CHARLIE HIRSIG 1941 - 1945 FOUNDER & PRESIDENT OF SUMMIT AIRWAYS which became Challenger Airlines February 2, 1947. LAR Challenger began life as Summit Airways, a Wyoming corporation, organized on December 31, 1941. Summit limited its activities to flight instruction, buying and selling airplanes, and non-scheduled air carrier service. The founders and owners of Summit were Charles W. Hirsig(II), President until his death January 15, 1945, Fred M. Manning, George J. Forbes, and Fred O. Rice. George J. Forbes was the second President from January, 1945 until February, 1946 when George W. Snyder, Jr. took over. Donald A. Duff became Challenger's fourth and final President in Feb. 1948 and served until the merger June 1, 1950 when he became a Vice President at Frontier Airlines. Challenger Airlines prospectus dated August, 1948 Jake Lamkins (8/1/99) Another interesting side bar to that is that one of my Dad's friends and partners, Charlie Hirsig, founded Summit Airways the predecessor of Challenger in 1942. Challenger was reorganized in 1947. One of my closest friends, from childhood, is Jimmy Hirsig, Charlie and Marion's son. I was up at his ranch on the Colorado/Wyoming border two weeks ago and rummaged through a bunch of the old records. There was several letters of correspondence between Marian Hirsig and Ed Gerhart (FAL VP) who was doing research for a book on the Frontier story. I have those to share with Ken Schultz and others when I find the time to make copies. Charlie Hirsig was killed in a Luscombe 8A buzzing my Dad's and his brother's ranch "The Pichinoe Ranch" on the Little Laramie in 1945. Charlie was a flight training supervisor for my Dad's CPT University Program for Plains Airways, Inc. Plains Airways had three main training bases, Cheyenne, Laramie and Ft. Morgan, Colorado. Additionally, they had airplanes and instructors at various other airports in the Wyoming/Colorado border area. Wheatland and Sheridan, for example, were two places I recall being mentioned. After Charlie Hirsig "flew West," George W. Snyder took over and went through a series of applications, etc., before changing the name in a re-organization plan to Challenger Airways. Then, in June of 1950 the merger between Monarch, Challenger and Arizona airways took place. I will attach a photo of Charlie Hirsig standing by my father's old "Woody" station wagon. You can see the Plains Airways logo on the door. This car was later totaled by Plains instructor, Johnny Hart (no relation to deceased retired FAL captain Fred Hart who learned to fly at Plains Airways)who died in the crash. The accident occurred on a stormy night on the summit of the highway between Cheyenne and Laramie. There were several Frontier pilots trained at Plains Airways. In addition to Fred Hart, Warren Heckman learned to fly at the Laramie base and Ev Aden received some of his training at the Cheyenne base. I son't know where Eve learned his expertise on ADF operation, but he was the world's renowned expert on low freq navigation. FAL loaned him to Icelandic Airlines to set up their system. He was really something as a professional airman except he bent all the DC-3 throttles forward...(grin). While I knew Marion well, I was too young to remember Charlie Hirsig. My dad always remembered him as a great guy and very dynamic. -Billy Walker (8/9/99) CHARLES WM HIRSIG, II Date of death: January 15, 1945, 2:30 p.m. Cause of death: Multiple fracture skull & face. Multiple compound fracture lower extremities. Fracture, compound, right elbow. Possible internal injuries due to airplane crash. Place of Death: Laramie County, Wyoming, 2 miles S.W. of Farthing. Date of Birth: January 11, 1911 Age 34 Father - Fred Hirsig born in Switzerland Mother - Mary LaPash born in Cheyenne, Wyoming Burial: Jan. 17/45 at Laramie, Wyoming From Death Certificate, State of Wyoming -Ken Schultz (3/30/00) I must apologize for being so delinquent on updating information about my dad. Anyway, I read what you have printed about him, and I think it's great. There are a few inaccuracies though, that I'd like to correct. Ed Gerhardt wrote a background information letter on my dad in Aug 6, 1979, the information about his death and where it happened was the correct location versus Billy Walker's letter. If I get your address I would be happy to send you a copy. Again, sorry for the long delay. -Jim Hirsig (5/1/00) The company was incorporated in Wyoming, December 31, 1941, by Charles W. Hirsig II, as Summit Airways Inc. Hirsig came from a Wyoming pioneer ranching family which settled in the Cheyenne area in the 1880's. At the age of seventeen, Hirsig, in 1928 received the first private pilot's license issued in Wyoming. He was engaged in ranching, but kept an interest in flying, and in 1941, after selling his ranch, and prior to buying another ranch, his good friend Bill Walker of Plains Aviation in Cheyenne, asked him to