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"Old No. 249" is symbolic of the determination, courage and spirit of the Air Mail Pioneers, those great Americans who served in the U.S. Air Mail Service from 1918 to 1927.
This plane crashed in the mountains of Utah on December 15, 1922, during a blinding snowstorm, and Air Mail Pilot Henry G. Boonstra miracuously reached safety after 36 hours in the Wilderness. Although the mail was recovered, the wrecked plane had to be abandoned.
Forty-three years later, led by J. W. "Bill" Hackbarth, the Air Mail Pioneers brought bits and pieces of Old No. 249 down from the mountains and began rebuilding the mail plane; a project first inspired by Paul Collins, President, Air Mail Pioneers, 1965-1966, and continued by Luther Harris, President, Air Mail Pioneers, 1967-1968.
The rebuilt plane, scheduled for test flights in November 1967, was almost completely destroyed by a brush fire October 15, 1967 but the Air Mail Pioneers began again to rebuild Old No. 249, and in may 1968 flew their plane from San Francisco to Washington, D. C. via the old transcontinental air mail route of the early 20's.
Pictured at right is "Old 249" the completely rebuilt DH-4 U.S> Air Mail Plane: Speed 115 m.p.h.; Range, 350 miles; Mail load, 500 pounds; Engine, Liberty 12 cylinder, 400 horsepower; Wing span, 42 feet, 3 inches; Length, 29 feet, 7 inches.
On May 15, 1968, the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Air Mail Service, "Old No. 249" was donated by the Air Mail Pioneers to the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C.