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OTHER RESOURCES
There is no biographical
file for pilot Fischer in the archives of the
National Air & Space Museum (NASM), Washington, DC.
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Your copy of the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register with all the pilots' signatures and helpful cross-references
to pilots and their aircraft is available at the link. Or use this FORM to order a copy signed by the author. ISBN 978-0-9843074-0-1.
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 The Congress of Ghosts is an anniversary celebration for 2010. It is an historical biography, that celebrates the 5th year online of www.dmairfield.org and the 10th year of effort on the project dedicated to analyze and exhibit the history embodied in the Register of the Davis-Monthan Airfield, Tucson, AZ. This book includes over thirty people, aircraft and events that swirled through Tucson between 1925 and 1936. It includes across 277 pages previously unpublished photographs and texts, and facsimiles of personal letters, diaries and military orders. Order your copy at the link, or use this FORM to order a copy signed by the author. ISBN 978-0-9843074-4-9.
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CHARLES MILTON FISCHER
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Charles M. Fischer, Date Unknown (Source: North)
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Charles Fischer landed once at Tucson, Thursday, September 6, 1934 at 7:15PM. As a military pilot, he carried five unidentified passengers in an unidentified Martin aircraft. Based at Riverside, CA, March Field, they arrived from Riverside, remained on the ground until 9:00PM, and then departed back to Riverside. Fischer wrote in the remarks column of the Register, "Too warm and buggy." It must have been very buggy, because they faced at least a four-hour flight at night from Tucson to Los Angeles.
I have very little information about Charles Fischer. However, thanks to Branifflist.com Webmaster John North (cited, right sidebar), we know he worked for Braniff Airlines from June 22, 1935 through 1937, carrying seniority number 47.
Born in 1908, Fischer passed away November 16, 2000. He is among a small number of Register pilots who lived to see the 21st century. See also, for example, Bobbi Trout, West Moreau, Bill Piper , Busch Voigts, Harold Boddorf and John Miller. Fischer's obituary, posted on the Branifflist site, is below. It describes his career after his service in the Air Corps, 1933-1935.
Lt. Col. Charles M. Fischer (USAF Retired) of Mission Viejo passed away peacefully on November 16, 2000. He was 92. During his life he had been a renowned aviator, author, successful entrepreneur, mortgage broker, and real estate developer.
Born August 22, 1908 in Hoboken, New Jersey, he and his family moved to Southern California in 1920 where he graduated from Glendale High School in 1927, and Glendale City College in 1932.
He loved aviation and flying airplanes, acquiring his first pilot's license In 1929. In 1933 he graduated as an officer from the US Air Corps Advanced Flying Academy and was stationed at March Field, CA., where he met his wife to be, Nellie Gray. They were married in 1934 and recently celebrated their 66th anniversary. He retired from active duty and became a pilot for Braniff Airways out of Dallas and Kansas City. After returning to active duty at March Field again in 1937, he built the Riverside Airport as a business project.
In 1940 he left Active duty to become a pilot Cor Canadian Colonial Airways, after which he founded Fischer Aeronautical Co. (airplane sales) plus became an advanced CAA flight instructor for United Flying Schools of America. During this time he was also a test pilot for Lockheed.
In 1941 he became a special pilot for the Royal Air Force and ferried military airplanes across the North Atlantic. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he moved to Miami to support the US war elffort as a Captain for Pan American, ferrying airplanes across the South Atlantic to Arica, the Middle East, and Russia. In 1942 he returned to active duty, continuing to work the same ferry routes. Later he became Squadron Commander at Berry Field, Tenn. and most noteworthy, became the head test pilot and Chief of Flight Test Operations at Norton Air Field, San Bernardino, CA, where he was in charge of testing America's first jet plane, the Bell XP-59A. He was awarded The Legion of Merit for his outstanding service.
After the war, Col. Fischer became a test pilot for the Douglas Aircraft Co., founded the Am-Vet Flight School, and became the Vice-President of Operations for Aviation Maintenance Corporation in Van Nuys, CA. AMC employed over 3000 skilled staff who rebuilt US military aircraft for commercial and foreign military use.
In 1948 he became a real estate broker, forming Fischer Mortgage Company (LA), Fischer Loan Co., Glenridge Corp., and King Advertising Agency. He semi-retired in 1954, purchasing a cattle ranch in Central. California where he and his family lived for several years. After developing a subdivision in Fresno in 1956, he moved to Orange County (CA), where he continued to live, except for a short residence in the SF Bay area. until his recent passing. For the past 44 years he has been a private investor and mortgage broker and, of course, continued to fly into his 80's, holding one of the oldest active pilot's licenses in the US.
Col. Fischer is survived by his loving wife, Nell, his two sons, Dr. Charles Fischer (Jr.) and Steven Fischer. his sister, Mae (94), and his grand daughter, Aubrey.
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THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 11/06/12 REVISED:
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| YOU CAN HELP |
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I'm
looking for photographs of pilot Fischer and his airplane to include on this page.
If you have some you'd like to share, please click this FORM to
contact me.
Thanks to John North, Webmaster of the Branifflist.com for sharing information on pilot Billings. Please note, this is a password protected Web site. If you have justification, you may log in as a guest, however. Follow the instructions on the home page of Branifflist.
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