Home 
Employees 
Wanted! 
In Memory 
Reunions 
Links 
Newsletters 
The Movie 
Photos 
Email 
Memorabilia 
Site Map 


 

People

You will want to vist this page often.  We'll be constantly adding photos, past and present.  There will be no particular order to the photos but we'll give you as much detail as to people and places as possible.

 

 

Hinson.gif

Dave Hinson
c
lick on article for readable version

Former FAA Administrator, Dave Hinson spoke to the American Legion Post Ketchum, ID. on Veterans Day about the tragedy of Sept 11.  Dave was a long time RW Captain and at one time served as  Exec Asst to Irv Tague. Dave and Irv later on teamed up to form the original Midway Airlines in the early 80's.

Thanks to Willa Judah for sending us this article from the Idaho Mountain express  

 

 

 
Hughes Airwest Day
on board
The Spruce Goose

RVS_SpruceGoose.jpg
RVS takes "the left seat"

SpruceGoose-1.jpg
The RW Gang!

In 1978, The Board of Directors along with the employees of Hughes Airwest were invited to tour the famous "Flying Boat" that was designed, built and then flown by Howard Hughes.  At the time, the "Spruce Goose" as it was called by many, was housed along side of the Queen Mary in Long Beach.  It has since been moved to the Evergreen Aviation Museum located on Highway 18 in McMinnville, Oregon, approximately 35 miles southwest of Portland,  Jack Real, life long friend of HRH, directed the monstrous transoportation and reassembling project  More info about the new home of the Spruce Goose can fe found at:

                                 http://www.sprucegoose.com
 

 

  

 

 


The "BOARD"
who were they??
 

In 1970, the Hughes Corporation bailed out Airwest from sure financial disaster. Under the direction of the Summa Corp. (a Latin term meaning "of the highest order"), we were assigned a "Board of Directors" that read like a "who is who" of the aviation and airline industry.  It was apparent  to all of us that we had been blessed by now having the guidance of a group of people that were well steeped in airline and aviation management.  Names like Bill Gay and Chester Davis that were often seen in the news surrounding Howard Hughes stories suddenly became real people to us as they often visited our San Mateo home for Board meetings.

The Board's initial selection of Irv Tague as General Manager was a stroke of genius. Irv shaped our future in his own quiet way.  Those of us who were given the opportunity to know him personally, were treated to his wonderful dry sense of   humor, an unbelievable memory, (he knew your job better than you did) and his terrific knowledge of flying machines and flying companies.  Irv and the "Board" brought in Russ Stephenson in 1972 as VP-Marketing.  Russ, an 18 year veteran of the air transportaion industry and most recently, CEO and President of Mohawk Airlines, was "the consummate professional."  We soon learned under his tutelage, the t's started getting crossed, and the i's were dotted, in short order, the Hughes Airwest Marketing and Sales team took a back seat to no one in the industry.  We took on the world!    In 1976, after seven great years of leadership,  Irv Tague decided to pursue other interests.  In January 1977, the Board elected Russ Stephenson as President and CEO,  Bill Gay was named Chairman of the Board.  At year's end, 1977, the Hughes Airwest Board of Directors looked like this: (in no particular order)

Bill Gay, Russ Stephenson, Will Lummis, William Rankin, Milton West, Ed Altman, Harry Swenson, Art Taylor, Nadine Henley, James LeSage, Jack Real, James Austin, Kay Glenn and Rea Hopper.


photos involving Board Members

Racer_dedication.jpg         SMT_BoardMeeting-1.jpg

RVS_Henley_Lummis.jpg      Stephenson_Davis_Wharton_Gay.jpg
click on any image for a larger view

ExecBriefing.jpg

Summa Corp Executive Committee Briefing
February 1975

 

  --  a special thank you to Russ and Vivian Stephenson for sharing these great photos from our past

 

THOSE WERE THE DAYS !

RW-Party-1.jpg

RW-Party-10.jpg

RW-Party-11.jpg

RW-Party-13.jpg

RW-Party-14.jpg

RW-Party-2.jpg

RW-Party-3.jpg

RW-Party-4.jpg

RW-Party-5.jpg

RW-Party-6.jpg

RW-Party-7.jpg

RW-Party-9.jpg

If you worked up on "THE HILL" or "THE HEAD SHED" in San Mateo during the  70's, you will no doubt recognize many of these people , most of which are wishing that they still looked this GOOD!  We worked hard and we played hard.  As the song goes "Those were the days my friend."

 

 

SunDanceKids.jpg

Sundance Kids

Left         Susie Risi
Middle    Janet Redmónd
Right       Sandy Hoke (Grones)
 

 


tom@huge