My 2nd cousin, James Drew Rodden, was apparently born with an innate need to be in the cockpit of an airplane.
His personal life and finances allowed him to learn to fly and eventually purchase his own aircraft. He and his family enjoyed many hours with James as the pilot of their aircraft.
The purchase of his own plane saw James and his wife Margaret traveling across the U.S. on the return flight to California in a series of short hops so they could tour the country not only from the air but from visits in person to the sights seen far below.
8 November 1936
17 October 1937
4 June 1940
New airplanes seem to need a few war wounds to give them the patina of use so their owners will go home and reset overnight rather than spending all day and night at the airport.
21 January 1941
Unfortunately, the years of enjoyment in the air came to a tragic end for this young father, community leader and banker. On 11 Feb 1955, something happened while James was flying above Half Moon Bay off the coast of Northern California. His plane failed plunging James to his death into the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
10 August 1955
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