Walter H. and Olive Ann Beech

In April 1932, at the height of the depression, Walter H. and Olive Ann Beech opened the Beech Aircraft Company for business. The company's first objective was to build a five-place biplane having the interior luxury of a fine sedan--with a top speed of 200 miles per hour, a landing speed no higher than 60 miles per hour, a non-stop range of 1,000 miles, easy controllability and sound aerodynamic characteristics.

All of these specifications were seen as unattainable by the "experts." On November 4, 1932, Model 17R made its initial test flight and the impossible standards set by Beech were met. Model 17R evolved into production model B17L. The major innovations included a negative staggered wing design, which improved controllability at all air speeds, and retractable landing gear, which reduced wind resistance and made emergency belly landings an added safety feature.

From the Staggerwing Biplane to Skylab, the Beeches grew the business from ten employees to ten thousand. After Walter died in 1950, Olive became company president. During her nearly 20 years at the helm, sales tripled. Beech supplied products for NASA's Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs. Olive retired in 1968 and served on the board of directors. She died in 1993.

Together they left a legacy not measured in dollars, but in the commitment of their former employees to build aircraft to meet high standards for reliability. Testimony of those high standards exists today in the fact that many well-kept B17L biplanes are still flying over our heads in the clear blue sky.