Pilot Henry Sanford “Sandy” McMurray is interviewed about his military and commercial flying careers. He discusses his service with the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, including his flight training with the Civilian Pilot Training Program, his service with the 305th Bombardment Group in the European Theater, and his service with the Air Transport Command in the Pacific Theater. He then shares highlights from his time as a commercial pilot for ONAT (Orvis Nelson Air Transport) and United Airlines and as a test pilot for Boeing, where he rose to the position of head of Production Test Flight before his retirement in 1981.
McMurray’s son, Scott Sanford McMurray, also participates in the interview.
Introduction and personal background -- Flight training, part one -- Service in the European Theater, part one -- Flight training, part two -- Service in the European Theater, part two -- Service with the Air Transport Command, part one -- Story about an ill-fated takeoff in a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress -- Service with the Air Transport Command, part two -- Service in the Pacific Theater -- Father’s military service and death -- Marriage and career with United Airlines -- Career with Boeing -- Connections to The Museum of Flight -- Thoughts on different aircraft and a close call on the runway -- Ferrying a B-17 from Hawaii to California -- Memories of the Red Barn -- Additional stories from wartime service, part one -- More on the Red Barn and stories from flying career -- Additional stories from wartime service, part two -- More on his father’s career and service -- Bailing out of a Curtiss C-46 -- Closing thoughts
Henry Sanford “Sandy” McMurray was a retired Boeing Production Test Pilot with a career spanning 32 years, from 1949 until 1981.
McMurray was born on July 14, 1921 in San Leandro, California to Welborn and Harriett McMurray. He lived there with his parents and younger sister, Elizabeth, until joining the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1941.
McMurray went to McKinley Grade School and San Leandro High School, transferring to Hayward High School from which he graduated in 1939. While in high school he filled out a questionnaire about possible careers and indicated that he was going to be a pilot. Working toward that goal, mechanically-minded McMurray attended San Jose State College taking engineering classes. The Civilian Pilot Training Program had just started there and McMurray was one of the first 50 candidates selected. Earning his Private Pilot Certificate by the summer of 1941, he took his physical and was accepted into the U.S. Army Air Corps on November 7, 1941. Attending training at “Kelly-on-the-Hill,” he selected multi-engine training, knowing that would further a civilian career as a pilot.
On July 3, 1942 he was assigned to the 305th Bombardment Group, subsequently known as the “Can Do” group, at Muroc Field. Completing his B-17 training there, McMurray found himself and his crew in Chelveston, England by November. McMurray flew his first mission on December 12 to Rouen, France in the B-17 “Unmentionable Ten” and his 25th mission on July 26, 1943 striking Hanover, Germany. Returning to the United States, he was transferred to the Air Transport Command, where he earned his Instrument Rating while delivering bombers, fighters, and transports. Assigned to the 7th Ferry Command, he was based in Wilmington, Delaware on D-Day when he had the opportunity to fly in the Pacific Theater. McMurray’s father had disappeared in 1942 with the fall of the Philippines and he was eager to see what information he could find. He learned that his father had passed away at Cabanatuan on June 14, 1942 of cerebral malaria. McMurray spent the last year and a half of the war bringing wounded troops out of battle and flying in replacements.
Discharged from the U.S. Army Air Forces on January 3, 1946 at McClellan Field, California, McMurray quickly found work as a flight engineer for Orvis Nelson Air Transport (later Transocean Airlines). After three months with ONAT, he was hired by United Airlines, flying as copilot primarily on West Coast routes. On one of these flights, he met his wife, Marjorie, a United Airlines stewardess. They were married in San Francisco on December 6, 1947. About a year later, United furloughed 88 pilots, McMurray included.
McMurray was then hired on at the Boeing Company. When United Airlines asked him back in October 1949, he opted to stay with Boeing. For his first couple of years at Boeing, McMurray wrote pilot handbooks. He subsequently moved to a test pilot position. As a test pilot, he started out copiloting Stratocruisers, C-97s, B-50s, B-29s, and other variants of these airframes. He transitioned to jet-engined aircraft with the B-47 and also flew the KC-135 and B-52 as part of the team developing jet-engined refueling capabilities for the U.S. Moving to the civilian side of Boeing, he flew the 707, 727, 737, and 747 extensively in Production Test Flight. In 1966, McMurray’s manager, Clayton Scott, retired and McMurray was promoted into his position as head of Production Test Flight. He held this position until his retirement in 1981.
McMurray died in 2021 at 99 years of age.
Biographical information derived from interview and additional information provided by interviewee.
Engineer Arthur K. Davenport is interviewed about his career in the aviation and aerospace industries. He discusses his work at Hamilton Standard during the 1960s and 1970s, focusing in particular on the design and development of the Apollo spacesuit’s Life Support System backpack. He also discusses his subsequent engineering career with Boeing and his experiences as a Designated Engineering Representative (DER) for the Federal Aviation Administration. Davenport’s wife (Wendy) and son (Chris) also participate in the interview.
