While every Sedan has its own history, this one definitely has a very unique one: For decades it served its owner and pilot, Hal Wright – a cousin of Orville and Wilbur – as a flying mail van!
After they had moved from Oakland to Loyalton in the California Sierras, Hal and his wife Allene founded the first newspaper in the region and called it the Sierra Booster. That was in 1949. A few years later, at the age of 50, Hal learned to fly and soon purchased his first airplane, a Piper Cub, then this 1949 Aeronca Sedan. He and his Sedan quickly became famous around the globe for their newspaper air-to-ground delivery. And would you believe it, almost half a century later, the Wrights were still continuing to produce the Sierra Booster with Hal delivering it in his Sedan – at age 92! (Be sure to watch the interesting and amusing video proof below; a CBS Television report from 1996.) Sadly, in 2000, both of them passed away. But their newspaper continues to be published! In 2006, the Sedan was sold to Bob and Toodie Marshall (photo 11), long-time friends of the Wrights. But it remained based at Nervino airport in Beckwourth, California, USA, until November 2009, when it was sold to a new owner in Washington state. Nothing is known about photo 12.
(This page last updated: 04/2010)
Click on the thumbnails to view the pictures in full size or to watch the video.
Photos © Monika & Matthias Sieber (01-11), Unknown (12)
Video © CBS Television
