sedona legend helen frye

A Frye Family Aviation Legacy

Sedona Legend Profile Series

Tom Frye- Braniff

Braniff Airways Captain- Dallas Texas- Retired

Cousin of Jack Frye-
President of Transcontinental & Western Air, Inc.

A few images from Tom's aviation career appear below

Tom Frye, Jack Frye's cousin, served as a Captain
with Braniff Airways in a long and distinguished career.
(1942-1978)

Tom Frye at the Braniff Gate, Brownsville Texas

Yes, amazingly the man above does look like a young Jack Frye, however, it's his cousin Tom at the beginning of his career as a flight instructor June 1941.

Tom's beautiful wife, Virginia Foster Frye served as a Braniff Hostess and a Braniff publicity model.

"All of my brothers learned to fly," said Tom.
Shown is Lieutenant Dick Frye, Pecos, New Mexico.
Dick was training at the Pecos Military Flight School on twin engine planes (Cessna) night and instrument flying. After the service he started a career as Dr. Richard Frye, D.D.S.
Sulphur, Oklahoma. Interestingly, Jack Frye and his father were also physicians, but Jack decided to pursue aviation.

Dr. William Henry Frye, father of Jack, Donald, and Sunny Frye. Uncle to Tom, at the famous Frye Ranch in Wheeler TX.

Stinson Detroiter N1929 at beginning of what became Braniff Airways. June 1928

Rare image of Jack Frye and a TWA plane- never ever seen by the public before!

Jack Frye of Transcontinental and Western Air as seen in 1931, after landing at Sulphur Oklahoma. Jack was ferrying this new Fokker from New York to Los Angeles. Next stop was El Paso. Jack is shown with his Texas nieces and nephews who all received a ride in the new Fokker over the Frye Ranch (Texas Panhandle.) Courtesy Captain Tom Frye.

Very early and significant TWA plane painted with logos of Transcontinental & Western Air and WAE (Western Air Express) as seen on the wing. On the fuselage- "Transcontinental Air Transport-Maddox Air Lines-Western Air Express." Red was likely the overall base color. The markings were typical for early TWA flying stock.

Paul Braniff's first plane, all metal Lockheed Vega, Braniff Airways. 1934

Although Tom was not sure of the Reg. Number on this one, research establishes it to be a former, Long and Harmon Airlines Ford F-AT-C, NC426H, c/n/ 86. Long and Harmon Airlines was bought out by Braniff in about '35. Thanks to Bill Larkins and Art Wiggins. Please see Art's Ford Trimotor Website here.

Braniff Gate Love Field Dallas, Texas

DC-2, NC13728, S/N 1254, first served with Transcontinental and Western Air, (1934-1937) seen here as Braniff (The B Line) 1937-1942. In June of 1942, it was turned over to the Army (USAAF) for the war effort. From there it served as 42-57228.

October 2007- Sadly, Sunny Frye Thomas, reigning matriarch of the Frye family has passed away. This remarkable woman was the very last of Jack Frye's immediate family, a lady who truly knew Tom and Jack their entire lives. I am saddened by her death and honored to have been her friend. Sunny was a rich wealth of information in regard to the Frye Legacy and a staunch advocate of my work! Bless you Sunny! Photo from the 1920's. For more information on Ople (Sunny) Frye Thomas please this page and as well, this page.

This webpage is dedicated to Tom Frye, who recently passed away on December 25 2009. Tom was a wonderful source of aviation history, and a real treasure. When I went to Jack's home town on research, Tom not only shared his images with me, but also took me out to the Frye ranches, one of which still has Jack Frye's boyhood home still standing on it with a beautiful adjoining pond. Everyone we met was gracious and kind.

As seen in the Dallas Morning News-

Tom Henry Frye, longtime pilot and flight instructor, dies at 91
06:17 AM CST on Friday, January 1, 2010
By JOE SIMNACHER / The Dallas Morning News

It was love at first flight for Tom Henry Frye. As a college student in Stillwater, Okla., he wanted to experience what had drawn two of his cousins � one of whom was TWA pioneer Jack Frye � to aviation. After his first spin around the airport, he quit school and became a barnstorming pilot. Mr. Frye took off on a more than 30-year career with Braniff Airways, after serving as a civilian flight instructor during World War II.

Mr. Frye, 91, died Dec. 25 of natural causes at a Houston nursing home. Services will be at 1 p.m. today at First United Methodist Church of Wheeler, Texas. He will be buried in Wheeler Cemetery. Mr. Frye maintained his passion for flying throughout his life, said his son, Tom Harry Frye of Spring, Texas. "He just loved the freedom of being in the air," his son said. "Everybody liked him, just everybody loved him. He was very outgoing."

Mr. Frye was born in Wheeler and grew up in California; Shamrock, Texas; and Glen Rose, as his family moved in the search for work during the Great Depression. He graduated from high school in Sulphur, Okla., and attended Oklahoma A&M College, now Oklahoma State University, where he discovered his passion for flight. He bartered flight time by working as a mechanic at the local airport. He began his career flying DC-3s for Braniff. In 1943, he married Virginia Foster, a Braniff flight attendant. Mrs. Frye died in 2002.

Mr. Frye went on to pilot DC-4, DC-6, DC-7, Lockheed Electra, Convair and Boeing 707 aircraft for Braniff. He and his family lived in Dallas until he was transferred to California to transport troops to and from Vietnam and the Pacific.
He had a heart attack in California, which prohibited him from serving as a pilot or co-pilot on commercial airliners. So, with his rank of captain, Mr. Frye became Braniff's senior 747 flight engineer. He also made many flights with the crew of Braniff's Orange 747, "the Great Pumpkin," to Hawaii and was the flight engineer on the airline's inaugural flight to London in March 1978.

He was also picked for other select assignments. He was one of five Braniff pilots selected to ferry dignitaries from Dallas Love Field to the opening of Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Airport in 1973. He was a 727 instructor at the time. He retired in September 1978. Mr. Frye moved near Cedar Creek Lake in 1980 and to a family ranch in Wheeler County in 1995. In addition to his son, Mr. Frye is survived by a brother, Bruce Frye of Lindsey, Okla., and two grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Cal Farley's Boys Ranch, P.O. Box 1890, Amarillo, Texas 79174.

Thank you for visiting
Sedona Legend Helen Frye