Peter Pan it turns out was the name of a brave young man that perished, along with his flight instructor, Vince Perron, while taking a flight test. He tragically died just twelve days after his 32nd birthday on March 20, 1950. It turns out the West Valley at the time was a popular spot for pilots and their students to practice low altitude maneuvers.
The plan crash occurred at Sherman Way and Fallbrook about 10 years before the housing tracts were built when the area was mainly barley fields. Mrs. Orville Russell living at 7566 Woodlake called it in, seeing the smoke. More on this address in a later post. It was the Circle S Ranch. Consider saying a prayer a prayer as you pass through Sherman Way and Fallbrook for Peter Pan and his flight instructor, Vince Perron.
“…that area is favored by instructors as a course for putting the plane through low altitude figure-8s, a flight test maneuver. “You make the S3 at about 500 feet,” Matthews said, “and there’s not much time to do anything if something goes wrong.”
Courtney Matthews, chief airport traffic controller at the Lockheed
Who was Peter Pan?
Peter Pan was born Pedro Pan Lorenzo on March 8, 1918 in Guisamo, La Coruma, Galicia, Spain and came to New York with his family in 1924. When he was 12 years old, the family lived in Manhattan and later moved to the Bronx, living next to Claremont Park near where the Yankee Stadium is located today.
On Oct 16, 1940, at just 22 years old, he was drafted into the military for World War II. At that time, he worked for Combined Motors as a mechanic. He was 5’8” tall and 135 lbs with hazel eyes, brown hair, and light complexion. He was married to Angie and most likely was a mechanic for Combined Motors before going into the military.
Pan’s enlistment date is listed as January 11, 1943. During World War II, he served with the US Army with the 404th Ordnance Medium Maintenance Company as a Technical Sergeant in the Asiatic Pacific Theatre, Phillipines and Guam. He was the support to the 1st Marine Regiment that took back Guam from Japan.
He was married to his wife Angie (née Server) prior to going into the military. His service ended on December 12, 1945 and a couple years later, Robert Pan, his only son, was born in. September of 1947 in New York. Sometime after the birth of his son, the family moved to California.
Peter and his wife Angie moved to Glendale at some point. I assume he was a mechanic although I couldn’t find anything about him from 1947 until his death in 1950. He must have seen this advertisement for flight school which connected him with Vince Perron.
Peter Pan and mention of Mrs. Orville Russell of 7566 Woodlake Tue, Mar 21, 1950 – 1 · The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) · Newspapers.com
1950 2 Died barley field near Sherman Way and Fallbrook 1950 Peter Pan Tue, Mar 21, 1950 – 1 · Valley Times (North Hollywood, California) · Newspapers.com
Who was Peter Pan’s flight instructor Vince Perron?
Flying was popular at this time. Post WWII, many ex-war pilots still wanting to fly. Many opened flying services, opened flight schools, and needing the adrenaline rush, participated in air races. Vincent John Perrone or “Vincent Perron” and later “Vince Perron” was no different. Immediately at the close of the war, Perron went into business offering flight services.
”Perron spent eleven months overseas with the Army Air Corps and completed , 68 missions in the China-Burma-India theater.”
Valley Times , North Hollywood, California, 22 Jul 1946, Mon • Page 5
Vincent J Perron Discharged in June 1946 Opened Flying Service Mon, Jul 22, 1946 – 5 · Valley Times (North Hollywood, California) · Newspapers.com
Vince Perron was born Vincent John Perrone on October 14th, 1914 in Chicago, Illinois to Francesco Perrone and Grace Renes. His father was born in Palermo, Sicily, Italy and came to the US in the early 1900s. His mother was born in New Orleans from German descent. His parents met in Chicago and had three children, Frank (1911-1942), Vincent, and his younger sister Louise (b.1916-2006). Frank, his older brother died tragically racing in a midget car race in Chicago, Illinois. Frank, and another driver were demolished by two trains at 159th Street crossing of the Rock Island railroad. He died at a young 31 years of age.
Vincent J Perron and wife fly to Big Bear to attend a dance at Peter Pan lodge 1946. Mon, Sep 16, 1946 – 5 · Valley Times (North Hollywood, California) · Newspapers.com
In September of 1946, Perron flew he and his wife to Big Bear to attend a dance at Peter Pan lodge. I can see why they took up the offer as this lodge was the place to be in Big Bear at the time. A couple years later this lodge would suffer a fire that destroyed it’s clubhouse.