help out on a temporary basis to manage the Laramie branch at Brees field, Laramie, Wyoming. Plains Aviation which was headquartered in Cheyenne, wanted to concentrate on its large Civilian Pilot Training (CPT) operation in Cheyenne. The Laramie branch was sold to Hirsig who had become very interested in aviation. He organized Summit for the purpose of carrying on fixed-base aviation activities at Laramie, which specialized in student training. The company in conjunction with the University of Wyoming at Laramie, trained pilots under the CPT programs for the Army and Navy. In 1944, Charles W. Hirsig II, as founder, president, and principal stockholder of the corporation, filed an application with the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) Docket No. 1091, for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to engage in air transportation in Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska, using Beechcraft Model D-18S aircraft. Mr. Hirsig was killed in an airplane accident on January 15, 1945. After Hirsig's death, George J. Forbes, president of the 1st National Bank of Laramie, a director and one of the original incorporators of Summit became president. Mr. Hirsig's stock was purchased by Fred M. Manning of Denver, whose principal occupation was in the oil well drilling business, and who owned or had an interest in a number of oil drilling operations in the Rocky Mountain area. The CAB permitted the applicant to supplement the record to reflect the resulting change in ownership and management. Excerpted from an essay by Ken Schultz -Jake Lamkins (5/31/10) Subject: Updated memorial webpage CHARLIE HIRSIG 1941 - 1945 FOUNDER & PRESIDENT OF SUMMIT AIRWAYS which became Challenger Airlines February 2, 1947. LAR http://FAL-1.tripod.com/Charlie_Hirsig.html Jake Lamkins (5/31/10) Subject: Wyoming Aviation Hall Of Fame Greetings Dave, Charlie Hirsig deserves to be inducted into the Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame. I believe it is my duty, and my honor, to add my support to your endeavor. I will send you my letter of support separately. I am copying my friend, John Waggener, Chairman of the Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame. John is with the University of Wyoming. He has been the mainstay behind the Aviation Hall of Fame for a number of years. I have some information on your grandfather. I will gather and send more soon. As you may remember, your uncle Jim was one of my all-time best pals from when we were not even old enough to cross the street in Cheyenne. A better pal I never knew. A number of years ago, Frontier VP, Ed Gearhart, interviewed Jim's mother, Marion. I will try to get that interview for you as well. Charlie was one of my Dad's best friends back in the 30's and 40's. In fact, Charlie was flying one of my Dad's Luscombe 8A's when he was tragically lost in his 1945 accident. After Charlie died, Marion, along with your Mom, Kay, and Uncle Jimmy moved a couple of doors away from our home in Cheyenne. Our family stayed close and, in some ways, still are. Below, a 1941 photo of Charlie is getting into my Dad's Ford "Woody" at the Laramie base for Plains Airways. In the background there is a Waco UPF-7F primary trainer. Plains Airways operated 56 aircraft of which 14 were the UPF-7s and 33 were the Luscombe 8A. Charlie was the manager of the Laramie base until he assumed the entire Laramie operation. It was from this vantage point he founded Summit Airways. Summit Airways became Challenger Airlines which, later, merged with Monarch Aviation and Arizona Airways to become Frontier Airlines. Frontier would bring glory to the Rocky Mountain skies for 40 years before corporate megalomania would bring this wonderful airline to its end. As a back story, that Ford "Woody," that Charlie was getting into, was lost to an accident when Johnnie Hart, a flight instructor for Plains Airways, was killed traveling, in a snow storm, over what is now I-80 not far from the Lincoln monument. -Billy Walker (3/20/19) Billy et al, I don't have the Gearhart/Hirsig interview. Jim Hirsig promised to send me a copy back in May 2000 but I never received it. I'm attaching Ken Schultz' Challenger history in case you don't have it. More info is at the Challenger website at http://FAL-1.tripod.com/Challenger.html There is an error in your letter re Challenger becoming Frontier in 1947. That happened on June 1, 1950. May I use your letter on Charlie's webpage at http://FAL-1.tripod.com/Charlie_Hirsig.html Best of luck in getting Charlie recognized in Wyoming aviation. Regards, -Jake Lamkins (3/21/19) FLacebook - FL Club FLight West: Charlie Hirsig LAR founder & president of Summit Airways Charlie Hirsig's memorial webpage has been updated at http://FAL-1.tripod.com/Charlie_Hirsig.html Summit was the predecessor to Challenger Airlines. Several items added about Charlie. -Jake Lamkins (5/16/19)