Wayne has been a photo journalist and aviation historian for the past 25 years, since his retirement from Lockheed Aircraft, where he had spent 35 years in the aerospace industry.
He has traveled extensively to various military bases and aviation museums in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Wayne has authored many articles for such publications as “Flight Journal,” “In-Flight USA;” and “War Birds, Worldwide” where he was a staff writer for six years. He has written articles (including his last) for the “American Aviation Historical Society.”
Much of his work can be found by entering “Google” and searching under his published name “Wayne McPherson Gomes.”
His archives contain collections and research documents numbering well over 600 issues. He has visited more than 100 museums, obtaining photographs and other materials and slides. And, he also written about many of them.
Most recently he served ten years as Public Relations and Financial Coordinator to the Unied States Aviation Museum in their venture to save the last flyable B-29 bomber, “DOC” and restore it to flying condition. The plane is still in restoration state in Wichita, Kansas.
Some of Wayne’s more notable writings: “GODS OF WAR”---the story of Glenn L. Martin and the famous Martin Mar’s Flying Boats “THE RED KNIGHTS”---Coverage of the Russian aerobatic team at Abbottsford, Canada “A MAN AND HIS DREAM”---the history of discovery and restoration of the B-29 “DOC”
And, yet to be completed is the little known story of “COLD WEATHER TEST” which played such a huge role in aircraft testing in extreme cold conditions. The testing was conducted at Ladd Field, Alaska and was available to every aircraft manufacturer to test their variants and new innovations and equipment. (More information can be found on the “P38” section of this site, under “Ladd Field.”)
Wayne and his wife now live in Grand Junction, Colorado, where he is surrounded by some 60 years of aviation history.
