OTIS DALTON McKENZIE

Otis McKenzie was born December 13, 1898 in Hattiesburg, MS. McKenzie appears twice in the Grand Central Air Terminal (GCAT) Register. His first landing was on Thursday, March 26, 1931, and his second on Monday, April 6, 1931 at 7:55AM. His airplane, however, the deHavilland Moth NC372H, appears 48 times across the GCAT Register and once in the Davis-Monthan Register. It was owned by the Curtiss-Wright Flying Service, which was based at GCAT. It's not so surprising that McKenzie should fly this airplane. At the time he was the Director of Training and assistant sales manager at the Curtiss-Wright Technical Institute of Aeronautics at GCAT.

Who's Who in Aviation, 1940 (Source: Webmaster)

 

This REFERENCE offers a brief overview of his flying activities through 1940, and is pictured, left. He learned to fly in Los Angeles in 1930, so his flights with 372H, a light, training airplane, could very well have been directed toward improving his skills. He eventually earned Commercial pilot certificate C19366. His early military activity did not appear to include flying as a pilot (but see below). He was a member of a telegraph battalion in the Signal Corps (dates not stated). In the 1930s he did fly in the Army as pilot and observer. He was a 2nd lieutenant in the 115th Observation Squadron, and first lieutenant in the Army Air Corps, California National Guard. The latter is confirmed by the Military Register for 1939. By 1940 he had accumulated 1,600 flight hours.

His business career during the 1930s focused on the Curtiss-Wright organization. He was an assistant sales manager from 1930-32; sales manager from 1932-33 and registrar for training programs in 1933. He was director of training at the Curtiss-Wright Technical Institute as of 1941. He was also a staff member of the Cal-Aero Training Academy. He always had a good job during the Depression.

Interestingly, the 1930 Census places McKenzie in a rooming house at 1516 Normandie Avenue, Los Angeles. His fellow roomers were salesmen, typists, actors and clothing store mannequins. Most were in their 20s and 30s. He was 32 years old and he is counted on the Census form as married at the age of 26 to Robbie Sue. Robbie Sue was a private secretary at the Aviation Service Company at GCAT. McKenzie's work in 1930 was as a "Commercial Salesman" in the "Aeronautics" industry. As such he was probably friends with fellow salesman and Curtiss-Wright employee, Ray McKimmey.

The same year, on March 22nd, he traveled to Agua Caliente, Mexico with a fellow Glendale pilot, Nate Morse (age 29). Coincidentally, the airplane they used was the Curtiss-Wright deHavilland NC372H. Their return from Mexico was documented by U.S. Immigrations, below. None of the 48 landing dates by NC372H at GCAT match the date of their return. March 22nd was a Sunday, so it's safe to assume they were northbound to report for work the next day. Indeed, many U.S. citizens traveled to Agua Caliente on the weekends to enjoy alcohol. Prohibition continued in the U.S. until December, 1933.

Otis McKenzie/Nate Morse, Travel From Agua Caliente, Mexico in NC372H (Source: ancestry.com)

Morse, however, did appear to depart GCAT at 10:27AM on March 22nd flying NC971K, a Curtiss Robin belonging to Curtiss-Wright. He was headed back to Agua Caliente and noted in the destination column of the Register, "A. C. M. charter." It was a busy Sunday for Morse. McKenzie and Morse must have arrived in the U.S. much earlier that morning for him to be able to head back south again mid-morning..

His marriage at age 26 to Robbie Sue didn't last, because on April 12, 1939 he married Agnes Spence of Stillwell, IN (b. ca. 1913). The 1940 U.S. Census cites them living in Los Angeles in a rented home ($60/month) at 10453 Riverside Drive. That site is occupied by a mansard-roofed apartment building today that doesn't look like period architecture. No matter, McKenzie and Agnes were the proud parents of three-month old twin girls (Joanne & Joyce). McKenzie's occupation was listed as "Registrar" for the "Curtiss-Wright Technical Institute" (CWTI) at a salary of $4,400/year, a decent wage as the Great Depression wore on. He had been in that position since at least 1938. The list of faculty from the 1938 brochure for CWTI is below, courtesy of a site visitor. McKenzie is listed as Regsitrar, right under President and Register pilot C.C. Moseley. Note also, second from the bottom, A.J. Lygum, who was one of the people who sat in the GCAT tower and filled in the Register as pilots and airplanes came and went.

Curtiss-Wright Technical Institute, Brochure, 1938 (Source: Site Visitor)

 

O.D. McKenzie, Headstone, Ca. 1987 (Source: FindaGrave)

 

I have no record of McKenzie's activities during WWII. I expect his efforts were focused on civilian pilot training at Glendale or surrounds on behalf of the war effort.

His growing family had at least one vacation. Another record documents arrival by ship from Hawaii to San Francisco for McKenzie, Agnes and the two girls, now eight years old. The left Hawaii on July 26, 1948 and arrived in San Francisco on July 31st. They sailed on the S.S. Lurline.

McKenzie was a member of the Sheriff's Aero Squadron of Los Angeles County, the Aviation Committee of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, and the Board of Directors of the Gendale Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of the Aviation Country Club of Southern California.

McKenzie died January, 1987 and is buried with Agnes at Lenexa, KS. The plaque does not include his date of death yet.

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