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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Leader

Honored by:
Mr. Douglas Cumins

To Captain Charles Wilson Pyeatt, my father and my hero in loving memory:
Whose service to his country has inspired me, and whose devotion to his family has shaped me. In an age that has produced so few truly admirable men, I am proud to have one as my father.
Charles Wilson Pyeatt was born on May 27, 1928 in Osceola, Missouri. As a young boy his eyes were always turned toward the sky and aviation. He built and flew his own radio controlled airplanes and flew them throughout his boyhood and into adult life. During high school he worked at the Douglas plant in Santa Monica, CA building C-54s and A-26s.
In 1949 he joined the Air Force as a pilot and for the rest of his life he pursued his dream of flight. He started his Air Force career at Bolling Field in Washington D.C. in the 1111th Special Air Mission Squadron flying dignitaries all over the world. He flew 50 combat missions in Korea with the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and an Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters. Upon returning home from Korea, he flew Convairs with the 3535th Aircraft Observer Training Wing at Mather Field in Sacramento, California, was a Professor of Air Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Troy, New York and was a MATS Million Miler Aircraft Commander flying all over the world from Dover, Delaware in the 20th Air Transport Squadron. He had extensive experience on North Atlantic routes and throughout Europe and the Arctic. During his MATS career he landed at Dakar from the Congo evacuation and was credited with saving his crew when he ordered them not to leave the aircraft when things looked “wrong” to him. He later found out that the crew that had landed before them had all been hung. His last assignment with the Air Force was Chief of Maintenance, Instructor Pilot, Maintenance Test Pilot in the Convair 240 and Nuclear Weapons Specialist at Ramstein Air Base in Germany with a stint in Rabat, Morocco teaching the Moroccans how to fly. He was awarded numerous medals during his Air Force career including the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation Badge, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal and the Air Force Longevity Service Award. He is a member of the Distinguished Flying Cross Society.
In 1963, my father joined United Airlines as a Flight Instructor in Denver, Colorado and then went to “fly the line”. In his career at United he flew the DC6, DC7, B-727, 747 and DC-10. He always said his favorite plane was the 747. He retired from United Airlines in March 1988 as a Captain.
While not flying at work, my father was constantly restoring vintage aircraft and owned a Culver V, Fairchild 24, Aeronca Sedan, a Tailwind that he built from scratch in Troy, New York, a Luscomb Phantom, J-3 Cub, V35A Bonanza, the oldest flying Waco UPF-7 (YPT-14), Cessna 140A, Culver Cadet, Travelair 2000 (4000) and a Beech Baron. He was awarded the Golden Hammer Award from Mechanics Illustrated for his building of the Tailwind. He also crafted the most beautiful radio controlled airplanes for his grandson and love of his life, Douglas. They spent many happy hours flying and being together.
The most important thing to my father was his family. He adored his wife of 51 years Jean Powers Pyeatt, his daughter Rebecca Pyeatt, her husband Jeff and their children Douglas and Sarah, and his son David Pyeatt, his wife Chris and their children Katherine and James with all his heart. My father passed away in in November 2001 and up to the last minutes of his life, he was loving his family and talking about airplanes in his hospital bed.
On beautiful, clear, “good flying” days, I look skyward and know that my father is in a better place, flying through the clouds in his airplanes and glorying in the magic of flight. Fly well and rest, beloved father, your good, decent life on earth earned you your place in heaven.
When once you have tasted flight you will always walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward; for there you have been and there you will always be. Leonardo da Vinci
I bare you on eagles’ wing
And brought you into myself
Exodus 19:4-6