Frederick Karl Gampper Jr.

Frederick Karl Gampper, Jr. (28 August 1893 - 3 March 1961), was an airship / dirigible pilot with license #53 issued by the Aero Club of America, as well as a licensed free balloon pilot. His mentors included Ralph H. Upson and Herman Kraft.

He worked from Goodyear from 1913(?) to 1921, primarily in their lighter-than-air group. He was supervisor of dirigible operations, liaison to the Navy, pilot and instructor in Key West and Akron at Goodyear's Wingfoot Lake facility from 1917-1921 In addition he was pilot of the Wingfoot Express blimp. He left Goodyear in 1921 to assume the role of chief pilot of the Commercial Airship Syndicate, Ltd., arguably the first commercial airline in the USA. They ran mail and passengers between Kansas City and Oklahoma CIty. The Syndicate's offices were located at the Gumbel Building, 801 Walnut Street, in Kansas City, Missouri and their Goodyear Pony Blimp was hangared at a location along the river. The company closed after their hangar and blimp were destroyed by a high wind or tornado.

His greatest contribution to lighter-than-air flight was as a teacher to many of those who would go on to design, command and fly America's great dirigibles, the Shenandoah, Los Angeles, Macon and Akron.