Challenger Airlines
Encyclopedia
Challenger Airlines was incorporated in Wyoming
, December 31, 1941, by Charles W. Hirsig II, as Summit Airways Inc., a non-scheduled carrier.
In 1944, Hirsig 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
.
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 WY, a director and one of the original incorporators of Summit became president.
At the annual stockholders meeting January 7, 1947, the name was changed from Summit Airways Inc., to Challenger Airlines Company, and George W. Snyder Jr. was elected President and General Manager.
On January 9, 1947], the Laramie Republican and Boomerang, reported that Summit Airways [Challenger] had purchased three Douglas DC-3
planes from the Pennsylvania Airline Company.“
Snyder moved all operations to Salt Lake City, Utah
, where a hangar was leased on the airport and the main office was located downtown in the Felt Building.
On January 27, 1947, Summit [Challenger] purchased a C-47
, at Hill Air Force Base, Ogden, Utah
, from the War Assets Administration
which brought Challenger’s fleet to four DC-3’s. (The C-47 was the military version of the Douglas DC-3
).
An AT-6
was also owned by the Company, which was used for pilot route familiarization, and occasionally to fly a mechanic and parts to a city where a DC-3 had a mechanical problem.
Challenger achieved full-scale operations on July 10, 1947, on all segments of Air Mail Route 74, with service between Salt Lake City, Utah
, Billings, Montana
, and Denver, Colorado
. Intermediate stops on the routes were
Vernal, Utah
, Evanston
, Kemmerer
, Powell
, Cody
, Lovell
, Greybull
, Worland
, Thermopolis
, Riverton
, Casper
, Rock Springs
, Rawlins
, Laramie
and Cheyenne
WY, plus Ft. Collins
and Greeley
in CO.
The real opportunity to prove its value to the people of Wyoming came with the paralyzing blizzard in the month of February, 1949. Intrepid Challenger pilots flew thousands of passengers who had been immobilized by roof-high snow drifts which blocked highways and railroads over much of the state. Tons of fresh meat, bread, produce and Red Cross supplies filled practically every scheduled and shuttle flight to its gross weight capacity as Challenger’s “Sunliners” roared off snow swept airports across Wyoming.
The airline was in financial trouble most of its existence and merged with Monarch Airlines
and Arizona Airways
on June 1, 1950, to form Frontier Airlines
, headquartered in Denver, Colorado
.
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, December 31, 1941, by Charles W. Hirsig II, as Summit Airways Inc., a non-scheduled carrier.
In 1944, Hirsig 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
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, and Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
.
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 WY, a director and one of the original incorporators of Summit became president.
At the annual stockholders meeting January 7, 1947, the name was changed from Summit Airways Inc., to Challenger Airlines Company, and George W. Snyder Jr. was elected President and General Manager.
On January 9, 1947], the Laramie Republican and Boomerang, reported that Summit Airways [Challenger] had purchased three Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
planes from the Pennsylvania Airline Company.“
Snyder moved all operations to Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, where a hangar was leased on the airport and the main office was located downtown in the Felt Building.
On January 27, 1947, Summit [Challenger] purchased a C-47
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
, at Hill Air Force Base, Ogden, Utah
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
, from the War Assets Administration
War Assets Administration
The War Assets Administration was established in the Office for Emergency Management, effective March 25, 1946, by EO 9689, January 31, 1946. American factorieshad produced massive amounts of weaponry during the World War II...
which brought Challenger’s fleet to four DC-3’s. (The C-47 was the military version of the Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
).
An AT-6
T-6 Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...
was also owned by the Company, which was used for pilot route familiarization, and occasionally to fly a mechanic and parts to a city where a DC-3 had a mechanical problem.
Challenger achieved full-scale operations on July 10, 1947, on all segments of Air Mail Route 74, with service between Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, Billings, Montana
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
, and Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. Intermediate stops on the routes were
Vernal, Utah
Vernal, Utah
Vernal, Uintah County's largest city, is located in eastern Utah near the Colorado State Line, and 175 miles east of Salt Lake City. It is bordered on the north by the Uinta Mountains, one of the few mountains ranges in the world which lie in an east-west rather than the usual north to south...
