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| Chalk's seaplane landing 1974 State of Florida Archives |
By Jane Feehan
The history of his eponymous airline is better known than the
personal story of Arthur Burns “Pappy” Chalk. A look back at decades of
articles, want ads and his obituary fills in some of the gaps in his background
while raising contradictions. His choppy personal and career history suits a
timeline presentation rather than a narrative format. The A.B. Chalk story—gaps
and all—remains an interesting one.
1889 – Arthur Burns Chalk was born in Illinois. One Miami
obituary claims wanderlust prompted him at 11-years old to move to Paducah,
Kentucky. Wanderlust probably didn’t claim him. There were a few people named
Chalk in Paducah at that time; some were elected officials. Someone he knew lived there, father or other relative maybe?
1911 – Chalk reportedly operated an automobile garage
service in Paducah. He learned to fly after Tony Janus, a “dare devil” pilot, gave
Chalk a flying lesson in return for a plane repair. Chalk “flew as an amateur” for
five years.
1916 – Chalk moved to Miami – probably with his
mother, “Mrs. E.J. Chalk,” and two sisters. They lived on NE 23rd
Street. Nothing was in the news about Chalk that year. Some accounts say he
enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War I but returned after a short
stint because of a “disability.” Wikipedia reports he flew for the Army Air
Service.
1917 – A.B. Chalk’s name begins appearing in Miami newspapers. He informally launched his flying service in July that year at the end of Flagler Street “under an umbrella.” Columbian airline Avancia once claimed it was the oldest airline in the world, also established in 1917. Chalk’s by some accounts, began a few months earlier. (Some say KLM is now the oldest existing airline.)
1918 - Chalk had also been operating a garage for car
repair as he launched flying service. A classified ad introduces his shop, a “first class auto repairing”
service at 1508 Avenue D in Miami. It read:
Attention – Arthur B. Chalk,
formerly foreman of the mechanical department of Dixie Highway Garage has
bought the Seminole Garage at 1508 Avenue D. We announce a policy of efficient,
careful attention to all makes of automobiles … free air and water can be
obtained in front of the garage – no inconvenience of driving inside.
1918 – Another classified ad by Chalk offers a Cole 7-passenger
(car), a bargain, phone 643
1919 – Chalk’s Flying Service begins “boat plane” flights
between Miami and Bimini
1920 – Chalk moves his flying operation to Watson Island
(near MacArthur Causeway) where his company remained until after his death. In the early days, he
offered sightseeing flights for $5 and flying lessons for $15 an hour.
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| Chalk's Flying Service Watson Island circa 1920 State of Florida Archives |
1920 – Automobiles became ubiquitous and provided Chalk a steady income through repairs and sales. He advertises cars and planes for sale at his now-named Royal Palm Garage on Avenue D:
One
Curtis F Flying boat for $1,500. Includes flying instructions
One 1920
5-passenger Maxwell for $1,000
One 7-passenger
Hudson with wire wheels for $2,000
1923, February – Chalk aborts his flying boat takeoff with two passengers after hitting a “porpoise” in Biscayne Bay. He delayed the flight to repair holes left in the pontoons after the incident.
1923, August – Chalk and a mechanic announce a plan
via Miami news outlets to fly across the country to Seattle. On the itinerary is
a stop in St. Louis to enter an international air race representing Miami. They discuss plans to remove pontoons from their flying boat and install landing
gear. There is no other information on this trip or race in either Miami or St. Louis
newspapers. Perhaps they had problems installing landing gear?
1924 – Chalk's Flying Service picks up movie director
Alan Crosland in Nassau for a flight to Miami. His company gains notice. The airline grows its business by flying big
game anglers to Bimini.
1928 – A piece appears in the Miami Herald about
Chalk and “aviation enthusiast” J.R. Lilly of Chicago discovering a toothpick
in the engine of a plane that crashed and killed its pilot off Melbourne Beach.
They thought the toothpick was used to determine fuel flow and was mistakenly
left in the engine. The news is noteworthy for two reasons: One that Chalk was
known to the press (as referred to then) as an aviation expert and two, that he
operated a school, Chalk’s School of Aviation off County Causeway (MacArthur
Causeway).
1920-1933 – Prohibition years. Some sources report Chalk
made money smuggling large hauls of alcohol to the U.S. from the Bahamas. This
is not verified. His obituary reported long-time business partner Dean Franklin
said Chalk made money during Prohibition, but it was from flying bootleggers to
the Bahamas and at times, revenue agents on the hunt for bootleggers. (No
comment.)
1932 – Chalk married Georgia native, Lillie Mae, who
ran his business with an iron hand until her death in 1964. Her maiden name did
not appear in local obituaries. She was known as “the energetic figure who ran
the world’s smallest international air depot.”
1936 – Chalk and Lillie Mae built the airline’s office
by hand with coral rock at Watson Island.
1966 – Chalk “sold the airline to a friend” but
remained active in operations until 1975. He claimed his airfield was the
smallest port of entry in the United States.
1977 – Arthur Burns “Pappy” Chalk fell out of a tree
while attempting to trim branches. He died May 26 at age 88 of complications (broken
hip) from the fall. He and Lillie Mae did not have children together but she had
a son from an earlier marriage. They also helped raise two of Chalk’s nephews.
Chalk owned and operated his airline without fatalities for 50 years.
Chalk’s was later bought by Resorts International who flew passengers to its
hotel in the Bahamas. The airline was moved to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood
Airport for security reasons after September 11, 2001. A fatal accident occurred in 2005 and its
license was revoked in 2007.
Note: Yes, that was a Chalk's seaplane in the opening scenes of the 1970s TV series, Miami Vice.
Sources:
Miami Herald, Sept. 6, 1918
Miami News, Oct. 7, 1918
Miami Herald, Oct. 29, 1918
Miami Herald, July 8, 1920
Miami News Feb. 9, 1923
Miami News, Aug. 23, 1923
Miami Daily News and Metropolis, May 24, 1924
Miami Herald, March 1, 1928
Miami News, June v10, 1964
Miami Herald, May 27, 1977
Miami News, May 26, 1977
Florida State Archives
Wikipedia
Tags: Miami airlines history, Chalk's Flying Service, Aviation history, Arthur Burns "Pappy" Chalk, Miami history
