Charles Burlingame
A decorated Navy veteran turned airline captain whose final flight was commandeered in the September 11th attacks.
1949–2001 (age 52)·Commercial airline pilot·Birthday: September 12·Baby Boomers
Biography
Charles 'Chic' Burlingame lived a life defined by service and precision. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he flew F-4 Phantom jets for the Navy before transitioning to a long career with American Airlines, where his calm competence made him a respected captain. On the morning of September 11, 2001, he was at the helm of Flight 77 from Washington Dulles to Los Angeles. When hijackers breached the cockpit, Burlingame, a former boxer and security specialist, is believed by those who knew him to have put up a formidable fight. The aircraft was crashed into the Pentagon. In the aftermath, his story became one of countless personal tragedies, but also a testament to the professional ethos of pilots who train for every contingency but the unthinkable. His legacy is remembered through scholarships and the profound loss felt by his family, who described a man of deep faith and unwavering duty.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Charles was born in 1949, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Charles Was Born
The biggest hits of 1949
#1 Movie
Samson and Delilah
Best Picture
All the King's Men
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Charles's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1949Born
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1954Started school
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1962Became a teenager
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1965Could drive
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1967Could vote
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1970Turned 21
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1979Turned 30
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 40
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 50
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2001Died at 52
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
Key Achievements
- Served as a fighter pilot in the United States Navy, flying the F-4 Phantom II.
- Accumulated over 20 years of experience as a commercial airline pilot for American Airlines.
- Held a top-secret security clearance from his military service and was a graduate of the Naval Academy.
Did You Know?
He was a skilled amateur boxer during his time at the U.S. Naval Academy.
His nickname 'Chic' came from his younger sister's inability to pronounce 'Charles.'
He was an avid sailor and had served as the president of his local homeowners' association.
“Checklist complete. Ready for departure.”