Introduction and personal background -- College and U.S. Air Force service -- Engineering career with Hamilton Standard -- Graduate studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a story about sublimators -- Career at Boeing, part one -- Submarine system design -- Career at Boeing, part two -- Designated Engineering Representative (DER) of the FAA -- Experiences with patents -- Thoughts on current space efforts -- Involvement with The Museum of Flight -- Career as an author -- Thoughts on engineering career -- Design work for the Space Shuttle -- Discussion about spacesuits and backpacks -- Testing the Boeing 747 -- Additional details about engineering career -- Early aviation memories and father’s engineering career -- Additional details about DER work -- Conversation with the Davenport Family and miscellaneous stories
Arthur K. Davenport is an aviation and aerospace engineer who worked for Hamilton Standard and the Boeing Company.
He was born in New York to Earl and Ruth Davenport. His father served in the Army Air Corps and afterwards worked for Sikorsky Helicopters and Republic Aviation.
Davenport attended the Stevens Institute of Technology (New Jersey) and participated in the school’s ROTC program. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Air Force as a maintenance officer with the 463rd Troop Carrier Wing.
In the mid-1960s, Davenport was hired by Hamilton Standard as an engineer for the Apollo Program. His work included contributing to the design and development of the Apollo spacesuit’s Life Support System backpack. Later, he was involved in developing the Environmental Control System for the Space Shuttle Program. While at Hamilton, he also earned a master’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Connecticut).
In the mid-1980s, after 21 years at Hamilton, Davenport and his family relocated to Washington State, where he accepted a job at Boeing. His projects included design work for the 747 and for Combat Edge, a pressure vest designed to protect pilots from high G forces. In 1997, he became a Designated Engineering Representative (DER) for the Federal Aviation Administration. As a DER, he helped to test the Environmental Control System for the 747.
Davenport retired from Boeing in 2007 but returned to work as a job shopper. He retired again in 2013. Since retirement, he has self-published a number of mystery novels, including Fall to Earth (2014), Beyond the Breakers (2014), Hidden Failure (2014), and The Running Water River Bridge (2016).
Davenport married his wife, Wendy, in 1963.
Biographical information derived from interview and additional information provided by interviewee.
Engineer Sydney Baker is interviewed about his life and his decade-spanning career in the aviation industry. He discusses his work at Vickers-Armstrongs in the 1940s and 1950s and his subsequent engineering jobs with Canadair and the Boeing Company. Projects discussed include the AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) program, the AOA (Airborne Optical Adjunct) program, and guided missile development. He also shares his experiences as a Museum of Flight docent and his restoration work on the Museum’s B-29 Superfortress. Other topics discussed include his school years in England during World War II, his service in the Parachute Regiment, and his restoration of vintage sports cars.
Introduction and personal background -- Adolescent years in England during World War II and early flight experiences -- Apprenticeship at Vickers-Armstrongs and service with the British Army -- Guided missile testing in Australia -- Career with Canadair -- Career with Boeing and work on AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) and AOA (Airborne Optical Adjunct) -- Involvement with The Museum of Flight and aircraft restoration work -- Achievements and notable moments from his career -- Advice for young people -- Car restoration and sports racing -- Legacy of restoration work -- Stories from Army service -- Side projects at Boeing -- Final questions
Sydney J. Baker was an aviation engineer who worked for Vickers-Armstrongs, Canadair, and the Boeing Company.
Sydney James Baker was born in London, England on January 26, 1930 to Sydney Baker (a bunting factory owner) and Esme Perrett (a shopkeeper’s assistant). When he was young, his family moved to Surrey, England. Nearby was a Vickers-Armstrongs airdrome as well as a racetrack, which inspired an interest in aviation and cars. During World War II, his father volunteered for the Royal Observer Corps. Baker would help his father and the other men identify aircraft carrying out bombing missions against England. At about age seven, he left home to attend Sevenoaks grammar school, a boarding school in Kent, England. At the age of 12, he received his glider’s license. He became an instructor at age 14, helping to teach injured fighter pilots how to fly again.
After graduating from Sevenoaks, Baker returned to Surrey. Wanting a hands-on job, he joined Vickers-Armstrongs as an apprentice, where he specialized in making wind tunnel models. He attended the local college at the same time. Once he finished his college coursework, he was drafted into the British Army and served with the Parachute Regiment. Once he had completed his military service, he returned to Vickers-Armstrongs as a flight test engineer but now located in Adelaide, Australia. His projects included the Supermarine Scimitar and developing guided missiles for the Weapons Research Establishment in Australia.
When his projects in Australia had concluded, he returned to England, but did not want to stay there permanently. Wanting to relocate to Canada, Baker accepted a position with Canadair, where he worked on the Sparrow missile. When the program was canceled in 1959, he accepted a job offer with the Boeing Company and moved to Seattle, Washington. Among the projects he worked on during his career at Boeing were the CIM-10 Bomarc missile, the Minuteman missile, the AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) program, and the AOA (Airborne Optical Adjunct) program.
