Serial Number

Model

Registration

Date of Manufacturing

ATC

Price (USD)

Engine

Propeller

Current Status

History

Records indicate this Ryan as having been assigned to the Ryan School of Aeronautics right off the assembly line, sometime in either April or May 1937, to be used in their flight training program carrying school number 6.

R.M. “Duke Ressier, of Glendale, California, owned the airplane as of January, 1938. It went on a demonstration tour to Central America in early 1938, then again with Miguel Zuniga in 1939.

About June, 1945, it was sold to Woodrow B. O`Dell, who eventually sold it to Caldwell Flying Service in 1946. The Caldwell school was eventually purchased by Jack W. Medlin in October 1941, and he became the new owner of the Ryan. He was the youngest flight instructor in the state of Idaho.

In June, of 1942 the go ahead sign for a secondary advanced civilian pilot training program (CPTP) was given to the college of Idaho and the Caldwell Flying Service. They used 8 Ryans and 2 Wacos for this purpose.

In 1946, it was still registered to Frank Medlin. Gordon Autry, in Denver was the next owner who eventually sold it on June 22nd, 1957 to Donald G. Miller. Miller completed a check ride, and flew it directly back to his home in Michigan. When the school term began in the fall of that year, he flew it back to Denver. His last flight was on March 23rd of 1958, when he took it for its annual license, he never flew it again.

The new owner became Denver’s TV weatherman personality, Ed Bowman, in 1958. Ed kept it beautifully polished and used it mainly for pleasure until October 1961, when he was taking off. The propeller tip broke off, forcing Ed to land in a rocky area of a farmers field, totalling the airplane. He walked away with minor injuries and the farmers wife drove him to the Swedish Hospital.

Bowman spent many years rebuilding the aircraft, even re-skinning the fuselage. The aircraft was then sold in the early 1990`s to Lawrence Smith, of Creative Interiors in Wichita, Kansas, and is currently on display elevated above a collection of Vintage cars and motorcycles in Mr. Smith’s private museum.

Ownership History

• Ryan School of Aeronautics, San Diego, California;
• Woodrow B. O`Dell, Los Angeles, California;
• Caldwell Flying Service, Caldwell, Idaho;
• Jack W. Medlin, Caldwell, Idaho;
• Gordon Autry, Denver, Colorado;
• Donald G. Miller, Grand Rapids, Michigan;
• Ed Bowman, Denver, Colorado;
• Lawrence Smith, Creative Interiors inc. Wichita, Kansas.

Current Ownership

Creative Interiors Inc.

Notes

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