Chinese Flying Club of Portland

The Chinese Flying Club of Portland (CFCP) was a flying school founded in 1932 in response to the Japanese invasion of Manchuria.[1] Donations totaling $20,000 came from around the world to fund the CFCP.[2] It was initially housed at the Christofferson airport, but eventually moved to Swan Island Airport in Portland, Oregon.[3]

The head instructor was Al Greenwood, and the club was sometimes referred to as the "Al Greenwood Flying School."[4][5]

Students
Hazel Ying Lee reviews her performance after a training session

Every CFCP student signed a pledge that they would be willing give up their life for China.[2] A total of 32 Chinese-American students who had trained in Portland were sent to China.[2] The first group of students departed for Canton, China in August, 1932.[2] The second group, composed of 17 students, departed to join the air force of the national government of Northern China in March, 1933.[2] Two died in China. The first was a woman, Virginia Wong, who died of Malaria after arriving in China, but before beginning her campaign.[2] And the second student, Millard Chung, died while practicing bombing in China.[2]

Notable alumni include Hazel Ying Lee, John Wong Pan-Yang, Louie Yim-qun, and Arthur Chin.

Chinese flying clubs

The Chinese Flying Club of Portland was probably the largest flying club and training school of Chinese-American pilots leading up to World War II.[2] There were other clubs and schools around the country[6] including the Chinese Patriotic Flying Club in Boston[7] and the Chinese Aeronautical Association in Los Angeles.[8]

References
  1. "Sky's the Limit". 1859 Oregon's Magazine. 2016-11-10. Archived from the original on 2018-01-30. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
  2. Jones, Webster A. (May 12, 1935). "Portland-Trained Chinese Fly to Oriental Fame". The Oregonian.
  3. "Plane and pilots battle: hit-and-fly charged". The Oregonian. May 2, 1932. p. 1.
  4. "World War 2 Flying Ace Arthur Chin's Amazing True Story". 2015-10-07. Archived from the original on 2019-03-26. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
  5. "What Did Overseas Chinese Do to Assist China's War of Resistance? -- Beijing Review". www.bjreview.com. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
  6. "'Aviatrix' documentary tells the story of the first Chinese-American female pilot". NBC News. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  7. "Three Chinese Women Fliers" (PDF). The Ninety-Niner. July 15, 1933. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-05-08. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  8. "'China's Amelia Earhart' Got Her Wings Here - latimes". Los Angeles Times. 2016-08-28. Archived from the original on 2016-08-28. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
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