Harold E. Gray

Harold E. Gray
Chairman of Pan American Corp.
In office 1968–1970
Preceded by	Juan Trippe
Succeeded by	Najeeb Halaby
CEO of Pan American Corp.
In office 1968–1969
Preceded by	Juan Trippe
Succeeded by	Najeeb Halaby
President of Pan American Corp.
In office 1964–1968
Preceded by	Juan Trippe
Succeeded by	Najeeb Halaby
Personal details
Born	April 15, 1906 Guttenberg, Iowa
Died	December 23, 1972 (aged 66) New York City
Alma mater	University of Detroit

Harold E. Gray (April 15, 1906–December 23, 1972) was an American pilot and executive for Pan Am who served as CEO from 1968 to 1969.

Gray was born on April 15, 1906 in Guttenberg, Iowa. He attended the University of Iowa, but dropped out after his sophomore year to take flight training at the Army Air Corps Training Center in San Antonio, Texas. He later graduated from the University of Detroit with a degree in aeronautical engineering.

Gray began his avaiation career with the Ford Motor Company, flying their Ford Trimotor airplanes. He then worked for Sky View Lines, flying tourists over Niagara Falls.

In 1928, Gray was working for Sky View in Miami when met the staff of Pan Am. He was hired as the company's the tenth pilot. His first assignment was to fly a hazardous route over the jungles of South America. In 1934 he qualifited as Pan Am's first master of ocean flying boats. Between 1937 and 1939 he piloted Pan Am's first survey flights to Bermuda, Ireland, Southampton, the Azores, Lisbon, and Marseille.

On March 29–30, 1939, Gray piloted the Yankee Clipper on the first ever trans-Atlantic passenger flight. The first leg of the flight, Baltimore to Horta, Azores, took 17 hours and 32 minutes and covered 2,400 miles. The second leg from Horta to Pan Am's newly-built airport in Lisbon took 7 hours and 7 minutes and covered 1,200 miles. Following the flight, Gray described the flight over the radio for the National Broadcasting Company.

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