I read your article on Lindbergh flying in the South Pacific back in 1944 (Lindbergh’s secret, June 17 issue). I saved it for a friend who is interested in Lindbergh’s life.
I used to be in aviation and flew with the Air Force. I also remember the name of Bledsoe, who may be another fraternity brother or fellow pilot in my Air Force jet pilot training program named Bledsoe. He used to fly F-104As and then the SR-70. I went off to fly the F-100, F-104C/D and the Air Force tried to get me to fly the F4-C, which I did not really like.
I used to be a missile and aircraft engineer as a young engineer with Consolidated Vultee Aircraft, Convair, and later General Dynamics. I went to school with Donald Hall’s son, Donald Hall Jr. His father was the man who designed and built the Spirit of St. Louis. I knew him and his wife when they lived on Point Loma, Calif., back in 1953 to 1957.
I started as a research chemist, and did the testing of aviation gasoline, jet fuel, hydraulic fluids and titanium metals that went into the building of the Delta Sea Dart, Convair F-102, F-106, Convair 240 and the R4D four-engine turboprop seaplane. I advanced later to the astrophysics section to help design the Atlas Missile.
Mr. Hall Sr. sold the movie rights to the Spirit of St. Louis for $25,000 back around 1954. The picture was titled the Spirit of St. Louis and the lead character was played by Jimmy Stewart.
From your article it sounds like you like history. This is part of it.
Norman N. Huff
via email