Title: Walter J. Addems Personal Papers

Identifier/Call Number: SDASM.SC.10001

Contributing Institution: San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives

Language of Material: English

Physical Description: 0.4 Linear feet 1 Manuscript Box

Date (inclusive): 1899-1997

Walter J. Addems Special Collection Abstract : This collection contains approximately 5 linear inches of papers covering Walter J. Addems long, successful life of flying and achievements. He began flying at a very early age and was a member of the famous Early Birds. He was integral in the founding and early days of United Airlines. The collection contains invoices, logbooks, chronology of his accomplishments, news articles, correspondence, route maps, NAT newsletters, schedules, licenses, photographs, technical notes, and magazine articles. The collection primarily covers the years 1914-1982.

This collection contains approximately 5 linear inches of papers covering Walter J. Addems long, successful life of flying and achievements. The collection contains invoices, logbooks, chronology of his accomplishments, news articles, correspondence, route maps, NAT newsletters, schedules, licenses, photographs, technical notes, and magazine articles. The collection primarily covers the years 1914-1982.

The collection is open to researchers by appointment.

Some copyright may be reserved. Consult with the library director for more information.

Please credit the San Diego Air and Space Museum's Library and Archives

Walter J. Addems (1899-November 21, 1997) grew up in Illinois and made his first flight in a glider he built himself when he was only 16 years old, using the plans found in an issue of Aviation Week magazine. The flight was short lived, but he flew enough to qualify for membership in the exclusive Early Birds club. In 1920, he moved with his family to Iowa for a time and briefly in the Army. He was soon back around local airstrips and continued refining his aviation skills. Soon, Addems was participating in airshows and barnstorming, by then he built a 50 HP plane, but used a Curtiss JN-4 or “Jenny” for his exhibitions, also working for the Harper Oil Company in Chicago, Illinois. During those years, he bought, built, and flew numerous aircraft that distinguished the era. In 1925, the same year he married Genevieve Mongeau, he joined Charles Dickenson to fly air mail on the Chicago-Minneapolis. Addems ceased barnstorming and began flying mail from Chicago to Milwakee, eventually joining the National Air Transport (NAT) flying mail from Chicago to Cleveland. Addems became so proficient as a self-taught pilot, he began to train other fliers. In fact, he was granted one of the first pilot instrument ratings, and NAT modified a Douglas mail plane so Addems could instruct pilots in instrument flying by 1931. After NAT, BAT, PAT, and Varney became United Airlines, Walter Addems stayed on, ultimately becoming Director of Flight Operations where he had a significant role in flying and mapping each new route, testing new planes for the fleet from the DC-3 to the Boeing 377, and developing airline operating procedures. However, in spite of support from many of the airline’s pilots, he lost this job after the airline saw a series of unfortunate crashes in the 1950s. He resumed flying on government contract runs and eventually became United’s chief pilot on the San Francisco-Hawaii route. Then, in 1959 upon reaching the retirement age of 60, Mr. Addems retired in Atherton, California, where he began building planes again. In 1962 he completed a replica of a Nieuport XI, an aircraft used in WWI by the Lafayette Escadrille, to fly in air shows. He flew the Nieuport XI until the age of 83, spending 67 years of his life flying. His last flight was delivering the aircraft to the San Diego Air and Space Museum. He passed away at the age of 98 in Palo Alto, California.

The materials in this Collection were donated to the San Diego Air and Space Museum.