Capt. Basil L. Rowe

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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Mr. Eleazar D. Lamboy

Capt. Rowe was a prominent pilot and entrepreneur, who became the first captain for Pan American Airways. In 1927, he founded West Indian Aerial Express, the first commercial airline that offered schedule service between San Juan, Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, Haiti, Cuba, and the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. During this time, the airline was based in Barahona, Santo Domingo where it was organized. Later, in 1928, Capt. Rowe moved the home base to San Juan, Puerto Rico, since, this offered some advantages for the air mail contracts. The new home base was at an airfield that he had previously constructed at the "El Escambron" area in San Juan, where Luis Munoz Rivera Park is located at present.
The "El Escambron" airfield was the first commercial airport in Puerto Rico. In 1929, after Pan American Airways bought West Indian Aerial Express, Pan American started operating from "Isla Grande" airfield (later named Pan American airport), which they had build.
In 1929, Capt. Rowe went to work as a pilot for Pan American Airways. In January 9,1929, he flew the first air mail from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Miami, Florida. After this flight, he made many trips and flew together with Mr. Charles A. Lindbergh, which at that time was an advisor for Pan American.
Capt. Basil L. Rowe logged over 35,000 flight hours throughout his career, flew many types of aircraft, large and small and initiated business ventures in aviation.