About

Caspar Dorman Swinson was born in 1896 in Michigan.  His parents, John and Elvira, English Canadians, had nine children.  In 1900, the Swinson family lived in Lamotte, Sanilac, Michigan.  Six of the nine children lived.  Of his siblings are Pearl, Marietta, William, and Frank.  In 1920, at the age of 24, Caspar and Frank shared an apartment in Wayne, Michigan along with another border. Swinson was a bank broker.  Caspar's brother Frank was also a bank broker and later owned a hardware store in Cambridge City, Indiana.   There is a family story that one sibling died tragically in a rain barrell.  Caspar's sister, Marietta was a dressmaker.

Caspar began barnstorming and then became a pilot during WWI.  After the war, he was a pilot for Stout Airlines.  In 1928, after leaving Stout, Caspar moved to Miami to work for Pan American Airways where he would remain until 1942.  Not wanting to become involved in WWII government contracts, Swinson left Pan Am and joined American Export Airlines.  He stayed a few years, became Operations Manager,  and then dabbled as president of Aeroland Oil Co. and Emerson Tire Co.  He later invested in dairy farms.  It is said that he retired four times.  Eager to stay busy, Swinson was an entrepreneur at heart.  He achieved success at Pan Am as Chief Pilot of the Eastern Division and was Operations Manager for the Key West-Havana line.  He loved to fly and his associates included: Charles Lindbergh, Juan Trippe, W. Stout, Amelia Earhart, Basil Rowe, Edwin Musick, Fatte, the Duke of Windsor, and Henry Ford, to name a few.

Swinson retired peacefully in Winter Park, Florida with his family and enjoyed his latter days giving interviews and reciting his stories to all who would listen.

C.D. Swinson