"Pilots of Aviation History"

Full Signature Photograph

This AMAZING photograph and collection of original, authentic autographs from aviation history is now available exclusively through Moments in Time.   

"Pilots of Aviation History"
Assembled by Major James G. Adams
This list denotes the approx. placement of each original signature on photograph.

General Spaatz                       General Westover                  Bert Acosta                     AdmiralRadford   

Billy Mitchell                              * Wiley Post                       George Noville                   Admiral Clarke

Augustus Post                      Gen Maxwell Taylor               Ashley McKinley              *Howard Hughes

       Louis Bleriot                             Gene Cernan                     Admiral Dick Byrd          Clarence Chamberlin 

Lt Gen Hal George                     John Young                           Deke Slayton                  Barry Goldwater

Don Eisele                                  General Vanderberg                  Dean Smith                       Gene Vidal 

Thor Solberg                            Jim Fitzmaurice                       George Haldeman           Clayton Knight 

        *Alex Seversky                     *Fiorela La Guardia                    Benny Griffin                 *Jacqueline Cochran 

   Paul Codos                                  Lon Yancy                            Admiral McMillan            *Jack O'Meara   

General Curtis LeMay                  Dr. Eckner                            *Jimmie Mattern             Albert Stevens

     Ted Williams                             Orville Wright                         Gen. Frank Lahm            *Clyde Pangborn

            *Eddie Rickenbacker                Lowel Thomas                Brig Gen Thomas Stafford     Lt Gen William Kepner

             Frank Borman                            Dick Gordon                     Major Gen Bob Douglas     Mj. Gen Clair Chennault

C.A (Charles) Lindbergh            Robert WIlliams                  General Ernst Udet               F. De Pinedo 

*Doug "WWay" Corrigan              *Ruth Nichols                         * Sabelli                              John Young

Billy Bishop                            Br Gen Paul Tibbetts                 Buzz Aldrin                         Prince Phillip 

   Bill Odom                                          Don Scott                           Laura Ingalls                       Hubert Wilkins

                  *Jim& Amy Mollinson               *Russell Boardman            Lt Gen Jimmy Doolittle          Br Gen Chuck Yeager 

  Gen George Kennedy                 Don Gentile                          Wally Shirra                        Bernie Balchen 

    Charles Conrad                        Walt Cunningham                  *Frank Hawks                      "Zack" Moseley

     Viola Gentry                              *Roscoe Turner                        Jim Lovell                          Lincoln Elsworth

                                                       Errol Boyd                          Lee Gehlbach                       *Amelia Earhart

                                                          Grover Loening                    *Dick Merrill                           Lee Ya Ching 

                                                                                                  *Casey Jones                         Al Williams 

                                                                                                        Harold Hartney                      James McDivitt  

                                                                                                                                                           Neil Armstrong

* asterisk indicates additional separate black and white photos taken by Major Adams that will be included with the sale of the main photograph and can be seen on page 2 of this website.

"Pilots of Aviation History"

In 1931 Major James Adams was the Operations Supervisor at Floyd Bennet Field, New York's first airport.  During his tenure in this position,  Major Adams came into contact with many of history's aviation "greats", the dare devil pilots who set and broke flying records, aviators who had gone where "No Man has ever Gone Before", heroic and courageous pilots who fought for our country; all an eclectic group of flyers who have gone down (some literally) in history!

It was Major Adams who cleared Doug Corrigan for take-off to California when Corrigan proceeded to fly to Europe, earning him the nickname "Wrong Way Corrigan"!  It was the same Major Adams who happened to catch Howard Hughes, for a signature, while he was sketching a doodle in the airport lunchroom shortly after he had completed his "around the world flight"!

Major James Adams, who died in 1977 at the age of 85, was a World War I fighter pilot and a World War II squadron commander.  As a young lieutenant, Adams trained with Eddie Rickenbacker.  He was an aide to General Billy Mitchell, knew General C.L. Chennault of the famed "Flying Tigers" as well as Jimmy Doolittle, whom he once described as the "tops of all American Flyers"!  Over the years, Major Adams had reestablished contact with many of these aviators and his unbelievable collection of autographs began to grow!

The photograph and signatures, under glass since 1977, are still clearly readable.  Signatures such as General Paul Tibbetts, who dropped the first atomic bomb, Chuck Yeager, the first man to break the sound barrier, and Louis Bleriot, the first man to fly across the English Channel, are just a few in this fabulous collection!

In 1958 Major Adams retired to Palm Beach, Florida and began a new era of collecting signatures on the photograph, which shows three U.S. Navy Bi-Planes flying through the New York City skyline. 

As a charter member of the Daedaliens, a distinguished group of World War I fighter pilots, the Major traveled the country for speaking engagements continuing his quest for the "Greatest Collection of Signatures in Aviation History".

Major Adams' speaking tours took him to Kennedy Space Center (then known as Cape Canaveral) where he met, visited with, and obtained the signatures of Neil Armstrong (signature just below Amelia Earhart's), Buzz Aldrin (whose signature is just above that of Laura Ingalls), Frank Borman (who signed between Eddie Rickenbacker and Charles Lindbergh), Gene Cernan, whose signature is directly beneath General Maxwell Taylor, Walt Cunningham, Charles Conrad, and Wally Shirra all of whom penned this wonderful piece near the flying aces of the 1930s aviation greats, Sabelli and De Pinado!

Major Adams never missed an opportunity to get a signature that would help round out what has become this priceless photograph.  Over the years, he met and then proceeded to invite these aviation icons to join his unique collection of signatures. Other famous signatures include Britian's Prince Phillip, Barry Goldwater, New York Mayor Fiorela LaGuardia, Generals Spatz, LeMay, Westover, Vanderberg, Lahm, Udet, Douglas, and Kemper.

Not to be excluded, the Major also added Admiral Dick Byrd and Admiral McMillan, and "Zack" Moseley, the famous World War II cartoonist !

Famous women aviators were not excluded!  In addition to obtaining Amelia Earhart's signature, Adams also obtained the signatures of Jacky Cochran, Viola Gentry, Ruth Nichols, and more!  All in All, before he died, Major Adams had collected well over 100 signatures!

Prior to his death in 1977, Major Adams was approached by the Smithsonian Institute regarding a possible donation of his photograph, but in the end he decided to bequeath this wonderful treasure and autograph collection to his family.  After 25 years, the family has decided to make this one of a kind "aviation treasure" available for sale to the discriminating collector.

   
Section 1 - Main photo cut away

Section 2 - Main photo cut away

Section 3 - Main photo cut away

Section 4 - Main photo cut away

Section 5 - Main photo cut away

Section 6 - Main photo cut away

Section 7 - Main photo cut away

Section 8 - Main photo cut away
 

Section 9 - Main photo cut away

Sale Details

Moments in Time will be the exclusive marketing agent of the "Pilots of Aviation History" photograph and it's accompanying collection of individual photographs, articles, detailed signature inventory, and a signed letter by Eddie Rickenbacker.

"Pilots of Aviation History" and it's associated contents have a guaranteed authenticity, but qualified buyers are invited to perform their own authentications prior to purchasing this collection.

For questions regarding this piece of American History, please contact Gary Zimet at VIE1@aol.com or visit Moments in Time.  Mr. Zimet can be reached by phone at  845-497-7373.

Private viewings will be made available upon request.

Moments In Time Inc.
         Gary J. Zimet \ Curator
         P.O. Box 37
         Washingtonville, NY 10992
         Phone (845) 496 6699
         Fax (845) 496-6367
         VIE1@aol.com