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I've tried many times to post this tonight on the Classic Wings latest issue thread but it won't take. I'll try this as a new thread:
In the early 70's I was a high school student and vintage aircraft buff in Boise, Idaho. My father flew for the BLM and Forest Service at Boise. He came home one evening saying he had spotted one, maybe two Ford Tri-motors and some unidentified biplanes on a duster strip west of Caldwell on a return leg that afternoon. Did I know of any old airplanes out there?
That began a quest to find out all I could about Mr. Eugene O. Frank. Another antique aircraft owner in Boise, Don Long, was immediately contacted. He told me Gene had a ton of old airplanes out at his strip, and he had known him many years. But then the warning: Don said, "Gene will run you off like Jack-the-Bear with a shotgun or a German Shepard 99 times out of a hundred if you show up out there at his strip wanting to see his airplanes." But, he continued, "on that odd one-in-a hundred times he will take you on a full tour and show you every nut and rivet on everything he owns." Before long I had heard all sorts of stories and warnings about old Gene Frank. One story was how he had an old barn building somewhere near downtown Caldwell that few knew about. One fellow was let in there on a rare opportunity and he counted three Jennies and what looked to be a bunch of New Standards and a ton of other major parts. (Years later I would confirm two Jennies but never any positive ID of any New Standards.) Another story later confirmed first hand was how his only son, Roger, had flown with him for years as a youngster and then one day at the age of 12 when dad went into town, he climbed aboard his favorite, a 1931 Travel Air 12W, fired it up, and took off on a very brave solo. Roger said that his mistake so angered his dad that they seldom ever talked after that and he was in effect kicked out of the house--at age 12! The estrangement would last for decades with the proper father-son relationship finally restored late in Gene's life in visits to the Gene's nursing home.
I began in 1971 making regular trips to the local FAA office (this remember, long before personal computers and Internet) to search page by page line by line for any aircraft on the Civil Register owned by Frank or his Associated Enterprises, Associated Aerial Applicators, or Associated Air registered names. All were listed with a P.O. Box 64, or 120 Woodlawn Drive, Caldwell address.
By 1974 I believe the following was my compiled list:
1927 Ford 4AT-A Tri-motor, registration 1077 (longtime listed as N6077C), s/n 4AT-10
1928 Alexander “Eaglerock” A-3, 6374, s/n 681
1928 Waco ASO, 5785, s/n A-9
1928 Fairchild FC-2-W2, 13934, s/n 531
1928? Fairchild 71, 58993, s/n 37
1929? Brunner-Winkle “Bird” A, 130H, s/n 1019
1929 Waco 10, 748E, s/n 1961
1929 Waco BSO, 796E, s/n A-138
1929 Waco BSO, 765K, s/n A-158
1929 Waco BSO, 608N, s/n 3070
1930 Loening-Keystone K-84 “Commuter”, 63K, 305
1930 St. Louis “Cardinal” C2-110, 561N, s/n 117
1930 Stinson SM-7A “Junior”, 216W, s/n 3002
1930 Stearman 4E Special “Junior Speedmail”, 785H, s/n 4022
1931 Stearman 4E Special “Junior Speedmail”, 774H, s/n 4025
1931 Travel Air 12W, 434W, s/n 12W-2002
1931 Brunner-Winkle “Bird” CK, 818W, s/n CK 4010
1932 Brunner-Winkle “Bird” CK, 765N, s/n CK 4030
1934 Kinner “Sportster B”, 13776, s/n 102
1938 Cunningham-Hall PT-6F, 444, s/n 381
1940 Piper J-3C-65, 33112, s/n 5830
1940 Piper J-3C-65, 88225, s/n 15842
1940 Navy N3N-3, 45195, s/n 1772
1940 Navy N3N-3, 44750, s/n 2624
1940 Navy N3N-3, 45233, s/n 2634
1941 Navy N3N-3, 45185, s/n 2769
1941 Navy N3N-3, 44972, s/n 2810
1941 Navy N3N-3, 45179, s/n 2866
1941 Navy N3N-3, 45279, s/n 2985
1942 Stearman A-75N1, 73617, s/n 75-3702
194? Stearman A-75, 63480, s/n 75-5023
1941 Fairchild M-62C, 56110, s/n T41-1151 (Howard PT-23A)
1942 Fairchild M-62A, 53288, s/n T42-3702
194? North American SNJ-5C, 3268G, 90752
1949 Piper PA-18-125 “Super Cub”, 5410H, s/n 18-1 (serial number 1 Super Cub!)
I knew he had also owned two other Ford Tri-motors (9651 & 58996) that had went on to become nice restorations in Nevada and California. He had owned Stearman A75N-1, N5156N; 1946 Call-Aire A N33352, s/n 8; 1949 Callair A, s/n 128; and other cropdusters (Pawnees, etc.). Apparently some of Joe Terteling’s collection (auctioned off in the late 70’s) had also belonged at one time to Gene.
I believe later he was the registered owner of yet another Ford Tri-motor NC7684, s/n 42.
I’m sure there must have been others. Locals always said many treasures were unregistered.
In 1988 I finally met Gene in person for the first time. I gave a presentation at a local EAA Chapter meeting on the Thunder Mustang our company was developing. After my talk this older gentleman approached me. I had brought along a large collection of my personal warbird photography (sorted by type) with me to the meeting as I had used the subject of surviving warbirds to kick off the presentation. Gene wanted my photo collection. He came up to me, introduced himself, and said “Young man, come to my airstrip on Saturday and I will give you whatever your price is for these photos.” He caught me in a weak moment. A baby daughter was due to be born and I was scraping bottom financially. I was going to finally have a chance to maybe see and touch his collection. You would have had to be in my shoes that last 15 years to understand.
When I got to his strip I could here the clanging and pounding of tools in the big hangar. I approached cautiously. The dogs that had met me there before in attempted visits were nowhere around. I called out for him but could not hear an answer. His Ford truck with the fish decals was outside. I slowly walked through an office/shop area of sorts and into the hangar. Finally he heard me calling. He cried out, “Come on over!” I thought the voice was coming from the NE corner but I could see no one. I heard some more tools against metal. Then an “Over here!” I approached the Loening-Keystone and there he was down inside prone position working on some old bolts I suspect hadn’t been turned loose in 50 years. I sold him the photos that Saturday, and soon I was getting that every nut and rivet tour, when at about the halfway point, we were interrupted by someone else dropping in with business. He sent me away without a thank you. There was more to that story but I’ll save it for another night…
I can’t wait to read the article in Classic Wings.
Lowell Thompson
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