Donald H. Gordon was an earlier aviator from San Diego. Items in this collection, from 1909 to 1968, with one article from 1982, include biographies on Donald H. Gordon, correspondence, affidavits, notes, newspaper clippings, and photographs and relate to his life in aviation.

Carl Gwartney was born June 11, 1920 in Hooper, Colorado. He grew up in that rural state until hearing about the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Carl was 21, newly married, and still living in his hometown. He was a part owner of a light plane, had a pilot’s license and had amassed more than 300 flying hours. During the Second World War, he was a glider pilot in the 29th Troop Carrier Squadron

John J. Montgomery was born in Yuba City, California on February 15, 1858. He attended St. Ignatius College and received a degree in physics. In 1883 he moved from Oakland, CA, to his family’s ranch on Otay Mesa. He began conducting flight experiments culminating in a glider which he launched in August 1883.

Steinway and Sons was a piano manufacturer who built wooden gliders during the Second World War.

This collection of over 90 color slides was accumulated during the career of an unknown U.S. Navy officer. The slides span roughly twenty years, from pilot’s training at NAS Pensacola in 1945 to an assignment to weather squadron VW-3 in the early sixties. While in port in San Diego in 1955 the officer visited the Torrey Pines Glider Port and photographed a number of interesting gliders there.

Wallace “Wally” R. Wiberg worked for Convair as an engineer. He then went on to many other aerospace firms.