EDGAR ALLEN "PETE" GOFF, JR. 1896-1989

 

Above is "Pete" Goff in his early days of aviation. He joined the aviation section of the Signal Corps in 1917.

At the retirement party in his honor, "Pete" was presented a certificate of achievement by Maj. Leo J. Griffin, Jr. in behalf of fellow officers and friends.

Here is a recent picture of Lt. Col. Edgar A. Goff Jr. who retired from Uncle Sam's Air Force on January 31st5. On that occasion he was honored by EB friends and fellow officers. He was the last Early Bird in active service. Already he has another aviation connection. See story below.

EARLY BIRDS AT LT. COL. "PETE" GOFF'S RETIREMENT PARTY      Here is the EB gang that were on hand to pay tribute to fellow EB "Pete" Goff. Left to right--Ernie Hall, L. Luzern Custer, George Scragg, "Pete" Goff, George Page. Jr., Stanley Vaughn and Roderick Wright.

Air Force Colonel Honored On Retirement      Lt. Co. Edgar A. Goff, Jr., who made his first recorded flight in June, 1915 and who has flown continuously ever since, progressing from pushers to jets, retired from acive military service on January 31, 1957. "Pete", as he is known to his many friends, was the last member of the Early Birds still on active duty with the Air Force at the time of his retirement. Although he has retired from Uncles Sam's forces, he will maintain his active interest in aviation.      Pete built and flew his first glider in January, 1912 when he was in high school in Battle Creek, Michigan. He has since progressed with aviation until he is now a fully qualified jet fighter pilot, instrument card included. Recently he qualified too as a helicopter pilot.      In service, Pete spent 13 years on active duty and 36 additional years as a reserve officer. He joined the Aviation Section Signal Corps in January, 1917, and after receiving his ground and primary flight training, he took advanced training at Kelly Field and was commissioned a Second lieutenant in the Officers Reserve Corps in May, 1919.      For several years he operated a sales, service, school and taxi business at Battle Creek, and was employed by Stinson and Verville Aircraft Corp. He also flew for a few months as air mail pilot. From 1937 to 1942 he was employed by the Bureau of Air Commerce at Pittsburgh, leaving his position as Senior Aeronautical Inspector to return to active duty in the Air Force. He has a total of some 11,000 hours of civilian flying and 6,000 hours of recorded military flight.      On January 14, 1957 Pete's fellow officers and many of his Early Bird friends honored him at a cocktail hour and dinner at the Officer's Club at Wright-Patterson AFB where Pete was stationed. Guest speaker was Brigadier General Leslie Mulzer, and Pete's flyuing career from pushers to jets was recalled in fond tribute to a man who has contributed greatly to the development of aviation.      Even after his retirement he couldn't give up aviation, and he has joined up with Link Aviation Corp. of Binghamton, N.Y. We wish him the best of luck. from the Early Birds of Aviation CHIRP, March, 1957, Number 56

 

NEW MEMBERS      Greetings to the following new members elected July 10, 1930. Among them you will find some long-lost bird who is still in the ring and going strong.      E. A. Goff, Jr., 7424 Melville Ave., Detroit, Mich. With E. J. Junkin built their first machine in 1911. Director of Sales, Verville Aircraft Co. from CHIRP - Bulletin 6 - HOTEL CARLTON, WASHINGTON, D.C. - 1 August, 1930 courtesy of Steve Remington - CollectAir

 

EB President 1960

Birmingham Reunion 1962

President's Message Airplanes are demanding sweethearts as I learned very soon after my initial experiences. In the years between, my life in aviation has been filled with all the hopes and fears that these capricious mistresses could possible devise.      But aviation has been very good to me. Through its kind offices I have seen far more of the world and the people in it than would have otherwise been conceivable. While it has never brought me affluence, it has kept me from poverty and above all, has provided me with the most treasured of all our worldly possessions --- friends.      I am keenly aware of the great honor that you, my friends, have bestowed upon me. There has been no other single event in my life that has so filled me with pride as has your selecting me to serve as your President for the coming year.      It is my sincere hope that you will guide me to the end that my service will reward you for the unprecedented confidence you have so graciously placed in me. From The Early Birds of Aviation January 1960, Number 62

 

Town & Country Magazine July 22, 1911

 

ONLINE RESOURCES - I      If you search for "Pete Goff" using the Google search engine, (9-26-03), you will find about 47 links. Only a few of them are relevant.

MICHIGAN AVIATION HALL OF FAME "Our Mission:      Honor Michigan's Aviation and Space pioneers by inducting them into Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame at an annual Enshrinement Program, highlight the outstanding achievements of aviation/space organizations or groups through an annual "Arthur P. Tesner Spirit of Flight" award."        You may review Pete's entry by clicking on the title above. While on the site, I recommend that you sample the other features and enjoy the capsule biographies of the other 68 enshrinees.

ONLINE RESOURCES - II      If you search for "Edgar A. Goff" using the Google search engine, (9-26-03), you will find about two links, both of them referring to his activities in the National Air Tour.

Chapter VIII THE LAST PATHFINDER      This website offers several chapters of a book on the history of the National Air Tour and this chapter VIII includes a nice little anecdote regarding Pete Goff, as well as several other participants including my father-in- law, Walter E. Lees. You can access it by clicking on the title above.      If time permits, you may want to read the whole story by clicking on "National Air Tour" above.

NATIONAL AIR TOUR SPONSORED BY THE AVIATION FOUNDATION OF AMERICA, INC. RE-CREATING THE 1925-1931 NATIONAL AIR TOURS OF THE CENTENNIAL OF FLIGHT      This website is a remarkable resource and is offers a wealth of information on the history of the tours, as well as a complete story of the re-creation of the events in September, 2003. You can also access online versions of three books, "The Ford Air Tours, 1925 - 1931" by Lesley Forden, "One -Two", The 1929 Tour Story by pilot Johnny Livingston and "A Four Thousand Mile Trip by Air" by Ralph W. Cram. You can access it by clicking on the title above.

 

RECOMMENDED READING

Product Details Softbound, 202 pgs., 350+ B&W photos, 8½"x 11" Publisher: Aviation Foundation of America ,Inc. List Price: $19.95 "1925-1931. Forden. This is the full history of the Ford Reliability Tour, which was an efficiency contest held every year from 1925 through 1931. Initially called the Commercial Airplane Reliability Tour, they were subsequently promoted as "The Commercial Airplane Reliability Tour for the Edsel B. Ford Trophy", sometimes shortened to the Ford Reliability Tour and later, the National Air Tour. The tour gave airplane builders an opportunity to take their latest models around the country in a well-publicized contest also meant to convince the man on the ground he should take to the air." For more information and to order the book, click on: Ford Air Tours

 

E. A. "Pete" Goff, Jr. died in 1989 From The Early Birds of Aviation ROSTER, 1996   Back