RAY WILSON 1946 - 1955 FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF MONARCH AIRLINES FL VICE PRESIDENT-OPERATIONS DEN Re Wilson & Bonfils Flying School I was researching all the places I have reunion notices for the W & B Flying School and came across your site. Reading some of the letters, I confirm that many of the former staff at W & B went back to Denver and worked with Ray Wilson. I would appreciate any help you could give me in advertising the next reunions for W & B which are 5-7 May 2000 and 27-29 Apr 2001, at the Best Western Motel, Chickasha, OK. I have also been in contact over the past several years with Newton Wilson, Ray's son. I have located over 750 former staff, instructors, and cadets from the school, and the list grows weekly. I was priviledged to know Johnny Myers for several years who was one of the flight leaders at W & B and flew for Ray for many years too. Would appreciate any help you could give me. -Ron Baker (2/17/00) Ray M. Wilson died on May 11, 1979 in Denver, CO at age 78. He was born Sep. 2, 1900 and started with Monarch on Jan.1, 1946. -Ken Schultz Database (8/9/03) Wilson, Raymond Milton, 1900-1979. Papers; 1923-70; 2 lin/ft. Personal papers about Monarch Airlines by its founder and president, 1946-50; with Frontier Airlines 1950-54, which was a merger of Monarch, Challenger, and Arizona Airlines. -Internet (12/10/06 Raymond "Ray" Wilson. 1900-1979. After graduating from flight school at Brooks field, San Antonio, Wilson [left] received his commercial pilot's license in 1927. From 1924, he was associated with the 120th Observation Squadron, Colorado National Guard. While he managed the Park Hill Airport, he opened the highly successful Ray Wilson Flight School. In 1946, Wilson founded Monarch Air Lines, which later purchased Arizona Airways. The company joined with Challenger Airlines and ultimately became Frontier Airlines. -Citation at Colorado Aviation Historical Society's Hall of Fame. (11/11/00) Ray's wife Alverta is in the 1979 Frontier Family Cookbook. -Jake Lamkins (12/4/04) Raymond "Ray" Wilson Colorado Aviation Historical Society Honored him in 1970 Ray Wilson was born in Newton, Illinois, on September 2, 1900, and lived a quiet but busy farm life. He worked hard for his education, eventually working his way through the University of Illinois, where he joined the Reserve Officers Training Program (ROTC) to help with the costs of schooling. Ray graduated from this program with an Army Aviation Observer's rating and was chosen to be in the first flight school class to be held at Brooks Field in San Antonio, Texas. In Denver, "Pappy" worked with the Denver Gas & Electric Co. He continued flying, and became involved in the organization of the 120th Observation Squadron of the Colorado National Guard in 1924. Ray became the permanent duty officer of the 120th Squadron and he flew charter flights in his spare time. He obtained his commercial license in 1927, and in 1929 became a full-time commercial flyer, working with the ill-fated Curtiss-Wright Flying Service as operations manager, chief pilot and head instructor. The Great Depression closed this operation in 1931. From 1929 to 1941, Ray piloted the "Christmas Cross" a 20x30 foot cross attached to the underside of a plane, through the skies over Denver each Christmas Eve. Ray also operated the Park Hill airport and opened the Ray Wilson Flight School. He later barnstormed from Denver throughout the area to attract customers. He flew "penny-a-pound" flights, which introduced many folks to the fun of flying. In 1939, Ray filed for authority to operate a scheduled airline, Monarch Air Lines, Inc., through the Rocky Mountain area. World War II caused approval of his airline to be deferred until 1946. In 1950 Monarch purchased Arizona Airways and later joined with Challenger Airlines to become the Frontier Airlines. Ray served as Denver’s Director of Aviation from 1961 to 1969 and aviation advisor to the Public Utilities Commission in Denver. "Pappy" was honored by the OX-5 Hall of Fame and other groups. Ray passed away May 11, 1979. -http://www.coloradoaviationhistoricalsociety.org/bio_popup.asp?id=66 (12/11/07) Updated memorial webpage RAY WILSON 1946 - 1955 FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF MONARCH AIRLINES FL VICE PRESIDENT-OPERATIONS DEN http://FAL-1.tripod.com/Ray_Wilson.html I found several more items about Ray and moved his webpage to an ad-free location. -Jake Lamkins (8/13/10) Photo from 1948 reprinted with permission from the book FRONTIER AIRLINES: A HISTORY OF THE FORMER FRONTIER AIRLINES 1950-1986 by Gregory R. Stearns (8/10/15) FLight West FLacebook - FL Club DEN founder and presidentt Ray Wilson's memorial webpage has been updated: http://FAL-1.tripod.com/Ray_Wilson.html Seven items added and page updated. Still need an obituary for Ray. -Jake Lamkins (8/30/15)