Wings Over Illinois

277 Pages·2007·1.77 MB·English

by  Arthur E. Abney

WINGS
VER
ILLINOIS
A R T H U R E . A B N E Y
WINGS OVER ILLINOIS

WINGS

OVER
ILLINOIS
A R T H U R E . A B N E Y
With a Foreword by David NewMyer
Published for the
Department of Aviation Management and Flight
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Southern Illinois University Press
Carbondale
Copyright © 2007 by the Department of Aviation Management and Flight,
Southern Illinois University
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
10 09 08 07 4 3 2 1
Copyrights for the individual essays in the volume
remain with their respective authors.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Abney, Arthur E.
Wings over Illinois / Arthur E. Abney ; with a foreword by David NewMyer.
p. cm.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8093-2768-3 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-8093-2768-6 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Abney, Arthur E. 2. Air pilots—United States—Biography. 3. Aeronautics—
Illinois—History. 4. World War, 1939–1945—Aerial operations, American.
I. Title.
TL540.A255A3 2007
629.13092—dc22
[B] 2006038365
Printed on recycled paper.
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper
for Printed Library Materials, ansi z39.48-1992.∞
To my wife, Helen Abney, for her help, understanding, and patience

Y
Contents
Illustrations ix
Foreword xi
David NewMyer
Preface xiii
Introduction: Kitty Hawk to the Moon 1
Part One. From Harco to the Skies
The Early Years 11
Navy Training 19
VBP-16 at War 34
Back to Corpus 62
After the War 70
A Challenge 77
American Airlines 92
Back to Southern Illinois 98

Part Two. Hangar Flying
Introduction 107
Fifty Stories 109

Y
Illustrations
The Flying Egyptians 17
N3N used at Glenview Naval Air Station 23
PBY-5A Catalina at the specialization squadron 29
Gene Abney and Ray “Susie” Ellis in a PBM cockpit 32
VPB-16 squadron insignia 40
Abney as director of the Illinois Department of Aeronautics 75
Thirty years after VP-16, the first reunion 102
Squadron members at a 1940s New Year’s party 103
ix