Veteran Patco pilot lost

Title

Language

English

Source

The Marsman Magazine Volume II (No. 9) March 1938

Year

1938

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

VETERAN PATCO PILOT LOST A tragic accident, the details of which which were later identified as coming will probably never be known, is be- from an airplane of the same type as lieved to have taken the life of Burton that flown by Hall, were found. H. Hall, veteran pilot of the Philippine The news of the loss of Pilot Hall Aerial Taxi Company, early in March- came as a shocking blow to all who the first serious mishap to befall the knew him. "Burt" Hall was one of the company since its organiza- most popular pilots ever to tion in 1931. Although the fly in the Philippines. His plane in which Pilot Hall friends were legion, and he took off from Grace Field was respected by all who in Manila the morning of had ever flown with him as February 28 has not been a most competent pilot. found, pieces of wreckage Hall was one of the first found a week later along the to land at Paracale, when coast of Tayabas made it the district was revived in almost certain that he had 1933, and he had been makbeen obliged to ·make a ing regular flights to that forced landing of the south- district since. He flew the eastern coast of Tayabas. Manila-Baguio run regularA careful search of the ly with the other Patco pimany islands in the vicinity Burton H. Hall lots, and with them did conis being made, and the waters are he- sideraible charter flying for various ing explored for further traces of the mining executives. Until his disapearplane, but the chances of finding the ance he had never had a serious accident. pilot alive are considered extremely re- Hall was born in Tuczon, Arizona, mote. and was about 32 years old. He receivEvery effort was made by the com- ed his early flying training at the March pany, by the United Stct.tes and Philip- and Kelly flying fields in the United pine Army Air Corps, the United States States, and was a reserve officer in the Navy, and by private planes, to locate United States Army Air Corps. He the missing plane. As many as 26 flew in China for the China National planes were in the air at one time dur- Aviation Corporation before coming to ing the week following the disappear- the Philippines in 1933. He came to the ance. Fog and rain, which are blamed Philippines highly recommended, and for the disaster, hindered the search added to his reputation as a thoroughly considerably. reliable flyer by his work for Patco. Reports were received Mr. Marsman, presa few days after the The accident which took the life of ident of Patco, said of plane left Manila that it Burton B. Hall was the first to be 'suf- him: "I am grieved befered by PATCO in its six years of had been seen flying low operation. During that time some 30,- yond Words at the tra1 th t UOO passengers were flown 1,540,404 d B t H II h d th a Ong e C0a8 near miles in safety to Baguio, Paracale and ge y. Ur a a e barrio Talaan, Sariaya, other points in the Philippines. Re- respect and friendship gular mail schedule to Baguio and Pa'Tay abas, apparently in raca1e have been maintained, four years of all of us who knew to Baguio and two to Paracale, with h · d · t · h d trouble. The entire Ta- but few cancelled flights a year. The Im, an 1 ·.1s ar to beb · l policy of Baguio that safety comes first lieve that h h ya as peninsu a was cov- has made this excellent record possible. e as gone. ered by searching par- Since regular flights were started in He did his job well, and Paracale, in .October, 1935, there has h' l 1 ties, with no results. been 858 flights, during which 222,620 IS oss eaves a vacancy Finally, a week after miles were flown in 1800 hours and that will be hard to around 5,000 passengers carried. the disappearance, bits While the exact cause of the accid dent can not be determined, it is beof wreckage were f oun Iieved that heavy fog and rain caused on the beach near Capa- Ball to fly off hi8 course in search of better flying conditions. luhan. Within the next There wer-e no passengers in the plane with Hall. few days other pieces :------------: fill." H a 1 I was married, Mrs. Hall coming with h i m t o t h e Philippines. 26 THE MARSMAN MAGAZINE for March, 193 8

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