1930 Clarence M. Young Soars in Primary Glider – U.S. Secretary of Aeronautics Tests Flight for Regulation Study

This striking original 1930 press photograph captures a rare moment in early American aviation history: Clarence M. Young, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics, suspended mid-air in a primary glider. Taken during a pivotal government effort to understand and regulate the burgeoning civilian glider movement, this image documents Young's hands-on investigation into amateur soaring practices.

The photograph shows Young seated in an open-frame glider being launched in front of onlookers, most likely during a Department of Commerce demonstration. As the glider craze swept across the United States in the late 1920s and early 1930s, the U.S. government sought firsthand data on the craft's safety, design, and operational methods. This experiment marked a turning point in federal aviation oversight and helped lay the groundwork for future glider regulations.

The reverse includes a typewritten press release (dated May 24, 1930) that references Young’s flight and the Department of Commerce’s mission to “find out what this is about” in order to regulate aircraft manufacturing and flying methods. A hand-written note credits the Morris Gerber Collection, a notable archive of early aviation photography.

This photo offers a unique blend of aviation, governmental policy, and experimental flight history, ideal for collectors of early glider ephemera or aviation regulatory history.

📏 Details:

• Date: May 24, 1930 (confirmed by press caption)

• Subject: Clarence M. Young in primary glider flight

• Size: Approx. 8" x 10"

• Condition: Good vintage condition with minor edge wear; reverse shows aged press caption with tape remnants

• Collection: Morris Gerber Collection