Oregon’s Military and Naval Aviation Pioneers, Frank W. Wright and Louis T. Barin, Jr.
Louis T. Barin was a pilot in one of the three Curtiss NC flying boats which took part in the famous transatlantic flight expedition of May, 1919. Pictured here are the crews of NC-1, NC-3, and NC-4 at Rockaway Beach, New York, in front of flying boat NC-3. From left to right are Lieutenant Commander Albert C. Read, Lieutenant Elmer F. Stone, USCG, Lieutenant Walter Hinton, Ensign H.C. Rodd, Chief Mechanic E.H. Howard, and Lieutenant James L. Breese Jr., crew of NC-4. Commander John H. Towers, Commander Holden C. Richardson, Lieutenant David H. McCulloch, Lieutenant Commander Robert A. Lavender, Mechanic Lous R. Moore, Lieutenant B. Rhodes, crew of NC-1. Lieutenant Commander Patrick N.L. Bellinger, Pilot Marc A. Mitscher, Pilot Louis T. Barin, Lieutenant Harry Sadenwater, Chief Machinist C.I. Kessler, Machinist R. Christensen, crew of NC-3. (Author note: Although this caption indicates Louis T. Barin was part of the crew of NC-3, Barin’s crew actually flew the NC-1 on the trans-Atlantic mission, probably due to a last-minute crew shuffle after damage to a couple of the NC aircraft.) (Naval History and Heritage Command, NH 53385)