Vince Perron 1946 Sat, Nov 30, 1946 – 14 · Valley Times (North Hollywood, California) · Newspapers.com
“Vince Perron is an energetic fellow who seems to be a dozen places at once. He is a flight examiner for the CAA as well as a young “old-time” pilot. Vince usually has some incident which amuses him and his instructors as they hangar talk the days flying, and he always has a full schedule for the morrow.“
Valley Times November 30, 1946
Flivver Plan Fliers Complete 123 Day Globe Circling Trip 1947 Wed, Dec 10, 1947 – 1 · The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, California) · Newspapers.com
As mentioned in the article about Vincent Perron in 1946, about the pilots getting together to talk about the days of flying during the war. There probably was a bit of an “adrenaline junky” living in these men that loved to fly. After the war, there were so many planes to be had fairly cheaply. They cost as much as a car at the time. Your dreams of flying was very attainable.
George W Truman and Clifford V Evans 1947 Wed, Jul 16, 1947 – 1 · The Pomona Progress Bulletin (Pomona, California) · Newspapers.com
George Truman who was a wartime flight instructor and Air Transport Command pilot during WWII had completed an “around the world” flight with buddy, and ex-Army pilot, Cliff Evans. It took them 123 days to go around the world and even had a fighter plain escort. George Truman ended up moving to the valley to be a chief pilot at Perron’s flight school.
Vince Perron gets George Truman to work at his school 1948 Fri, Oct 29, 1948 – 14 · Valley Times (North Hollywood, California) · Newspapers.com
Vince Perron was also in air races as were most pilots like him that served in the war. It was something to do, got their adrenaline levels up, and not to mention the camaraderie that it entailed. In September of 1949, it was declared in the Los Angeles Times he was going to race the AT-12 Guardsman in an upcoming Cleveland Air Meet and was sponsored by actor Buddy Rogers.
Vince Perron 1949 Fri, Sep 2, 1949 – 31 · The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) · Newspapers.com
This particular Cleveland Air Meet was all about P-51 Mustangs. It’s actually quite strange for me to write this article as I know my father is probably much better at explaining this. He is a huge WWII plane aficionado and growing up going to air shows, I always heard him talk about Mustangs quite frequently. I believe they were fast and easy to obtain after the war. Modifications were common for racing.
”Many P-51s were sold as surplus after the war, often for as little as $1,500. Some were sold to former wartime fliers or other aficionados for personal use, while others were modified for air racing.[ One of the most significant Mustangs involved in air racing was a surplus P-51C-10-NT purchased by film stunt pilot Paul Mantz.”
Wikipedia – North American P-51 Mustang (P51s and civil aviation)
Vince Perron had entered the Bendix “R” Division race at the Cleveland Air Race and on September 3, 1949, he took off from Rosamond Dry Lake, California.
Vince Perron 1949 Photo Sat, Sep 3, 1949 – Page 1 · Long Beach Independent (Long Beach, California) · Newspapers.com
Vince Perron Mention 1949 Sat, Sep 3, 1949 – 6 · The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) · Newspapers.com
Unfortunately for Vince Perron, he started to have engine troubles and had to make a landing in Grand Junction, Colorado. The plane pictured below was the plane he flew and landed in Colorado the day the race started. He pulled out of the race and did not finish.
Vince Perron AT-12 Trainer developed engine trouble Sep 1949 Sun, Sep 4, 1949 – 2 · The San Francisco Examiner (San Francisco, California) · Newspapers.com
A little more than six months later, Vince Perron, met his fate doing what he loved. Pilots say they like to fly for a bit of the disconnection from the world below them. Peter Pan’s character in the play, had a devil may care attitude and is fearlessly cocky when putting himself in danger. Was this a trait the two pilots shared? We may never know.
Perron and Pan Perish 1950 Thu, Mar 23, 1950 – Page 8 · The Van Nuys News (Van Nuys, California) · Newspapers.com
“So come with me, where dreams are born, and time is never planned. Just think of happy things, and your heart will fly on wings, forever, in Never Never Land!”
J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan: Fairy Tales
West SFV Lifestyle 
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