Air Museum of Minnesota Oral History Project: Interview with Charles P. Doyle

Titles: Air Museum of Minnesota Oral History Project: Interview with Charles P. Doyle (Supplied title)

Description: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Charles P. Doyle was born in St. Louis Park, Minnesota and grew up in Minneapolis. During the 1930s, he worked as a stunt pilot based in Minneapolis and after World War II became a pilot for Northwest Airlines. At the time of the interview he was retired and continued in aviation at his own small hobby field. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Doyle's early life in south Minneapolis and his interest in aviation and his early flying time. His work in thrill shows from 1933 to 1939 while he was working on getting a pilot's license. Early parachuting. Descriptions of thrill shows including driving cars and motorcycles through rings of fire and jumping motorcycles over cars. His transition to air shows. Several anecdotes about the stunt flying and thrill shows. Buying his first plane in 1939. Working for De Ponti Aviation at Wold-Chamberlain Field and his career at Northwest Airlines. Memories of the old Wold-Chamberlain Field including the racetrack and original terminal. Flying for Northwest and the equipment they had. Skywriting and banner towing in the Twin Cities area. Comparisons of military aircraft during the 1940s. Buying his property in Apple Valley, making an airfield there and the encroachment of the suburbs and zoo.

Dates

• 04/04/1979 (Creation)

Creation

• interviewee: Doyle, Charles P.
• interviewer: Holey, George

Identifiers

• Library Call Number: OH 101
• Accession Number: AV1992.88.5

Holding Type: Oral History - Interview

Project

• Oral History - Project, MHS Collection, project: 'Air Museum of Minnesota Oral History Project' <OH 101>

Quantity: 3 hours sound cassette 65 pages transcript

Format

• Content Category: sound recordings
• Content Category: text

Measurements

• 180 minutes length

Subjects

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