This is the former NACA 137, which was the in-flight launch aircraft for the Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket. Note the Skyrocket launch record board on the nose. Originally delivered to the USAAF in 1945 as 45-21787, then transferred to the US Navy as 84029 in 1947 before joining NACA circa 1949. Withdrawn from use in August 1959 and stored at Davis-Monthan. Acquired by the American Air Museum Society in early 1969, and restored to flying condition at Tucson. Seen here shortly after its ferry flight from Tucson to Oakland, where restoration would continue. First post-restoration flight took place on 27 April 1978.

This is Bill Harrah's beautiful Ford, just out of the shop after a 5-year rebuild. The Golden Gate Bridge and typical San Francisco fog are in the background.

"Star of Tripoli" being towed back to the hangar at San Francisco late in the afternoon.

The older structure which can be seen below the 707's registration was originally part of the Pan American flying boat terminal area, built when the boats stopped using Treasure Island as a terminal and moved to new facilities at SFO, which later became the boat ramps for CGAS San Francisco.

Consolidated P4Y-2G at the Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco. It was transferred from Navy (ex BuNo 66260) to Coast Guard in October 1952, and struck off USCG charge on 6 August 1956 (total time 2861). Sold in July 1958 and converted to airtanker as N7620C with Big Piney Aviation Co. (Rey, UT). Acquired by Hawkins & Powers (Greybull, WY) in 1969. Crashed about 12 km southeast of Estes Park, CO near US Highway 36 Mile 8 on 18 July 2002 while fire-fighting (total time 8346).

Ex USAF 42-65412. Broken up at Long Beach circa 1964/1965.

A rare item because only two of these were used by the Marine Corps. When VMF-2 was formed in 1937 they used F3F-1's and F2F-1's while awaiting delivery of the new F3F-2's. This one was visiting NRAB Oakland in the summer of 1937.

Pilot Ann Pellegreno and aircraft owner Lee Koepke arriving back at Oakland after circling the globe to recreate Earhart's flight in a Lockheed 10, thirty years earlier. They had departed Oakland the month before, on 9 June 1967.

Surplus Navy RY-1 (BuNo 67798) used by Reynolds for his Boston Museum China Expedition in March 1948, trying to prove that Mt. Amne Machin was higher than Mt. Everest. This photo was taken the day before they left. The mission failed after a take-off accident at Peking on 31 March 1948. The aircraft was repaired and the group returned to Oakland.

Globe Swift GC-1A flying over Concord, California. I was flying in a Vultee BT-13A - it was a great photo plane, except for speed it was better than the AT-6.

This airline would be renamed Pacific Air Lines in March 1958. Aircraft sold in 1964, and damaged beyond repair in a wheels-up emergency landing at Merced-Castle AFB on 24 March 1967.

A very rare conversion of a Shinn 2150A (later produced as the Varga Kachina) as a single-seat cropduster. Note the spreader system below the fuselage.

'Beetle Bomb' was the yellow adversary aircraft (numbered 0) in the Blue Angles demonstration team during the 1940s. The team's other four Bearcats were numbered 1 to 4, and were Navy blue. On 24 Apr 1950, a few months after this photo was taken, 'Beetle Bomb' crashed while executing a roll after takeoff during a practice show at NAAS Whiting Field, FL.

Operating with the Hamilton Field AAF reserves, seen here overflying Marin County in California. Some sources claim that this aircraft was written off at Midland, TX in April 1943, but that's obviously incorrect.