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CLARENCE B. COOMBS

Pioneer West Coast Aviator - World War I Pilot

Clarence B. Coombs was born at Sacramento, California, August 11, 1888, where he attended local grade schools and high school 1903 - 1907. He then attended the University of California, [[strikethrough]] 1908-1912 and the University of[[/strikethrough]] Berkeley, [[strikethrough]] California, 1912-1914[[/strikethrough]] graduating in Engineering in 1914.

Coombs developed an early interest in West Coast aviation developments and worked for early plane builders in the Bay area during summer vacations, reportedly making some brief flights at Alameda, California, during that period. Evidently he had specialized in engine testing and became an expert with motors, which led to automobile racing in 1915 for Stutz and Chalmers motorcars.

Coombs enlisted in the Signal Corps, Aviation Section, on March 11, 1916, and was sent ot the aviation school at Rockwell Field, San Diego, California. In November he was transferred to Mineola, Long Island, New York, where he continued his instruction and flying practice with pilots Acosta, Bleakley, Bonney, and others, passing the Reserve Military Aviator test on July 18, 1917, as Sergeant First Class, 15th Aero Squadron. He was then sent to the military aeronautics school at Cornell University where he remained until February, 1918, when he was ordered back to Mineola.

During 1919 he was test pilot in the Flight Test Branch, McCook Field, Dayton Ohio. He flew in the New York-to-Toronto Race in September carrying Lieutenant M. Holland, using a DH-9 plane.

In 1920 Coombs became chief engineer and test pilot for the Ordnance Engineering Corporation, Baldwin, Long Island. That spring the firm brought out a gook looking 38-foot-span, 4-seat biplane. Called the Type F, Tourister, it was powered by a 150 [[strikethrough]] -horsepower [[/strikethrough]] Hispano-Suiza engine and had a double side-by-side seating arrangement. On May 7, Coombs established an altitude record of 16, 000 feet with this plane, carrying three passengers. May 17, he bettered this record by flying to 17, 500 feet.