Archives at The Museum of Flight

Overview Alan Lonsdale Patterson worked extensively in the field of aviation from the 1920s to the 1980s. Throughout his career he worked as a barnstormer, pilot and established multiple companies that facilitated the sale of aircraft and aeronautical equipment, predominately between companies based in the United States and China. The collection represents both his professional and personal life through correspondence, photographs, business records, clippings and audiovisual materials, as well as...

Abstract Henry L. Reed was a Technical Sergeant in the United States Air Force from 1942-1963. The collection contains negatives, slides, and photographs of various military aircraft taken by Reed during his service.

Overview Robert Lewis Simons was a military and commercial pilot in the mid-twentieth century. The Collection is comprised of materials relating to Simons’ career , including log books, military records, photographs, and films.

Abstract Walter A. Smith, Jr. served in the United States Air Force for over 30 years and was an active member of the P-47 Pilots Association. The collection contains materials relating to Walter Smith's Air Force career and World War I-era music collected by his wife, Flossie Smith.

Overview Major Norman George Stromer (1922-2019) was an Army Air Corps pilot who participated in bombing campaigns in the South West Pacific during World War II, served as part of the Military Air Transport Service (MATS), and worked as a fight inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This collection contains photographs, military records, certificates, and other textual materials documenting his military service, post-military career, and personal life, primarily dating from 1940-1960.

Abstract Merwin W. Vining was a United States Air Force pilot with the 381st Bombardment Group during World War II. The collection includes two (2) photographs, a yearbook and graduation announcement, and a pilot's log primarily related to Vining's time as a cadet, although the log book covers Vining's 1944-1945 service in the European theater.

Abstract Ralph H. Wandrey (1921-2020) was a World War II American fighter pilot and ace. The Ralph Wandrey Fighter Ace Collection documents fighter pilot and ace Ralph Wandrey's World War II service as well as activities associated to his veteran status, from 1935-2009. A smaller amount of material is personal in nature. Types of material include military records, a pilot's log, photographs, scrapbooks, correspondence, pamphlets, personal and educational records and clippings.

Content Description The Charles Zevart World War II Glider Pilot Collection consists of items relating to the life and military career of Charles Zevart, a World War II glider pilot. The collection contains his military records, high school diploma, black-and-white photographs, correspondence with the Air Force, and his Army Flying School yearbook.

Abstract Harold W. Zipp was an engineer at the Boeing Company for forty years. The collection documents his career, particularly his tenure in Wichita, Kansas, with diaries, photographs and other documents.