Munter, Herbert, 1894-1970
Dates
- Existence: 1894 June 13 - 1970 May 24
Biographical Note
Herb Munter was The Boeing Company's first test pilot.
Herbert Arthur "Herb" Munter was born on June 13, 1894 in Seattle, Washington. His family homesteaded in Nome, Alaska for five years, before returning to Seattle in 1907. In 1912, after two years of construction, he flew in his homebuilt "box-kite" aircraft. From 1912-1915, Munter built three more aircraft. In 1915, Munter and William E. Boeing founded the Aero Club of the Northwest on August 31, 1915, with Boeing as president.
Munter joined Boeing's new company, the Pacific Aero Products Co. (which later changed names to Boeing Airplane Co. less than a year later), as its first employee and first test pilot. On June 15, 1916, Munter flew the first test flights of the new Boeing Model 1 B&W seaplane, named Bluebill. He also flight-tested the second Boeing seaplane, the Mallard and the Boeing Model C.
Munter left Boeing Airplane Company in 1919 to conduct his own aerial tour operations out of a new landing field, Munter Field, that he constructed in Kent, Washington. However, in 1923, a hanger fire at Munter Field destroyed his biplane. After the fire, Munter moved into the automobile business, although he continued to fly.
When the U.S. entered into World War II, Munter and his son both enlisted in the U.S. Navy as qualified airmen. His son, Herb, Jr. was killed in action during the war. After the war, Munter partnered with Nick Bez to launch West Coast Airlines. He remained at West Coast Airlines, later rebranded Air West, as an executive until his retirement in 1958.
On November 21, 1917, Munter married Emma Belle Cissna in Seattle. The couple had a son, Herb Jr., and a daughter, Lorraine. Herb Munter died May 24, 1970 in Walnut Creek, California.
Source:
HistoryLink.org
Places
- Seattle (Wash.) (Residence)
- Washington (State) (Residence)
Found in 4 Collections and/or Records:
Biographical Information Files - M
John and Alan Blum Northwest Aviation Collection
The John and Alan Blum Northwest Aviation Collection consists of visual and textual materials related to the lives and careers of John and Alan Blum. John founded the Northwest Air Service Company and Alan served as President after his brother died in a plane crash in 1931.
William E. Boeing Sr. Papers
William E. Boeing, Sr. (1881-1956) was an aviation pioneer and founded The Boeing Company in 1916. The collection holds textual materials, such as correspondence, philately, business-related materials, clippings, and ephemera, as well as photographs and illustrations related to his personal and business life, circa 1783-2008. Major areas of interest include family photographs and extensive personal and business-related correspondence.
Early Seattle Aviation Photograph Album
The collection consists of an album containing ten black-and-white photographs featuring early aviators and aircraft in Seattle, Washington.
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