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Company
Flightcraft
by Lance Phillips
Chronicles
Innovation is an oft-overused and under- achieved term these days. But back in the early days of aviation, lots of Ameri- cans seemed to be running over with it.
In Portland, Oregon, a few business leaders got together in the 1940s and decided to bring solutions to the Pacific Northwest’s transpor- tation challenges, forever cementing their place in aviation history and providing an enduring legacy that continues to this day.
Invention was the name of the game when Si King and Charlie Miller joined forces to lead the young aviation startup Flightcraft at Portland’s newly minted super airport, now PDX. King, Flightcraft’s president and manager, continually looked for ways to make moving aircraft, baggage, and peo- ple around the Flightcraft tarmac easier and safer. Meanwhile, Miller, Flightcraft secretary and treasurer, wanted to carry more in easier ways on every aircraft avail- able. Their colleague and Flightcraft vice president, C.D. Weyerhaeuser, designed and
20 • TWIN & TURBINE / January 2024