A Tribute To Nick Mamer

An Aviation Pioneer

Nicholas Bernard Mamer, known as "Nick," was a famous aviation pioneer in Spokane, Washington, from the years, 1927 to 1932. Before that, he was a lieutenant in World War I and later, fought forest fires from the air. He then went on to head his own flying school, Mamer Flying Service, where he trained a number of pilots. Eventually, he created his own airline, Mamer Air Transport. Nick's fame began in 1927, however, when he entered and won third place in the Class A division from New York to Spokane at the National Air Races sponsored by the city of Spokane.

Breaking Records

On August 15, 1929, Nick Mamer and his copilot, Art Walker, flew a transcontinental endurance flight with air refueling, from Spokane to San Francisco to New York and back to Spokane. The flight lasted five days and nights, and the Buhl Sesquiplane, propelled by a 300-HP Wright engine, returned safely to Spokane Felts Field on August 20, 1929.