R. L. Gerhart Company's Ryan monoplane advertised El Capitan Coffee. Pilot Jesse Jones stands at left. This is thought to be the first business aircraft purchased by a Lancaster County company. It was the sister ship of the Ryan "Spirit of St. Louis" flown by Charles Lindbergh from New York to Paris in May 1927.
Committee to choose a site for the new Municipal Airport included members of Lancaster Chamber of Commerce, American Business Club and Lancaster Aero Club. Pictured left to right are Jesse P. Jones, Sumner L. Brown, George P. Luckey, A.D. Howry, John H. Carter, Charles B. Weise, F.K. Brinkman, W.S. Raub, H.M. Hersh, William D. Grant, S.R. Slaymaker and G.W. Birrell. Photo take December 7, 1929. William Grant, Christiana businessman and president of Lancaster Airways, Inc. was killed in an auto accident three days later.
