lost air mail routes, Yackey would rent out the grass air fields to local festivals, fairs and other events throughout the year. Yackey Aircraft Company With a large investment from his wife, Olive, Yackey would form the Yackey Aircraft Company in 1922. For most of its life, the company would refurbish and modify surplus World War I military fighter and bomber aircraft into civilian passenger and cargo transport planes. The company became particularly well known for transforming the Breguet 14 bombers into the Breguet 14T.bis four-passenger cabins up until 1926, as well as modifying many Thomas-Morse Aircraft trainers into racing planes with more powerful engines. Airplanes Yackey Sport: Starting in 1924, Yackey began modifying surplus Thomas Brothers S-4 Scouts from single-seat trainers into 2- and 3-passenger sport planes. The front cockpit would be modified into a passenger space, while a new rear cockpit would be built for the pilot. The engine would be upgrade from the 80 hp Le Rhône 9C to the 90 hp Curtiss OX-5. These planes were often used in "reliability races", where participants would earn bonus points for every passenger that was flown safely and reliably between stages within a set schedule. The Yackey Sport was featured in the 1924 National Air Races and the 1925 Ford Reliability Tour. Yackey Monoplane: Yackey's first, and last, original design. The Yackey Monoplane featured a single high wing over the plane body. The pilot was seated in the front cockpit, and up to two passengers were seated side-by-side in the rear cockpit. The cockpits were furnished in full leather with a baggage compartment between the two cockpits. The plane came standard with a 225 hp Wright J5 engine, but could be upgraded to a 425 hp Pratt & Whitney. One of the prototypes participated in the 1927 National Air Race from New York to Spokane, finishing 5th. Final years and death In 1926 the federal government ordered that air mail routes should be managed by private carriers, using private airfields. The Maywood Air Mail Field would lose its contract, as it was a publicly facility owned by the City of Maywood. Yackey began to enter negotiations to have the service returned to Checkerboard. The airmail contract was operated by Robertson Aircraft Corporation, and its chief pilot Charles Lindbergh. Yackey had become friends with Lindbergh two years earlier when RAC hired Lindbergh to operate the CAM route between St. Louis