Wiley Post's pocket knife

[Jim Hartley]

My dad gave me the knife about thirty years ago. He and his brother along with a group of other kids approached Wiley Post and Will Rogers at the airport sometime before the famous duos ill fated flight. I do not know why he gave it to my dad but I will soon recieve a transcription and recording that my dads brother gave to a member of a local historical society many years ago and it should shed some light on the story. I wish I would have shown more interest back then and I would have known the rest of the story. I have kept it in my tool box all of these years and everytime I would hear the name Wiley Post or Will Rogers I would think about the knife. I thought some of you would get a kick out of the provenance. When I receive the transcript I will share it.

Jim

[barnstmr]

Re: Wiley Post's pocket knife

Jim,
That's a nice artifact. I look forward to the transcript. It's hard to find positive public figures like those two guys any more. Wiley Post was one of my favorites. Reading about his efforts to do research for aviation is quite the education. He was a true research scientist in the field of aviation. I wonder if he ever used that pocket knife on his pressure suit for high altitude flight.

[Jim Hartley]

Re: Wiley Post's pocket knife

Hi Terry! I was talking with my aunt about the interview with my uncle and she remembers the part where a gal from the chamber of commerce presents Mr. Post with a bouquet of flowers to which he promptly returns to her with a thank you and turns his attention to the youngsters. I love that part. I too look forward to more of the story.

[Marv]

Re: Wiley Post's pocket knife

I am proud to say Wiley Post is a distant relative of mine. A cousin traced the family tree back to the one Post who was killed in a canoe. I would have to look it up to find his name.They found several well known relatives that i would not be real proud of. As a pilot myself i was amazed at his ability to land with one eye on rough terrain that was not an airport .

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Wiley Post's pocket knife

If Wiley landed somewhere that wasn't an airport when he arrived, it was when he left.
Hank

[Jim Hartley]

Re: Wiley Post's pocket knife

I just finished listening to the cassette tapes and reading the transcript. I have taken the context of the Wiley Post/Will Rogers and the Ford Tri-motor stories and posted them here. The interview was given by a member of the local historical society. My uncle's wife, Marcella helped prompt my uncle through the interview.

I believe the pilot of the Ford Tri-motor that my uncle spoke of was Frank Dorbandt. My uncle was known for questionable grammar and murdering the king's english.

Jim