Norwood Airport Emerges as East Coast Leader in Transatlantic Aircraft Ferrying-September 17, 1964

Bolstered by a decade of steady growth and specialized aviation services, the town-owned, self-supporting Norwood Airport has firmly established itself as a premier East Coast jump-off point for private aircraft destined for international buyers across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and South America.

Wiggins Airways and Transatlantic Ferry Operations

At the heart of Norwood’s aviation prominence is the Wiggins Airways hangar, where service manager Fred Valentine estimates that mechanics prepare between 150 and 200 private airplanes each year for overseas delivery. Whether outfitting aircraft for Middle Eastern rulers, Swedish business executives, or African safari organizers, Wiggins handles roughly 90 percent of all flight-ferry customization business on the East Coast.

The specialized preparation process involves installing custom-built galvanized steel auxiliary gasoline tanks directly into the aircraft cockpits to provide the extended cruising range required for ocean crossings. In addition to fuel tank installation, Wiggins mechanics customize planes with high-end avionics—fitting up to $20,000 in electronic equipment per craft—alongside wing de-icing boots and custom exterior painting.

Norwood has frequently served as the final stateside stop for aviation history and record-breaking journeys:

• Ten years ago, famed “flying grandfather” Max Conrad conducted his pioneering transatlantic ferry flight out of Norwood Airport.
• More recently, 25-year-old George Hunt of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, launched a record-setting solo flight to Ireland in a Lake Amphibian prepared at the Wiggins hangar.
• Louise Sacchi, a fellow Lock Haven pilot, departed from Norwood for her 15th solo transatlantic delivery to Sweden, while other recent deliveries have included twin-engine aircraft bound for France, England, Germany, Switzerland, Pakistan, and a small plane delivered to Premier Ahmed Ben Bella of Algeria. Jordan’s King Hussein has also had U.S.-made private aircraft outfitted at Norwood.
• Local mechanics Uno Frederickson and Bert Kinney were recently spotted conducting pre-delivery checkouts on a twin-engine DeHavilland Dove owned by Executive Airlines of Boston.

State Defers Pilot and Aircraft Registration Fees to Avoid Double Taxation

In legislative developments at the State House in Boston, the Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission announced that the collection of new biennial registration fees for civilian pilots and aircraft owners—originally scheduled to take effect next Monday—has been deferred until January 1, 1965.

Aeronautics Commission Director Crocker Snow explained that following consultation with Attorney General Edward W. Brooke and other state officials, enforcement was postponed to prevent double taxation. Under the new statute signed by Governor Endicott Peabody on June 23, licensed pilots are required to pay a two-year registration fee of $5, while aircraft owners face fees ranging from $32 to $100 based on the manufacturer’s certified gross weight. Currently, Massachusetts aircraft owners pay local personal property taxes in their home municipalities rather than a state registration fee.

Snow estimated that approximately 4,500 federally licensed pilots in the commonwealth will be subject to the pilot fee next year. Registration certificates issued after the first six months of the biennial period will be prorated at 75 percent, 50 percent, or 25 percent depending on the elapsed duration. Snow warned that Aeronautics Commission inspectors are actively touring state airports to ensure compliance, and failure to register carries statutory penalties.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger