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Richard "Kip" DuPont
This is the son of Richard C. DuPont
Biography
Richard C. (Kip) du Pont Jr.
Kippy, as he was called by close friends, was the son of the founder of All American Aviation. Kip learned to fly in 1953 at age 16 at DuPont Airfield near Greenville, Del. In summers he flew personnel of the firm’s Engineering division to and from its operations at Sussex County Airport at Georgetown, Del.
After completing his aeronautical studies at the University of Miami and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical School in Miami, Kip joined Mohawk Airlines and the Delaware Air National Guard to do what he liked to do best—fly and be around airplanes. In 1959 he started Manor Aviation, Inc., at New Castle County Airport, offering charter flights in a twin Beech Model 18 equipped with bar and club seating for five.
The next year he established Summit Aviation at Middletown, Del., and built a high-tech fixed-base operation offering flight instruction; engine, avionics and airframe maintenance; charter flights and a full line services for general aviation. In 1961 the firm became a Cessna dealer and later added Lear Jet and Enstrom Helicopter dealerships. In the late 1960s Kip and two friends launched an airfreight carrier, “Del/Air,” (later renamed Summit Airlines) hauling cargo from eastern hubs to cities as far as the Rockies.
His personal aircraft collection included a 1936 Aeronca C-3 antique, a posh DC-3, and a World War II North American P-51 Mustang which he flew often, particularly at air shows in the East.
He served on the board of All American Engineering from 1965 until 1970 when the company was sold.
Kip died of a heart attack in 1986 at age 49. He had logged 10,000 hours. His wife Caroline, a pilot and board member, took over the controls at Summit Aviation, which continues as a busy technical center, principally for turbine equipment, and a popular destination for general aviation.
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