Shirt, Summer Flying, R. Payne

http://dp.la/api/items/3605c64cff604895eeab8cb82a9448a0

Shirt, Summer Flying, R. Payne

Off-white short-sleeve T-shirt w/blue knitted collar, blue trimmed sleeves, on left breast: "Monterey Park Police" iron-on type patch above "AERO" in black felt iron-on letters, collar tag: "Hanes poly cotton...L 42-44," good condition, needs cleaning.

This shirt was worn by a police officer of the Monterey Park California Police Department while flying the first known ultralight aircraft used as a tool in law enforcement (see NASM American Aerolights Double Eagle displayed at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center). Monterey Park Police began flying this airplane on September 2, 1982, and it quickly became a valuable asset. However, the engine proved fragile and Lt. Joe Santoro, project manager, grounded the Eagle after seven engine failures in six months. "Our hilly terrain and lack of appropriate forced landing sites do not allow a viable program in this community," Santoro said after grounding the Eagle, "but the concept is good." Lt. Santoro continued to believe in the idea and experimented with several other types of ultralight aircraft including an improved and more reliable twin-engine Ultraflight Lazair SS EC (see NASM Lazair on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center).

Aeronautics

Smithsonian Institution

http://collections.si.edu/search/results.htm?q=record_ID=nasm_A20100013000&repo=DPLA

Aeronautics