Ployer Peter Hill | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nickname | Pete |
| Born | (1894-10-24)October 24, 1894 |
| Died | October 30, 1935(1935-10-30) (aged 41) |
| Buried | Belleville Cemetery Newburyport, Massachusetts |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch | U.S. Army Air Corps |
| Years of service | 1917–1935 |
| Rank | Major |
| Alma mater | Brown University, 1916 |
| Spouse | Helen (Toppan) Hill Perry |
Ployer Peter Hill (October 24, 1894 – October 30, 1935), known as "Pete" or "Peter", was a pilot and an officer with a varied career, but is best known for his abilities as atest pilot. In an aviation career that spanned eighteen years, Hill piloted nearly 60 of the Army Air Corps' newest aircraft, testing and evaluating their capabilities for service.[1]
Pete Hill was born inNewburyport, Massachusetts, on October 24, 1894, and attended grammar school and high school in his hometown. In 1916, he graduated fromBrown University with a Bachelor of Science degree inCivil Engineering.
The following year, he enlisted in the Aviation Section of the U.S. Army Signal Enlisted Reserve Corps. In 1918, he received flight instruction at the School of Military Aeronautics atCornell University, the Aviation Concentration Camp at Camp Dix inDallas,Texas, and atChanute Field inRantoul,Illinois. Hill then accepted a commission as a 2nd lieutenant in the regular Army and served as a flying instructor before receiving instruction as a bombardment pilot.
In 1919, Hill served in the Office of the Chief of the Air Corps inWashington, D.C., then in 1920 was ordered to duty with the American Army of Occupation inGermany, where he served as the Engineer Officer of the Air Service Flying Station inWeissenthurm. In 1922, he was assigned to duty with the12th Aero Squadron stationed atFort Bliss inEl Paso, Texas, then transferred back to Chanute Field for instruction in aerial photography. After completing the course, he stayed on as a student instructor.
In 1924, he returned to duty in Washington, D.C., in the Training and War Plans Division under the Chief of the Air Service. In 1925, he was ordered to duty atMitchel Field,New York, where he was appointed Commanding Officer of the 14th Photo Section, a job he held until 1929. He then served as the Commanding Officer of the 6th Photo Section at Nichols Field inManila.
In 1932, he returned to the United States and was assigned to Wright Field inDayton, Ohio, where he served as atest pilot and Assistant Chief of Planes and Engines in the Maintenance Unit. In 1935, he was assigned as the Chief of the Flying Branch of the Material Division at Wright Field, with the temporary rank of Major. His duties involved the flight testing and evaluation of numerous new military aircraft designs at various contractors' plants, including theConsolidated P-30,Martin B-10,B-12, and many others.
On October 30, 1935, Hill and Boeing's chief test pilot Leslie Tower died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash of the Boeing experimental aircraftModel 299 atWright Field; three others on board survived.[2][3][4][5]
The crash occurred because the crew neglected to remove thewind-gust locks, devices intended to keep the control surfaces from moving when the plane was on the ground.[6]
This aircraft was the prototype of what later became the famousB-17 Flying Fortress ofWorld War II. Major Hill was buried inNewburyport,Massachusetts, on November 3, 1935.[1]
In 1939, the U.S. War Department named the site of theOgden Air Depot "Hill Field" in honor of Major Ployer Peter Hill. In 1948, Hill Field was renamedHill Air Force Base.
This biography has been copied (for the most part word for word) from theHill Air Force Base factsheet for Major HillArchived 2017-04-10 at theWayback Machine, which is permissible, the website requesting only that credit is attributed to the source.