| Show Name: | Howie Wing |
| Format: | Juvenile aviation adventure |
| Runtime: | 15 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Syndicates: | CBS Don Lee Network |
| Starring: | William Janney Neil O'Malley |
| Creator: | Bill Moore |
| Sponsor: | Kellogg's |
Howie Wing is an American old-time radio juvenile aviation adventure serial. It was syndicated by the World Broadcasting System and distributed initially to stations in Canada,[1] beginning on January 31, 1938. The Don Lee Network began carrying it in the western United States on February 12, 1938.[2] The program was broadcast weekdays on CBS from October 3, 1938, until June 30, 1939.[3]
Bill Moore, who created and wrote Howie Wing, was one of the creators of another old-time radio aviation program, The Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen. Moore was a pilot with the Royal Flying Corps in World War I and a barnstorming pilot thereafter, both of which provided a background for his writing about aviation.[4] An article in Radio Guide magazine described the program as "an authentic saga of aviation."[5] Moore enhanced the show's authenticity by taking the cast and sound-effects people flying to help them appreciate the atmosphere needed for the program.[6]
Howie Wing began as a flier with the Cadet Aviation Corps. Later, Captain Harvey, who owned an airline in South America, made Wing his co-pilot. The program's plots focused on Wing's battles against corruption, especially that involving Burton York,[7] a saboteur who operated under the cover of being an insurance agent.[8]
In light of research that showed 70 percent of the program's audience was children, the scripts avoided situations that might have been confusing for children.
Howie Wing was sponsored by Kellogg's.[8]
In addition to Wing, the program featured Captain Harvey, a veteran flier of World War I. Donna Cavendish was a stewardess who became Wing's love interest. Zero Smith was a disagreeable fellow pilot, Typhoon Tootel was the mechanic, and Burton York was the villain.[9]
Characters in Howie Wing and the actors who portrayed them are shown in the table below.
| Character | Actor | |
|---|---|---|
| Howie Wing | William Janney | |
| Captain Harvey | Neil O'Malley | |
| The Chief | Richard Bishop | |
| Burton York | Raymond Bramley | |
| Zero Smith | John Griggs | |
| Donna Cavendish | Mary Parker | |
| Typhoon Tootel | Robert Strauss |
The transcribed version had a different cast, which included Billie Rose, Audrey McGrath, Bill Bouchey, and Hugh Studebaker. Moore wrote and produced that program.[10]
In 1939, American Airlines named a flagship Howie Wing, the first time in air transportation history that a plane had been named for a radio program.[11] The trade publication Broadcasting described the designation as "a tribute of the airline to the work of Kellogg Co. in making American youngsters air-minded."[12]