Mojave National Preserve North American Harvard 9/26/12
Read MoreOn 12/19/40 a North American Aviation Harvard piloted by Bud Hussey, was on a flight from Palmdale, California to Las Vegas, Nevada. Hussey was a ferry pilot for North American and the airplane was one of a group of Harvards that were on their first leg of a delivery flight to Montreal, Canada. The flight took off at approximately 7:30am and was due at Las Vas Vegas within two hours. When Hussey's airplane failed to arrive, the others in the flight group joined the search for the missing airplane. After four days, the group abandoned their search and resumed their flight to deliver the Harvards to the Canadian Royal Air Force. On 1/16/42 the missing airplane was finally found by Pat Frank, a cowboy looking for stray cattle in the mountains of what is now the Mojave National Preserve. The body of the missing pilot was never found, but Christmas cards dated December 19 found in a suitcase with the scattered wreckage of the airplane bore the pilot's name.
The Harvard was the British Commonwealth air forces designation for North American's AT-6 Texan advanced trainer.While hiking towards the area I was hoping to find the site, I just happened to look up and to one side and saw something on a slope about two hundred yards away. It wasn't where I expected the Harvard to be, but decided to check it out. As I approached the area, came upon this piece of aluminum tubing.