This is the first of a series of posts I will make on the B-17s owned or operated by Owen Williams. I will link back to this page as I post new information on each of the aircraft.

In the story of the early post-war civil B-17s, one name stands out. His name is Owen Williams and his company was California-Atlantic Airways. In my efforts to document the history of these civil B-17, the Owen Williams name frequently surfaces but little has come to light about him or his company. Recently, though, a great deal of information about Mr. Williams has come to light, thanks to this son Patrick Williams. Patrick Williams contacted me and has since graciously provided me with copies of his father’s flight logbooks, photos, and much background information.

Owen Williams had direct involvement with at least eight early civil B-17s. As a summary, here are the B-17s that passed through Williams’ company, California-Atlantic Airways, or ones that he flew, in chronological order:

• B-17F 42-3360: N67974 that California-Atlantic purchased in April 1950 from Paul Mantz; it was sold to a Bolivian operator in November 1950 and flew as CB-70 and, later, CP-570. It was the first Bolivian civil B-17.
• B-17F 41-24434: Registration records are missing but Owen Williams ferried this aircraft as N60475 from Newark, New Jersey, to the California-Atlantic base at St. Petersburg, Florida, on December 23, 1950, and it was then sold to a Bolivian cargo operator in early 1951, becoming CB-79 and, later, CB-579.
• B-17G 43-38322: California-Atlantic obtained in January 1951, becoming N66568; it was sold to a Bolivian operator in July 1951, becoming CB-80 and, later, CP-580
• B-17G 43-37650: California-Atlantic obtained in May 1951 after it was displayed at Russell Field, Fort Worth, Texas, for six years; it became N66570 and then went to Bolivia in November 1951 where it operated as CB-97 and, later, CP-597.
• B-17G 44-83814: California-Atlantic obtained in July 1951 from display at Hazen, North Dakota, becoming N66571. It was sold to a Canadian operator in May 1953, becoming CF-HBP. It later came back to the U.S. again as N66571 and was used as an air tanker.
• B-17G 42-102715: California-Atlantic obtained in April 1952 from a Boy Scout troop in Polo, Illinois, becoming N66573. It was sold to a U.S. survey company in September 1953 and later operated as an air tanker.
• B-17G 42-3470: California-Atlantic obtained in November 1952 from a college in Bozeman, Montana, becoming N66574. It was sold in August 1954 to a Peruvian cargo operator, becoming OB-RAH-346. It later flew in Bolivia and Colombia.
• B-17G 44-83538: N7726B owned by Howard Trussel at Houston, Texas, beginning in November 1960, with Owen Williams flying the airplane for him for two months, ending in December 1960. It was sold in March 1961 to a Peruvian operator.

I am planning a series of posts, one on each of these aircraft as this new information may fill in some gaps in the use of the B-17 in the early post-war years.

And, Owen Williams flew for B-17s for several U.S., Bolivian and Peruvian operators between 1954 and 1960. Here is a list of those aircraft and operators he flew for:

• B-17F 42-3470: OB-RAH-346 for Rutas Aereas del Peru from late 1954 through August 1955
• B-17G 42-30921: CP-571 (logged as CP-71 and CP-671) for Lloyd Aereo Bolivianos (LAB) in May 1958-June 1958 and October 1959
• B-17G 41-24434: CP-579 (logged as CP-79) for LAB in May-June 1958 and October 1959
• B-17G 43-38322: CP-580 (logged as CP-80 and CP-680) for LAB in May-June 1958
• B-17G 44-83538: N7726B for Howard Trussel in September-December 1960

So, as can be seen, Owen Williams had significant involvement with these early civil B-17s and both Bolivian and Peruvian flight operations. Williams had a larger history, though, and extensively flew a variety of cargo transports through the years, including the C-46, C-47, C-54, Constellation, Beech 18s, and Lockheed 10s and 18s, mostly in South American service.

Thus, a short biography of Owen Williams is in order to provide some context. This does get away from B-17 material, but I think it is important to document his history so it is available for other researchers.

Foster Owen Williams, who later became Owen F. Williams, was born on July 29, 1918. Information about his early years is a bit sketchy, with most of it based on family history as recalled by his son Patrick Owens. His son recalls that his father worked for National Airlines in the pre-war 1930s. At that time, National Airlines was based at St. Petersburg, Florida, and flew, among other types, Lockheed 10 Electras. He also had employment as a pilot with Pennsylvania Central Airlines at some point.

During World War II, Williams was a rated Army Air Forces pilot, and may have flown with Air Transport Command for part of that time. His records also show he was certified as an air traffic controller at possibly Baltimore, Maryland, and Orlando, Florida. His total flight time in September 1946 is logged as 7,654 hours, and Williams indicates his records showed training and checkout in the following aircraft: PT-17, AT-6, P-40N, P-51D&H, P-47, P-38L, F4U, TBD, A-20, A-26, B-25D&J, C-47, C-46, B-17F, C-54B, C-60, C-69, AT-11, B-24J, and P-80. That’s an unusual number and variety of types for a typical AAF pilot, but he attests to that experience at the beginning of his third logbook in September 1946.

