9ZZA Expedition Van
In the summer of 1927, having just dropped out of High School and briefly attended some classes at Coe College, Art Collins (Right) obtained a contract from the government to study HF propagation. He and two compatriots, Paul Engle (Center) and Winfield Salisbury (Left) fixed up a delivery van, obtained the special call sign 9ZZA and launched themselves on a 7000 mile round trip through the western United States making what surely must have been some of the first mobile/portable contacts in amateur radio. Art was in good company. Paul went on to become a Nobel Lauriat Poet and Winfield later became Director of Research at Collins Radio.