Kelly Field, the first airport in Hawthorne, opened officially October 8th 1927
The headlines read:
“The California School of Aeronautics will have its official opening here tomorrow October 8th1927 at 2:30. The landing field and hangars of this new institution are at the junction of Inglewood Avenue and Broadway – 8 acres were acquired (between Inglewood Ave to Felton and Broadway [124th] to Raymond [120th]) on a long term lease.”
This is a pretty well known fact, as it has been mentioned and discussed before that Hawthorne’s first airport was Kelly and second was Jack Northrop field (Hawthorne Airport) 1939…..
BUT why was it called Kelly Field???
“Mrs. Twyla J. Kelly, age 40, with her son, Merle F. Kelly, came to Los Angeles from Chicago in May, 1927, really prospecting for a profitable investment. They required a car. The broker who demonstrated the car happened also to be an air pilot. He drove them to the field he was connected with at Long Beach. Lindbergh enthusiasm – then rampant – entered the conversation. The demonstrator proved a good salesman, selling both the car and the idea that an airport promised lucrative business. Then he sold himself – as pilot and instructor. In July, Kelly Airport became a reality. Merle Kelly was the first student and other students soon made up classes that launched the commercial school.
It was Mrs. Kelly’s conviction that it was more important to have the business head of an airport on the ground rather than up in the air, so she undertook the strictly commercial end of the business. She believed that flying is the minor part of the airport job. And that women are needed who understand the mechanics and operation of planes in order to understand the ground business. They must know how to estimate repair jobs, where to buy parts and what to pay for them, how to figure out rentals for ships that come in. Every day brings out new conditions – new problems to be met. An airport operator must be a clever diagnostician and be ready to suggest the proper remedy. She believed there were unreckoned opportunities for women in school management and the business end of airport activities. Women can sell planes and parts, wearing apparel, promote styles, carry the office work, take care of visiting planes, teach the theory of flying, assist in promotion work in establishing many new airports that are needed as commercial aviation makes steady progress. Her students are people who hold positions and jobs that they hope to better by transferring to the business of airports and air transportation when they are prepared for it – people who mean to make it their work for life. She takes no interest in flying for sport nor in stunt flying, but she endorses flying for pleasure. Utility air transportation is her aim.
It is Mrs. Kelly’s opinion that a new type of plane must be found before air transportation can become a valuable commercial factor – smaller, less expensive to buy and operate – one that a man who values his time and conserves his energy can use as he uses his automobile. He will be able to take off and part at his own home or his place of business. Such a plane will be wingless, without a propeller, vacuum [sic], capable of high a rate of speed and will use an economical motor on the order of the “Diesel.” It will be actually – an air car!
The enrollment at Kelly Airport School usually averages between sixty and ninety. Mrs. Kelly urges everyone who wants to learn to fly to take up instruction in a regulation training-ship, on account of its greater performance and safety factors. Seventy-five per cent of the casualties in student flying are the result of “Freezing,” a grip on the controls that parallels the drowning-grip, a condition of the mind akin to stage fright. Trainers are equipped with a release on rudder and stick, with crash-pads, and have better vision because of all instruments being visible at all times – making for better results – an advantage to both student and school. Kelly Airport operates three planes and houses two rental planes. It receives about fifteen visiting ships each month. Mrs. Kelly feels the law is not flexible enough – that it places hardships on manager, student, operator and distributor, in spite of its good intent. At the annual dinner of the Women’s Traffic Association, held recently, Mrs. Kelly, as guest speaker, talked on commercial promotion; she hopes to see landing fields in every city where women will take a prominent part in the successful accomplishment of each project.”
“Women of Los Angeles are laying aside their house- or office work, or acting in motion pictures, and in some cases, their university studies a few hours each week and taking to the air!
It was shown in a survey, but all thirty-one women stated that they were drawn to aviation because of pleasure experienced in roaring through the skies!
These thirty-one local women, ranging from 18 to 40 years of age, are at the controls of airplanes from ten airdromes and flying schools surrounding the metropolitan area nearly every day, flying for instruction, soloing in rented planes or taking afternoon flights for recreation.
Patsy Ruth Miller is nearly ready to solo at Culver City, Bebe Daniels, reported engaged to Ben Lyon is taking instruction from Lyon at the American Airport. Mrs. Ogden, wife of Lieut. Ogden, round-the-world flyer, recently soloed following a course of instruction at Aero Corp. Four of the local flyers own and pilot their own ships. These owners are Miss Trout, Mrs. Florence Lowe Barnes, San Marino society aviatrix; Miss Josephine Callaghan, armless sportswoman noted for her ability to ride horseback, drive her own automobile and pilot her own plane despite her handicap.” I say: What a woman!
UPDATE on Mrs. Twyla J. Kelly
Exeter, N.H.
July 26th 1929
“Mrs. Kelly of Hawthorne, owner of the California School of Aeronautics, is to conduct a school of aviation at Exeter Airport, four miles north of town – the first planes arriving tomorrow and Sunday. Several improvements are to be made to provide requirements for the school, including construction of hangars and shops for repairs of motors of the planes. The school will maintain its own offices in the Chamber of Commerce here. Mrs. Kelly is said to have sold her school at Hawthorne last week for $15,000. Originating in Long Beach in June, 1927, the California School of Aeronautics soon moved to Hawthorne. During the last eleven months, it is said to have soloed more than seventy-five students and carried over 1,500 passengers. The school here will give courses for private, limited, commercial and transport licenses and special courses in night flying. Mrs. Kelly, owner of the school, her son, Merle F. Kelly, chief pilot, and other officials of the institution will make their home in this city.”
“WOMAN DENIES DISPOSING OF FLYING SCHOOL
Mrs. T.J. Kelly, president of the California School of Aeronautics, yesterday denied reports from the East that she has disposed of her interest in the school at Kelly’s Airport, Hawthorne, CA for the purpose of concentrating her attention on management of the municipal airports at Exeter, N.H. and the operation of a school there. The Exeter School, she explained, will be merely a branch of the Hawthorne school. Some of the students in the latter may make cross-country trips to Exeter for ground work, she said. All the planes used, according to Kelly, will be the new T.P. training ships recommended by the Department of Commerce for training purposes.”
There you have it! Women in business in Hawthorne California in 1927!
I want to thank Chris Prewitt for the suggestion of compiling information on Kelly Field and also for his support in providing the information.