, Evanston
Evanston, Wyoming
Evanston is a city in Uinta County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 12,359 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Uinta County.-Geography:Evanston is located at...
, Kemmerer
Kemmerer, Wyoming
Kemmerer is both the largest city and the county seat of Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 2,651 at the 2000 census. It dubs itself the "The Fossil Fish Capital of the World" and the "Gateway to the West." As the county seat of Lincoln County, Kemmerer is the location of...
, Powell
Powell, Wyoming
Powell is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 5,373 at the 2000 census. Powell is an All-America City and home to Northwest College.-Geography:Powell is located at ....
, Cody
Cody, Wyoming
Cody is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. It is named after William Frederick Cody, primarily known as Buffalo Bill, from William Cody's part in the creation of the original town. The population was 9,520 at the 2010 census...
, Lovell
Lovell, Wyoming
Lovell is a town in Big Horn County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 2,281 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lovell is located at ....
, Greybull
Greybull, Wyoming
Greybull is a town in Big Horn County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 1,815 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Greybull is located at ....
, Worland
Worland, Wyoming
Worland is a city in Washakie County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 5,250 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Washakie County. The City of Worland is served by the Worland Municipal Airport.-Geography:...
, Thermopolis
Thermopolis, Wyoming
Thermopolis is the largest town in, and the county seat of Hot Springs County, Wyoming, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 3,172....
, Riverton
Riverton, Wyoming
Riverton is a city in Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. It is both the largest city in the county and the largest within the historical boundaries of the Wind River Indian Reservation. The city's population was 9,310 at the 2000 census...
, Casper
Casper, Wyoming
Casper is the county seat of Natrona County, Wyoming, United States.. Casper is the second-largest city in Wyoming , according to the 2010 census, with a population of 55,316...
, Rock Springs
Rock Springs, Wyoming
Rock Springs is a city in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 18,708 at the 2000 census. Rock Springs is the principal city of the Rock Springs micropolitan statistical area, which has a population of 37,975....
, Rawlins
Rawlins, Wyoming
Rawlins is a city in Carbon County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 8,538 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Carbon County...
, Laramie
Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie is a city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 30,816 at the . Located on the Laramie River in southeastern Wyoming, the city is west of Cheyenne, at the junction of Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 287....
and Cheyenne
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
WY, plus Ft. Collins
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
and Greeley
Greeley, Colorado
The City of Greeley is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Weld County, Colorado, United States. Greeley is located in the region known as Northern Colorado. Greeley is situated north-northeast of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. According to the...
in CO.
The real opportunity to prove its value to the people of Wyoming came with the paralyzing blizzard in the month of February, 1949. Intrepid Challenger pilots flew thousands of passengers who had been immobilized by roof-high snow drifts which blocked highways and railroads over much of the state. Tons of fresh meat, bread, produce and Red Cross supplies filled practically every scheduled and shuttle flight to its gross weight capacity as Challenger’s “Sunliners” roared off snow swept airports across Wyoming.
The airline was in financial trouble most of its existence and merged with Monarch Airlines
Monarch Airlines (1946-1950)
Monarch Airlines, based in Denver, Colorado, started scheduled air service on November 27, 1946 with a flight from Denver to Durango, Colorado using a Douglas DC-3. It was formed by F.W. Bonfils of The Denver Post family and Ray M. Wilson, who operated a Denver flying school...
and Arizona Airways
Arizona Airways
Rocky Nelson, an Arizona entrepreneur, formed Arizona Airways in 1942, using Douglas DC-3 aircraft to fly passengers from Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, to other, nearby destinations, including Prescott Municipal Airport in Prescott, Arizona, Tucson International Airport.Arizona...
on June 1, 1950, to form Frontier Airlines
Frontier Airlines (1950-1986)
Frontier Airlines was formed from a merger of Arizona Airways, Challenger Airlines, and Monarch Airlines on June 1, 1950. They established their headquarters at Stapleton Airport in Denver. However, the airline dated itself to November 27, 1946, when Monarch Airlines began service in Colorado,...
, headquartered in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
.
External links
- Old Frontier Airlines a website about the history of the old Frontier Airlines and its predecessor airlines.