Following his retirement from Boeing in 1996, Baker became a docent for The Museum of Flight. He later joined the Museum’s aircraft restoration team and was instrumental in helping to restore the tail section of T-Square 54, the Museum’s B-29 Superfortress. His love of cars also continued throughout his life; he was an amateur car racer and restored old Porsches.
Baker married his wife Janet Keast, a nurse, in 1953 and they had two children, Mary and John. Baker died in September 2022.
Biographical sketch derived from interview, information provided by interviewee, and obituary.
Text from original exhibit label: "Boeing Wichita Employee's Association card."
]]>Membership card issued to George Wm. Craig by the Wichita Boeing Employee's Association, 1951.
Text from original exhibit label: "Boeing Wichita Employee's Association card."
Notebook used by Boeing employee Clayton D. Bowyer, containing handwritten notes about the installation of bomb doors on Boeing B-29 Superfortress aircraft, circa 1939-1945.
The footage is in black-and-white and is silent.
Label on container: "[illegible] West, Aug 11-28 1933, #2. Benjamin film. Seattle - Johnson [Fraziers?] luncheon."
]]>Film footage of aerial views and a social gathering of Boeing family associates, circa August 1933. The footage appears to be a continuation of the same social gathering in Part 1, featuring the same people and locales. Scenes consist of aerial views filmed from an unidentified aircraft and shots of people participating in recreational activities and relaxing outside. William E. Boeing appears briefly at 00:06:54 holding a camera before stepping out of frame, and Boeing executive Philip G. Johnson appears in several scenes; the rest of the people are unidentified. Activities featured in the footage include fishing, canoeing, lawn games, and swimming. Also included are several shots of lakes, coastlines, mountains, cities, beaches, and other landscapes. At the end of the footage (00:13:18) is a brief clip of passengers and a flight attendant in a United Airlines Boeing Model 247 aircraft. No exterior shots of any aircraft are present in the footage.
The footage is in black-and-white and is silent.
Label on container: "[illegible] West, Aug 11-28 1933, #2. Benjamin film. Seattle - Johnson [Fraziers?] luncheon."
The footage is in black-and-white and is silent.
Label on container: "[illegible] West, Aug 11-28 1933, #1."
]]>Film footage of aerial views and a social gathering of Boeing family associates, circa August 1933. The footage begins with aerial views filmed from unidentified aircraft, showing mountains, cities, coastlines, rivers, and other terrain. At 00:03:43, a three-masted frigate is shown, likely the USS Constitution during its 1933 visit to the Port of Seattle. The next segment, beginning at 00:04:23, features scenes at an unidentified home, possibly William E. Boeing's residence in the Highlands, Shoreline, Washington. People are shown relaxing on the grounds and participating in leisure activities such as swimming, lawn games, and boating. Boeing executive Philip G. Johnson appears in several scenes, but the rest of the people are unidentified. No particular aircraft is visible in this footage.
The footage is in black-and-white and is silent.
Label on container: "[illegible] West, Aug 11-28 1933, #1."
The footage is in black-and-white and is silent.
Label on container: "House in Construction/House - Summer 1932."
]]>Film footage of the construction of Boeing executive Philip G. Johnson's home in Woodway, Washington, circa 1932. The footage features shots from the construction site of Johnson's Tudor-style mansion. A few scenes feature unidentified people walking around the site. In 1956, Johnson's widow sold the house to the Dominican Sisters of Edmonds. The property, which became known as Rosary Heights, served as a motherhouse and later as the Dominican Reflection Center until 2009. No particular aircraft is visible in this footage.
The footage is in black-and-white and is silent.
Label on container: "House in Construction/House - Summer 1932."
The footage is in color and is silent.
Label on container: "Garden 1936 / Taken by Kate."
]]>Film footage of the grounds of Boeing executive Philip G. Johnson's house, Woodway, Washington, circa 1936. The footage is comprised of panning and close-up shots of the garden, greenhouse, and Johnson's home. A few scenes feature adults and children, possibly Johnson's wife and children and other friends and family members, as well as several dogs. No particular aircraft is visible in this footage.
The footage is in color and is silent.
Label on container: "Garden 1936 / Taken by Kate."
The footage is in color and is silent.
Label on container: "Garden 1940 by J. Brennen."
]]>Film footage of the grounds and leisure activities at Boeing executive Philip G. Johnson's house, Woodway, Washington, circa 1940. The footage begins with a group of people, likely friends and family members of Johnson, eating a meal outdoors, playing lawn games, and relaxing in a garden. Johnson himself is seen at 00:00:47, possibly sitting with his wife and children. The footage then transitions to panning and close-up shots of the garden flora and Johnson's house, both during the day and at dusk. A few of these scenes include dogs and people relaxing on the lawn. No particular aircraft is visible in this footage.
The footage is in color and is silent.
Label on container: "Garden 1940 by J. Brennen."