Vanderbilt Cup Races

Had no clue but found some answers on this website and from Gary Hammond. Willie K’s Sikorsky S-43 amphibian seaplane (NC 16925, serial# 4314) at Sands Point Seaplane Base, Manhasset Bay 1938. This plane was later used by the US Army Air Corps Sep 1941 during WWII. It crash landed 2 months later at Corcorite Bay, Trinidad Nov 5 1941, killing all five persons on board. Looks like Howard Hughes next to Mr. Beutenmuller, exiting the 1930 Sikorsky S-39A single engine amphibian (NC 807W, serial# 909). Not sure if Hughes owned this plane. He later owned another twin engine S-43

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: Willie K's Seaplane at Port Washington Marine Base in 1938 & Howard Hughes

1. Identify the seaplane, its model and owner:
As I had previously submitted in the VCR Blog of 6/9/2018:
According to: https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/dayton-wright-airplane-company/
“William K. Vanderbilt II’s Sikorsky S-43 amphibian, NC-16925, serial number 4314. This airplane was impressed by the U.S. Army Air Corps 14 September 1941 and designated OA-11, 42-001. It was destroyed in a crash landing at Corcorite Bay, Trinidad, 5 November 1941. All five persons on board were killed.”
I then checked: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1942_1.html
for the aircraft serial number and confirmed the above:
S/N 42-1 Sikorsky OA-11 MSN 4314.  Civilian S-43 purchased by USAAF Sep 14, 1941.  Was originally NC16925.
W/o after crash landing in Cocorite Bay, Trinidad Nov 5, 1941.  All 5 aboard killed.
2. Where was the Mystery Foto taken?
I think it’s the Port Washington Seaplane Base on Manhasset Isle (Manorhaven).
3. What historic events happened at this location?
If it is Port Washington, it was the site of many aviation firsts (see Bill Kaiser’s The Development of the Aerospace Industry on Long Island, Vol. III – A Chronology, Hofstra, 1968).  Here’s a sampling:
• On Sept. 19, 1917, a hydroaeroplane altitude record was established in a Wright-Martin plane at Port Washington.
• By 1920 Curtiss built aircraft were flying out of Port Washington.
• On August 16, 1921,a Loening monoplane Flying Yacht, carrying 4 passengers, established an altitude record for hydroaeroplanes of 19,500 feet.
• In 1929, the American Aeronautical Corporation was formed in Port to manufacture Savoia-Marchetti flying boats.
• In 1930, Capt. Frank M. Hawks piloted the 1st glider released from a seaplane at Port.
• In 1932, the 12 engine Dornier DO-X flying boat took off for its return trip to Europe and aboard was the second women to fly the Atlantic, Antonie Strassman.
• On June 16, 1937, regular N.Y. to Bermuda service was established by the arrival of the Imperial Airways flying boat Cavalier, carrying 14 passengers.  Pan American would make its initial flight to Bermuda with the Sikorsky S-42 Bermuda Clipper.
• During 1938 numerous catapult seaplanes made trips between Port Washington and the Azores.
• On May 20, 1939, the Pan American Airways Yankee Clipper took off from Port, launching transatlantic commercial flying.
• By 1942, Grumman was working out of Port.
• In 1951, Republic Aviation Corporation established a facility at Port.
• This site would later become the home of Thypin Steel.  The large copper wings from the Pan Am hanger were given by them to the Cradle of Aviation Museum in the early 1980’s.
4. Kudos question: Identify the seaplane and famous person seen with William Beutenmuller:
As I had identified in a previous VCR Blog post (8/5/2015) - The photo is of a Sikorsky model S-39A, s/n 909, reg. NC807W, built ca. 1930.  One of these aircraft (NC803W) has been restored and is on display at the New England Air Museum, Windsor Locks, CT.  Another one of these was used by the CAP at Base 17, Suffolk Airport during 1942-43 on coastal patrol looking for German submarines, etc.

I believe the famous person is Howard Hughes.

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: Willie K's Seaplane at Port Washington Marine Base in 1938 & Howard Hughes

Acknowledgement by the Nassau Board of Supervisors of an incorrect tax assessment for 1919 for the property that was conveyed by the Hempstead Plains Company to the US Government for Mitchel Field.  The tax was cancelled and the property termed exempt.

From Kleiner's Kolumn: Part I-Mapping the Motor Parkway, Mitchel Field & Mitchel Gardens

No idea about the seaplane or the people. The place must be the marine base at Port Washington, where Pan Am launched its “flying boats” for trans-Atlantic flights. The first scheduled trans-Atlantic mail delivery by Pan Am was the Yankee Clipper to Portugal, via the Azores, in May, 1939. I found a few pictures online that look like the building in the Mystery Foto. Pan Am later shifted its operations to the Marine Air Terminal at LaGuardia.

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: Willie K's Seaplane at Port Washington Marine Base in 1938 & Howard Hughes

I’d rather have manifestos dropped on me than bombs.

I’ve seen “car football” (soccer) on Top Gear, but this is the first that I’ve heard of Auto Polo.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Motor Parkway in Advertising Part II

Early (1902) Auto Polo match in Boston

From Kleiner's Korner: The Motor Parkway in Advertising Part II

-Identify the seaplane, its model and owner
Willie K’s Sikorsky S-43 NC-16925, serial number 4314 that he took possession of in 1934.

