From the time he was 12 years old, Chris Polhemus knew he wanted to take to the skies. He and his family were flying back to Norway to visit his grandmother and the sight of the Pan-Am Boeing 707s, or Clippers as they were known, excited the young Polhemus.
“We flew to Norway out of New York International, now called JFK. The pilots, with navy blue uniforms and white hats were reminiscent of the days of sailing ships,” Polhemus says. “It fascinated me how they knew how to start the plane, fly all night across the north Atlantic, find Oslo, and land in any weather conditions! I felt this must be the most exciting and challenging of professions.”
50 years, and 34,000 hours of flying later, Polhemus’s journey brought him back to his home in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania. This time, he was surrounded by family and friends at the Greene County Airport. Unbeknownst to him, he was being honored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award for 50 years of flight experience.
It took Polhemus by complete surprise, but he says he couldn’t have done it without the support of family, friends, and all the people he worked with throughout his career.
“Flabbergasted is the word I would use to describe my emotions that day,” Polhemus says. “The best feeling was looking around the room and seeing all the colleagues I worked with over the years. I just kept asking myself ‘Why am I up here? Lots of these guys deserve it as much as I. Flying is a well-paying job with a lot of time off, but my motivation was to master the art of flying.”
Polhemus’s journey in flying began while he was in high school. His godfather was a B 17 Commander in World War II and operated a sea plane base on the Hudson River after the war. His dad learned to fly there, and Polhemus’s Uncle Don would give him a present the year before he graduated from high school. He would pay for Chris to take lessons up to his first solo flight, beginning his career in the air.
Those lessons led to several accomplishments throughout his flying career. After four years at Purdue University with degrees in aviation and management he flew for an Allegheny commuter out of Jamestown, New York, flew a 707 for an air travel club, and flew skydivers in a DC3 on his days off. A 40-year career with US Air, 12 of which were in the training department, came to an end at the mandatory retirement age of 65.
“My favorite part of the job was being prepared both knowledge wise and spirit wise for every flight,” Polhemus says. “Challenges such as weather, mechanical problems, passenger medicals, or security concerns always kept the job interesting.”
He retired as the number three senior captain of the Boeing 767 out of Philadelphia. Today, he provides flight instruction for local students in both aircraft and simulators. In addition, he instructs and provides pilot services to four different museums in the Douglas C 47.
No matter if you are looking to be a pilot or if you’re going into another profession, Polhemus’s advice is the same. Find something you are passionate about and pursue it.
“Flying is what I have a passion for, and I have loved every minute of it,” Polhemus says. “When you find your passion and can find a way to get paid for it you will never work a day in your life.”
We at the GreeneScene Magazine congratulate Chris Polhemus on a long and prosperous flying career and thank him for his service to the Greene County community.
