They were a big Irish family in Hamilton, Ohio. I’m not sure if Bernie or Joe was the oldest, but Art and Bill came along about 10 years later with another brother and three sisters somewhere in between. In 1929, after a neighboring farmer, “Pop” Muhlburger, taught the two oldest boys to fly in his Waco 10, the Hogan family bought both Muhlburger’s farm and the Waco. By the early 1930s, Art and Bill were flying and their sisters were helping run what had now become an airport. To paraphrase Gill Robb Wilson’s poem, the springing turf of that green meadow became a catapult from which, 86 years later, men are still leaping.
Unusual Attitudes: A Big Irish Family
Key Takeaways:
- The Hogan family established and operated a successful airport in Hamilton, Ohio, from the 1930s for over 50 years, known for their independent spirit, mechanical skills, and piloting prowess.
- The brothers, especially the youngest Bill, were talented pilots and mechanics, with Bill becoming renowned for restoring and performing aerobatics, including inverted flight, in a highly modified 1929 Taperwing Waco.
- Despite the eventual sale of the airport to the county and a significant incident involving the Taperwing due to a unique fuel system modification, the Hogan family's aviation legacy continues today through the next generation at the same airport.
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