Charles F. Blair Jr.
(July 19, 1909 – September 2, 1978) was a United States Air Force Brigadier General, United States Navy aviator Captain, a test pilot, an airline pilot, and airline owner.
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Blair was born in Buffalo, New York. He learned to fly in San Diego and made his first solo flight at the age of 19. In 1931, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Vermont, and the following year was commissioned an Ensign as a naval aviator. He served with the Naval Reserves at the same time as flying for United Airlines for seven years. In 1940, Blair became a chief pilot at American Export Airlines, later renamed American Overseas Airlines, where he trained the pilots.
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In World War II Blair flew with the Naval Air Transport Service and the Air Transport Command as well as being a test pilot for Grumman Aircraft, testing the Grumman F6F Hellcat, Grumman F7F Tigercat, Grumman F8F Bearcat and the Martin Mars flying boat.
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Following the war, Blair commanded testing and the first scheduled flights of the Lockheed Constellation and Boeing Stratocruiser airliners of American Overseas Airlines as well as owning and operating Associated Air Transport, Inc. American Overseas Airlines merged with Pan American World Airways in 1950, with Blair becoming a Pan Am pilot.
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More info by clicking top photo
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Solo Flight Over The North Pole
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Red Ball in the Sky -
Charles F. Blair's story of his early flying career. An excellent read!
VI Daily News Supplement May 14, 1979
TROPIC - The Miami Hearld 10/7/73
Charlie & Duke at the St. Croix house on the hill.
Honolulu.
Aero Digest / Sept. 1939 ad
Eclipse Aviation's engine accessories.
American Export Airlines where Charlie Blair was Chief Pilot.
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The Last Flight of
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A Cold War Thriller... co-authored by Charlie
photo by Charlie Freehling
Goose - N74676 flies over the Blair residence.
A Crew Manifest - DC-4 NC58021 11/15/46 started the story...
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Charlie Blair's "Red Ball in the Sky" Chapter 4 - In Search of Gold, tells the story of a military surplus C-54 and the subsequent charter flight in November 1946. But the story of NC58021 continued for several years. Read more about the DC-4 that was part of changing the world.
The education of
​​​Charles F. Blair Jr.
A young Charlie attended high school in Buffalo and then went on to the University of Vermont.. His mechanical engineering degree gave him the tools to tackle the challenges in the years to come.
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T.C. Ryan's Flying School - San Diego, CA
Charlie's father was a Harvard Law School graduate and his mother got a degree from Cornell, so it was clear that the children would receive a good education.
Hutchinson Central Technical High School
Buffalo, N.Y.
The Blair residence Buffalo, N.Y.
exceprt from Robert Blairs interview
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It was stated in other bio's of Charles Blair that he made his first solo flight at 19. It was the summer after his freshman year that Charlie found himself at Ryan Flying School in San Diego, CA. That was the summer, that was the flght that changed Charlie forever. He returned to the University of Vermont with renewed direction. He was going to be a flyboy.
After graduating Charlie was commissioned as an
Ensign as a naval aviator. Now the real education begins.
Robert Noel Blair was Charlie's younger brother
More to come soon.
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Curtiss C-46D Commando
Charles Blair's first of eight "Excalibur's" was the Sikorsky VS-44. He put many
record-breaking hours in the first Excalibur and that inspired him to continue the name with the important aircraft in his career. Excalibur II was a Curtiss C-46D Commando. See more about Excalibur II...plus.
