Foil: 7 Panel: 1 Column: 3 Line: 78

Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Mr. James R. Phelps

Born March 15, 1919, Grant City, MO
Family relocated to Los Angeles, CA area in 1920.
First plane ride about 1931/1932 in a Comet Powered Travelair at Alhambra Airport. Rode bicycle from home to the airport and paid approximately $1.00 for about 10 minutes to a pilot selling rides. Hi name was Nick Lentine and Bob remembers the pilot wearing a helmet and goggles. Bob remembers sitting in the front seat and looking down and seeing the plane wheels going around. The plane seemed to go much slower than he had imagined. There was also another paid passenger. He would also bike to the airport and watch planes for hours.
On one occasion of bike riding to the airport, Bob met a young guy sitting on the lawn at the airport. His name was Jim Dewey, and he asked if Bob was interested in flying and would he like to work cleaning planes, etc. in exchange for flying lessons. Bob was 15 years old at the time and had just started his career in aviation.
First solo flight was in a 1930 deHavilland Gypsy Moth November 1935 after 4 hours, 50 minutes of instruction.
Progressively obtained amateur, private, limited commercial and transport pilot licenses through 1936-1938.
Current holder of FAA Airline Transport Pilot Certificate with multiengine and single engine ratings. Current FAA Certificated Flight Instructor with airplanes, instrument and helicopter ratings.
14000+ flying hours in such aircraft as Curtiss C-46, Douglas C-47, Lockheed P-38, Boeing B-17, North American B-25, Martin B-26, Douglas A-20, Douglas A-24, Lockheed T-33 and numerous general aviation aircraft; single and multi-engine; seaplanes, helicopters and gliders.
Certificate #34837 . . . Jim Dewey was #28731. Bob also has Flight Engineer Certificate, Aviation Mechanic Certificate, and Ground Instructors Certificate.
Co-owner of Bassett-Phelps Flying Service, Santa Paula Airport. The flying service trained college enrolled students in the CAA Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) in preparation for future military service (1939-1941).
Military contract school flight instructor at Polaris Flight Academy at War Eagle Field in Lancaster, CA. Training British Royal Air Force Aviation Cadets in preparation for combat using Stearman PT-13, Vultee BT-13 and North American AT-6 Aircraft (1941-1942).
WWII Veteran. Officer in the United States Army Air Force. Instructor at Palm Springs AFB, CA. Flew Curtiss C-46 and Douglas C-47 Aircraft in China, Burma, and India (CBI) Theater. Flew over the Himalayas “The Hump” as pilot (1944-1946).
Retired from Civil Service with 48 plus years of service to the U.S. Government: Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as Flight Operations Inspector, Investigator, Operations Supervisor, District Office Chief-Manager.
Stations/Assignments included: Bishop, CA; Carson City, NV; Phoenix, AZ; Tucson, AZ; Prescott, AZ; Santa Monica, CA; Seattle, WA; Ontario, CA; Fresno, CA; Riverside, CA, and Van Nuys, CA (1942-1944) . . . (1946-1991).
Board Member Santa Paula Airport Association, Inc., Santa Paula, CA, Vice President, President (1991-2001). Was also Chairperson of the Safety Committee.
One of the founders of the Aviation Museum of Santa Paula, Inc., Santa Paula, CA and first President of the Board of the Museum. (1998-present).