-Where was the Mystery Foto taken?
-What historic events happened at this location?
Without being able to confirm with certainty after a few hours of looking, I’ll guess this was the Port Washington marine base/terminal sometime around 1937/38. Pan Am made history here not only by it’s founding, but the first passenger trans-Atlantic flights originated from here.

-Kudos question: Identify the seaplane and famous person seen with William Beutenmuller in the below Kudos Fotos
Looks like Howard Hughes walking away from a Sikorsky S-39 flying boat.

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: Willie K's Seaplane at Port Washington Marine Base in 1938 & Howard Hughes

My grandfather Walter Livingstone raced with Oldfield in the early 1900s. I found records of one race where he is listed in 1907.  He was an employee and later business partner of Henry Ford.  Has anyone ever heard of him?

From From the Barney Oldfield Collection: Four Classic Photos and One Mystery

Just as a follow up to my previous note…
The actual road was probably my current front lawn.  I’ve known the last 4 owners of the actual gatehouse and I did see remnants of the signage use to build a shed on the property.  I’m not sure if its still there.

From The Motor Parkway Toll Collection Structures:#19 and #20 The Ronkonkoma Toll Gate & Ronkonkoma Lodge

My wife and I bought the house next door (to the west) of the gatehouse from Mr. Ericson in 1983.  He built the house in 1951-52.  So, he was living in this house starting then.  I met him shortly before he passed (at 88 or 89 years old and he told me that he used to collect the toll and during prohibition, his brother used to ride on a horse with a shotgun chasing the bootleggers off the road.  Mr. Ericson also worked for Grumman during the 1940’s - where I worked as well, retiring in 2019 after 40+ years.

From The Motor Parkway Toll Collection Structures:#19 and #20 The Ronkonkoma Toll Gate & Ronkonkoma Lodge

Looks to me like Howard Hughes…

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: Willie K's Seaplane at Port Washington Marine Base in 1938 & Howard Hughes

Pan Am Sikorsky S-43

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: Willie K's Seaplane at Port Washington Marine Base in 1938 & Howard Hughes

I’d say Rugby is safer than Auto Polo.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Motor Parkway in Advertising Part II

What a great film! Wonderful gathering of cars from a less hectic era on Long Island. I never knew Old 16 was owned by Peter Helck, such an extraordinary artist.

From Images & a Trophy From the Greatest Vintage Car Event Ever Held on Long Island

I worked there washing dishes when I was in my 20’s. It was so much fun! We had to be so fast! I believe I was the first female to be ever be hired there. My dad was the head waiter, bartender, the chef!

From Mystery Foto #18 Solved: The Links Golf Club's Private Entrance to the Long Island Motor Parkway

While out running some errands, I found myself heading home on Deer Park Ave and decided to see the location in person for a ‘then and now’ perspective.

From Mystery Foto #12 Solved: A View Along the 10-Mile Curve in Dix Hills & the "View" Postcard Series

Brian, Re: The paving of the roadway in Suffolk County. In 1910 it was paved from Round Swamp Rd. to Bagatelle Rd. In 1912 paved from Bagatelle to Wheeler Road. In 1913 Wheeler to Rosevale Ave. All the pavement consisted of a 4 inch concrete base and a 2 inch “Bituminous Macadam”. The delay in paving was due to a combination of bad weather, money, and soil settling that had to rolled . In early 1911 the Parkway paid the Andrew Bros. Construction Co. of Mineola $1513.04 to spread 75,652 gallons of road oil on the unpaved portions of the roadway.

From Mystery Foto #12 Solved: A View Along the 10-Mile Curve in Dix Hills & the "View" Postcard Series

This one has had me head scratching all weekend and I hate being stumped…

I’ve run out of time, so I’m just going with guess and say the ten mile post was seen traveling West from Ronkonkoma at just about where the Brentwood lodge was located. I think the curve in the mystery photo is the curve just after Harned Rd spur.

I am unsure as to the rationale for the ID # pattern.

I’m attaching another photo from ‘along the motor parkway’ series taken of the section that is now on the northern portion of Manhasset Hills showing the Old Courthouse Rd bridge.

From Mystery Foto #12 Solved: A View Along the 10-Mile Curve in Dix Hills & the "View" Postcard Series

Image matching Bethpage Lodge above.

From Mystery Foto #12 Solved: A View Along the 10-Mile Curve in Dix Hills & the "View" Postcard Series

*Mystery Foto Location - my best guess is a gentle curve between Candlewood Path N & Deer Park Ave.  Dix Hills.

*10 mile post - should be at the intersection of Candlewood Path N and Vanderbilt Pkwy. The distance from the Bethpage Lodge.

*Pavement in Suffolk County - I remember Al Velocci saying that most of the LIMP in Suffolk wasn’t paved or open to traffic prior to 1915? Anyway, the road was constructed with a concrete base, and then paved with asphalt.

*Postcard #‘s - There is some pattern of the numbers/distance : W/O Huntington Lodge 13527 towards W/O Commack Rd 13536 is a difference of 9 ( about 9 miles between ). Some are less precise ( but the images are great ). I’m thinking the difference between the Lake 13549 and the Inn 13543 is 6 yards ( 18 to 20 ft ). I found an identical Bethpage Lodge image as above numbered 13525. Difference of 2 with Huntington 13527 ( really about 1.7 miles between ).

It’s curious that the Mystery Image is numbered 13519, lower than the other numbers; so it should be 6 miles, yards etc into Nassau County? Wait and discover, this was a thinker : ) !

From Mystery Foto #12 Solved: A View Along the 10-Mile Curve in Dix Hills & the "View" Postcard Series