndon sought to fly around the world and break the current record. (Photo taken at transPacific flight completion. From the Clyde Edward Pangborn Collection, WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections)

camera crews with Miss Veedol airplane — Taking off from New York in their red Bellanca J-300 (Long Distance Special) *Miss Veedol*, poor weather conditions over Siberia forced them to abandon their efforts. (Photo Clyde Edward Pangborn Collection, WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections)

Taking off from Sabishiro Beach, Misawa, Aomori, Japan in 1931 — They next flew from Siberia to Japan to attempt the first nonstop transPacific flight. They took off October 4, 1931, from Sabishiro Beach, Misawa, Aomori. (Courtesy Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center)

commemorative Japanese artwork of flight — They flew a Great Circle flight plan without their detailed maps and charts which were stolen. (Courtesy Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center)

Miss Veedol belly landed in East Wenatchee — With Seattle fogged in—as well as Vancouver, B.C., Boise, Spokane, and Pasco—they finally belly landed in [now East] Wenatchee. (Photo Clyde Edward Pangborn Collection, WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections)

photo of propeller damaged from the landing — The Pangborn-Herndon Memorial, dedicated to the historic flight, is located near the landing site, and the propeller damaged from the landing is on display in the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. (photo courtesy)

Pangborn immigration documents for flying — Pangborn joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in WWII and assisted in organizing the RAF Ferry Command. He recruited pilots (US and Canada) and made almost 200 trans-ocean flights. (Document from the Clyde Edward Pangborn Collection, WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections)

Pangborn in Lancaster bomber — Pangborn brought the first Lancaster heavy bomber to the US. After the US entered the war in 1941, he served in the US military. (Photo Clyde Edward Pangborn Collection, WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections)

Beryl Markham photo signed for Pangborn — Pangborn was an inspiration and mentor to many other pioneering aviators. Beryl Markham was the first person to fly a solo, non-stop across the Atlantic *westward* [against prevailing westerlies] from Britain to North America. (Photo Clyde Edward Pangborn Collection, WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections)

Pangborn with Lieutenant General Clarence S. Irvine—who set a transcontinental record with his crew flying the B-29B *Pacusan Dreamboat* from California to New York in 1945. (Photo Clyde Edward Pangborn Collection, WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections)

Photos of a flying replica of Miss Veedol was built by Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 424 — A flying replica of *Miss Veedol* was built by Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 424 and first flew in 2003. It is also known as the *Spirit of Wenatchee* and is based in East Wenatchee. (Photo missveedol.org)

Monument erected on Hama Misawa (Misawa Beach) marking the location of the takeoff of Miss Veedol from Misawa, Aomori, Japan in 1931 — Monument erected on Hama Misawa (Misawa Beach) marking the location of the takeoff of *Miss Veedol* from Misawa, Aomori, Japan in 1931. (Photo Wikipedia Commons)

Miss Veedol replica in the Misawa Aviation and Science Museum in Japan — *Miss Veedol* replica in the Misawa Aviation and Science Museum in Japan. (photo courtesy)

photo of Clyde Edward Pangborn hanging from biplane — “Derring-do” (Photo Clyde Edward Pangborn Collection, WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections)

Original Paramount newsreel clips showing Pangborn’s landing, subsequent celebrations, and reactions and reflections of the flight can also be viewed (below)
or at the WSU Libraries’ Films YouTube Channel.

Other resources

The Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center has a permanent exhibit commemorating the flight and even a virtual tour online.

A replica of Pangborn’s original plane Miss Veedol was built and The Spirit of Wenatchee organization sponsors an active history of the Pangborn’s accomplishment (missveedol.org).

Miss Veedol replica flying over East Wenatchee

Finally, the original plane’s history can also be researched at its Wikipedia page.

Read the article “Our “Pacific Lindbergh.”

Witness to flight history: Otto Ross’s story