As of September 1946, Williams was flying for U.S. Airlines, incorporated in Florida in 1945 with a base at St. Petersburg. He primarily flew C-47s while based at St. Petersburg, and was sent to Havana, Cuba, in March and April 1947 to successfully secure a permit for Cuban flight operations for the airline. He also flew Twin Beeches and Lockheed C-60s for the airline through September 1947.

In September 1947, he left U.S. Airlines to organize Aerovias Sud Americano (ASA), a new cargo airline also based at St. Petersburg. He flew initial service of ASA between St. Petersburg and Havana using a C-47. His first cargo was a load of jeeps. He logged flights primarily to Havana and Guatemala City flying both C-46s and C-47s for the next several years. In 1948 he started flying DC-4s for ASA.

At the end of July 1948, he evidently left ASA and went to work for Transair, another non-scheduled cargo carrier. He may have stated active in the company as he ended up as its president in the 1960s, but information remains sketchy. He meanwhile flew for a number of companies through the 1950s.

With Transair and still flying DC-4s, he flew routes through North America including Havana and Mexico City, with some trans-Atlantic flights to England. Transair evidently also provided contract pilots for the Cuban airline Expreso Aereo Americano, and Williams flew routes for it through August 1949.

Earlier, in February 1949, Williams formed California-Atlantic Airways at St. Petersburg. The company specialized in locating aircraft, fitting them for service, and the selling them to customers mostly located in South America. A variety of aircraft passed through the hands of California-Atlantic including the seven B-17s, one B-24J (N66569), at least one B-25 (N66572) and a P-38J (N56687).

A comprehensive list of California-Atlantic aircraft has yet to be assembled. For the B-17s obtained, Williams used a technique best termed “harvesting.” Williams approached schools and civic organizations that had obtained B-17s from the War Assets Administration (WAA) in the early post-war years. In the early 1950s, these schools and organizations had tired of having these aircraft, and they “sold” them to Williams. They did not actually own these aircraft; there were scrap provisions and other restrictions on the original transfer agreements. In many cases with the B-17s, negotiations took place between the federal government and Williams in order to obtain a clear title to the aircraft. In at least one case, Williams side-stepped the process by just exporting the aircraft to a new owner before the title problem surfaced. During the period between 1949 and 1953, Williams also flew as a contract pilot and instructor for Lloyd Aereo Bolivianos (LAB), one of his customers for the B-17s he was able to obtain. Besides the B-17s, he also flew a variety of C-46s, C-47s, Constellations, and Lockheed 18s for his various customers.

By 1954, his operations with California-Atlantic were wrapping up. That year, Williams was instrumental in the organization of a new Peruvian cargo airline, Rutas Aereas del Peru (RAPSA). Information about RAPSA is hard to come by, but it appears that he took B-17F 42-3470 south to Peru in late 1954, having it registered in Peru as OB-RAH-346, and establishing RAPSA around that aircraft. He flew that aircraft exclusively on Peruvian cargo routes from December 1954 through August 1955 while living in Lima. It appears that RAPSA closed up shop in the late summer of 1955.

Williams does not log any flight activity from then until 1958 when he again flew for LAB in Bolivia, flying B-17s, C-47s, and DC-4s. Later in 1958, he was back in Peru flying C-46s for Trasnprtes Aereos Peruanas SA (TAPSA) both as a line pilot and a company instructor. This lasted until mid-1959, after which he was back once again with LAB in Bolivia flying B-17s and C-46s.

After 1960, he flew for several companies, including flying B-17G N7726B for Houston businessman Howard Trussel. By 1961, there is some indication that he was involved in another Peruvian cargo airline, Empresa Andoriente S.A., based at Lima. The company operated two Peruvian B-17s, OB-SAA-532 and OB-SAA-576 but Williams does not log flight time in either aircraft at the time. He may have been in the management end of the company, but details remain elusive. In late 1961 he was flying for Peruvian cargo carriers Aerovias Amazonas (AVASA) and Rutas Internacionales Peruanes SA (RIPSA) flying C-46s, remaining in Peru through at least the balance of 1962.

He was then back at ASA International beginning in 1963 as the president of the company but also flying DC-4s for the company. His known flights end in early 1964, but he was evidently back flying in Peru through 1965. He remained president of ASA through the period, and he also flew for a Houston-based company for a time. He died from medical problems on May 4, 1968, at the age of 49 while still president of ASA.

So, that is but a thumbnail sketch of the flying career of Mr. Foster Owen Williams. Other information suggests he had a great deal to do with setting up the flying operations in both Bolivia and Peru in the post-war years, but specific information to provide particulars about this have not been located. The width and breadth of Williams involvement with the less-known aspects of the non-scheduled airlines flying from Florida and Cuba, as well as his flying and administration of aviation in Peru and Bolivia is thus acknowledged.

For more information about the individual aircraft histories of the above shown B-17s are included in the 5th Edition of Final Cut: The Post-War B-17 Flying Fortress and Survivors available here on this website. And, as indicated above, I plan on posting more information about each of the B-17s that passed through the hands of Owen Williams or his company, California-Atlantic Airways.

I continue to look for more information about Owen Williams and his varied career.