Princeton Airport News – August 2020

I recently saw an article discussing the Foynes Flying Boat and Maritime Museum in Foynes, Ireland and the famous actress, Maureen O'Hara.  She had a long and successful movie career, appearing in many films with John Wayne (The Quiet Man).  She would have been 100 years old on August 17, 2020.  She was also Pan Am Captain Charles Blair's fourth wife and a major patron of the museum. Charles Blair was a remarkable airman and the winner of the Harmon Trophy for his record-breaking single engine long distance Polar flights.  This is a story of how I spent a memorable time with them both on Captain Blair's retirement flight.

In July 1969, I was just in my first year as a Pan AM First Officer/Navigator.  I was based in San Francisco flying Boeing 707s on routes throughout the Pacific.  It was during one of these two-week trips when, as I was on reserve, schedules called to assign me to a flight the next day to Bangkok and Hong Kong.  When I arrived at Crew Schedules, there were a lot more people than normal milling around including photographers, reporters and curious employees.  Soon enough, I discovered the excitement was caused by a striking red headed woman, none other than Maureen O'Hara Blair.  She had taken leave from a movie she was filming with Jackie Gleason and Shelley Winters, "How do I love thee."