1920's AND 1930's: MERCER AIRPORT: "IN THE BEGINNING"

Actually, Mercer Airport has grown, but at a very slow pace. I remember driving down Bear Tavern Road back in the 1950's to make deliveries to Franklin Machine Company and the Smith Bearing Company. The both had factories on the airport edge along Bear Tavern Road. These relatively scarce photos give an idea of the place in its early years. I was a fan of the Luscombe "Silvaire" which was one of the airplanes manufactured by Luscombe. I must have built 3 "stick" models of that aluminum clad airplane.

1969: BILL TIGHUE VS. CLIFF SNEDEKER

Politics will always be identified by party number one attacking party number two on a stance with which each holds firm beliefs. As that old saying goes, "that's what makes politics." I am currently going through my "POLITICS" files and find that the folder is growing even as I search for more on the subject. I was out of the Trenton-Hamilton-Mercer area during the 1960's, 70's and 80's as I was involved in my daily commute to New Brunswick where Lynch and company were battling against their political opposites. This article is particularly apropos as it relates to a subject that is in today's headlines with Frontier Airlines making local news as well as the folks in Ewing and Mercer County working to improve Mercer Airport.

1987: TOM GLOVER'S HAMILTON SCRAPBOOK-PRIOR TYPEWRITER

Before there were daily deliveries via UPS, FedEx and other local carriers, we depended on the postal service, over the road truckers and railroads. Above is an interesting 1927 event that occurred when Walter W. Prior had an air freight carrier drop a shipment of Royal typewriters via parachute from an airplane over Mercer Airport. In addition to a copy of my original weekly "Hamilton Scrapbook" feature in the Mercer Messenger, I have added the successor to the Walter W. Prior Typewriter Exchange, my friend Tony Nami and his "PRIOR-NAMI BUSINESS SYSTEMS over on Hamilton Avenue adjacent to Camp Olden Park. The computer with its typewriter-type keyboard has largely replaced the now old fashioned typewriter. I was a high speed typist during my Army years with a "manual" typewriter which was known as a "mill" in my ASA (Army Security Agency) M.O.S. (Military Occupation Specialty). I recently tried my hand a typing on one of those relics. I did fine until I reached the end of a sentence and waited for an automatic carriage return!

Anonymous said...

They mention the parachute drop into Stacy Park. I seem to remember something about the first scheduled air mail was between Trenton and Philadelphia with the pick up by one of those large Sikorsky birds landing at Stacy Park by the RR bridge. Perhaps in about 1953? Mom started out as a typist and they had proficiency exams for speed. When the first of the IBM speed machines came out she would bring one home to practice. My Dad challenged her to a duel. Like an old gunslinger he emerged with an ancient Royal from the attic. He won, beat her hands down on that old thing. Skip

Sunday, July 03, 2011

1935: I REMEMBER THE AUTOGIRO, DO YOU?

It looked like a helicopter, but unlike the helicopter, the rotors on the Autogiro acted as a lifting device. The propeller on the front of the Autogiro gave it the forward motion of an airplane.Garth Pitcairn was the last Autogiro I saw back in the 1980's at a Mercer Airport air show. His restored beauty was on display for all to see and enjoy,

1030: AMPHIBIAN AIRCRAFT AT MERCER AIRPORT

Until a knowledgeable aircraft historian comes along to correct me, I am going out on a limb and speculate that the Keystone seaplanes in the illustration were the predecessor of the now defunct Fleetwing Aircraft Company in Bristol, Pennsylvania.

1929: Stanley Switlik's New Escape Seat

My very dear friend, the late Steve Horvath was a Switlik man from the word "go." I grew up with Steve on Hartley Avenue, and in his later years, he was one of my "all stars" when I was the President of St. Anthony's Holy Name Society. Along with the Soffel, Slabicki, and Dilts families, he and his wife Carrie, were close neighborhood friends back in the years of my youth. Every time I hear of the Switlik Parachute Company, I think of Steve. He was a Switlik man through and through, and one of the nicest gentlemen I have had the pleasure to call my friend.

1929: AIRPLANE + STALLED ENGINE = CRASH

The pilot of this airplane slowed down too much, the slow RPM of propellor couldn't sustain the weight of the plane, and the crash described above was the result. There is a treasure of stories relating Mercer Airport, and also to the Switlik Parachute Company. As they surface, they will be posted.

1929: SWITLIK'S ASTOUNDING PARACHUTE

From the "Aircraft" and "Local Businesses" folder comes this very interesting graphic which tells of the successful thousand foot drop of a Switlik parachute over the skies of Ewing Township's Mercer Airport. Apparently the jump was made by a plane was rigged with a trap door, where the jumpers sat in a seat attached to the parachute. As we all know, most flyers "bailed out," pulling on the "rip cord." It would be an impossible task to even attempt to count the number of lives saved by Stanley Switlik's parachute. The company started business in the South Trenton area and ultimately moved to its current location on Walnut Avenue in Hamilton Township.

1929: MERCER AIRPORT GROWS UP

I HAVE A NUMBER OF FILES (STILL TO BE RETRIEVED AND SORTED) DEALING WITH THE EARLY YEARS OF MERCER AIRPORT. THERE IS AN AERIAL VIEW WHICH IS OF GREAT INTEREST WHEN COMPARED TO THE EXPANDED MERCER AIRPORT OF TODAY. THEY WILL BE POSTED WHEN I UNCOVER THEM.

1914: THIS IS ONE OF TWO FOR YOU, TIM KUSER

THE MERCER WAS IN ITS HEYDAY BACK IN THE 1910 - 1914 ERA. ALONG WITH MANY RACING TROPHYS, THERE WERE MANY VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENTS.

1934: MERCER AIRPORT: "IN THE BEGINNING"

What a difference 72 years makes! Here's an "Aero Service" aerial pic of Mercer Airport as it would have looked to pilots in the 1930's as they descended in their Waco biplanes or perhaps a Stinson "Reliant" and touched down on the grassy landing field at Mercer Airport. Today, County Executive Brian Hughes and his administration are planning on making Mercer into a first class airport with concrete runways, and aircraft electronics which weren't even conceived of when this photo was taken.