COME TAKE A TRIP ..........
WITH THESE GUYS ?
WHO ARE THEY?
Why They Are : "Slim", Doug, Jack, "Sonny" and "Scratcher"
THAT'S WHO!
AKA FROG'S FLIERS
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Come Take A Trip In My Airship
Once, I loved a sailor.
Once, a sailor loved me.
But he was not a sailor,
that sailed on the wide blue sea.
He, sailed in an airship;
Sailed like a bird on the wind;
And every evening at midnight,
he would come to my window and sing:
Chorus:
Come take a Trip in my Airship,
come sail away to the stars!
We'll travel to Venus,
we'll sail away to Mars!
No one will see while we're kissing
No one will know as we spoon.
So come take a Trip in my Airship,
and we'll visit the Man in the Moon!
One night while sailing away from the crowds,
we passed by the Milky White Way.
While idly drifting, watching the stars,
he asked if I'd name the day!
Just by the Dipper, I gave him my heart,
the sun shone on our honeymoon.
We swore to each other, we never would part,
and we'd teach all the babies this tune.
YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE THE CHORUS OF THIS VERY EARLY DITTY
GENERAL ELECTRIC USED A 1972 JOHNNY CASH VERSION OF IT IN A COMMERCIAL
LAST YEAR THAT FEATURED THE WRIGHT BROTHERS FIRST FLIGHT
Here's That Chorus As Sung By Sally Rogers
And If You Want To Hear The Whole Thing As It Was Recorded in The Teens or perhaps earlier
Click Here... for a Quicktime MP3 file
The name Chapman goes way back in Moriches history. The Chapmans were adventurers on Land , Sea and the Air . Walter "Frog" Chapman 1891-1968, ran perhaps one of the first commercial airfields in eastern, Long Island. The field is still there on Montauk Highway in East Moriches. His kid brother Harold "Scratcher" Chapman 1898 - 1968 was a car , motorcycle and most notably very successful powerboat racer. I'm fairly sure after discovering these photos taken at Frog's circa late 1920's, that Harold also was involved with flying, which would also explain why his son who I always knew as Nick Chapman was really named Curtis Chapman. ( Legendary motorcycle racer / aviator Glenn Curtis would have many namesakes) I would spend the best part of my summer of 1961 hanging around with Scratcher's son Nick who was also a successful powerboat racer at his outboard shop next to Captain Andy's in Mastic Beach. I will be doing a separate page on the Chapman's Boat Racing soon....but for now Come Take A Ride In My Airship!
Last year I had the pleasure of meeting through Moriches historian Van Field, Frog's son, Jacque an octa - genarian, who is a history making aviator in his own right and has been featured on the website before for his accomplishments in the early 1930's. I tip my wing to both Jacque and Van Field for their contributions to my ever expanding explorations.
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Top L: Hart's Cove Harold Chapman and his son Curtiss aka "Nicky" would win many a boat race there Top R: Tuttle's Duck Farm at West Cove Bottom Left: "The Big Mo" on the northwest corner of Main & Railroad Ave Bottom R: Tuttle Point House & Wireless Station E. Moriches
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FROG'S FLIERS
Slim Henniker, Douglas Van Dyne, Jack Nekerman, Sonny Harris, Harold Chapman
Note: some of the last names may be misspelled or mis deciphered
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Jacque Chapman
This kid made history & the NATIONAL PAPERS in 1931 as he became the youngest licensed pilot in the United States.
He also caused the US Congress to act !!! No simple feat, they still "act" but they don't do too much.
photo : " Illustrated History Of The Moriches " by Van & Mary Field
READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE
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Believe It Or Not !
Ripley was a friend of my grandfather Jack Spooner.....This autograph / cartoon was a gift to my mother Amelia in the 1930's... That said Ripley featured Harold "Scratcher" Chapman for something he did in a boat race in 1929. I am holding up adding in the Chapman Boat Racing Pages in hopes I can get a copy of the Ripley Cartoon... I know the story and it is hard to believe but true!!!
THINK IT WILL FLY?
Harold with Frank Lias in their racing car circa 1920's
photo: Illustrated History Of The Moriches
MORE ON FROG & SCRATCHER
LOOK DOWN BELOW FOR MORE AERO- PAGES
KNAPP AERO -FILES
THE BONNEY GULL
E. KENNETH JAQUITH
SMITH POINT AERO SQUAD
75 Anniversary of The Flight Of The Bonney Gull
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