California’s strangest aviation memorial hides inside a historic hotel chapel

The Hutchings’ Copper Wing Aviation Memorial at Mission Inn

The Famous Fliers’ Wall at Mission Inn began with a simple idea in 1932.

Frank Miller had just built the Rotunda Wing when his daughter Allis and her husband DeWitt turned the St. Francis Chapel into an aviation shrine.

They crafted 10-inch copper wings with propeller centers to hold famous pilots’ signatures. The first ceremony took place in March 1934, honoring four military fliers.

Over time, DeWitt led 90 ceremonies as legends like Amelia Earhart, Chuck Yeager, and John Glenn visited. Today, 161 wings line the wall, including those of the Tuskegee Airmen added in 2012.

The wall stands as a unique tribute to aviation history you can discover while exploring Riverside’s historic Mission Inn.

Frank Miller Added the Final Wing to His Grand Hotel

In 1932, Frank Miller finished building the Rotunda Wing at the Mission Inn, the fourth and last big addition to his huge hotel.

This new section included the beautiful St.Francis Chapel with fancy Tiffany stained glass windows and a Mexican altar from the 1700s.

Mrs. Frederick Payne, a friend of Miller’s daughter Allis Hutchings, suggested making the chapel a special place for pilots with St. Francis as their patron saint.

Allis and her husband DeWitt loved the idea since they enjoyed flying and collected aviation items.

The Chapel Became an Aviator’s Shrine in December 1932

On December 15, 1932, people gathered in the St. Francis Atrio for a special ceremony.

Monsignor McCarthy led the event that turned the chapel into a shrine for pilots. Colonel H.H. Arnold from nearby March Field came to represent military flyers.

During the ceremony, DeWitt Hutchings read Henry Longfellow’s poem “The Prayer of St. Francis” to everyone.

Allis worked with local artist Thyrsis Field to create a copper plaque that read “Francis of Assisi, Lover of Birds and Birdmen, Patron Saint” for the chapel.

Archives Carried the Signatures of Flying Legends

Allis Hutchings and Thyrsis Field created a special way to honor pilots: 10-inch copper wings with a propeller in the middle.

When famous flyers visited, they signed a piece of tracing paper.

Their signatures got etched into the metal wings, with their name on the left wing, the date on the right, and a personal design in the center propeller.

The Hutchings showed off their growing collection of flight items in a room above the chapel they called the Pilot’s Roost.

Four Military Flyers Got Their Wings in March 1934

The first official wing ceremony happened on March 26, 1934, when four top military pilots received the honor.

Major General Benjamin Foulois, Lieutenant Colonel H.H. Arnold, Brigadier General Oscar Westover, and Lieutenant Commander Herbert Wiley all got copper wings that day.

Only Wiley actually showed up, as the others had already visited the Mission Inn earlier. This marked the start of DeWitt Hutchings’ role as the host for these special events.

The Hutchings Family Kept the Inn Flying After Miller’s Death

Frank Miller died in 1935 after running the Mission Inn for more than 50 years. His daughter Allis and son-in-law DeWitt took over the hotel.

They got lucky with their timing as March Field started growing in 1938 with military buildup, bringing lots of business to the Inn.

The Hutchings made strong connections with the pilots and officers from the airfield just a few miles away.

Amelia Earhart Signed Her Wings Before Her Final Flight

Amelia Earhart came to the Mission Inn in 1936 for her own wing ceremony. She was already famous as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

Her copper wings went up on the wall that same year, not long before she started planning her 1937 attempt to fly around the world.

Sadly, this was the flight where she vanished somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. The Mission Inn ceremony turned out to be one of her last public appearances.

World War II Brought Famous Aces to the Flyers’ Wall

On March 20, 1942, World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker got his wings on the wall, becoming the 57th pilot honored at the Inn.

DeWitt Hutchings kept the ceremonies going throughout World War II as military pilots came through Riverside.

The Inn opened a new spot called the Lea Lea room in 1939 that became a favorite hangout for airmen from March Field and Camp Hahn.

DeWitt Hutchings Led Ninety Wing Ceremonies Over Two Decades

DeWitt Hutchings personally ran 90 different wing ceremonies during his time managing the Inn.

Some were small gatherings with just local politicians and previously honored flyers, while others turned into full black-tie events with fancy dinners and planes flying overhead.

Allis died in 1952, and DeWitt followed just a year later in 1953, ending their 20-year run of managing the hotel together.

Chuck Yeager and John Glenn Joined the Wall of Fame

The Famous Fliers’ Wall grew to include aviation stars like James Doolittle, Jackie Cochran, John Northrup, John Glenn, and Chuck Yeager.

Yeager, who broke the sound barrier in his Bell X-1 rocket plane in 1947, took part in his own ceremony in 1984.

The tradition kept going even after the Hutchings family sold the hotel in the mid-1950s. Eventually, 161 pilots had their signatures etched into copper wings and hung on the wall.

Tuskegee Airmen Finally Got Their Recognition in 2012

The Tuskegee Airmen, America’s first Black military pilots, received their place on the Flyers’ Wall in 2012.

These brave men flew more than 1,500 combat missions in their red-tailed P-51 Mustangs, escorting bombers over Nazi targets throughout Europe during World War II.

Their recognition came a full 65 years after the war ended, finally honoring their groundbreaking service and the barriers they broke in military aviation.

The Wall Still Tells Aviation Stories Eight Decades Later

Today, visitors to the Mission Inn can see all 161 aviators honored on the Famous Fliers’ Wall outside the St. Francis Chapel.

The collection includes air pioneers, airplane designers, racing pilots, fighter aces, and war heroes from different time periods.

After the Mission Inn became a National Historic Landmark in 1977, the wall remained protected as part of this unique aviation shrine.

The copper wings continue to showcase the close ties between Riverside, the Mission Inn, and the aviation history of March Field.

Visiting Mission Inn Festival of Lights, California

You can see the Famous Fliers’ Wall during the Mission Inn Festival of Lights from November 22, 2025 through January 6, 2026 with free admission.

The wall honors aviation pioneers through copper wing dedications that started in 1932. It’s in the St.Francis Atrio courtyard at the Mission Inn Hotel on Mission Inn Avenue.

Learn more at the Mission Inn Museum on Main Street, open daily with free admission and a suggested $2 donation.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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