Warbird Information Exchange

FYI


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From: Chuck Doyle [mailto:chuckdoyle@integra.net]
Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 5:34 AM
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Subject: GONE WEST , No phone calls please jr...please forward







CHARLES P. DOYLE



Born: May 26, 1916, St. Louis Park, MN
Died: April 25, 2008, St. Cloud, MN


Charles Peter “Chuck” Doyle was born to be a pilot and stuntman. Impressed with Charles Lindbergh’s 1927 solo flight to Europe, Doyle talked his father into taking him to the Minneapolis Airport where he was given an air ride in a Navy trainer. In his teens, Doyle owned a Harley Davidson motorcycle and cut classes at Washburn High School to ride to the airport and hang out. In the summer after his junior year, he offered to trade the motorcycle for flying lessons, but instead was given work helping to rebuild airplanes. He soloed in an airplane that summer and borrowed money to purchase his own Travel Air biplane. During the 1933 fall homecoming football game at the high school, Doyle buzzed the field and was promptly dismissed from school. He would finally graduate from Washburn in a colorful 2002 ceremony!



At the airport, Doyle earned a living working on airplanes, selling tickets for barnstormers, and performing daredevil stunts. In 1935, Doyle made his first parachute jump at the Minnesota State Fair and towed his first aerial banner for Griffith Shoe Polish. He had learned the fine art of skywriting from local veterans and rigged his plane to fulfill local Pepsi Cola assignments. In addition to the flying, Doyle also began to take part in other thrill show events at fairs and celebrations across the country, performing such stunts as driving his motorcycle through burning board walls, head-on auto crashes, crashing airplanes through ‘houses’ built within fairgrounds, as well as climbing from his speeding motorcycle to an airplane by means of a rope ladder hung from the airplane. He used his motorcycle and ramps to jump over cars long before Evel Knievel was born. Despite the spectacular lifestyle, Doyle was never injured.



During WWII, Doyle worked briefly for Northwestern Aeronautical Corporation in St. Paul, building gliders that were used by the Army to land troops behind enemy lines. In 1942, despite having no college education, he was hired by Northwest Airlines in January of 1942 after Pearl Harbor as a training instructor and taught at Rochester, Minnesota. When Northwest was contracted by the Army Air Transport Command, he was assigned to fly Northwest transports in Alaska, making flights as far out as the Aleutian Islands. Following the war, Doyle bought war surplus aircraft, flying, restoring and racing them at Reno NV. Many of his airplanes found their way into museums, including three in the Air Force Museum at Dayton, Ohio, and a Curtiss Pusher aircraft that hangs in the MSP Airport’s Lindbergh terminal. Doyle’s airline career with Northwest continued until his retirement at age 60 in 1976 after 34 years, but his flying career wasn’t over. From his home airstrip in Apple Valley, Doyle continued to sky-write and tow banners. The airstrip’s signboard heralded “UFOs Welcome.“ He owned and flew dozens of aircraft and had his hand in many Minnesota aviation projects, including the publishing of a Minnesota aviation history book. When the City of Apple Valley condemned his property for highway right-of-way, Doyle moved his planes to Fleming Field South St. Paul MN. He knew everybody in aviation and lived flying and restoring airplanes every day of his life. Both Chuck Jr. and Brian were taught to learn to fly by their father and are pilots and continue the family’s tradition for the love of aviation Shannon would fly only with her Father but respects there love for flying.



In 1992 He was inducted into the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame.

1996 OX-5 Hall of Fame

2003 Warbird Hall of Fame.



Member and supporter of many other fine aviation organizations.





Survived by two sons one daughter and four grandchildren.



Chuck Doyle, Jr. “Understand” wife Jody

3299 45th St. W.

Webster, MN 55088



Brian Doyle, Loving wife Lisa

20655 Jutland Place

Lakeville, MN 55044



Nathan and Nicole



Shannon (Doyle) Leer, Friend Larry Johnson

16843 Iraedale Path

Lakeville, MN 55044



Ryan and Courtney



Memorial service information to follow
















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IF YOU CAN FIND IT WE CAN FIX IT

My condolances to his family and friends.

I first spoke with Chuck in the early 80's when I had just a pile of a Mustang. He was very easy to talk to and always made you feel welcome when you called or (in more recent years when I moved to MN) just stopped by the hanger to say hi. I have been thinking about him lately and regret I had not followed my urge to just call and say hi again.

What a guy.


Lex

_________________
An ego is no match for gravity.

Has that pile been transformed into a 51, or is it likely to be soon?

T J

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Make my day, punk!

My condolances to the family. I talked to Chuck many times. In 1968 I started to work in Lebonon township, (now Apple Valley) at the gas station kitty-corner from the South Port airport. I saw his Sterman pull a banner out of that airport many times. It was a very short flight from there to the old open air Met Stadium. Somewhere around here I have some pictures of the P51 and P40 that were in the main hanger at the Airlake airport in the mid 70's. Chuck was a delight to talk to, when you talked airplanes he had a twinkle in his eye. I think of him every time I drive by the "Doolittle Air Cafe" in Eagan. He will be missed. Hugh[/u]

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My father was a a/c armorer 7th aaf 318FG 73FS

I've spent many an hour listening to him "hangar flying", being a kid at the time I just listened. He was always around with the old guys talking old time stuff. Now I'm one of the old guys and wished I had 1/10th. of the stories and experiences these guys had. He never looked down at us kids, always answered our questions, and did have a twinkle in his eyes when he talked airplanes. I forgot about the sky writing he did, you sure don't see sky writing much any more.

Wasn't he also responsible for trading or donating the A-36A, the P-35 and (I think) the Northrop A-17A to the NMUSAF?

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

Affirm on the A-36 and P-35. Northrup????

P-35, P-36, P-40E, and A-36 at least. I thought it was five, but four is quite a contribution to the Air Force Museum by anyones count!

No doubt some great stories will be shared in the next few days about another great pilot and human being.

Lex

_________________
An ego is no match for gravity.