This piece originally ran in the May 2022 issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine.
During World War II, William “Bill” Paul Odom flew for the China National Aviation Corp. via the U.S. Army Air Forces’ Air Transport Command as part of resupply operations in the China-Burma-India theater — famously flying the “Hump” route over the Himalayas. Following the war, Bill competed in air races and attempted a variety of aviation-related feats, including a record-breaking circumnavigation flight in a modified A-26 in 1947. Pictured are a few items from Odom’s days in the CNAC, including a CNAC insignia and collar pin, handmade DC-3 model, hand-drawn approach chart, and a blood chit. The items were donated to the EAA Aviation Museum by Odom’s family in 2003.