JOHNNY BULLA 1946 - 1950 CO-FOUNDER, PILOT, VICE PRESIDENT ARIZONA AIRWAYS PHX Johnny Bulla was a famous professional golfer who was part of Arizona Airways. Johnny died the other day. He was living in Sun Lakes, AZ. I used to date his daughter when I was a senior in high school. They lived across the street from the Phoenix Country Club then. Johnny was a really nice fellow. I spoke with him recently. He and my father were acquainted from the acquisition of the DC-3s. Here is a shot from the inaugural flight of Arizona Airways. Quite a flight. On April 7th, 1946 they flew from PHX-TUS-Nogales-Bisbee-Nogales-TUS-PHX-PRC-Grand Canyon-PRC-PHX. Apparently, Johnny even flew as one of the pilots that day. As you know Arizona Airways became part of the Challenger/Monarch merger to become Frontier Airlines. As far as I know none of the Arizona Airways employees came on board with FAL. There were, as I recall, 3 DC-3s (former C-47s) that came along with another C-47 which never flew and was sold outside the merger. -Billy Walker (12/13/03) Bulla learned to fly in the 1930s, and became a pilot for Eastern Airlines in its early years. Later, he owned his own DC-3 and flew himself and fellow tour pros around the tournament circuit. He was the first to do that, by about 40 years. The PGA of America tried to keep Bulla off the pro tour because he represented Walgreen’s, which sold in its chain of drug stores two golf balls at a very inexpensive price -- the Po Do (.25 cents) and the Golden Crown (.75 cents). Bulla played the Golden Crown. The PGA of America was running the tour then (the 1940s) but its main charge was representing club professionals, and Bulla was considered a scab for promoting a ball that undersold those on offer in pro shops. Bulla weathered the storm, though, because his fellow tour pros wouldn’t let the PGA put him out of the action. One of those supporters was Sam Snead, who referred to Bulla as “Booboo” and thought of him as much a brother as his real family sibs. -http://www.golftodaymagazine.com/0307jul/barkow's.htm (12/14/03) One of the guys in the photo is Johnny Bulla. He was a golf pro and well know back then. He was also licensed to fly the DC-3! He got a lot of experience during WWII in the ATC. I dated his daughter waaaaay back when we were high school age. I believe he flew co-pilot on part of the Arizona Airways inaugural flight. I talked with John a while back not long before he flew West. He played golf nearly every day until shortly before his passing. He remembered my father who played a part in the Arizona Airways aircraft acquisition as did Ralph Johnson, former UAL Chief Test Pilot. -Billy Walker (8/8/04) Johnny is in the Apr 7, 1946 Arizona Airways inaugural flight photo so I have showed that as his start date with AZ until more info is received. Since he was a co-founder, I'm sure he was on AZ's Board of Directors. He flew part of the first flight so I'm showing him as both pilot and board member. I will also assume he stayed involved with AZ until it merged Jun 1, 1950 to form Frontier Airlines. -Jake Lamkins (12/30/10) FL Club AZ co-founder Johnny Bulla webpage has been updated with more items and moved to an ad-free location. JOHNNY BULLA 1946 - 1950 CO-FOUNDER, PILOT - ARIZONA AIRWAYS PHX http://FAL-1.tripod.com/Johnny_Bulla.html -Jake Lamkins (12/30/10) FLacebook - FL Club FLight West: Johnny Bulla Arizona Airways co-counder Johnny Bulla's memorial webpage has been updated: http://FAL-1.tripod.com/Johnny_Bulla.html Several items added and page updated. I found a 1946 article saying Johnny was a vice-president. He brought in Sam Snead who was on Frontier's first board of directors. -Jake Lamkins (4/4/16)