1. Juan Terry Trippe was an American commercial aviation pioneer, entrepreneur and the founder of Pan American World Airways, one of the iconic airlines of the 20th century.
25 Facts About Juan Trippe
1. 2.
Juan Trippe was involved in the introduction of the Sikorsky S-42, which opened trans-Pacific airline travel, the Boeing 307 Stratoliner which introduced cabin pressurization to airline operations, the Boeing 707 which started a new era in low cost jet transportation, and the Boeing 747 jumbo jets.
3.
Juan Trippe was named after Juanita Terry, the Venezuelan wife of his great uncle.
4.
Juan Trippe attended the Bovea School and graduated from The Hill School in 1917.
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Juan Trippe enrolled at Yale University but left to apply for flight training with the United States Navy when the United States entered World War I After completing training in June 1918, he was designated as a Naval Aviator and was commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy Reserve.
6.
Juan Trippe was treasurer at the first meeting of the National Intercollegiate Flying Association in 1920.
7.
Once again tapping his wealthy friends from Yale, Juan Trippe invested in an airline named Colonial Air Transport, which was awarded a new route and an airmail contract on October 7,1925.
8.
Interested in operating to the Caribbean, Juan Trippe created the Aviation Corporation of the Americas.
9.
Later, Juan Trippe bought the China National Aviation Corporation to provide domestic air service in the Republic of China, and became a partner in Panagra.
10.
Juan Trippe served as the chairman of the board of directors of the airline for all but about two years between the founding of the company and World War II.
11.
Juan Trippe later regretted his action and allowed Trippe to retake it.
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Juan Trippe is responsible for several innovations in the airline world.
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Juan Trippe quickly recognized the opportunities presented by jet aircraft and ordered several Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 airplanes.
14.
In 1965, Juan Trippe asked his friend Bill Allen at Boeing to produce an airplane much larger than the 707.
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Originally, Juan Trippe believed the 747 would ultimately be destined to haul cargo only and would be replaced by faster, supersonic aircraft which were then being developed.
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In 1965, Juan Trippe received the Tony Jannus Award for his distinguished contributions to commercial aviation.
17.
Juan Trippe gave up the presidency of the airline in 1968.
18.
Juan Trippe continued to attend meetings of the board of directors and maintained an office in the company's Park Avenue office tower.
19.
Juan Trippe was a member of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews in Scotland and president of the Maidstone Club in East Hampton, New York, from 1940 to 1944.
20.
Juan Trippe suffered a stroke in September 1980, which forced him to cut back on his workload; he died after suffering a second stroke at his New York City home on April 3,1981, at the age of 81.
21.
In 1970, Juan Trippe was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio.
22.
In 1985, Juan Trippe was posthumously awarded the Medal of Freedom by United States President Ronald Reagan.
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Juan Trippe was inducted into the Junior Achievement US Business Hall of Fame in 1990.
24.
Juan Trippe is credited as playing an instrumental role in the development of an intercontinental version of the Boeing 707 and the Douglas DC-8 as Trippe's determination to get a jet that could cross the Atlantic was instrumental not only in Douglas developing a long-range DC-8, but Boeing's famed 707 as they had to redesign it to stay competitive with Douglas.
25.
Juan Trippe was played by Alec Baldwin in Martin Scorsese's 2004 film The Aviator.