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Descriptive Finding Guide for the Miles Blaine Personal Papers SDASM.SC.10017
SDASM.SC.10017  
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Table of contents What's This?
  • Related Archival Materials note
  • Conditions Governing Use note
  • Conditions Governing Access note
  • Preferred Citation note
  • Immediate Source of Acquisition note
  • Biographical/Historical note
  • Scope and Contents note

  • Title: Miles Blaine Personal Papers
    Identifier/Call Number: SDASM.SC.10017
    Contributing Institution: San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives
    Language of Material: English
    Physical Description: 1.3 Cubic feet 3 Boxes
    Date (inclusive): 1913-2009
    Abstract: Miles Blaine (1913-2009) was a long time San Diego resident and photographer for SDASM. His collection features 860+ photographs from 1935 to 1952, related to aviation and a growing San Diego. He began to volunteer at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in 1977 and continued to do so until he passed away March 10, 2009. This collection documents his life in aviation. Most of the collection comprises of images he took.

    Related Archival Materials note

    Log books in the SDASM Log Book Collection: LB 197: Miles F. Blaine, logbook, Jul 1936 - Dec 1952
    The images in this collection have been digitized and placed on Flickr.

    Conditions Governing Use note

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

    Conditions Governing Access note

    The collection is open to researchers by appointment.

    Preferred Citation note

    [Item], [Filing Unit], [Series Title], [Subgroups], [Record Group Title and Number], [Repository “San Diego Air & Space Museum Library & Archives”]

    Immediate Source of Acquisition note

    The materials in this Collection were donated to the San Diego Air and Space Museum without restrictions.

    Biographical/Historical note

    Miles Blaine (1913-2009) was a long time San Diego resident and photographer for SDASM. His collection features 860+ photographs from 1935 to 1952, related to aviation and a growing San Diego. He began to volunteer at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in 1977 and continued to do so until he passed away March 10, 2009.
    Blaine was born November 17, 1913, in Weatherford, Oklahoma. He was the youngest of seven and moved with his family to San Diego, CA, in 1927. A member of the first graduating class of Hoover High School, Blaine had his first ride in an airplane with Ryan pilot Bob Kerlinger in a Great Lakes 2T-1A at Lindbergh Field. He also learned to fly in San Diego at Peik’s Airport with instructor Arnold H. “Tex” Peik, starting out in an OX-5 American Eagle aircraft, and then switching to a Waco 10 after a student had totaled the American Eagle before he could finish his hours. Blaine then soloed in the Waco 10 in 1936 and continued flying for many years until he was 90 years old.
    He worked for several years in civil service as an aircraft machinist at the Naval Air Station, North Island, and also for Consolidated and Lockheed aircraft companies. He was a member of the Consair Flyers Club, Inc., which helped to organize the aviation groups OX-5 Aviation Pioneers and Silver Wings in 1940. He was an avid photographer and gathered many aerial photos of early San Diego development as well as various other photographs of people, aircraft, and automobiles. One of Blaine’s fond memories was of Arnold Peik climbing out onto the wing of the Waco 10. He had only 3 hours of solo time and was unsure of what to do, since he had never flown a wing-walker before.

    Scope and Contents note

    Three boxes, 15”x5”x10”, collection contains 850+ photos and images collected and taken by Miles Blaine, they document his life in aviation, as well as San Diego history. Photos range approximately from 1935-1952, with many images from the mid-1940s. The collection also features three book publications about the OX-5 Aviation Pioneers.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Blaine, Miles, 1913-2009
    Curtiss-Wright Corporation.
    Lockheed Aircraft .
    Ryan Aeronautical Company.
    Waco Aircraft Company.
    Gillespie Field (El Cajon, Calif. : Airport)
    Peiks Airport (San Diego, CA)