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Owner’s
Peter and Annie Dillingham with their three daughters and previously owned 1997 Beechcraft Bonanza A36.
Corner
An Enid Family Tradition
Peter Dillingham’s father, Dan, and grandfather, Tom, with their 1947 Beechcraft Bonanza 35.
The Dillingham family of Enid, Okla- homa, has a long heritage in aviation. Peter Dillingham, a pilot for more than 40 years, is one member of three genera- tions of flyers.
The familial knowledge of combining busi- ness and aviation was first pioneered by his grandfather, Tom Dillingham. As a rancher and insurance salesman in Enid, Tom had a local connection to Walter Beech, who was a car salesman there at the time. Both ultimately were enthralled with flying and Dillingham later purchased his first Beechcraft in 1947, a Model 35 Bonanza.
The aircraft purchase ultimately developed into another tradition outside of entrepre- neurship – Bonanza ownership. Model serial
26 • TWIN & TURBINE / November 2022