BIOGRAPHY

RICKENBACKER AND BACH      Recent news of the rescue of Col. Eddie Rickenbacker was especially welcome to one member of the Lockheed-Vega organization, his long-time friend of early dirt track racing and pioneer aviation days, L. M. Bach, Vega Works Manager This photo was taken in 1929 at the Metropolitan Airport, Van Nuys, which was then one of the city's largest. Rickenbacker visited the Bach Aircraft Company to look over the "Airyacht," radical in design for its time, but prototype of the modern luxury airliner as later developments proved. Captain Eddie often visited "Mort," as he is familiarly known, to watch the progress of Bach's planes, which held many speed, altitude and endurance records for early passenger ships. from Lockheed-Vega inhouse publication Collection of Marjorie Bach Mota - 8-27-03

 

EARLY DAYS IN LONG BEACH, CA from an email message from Chris Brewer, 10-30-02      About 1911, Grover Bell kept in an aeroplane in a barn on Ocean Park Boulevard. Bell involved L. Morton Bach in the upkeep of the craft and the youngster often helped Bell push the plane to a dirt road, which at the time had few homes. The pilot used the dirt road as a runway and on one occasion, Mr. Bell offered the boy a ride. Morton had to sit on the leading edge of the wing and hold on tight. When interviewed later, Morton expressed no concern for a lack of safety equipment on his first flight. The dirt road eventually evolved into Pearl Street.

 

Bach and Later Plane Collection of Rob Bach, 10-7-06

BACH AIRCRAFT COMPANY      In 1927 Waldo Waterman became Chief Experimental Engineer for the Bach Aircraft Co., builders of a light Tri-Motor Transport. With one of these planes, he won the Air Transport Race at the National Air Races in Cleveland in 1929, and later that year broke the 1000 Kilogram load carrying altitude record.

The Factory in Full Swing Collection of Rob Bach, 10-7-06

"Bach Aircraft Company Inc. - Delaware 1929      Beautifully engraved certificate from the Bach Aircraft Company Inc. issued in 1929. This historic document has an ornate border around it. This item is hand signed by the Company's President and Secretary and is over 75 years old."      "1927: (L Morton) Bach Aircraft Co, Clover Field, Santa Monica CA; 1929: Metropolitan Airport, Van Nuys CA. 1931: Reorganized as Aircraft Production Corp." Courtesy of Bob Kerstein, President, Scripophily.com Editor's Note: This beautiful certificate is currently, (2-21-04), offered for sale by Bob Kerstein, dealer in stock and bond certificates, on his Scripophily website. You will find sections featuring certificates in the fields of Transportation, Banks & Financial, Government and War Bonds, Communications, Internet, Tech and many, many others. To visit the site, click on the link immediately above.

 

ONLINE RESOURCES      If you search for "L. Morton Bach", using the Google search engine, (9-9-07), you will find only five links, two of which refer back to this website You will find links to two of the other relevant sites below.

(L Morton) Bach Aircraft Co.      You will find an extensive description of the planes of the (L Morton) Bach Aircraft Co. on K. O. Ecklund's AeroFiles website. One of the most interesting is the following: "Polar Bear 1921 = 2pOB. Built by Morton Bach in his backyard with design help from Clarence Prest. Used for an attempted flight from Mexico to Siberia, which ended short in northwest Canada."      To visit the site, just click on the title above.

 

Four-engined "Super Transport"      I was alerted to this website by Rick O'Shea on January 27, 2008. The following is his message: Ralph,      I've been reading your pages on Loyal Morton Bach after finding an article about the Bach C-S-1 in a 1928 "Aviation" magazine. I would like to know if you have any information on his four-engined airliner design "Super Transport". There is a patent for the craft which you can view by clicking on the title.      I would like to know more details about it and the smaller C-S-1. Aerofiles does have a few facts. I was hoping for something more. Rick Editor's Note: If you can help Rick with his search for more information, please contact me and I will forward your message. Thank you.

 

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