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Armond W. Claverie

Pioneer West Coast Aviator - World War I Instructor

Armond W. Calverie was born in Los Angeles, California, March 10, 1896, and attended grade and high schools in Pasadena, California.
Mechanically inclined, he developed an early interest in flying and attached himself to the Curtiss aviation camp at North Island, San Diego.
There, later in the spring of 1912, he obtained flying instruction from Lansing Callan and made his first solo flight in April that year. Later he successfully passed his license tests before official observer H. L. Twining on June 15,1912. However, the Certificate was withheld as he was under the minimum age of 18, although he was qualified to handle Curtiss planes in every way. He continued flying at the Curtiss North Island field, then became an instructor there through 1915-1917 under Chief Instructor R. V. Morriss.
Early in 1917 Claverie was employed by the Hercules Powder Company and stayed with them until September of that year when he became a civilian World War I flying instructor for the United States Army Signal Corps at Selfridge Field, Mount Clemens, Michigan. In December, 1917 , he was transferred to Rich Field, Waco, Texas, as instructor in acrobatic accuracy, as a member of student review, and was a special instructor for backward cadets. Claverie remained at Rich Field until all civilian instructors were discharged on December 31, 1918. On November 2 he had been one of a large group of pilots who made a mass flight for the opening celebration of the Annual Cotton Palace Exposition at Waco. During this flying display Claverie and George (Buck) Weaver put on a special acrobatic show.
After World War I Claverie went into business for himself and opened a shop in Dallas, Texas, doing aviation contract work on plane overhaul and repair jobs. He was considered a very skilled and competent mechanic and specialized in metal work.