Page 29 - July 2022

1,471 hours in the air and another 225 hours were added by June 1936. The Travel Air’s sad story only got worse in November 1936 when Siehl sold it to Les Mauldin of Brownsville, Texas, for the sum of $1,950. Looking for a quick sale, two months later Mauldin sold it into Mexico where it became the property of Cia Aeronautica del Sur S.A. The paper trail of NC677K goes cold in May 1937 when the U.S. Department of Commerce canceled the registration number and inserted into the records: “Exported into Mexico.”
The story of “Smiling Thru,” however, does not end there. After Ogg sold the airplane, the hangar was dismantled and relocated to downtown Newton where it served Jasper County as a maintenance building for decades. In February 2000, the old structure, which was still sound but clearly showing its age, was sold to the Mid Iowa Chapter 456 of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). The members of Chapter 456 disassembled the hangar piece by piece, numbering each section for ease of reassembly. The steel panels were reconditioned and minor repairs made as required, and eventually the entire building was erected on the Newton Municipal Airport where it had stood during the glory days of Harry Ogg and the Automatic Washer Company.
The EAA chapter held a special dedication ceremony in August 2007 to honor the hangar’s rebirth, as well as the life and times of “Smiling Thru” and the legacy of Harry L. Ogg, Wilford Gerbracht and Katherine McBride.
The home of “Smiling Thru” now serves as the headquarters of Chapter 456 and as well as a unique venue for local and community events. Thanks to their determination and hard work, the fascinating tale of Mr. Ogg and his Travel Air is being preserved through displays of photographs, movie clips, logbooks and other related artifacts applicable not only to NC677K, but also its crew and the monoplane’s visionary owner, Harry L. Ogg. KA
Ed Phillips, now retired and living in the South, has researched and written eight books on the unique and rich aviation history that belongs to Wichita, Kansas. His writings have focused on the evolution of the airplanes, companies and people that have made Wichita the “Air Capital of the World” for more than 80 years.
JULY 2022
KING AIR MAGAZINE • 27