Doyle Vaughan of Jackson was inducted last week into the Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame for his work in the field of aviation. Vaughan began flying in the 1950s. His professional flying began in Texas, where he joined an air service company. In 1962, Vaughan was selected by the U.S. Army to be an instructor pilot at Fort Wolters, Texas. While a U.S. Army Primary Helicopter instructor, he received the Gold Safety Certificate. After his service, he was hired by Hughes Tool Company as a corporate pilot and later moved to Wyoming where in 1969, where he operated the fixed-base operation at the Johnson County Airport in Buffalo. Then, after a brief period as a line captain with the newly formed Federal Express, Vaughan joined Southwest Airlines in April 1973 becoming the 18th pilot hired to fly for that airline. In 1984, the Vaughan family moved back to Wyoming and settled in Jackson. Vaughan saw an opportunity for expanded commercial service here and advocated for Southwest to serve Jackson Hole. In 1985, he flew the first Southwest flight into Jackson. Vaughan flew for Southwest until reaching the “Age 60 Rule” in 1993. While at Southwest, he logged more than 18-thousand hours in Boeing 737s. Vaughan also was a charter pilot for Jackson Hole Aviation. After retirement, Vaughan remained active in aviation, and served on the Jackson Hole Airport Board from 1999-2009. Vaughan passed away October 7th.
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