Archives West Finding Aid

Floyd D. Hansen was born September 15, 1907 in Mink Creek, Idaho. Hansen graduated from Preston High School, and afterwards attended Brigham Young University from 1925 to 1926. While attending BYU he witnessed the aerobatic performances of barnstormer Tommy Thompson, and being inspired, took his first flying lesson in 1927. From that point on Hansen’s life would revolve around the advancement of aviation.

Settling in Cache Valley in the late 1920s after learning to fly, Hansen stored and operated his biplane in a cow pasture. He avidly promoted aviation in the valley upon his arrival and was instrumental in the construction of the Logan-Cache Airport, a process which began in 1928. In April 1930, Hansen began to utilize the new airport by creating the first air service in Logan - the Hansen Flying Service, which offered sightseeing, passenger, and some express services. In 1938, Hansen was hired by the US Postal Service to fly the first airmail out of Cache Valley which occurred on May 19 of that year.

The announcement of the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) instituted by the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) in 1938 allowed for a further improvement of the Logan-Cache Airport so it could meet federal standards to train pilots under this new program in preparation for war. Hansen took advantage of this opportunity, and expanded the Hansen Flying Service in order to train pilots. The company was incorporated under the name Cache Valley Flying Service in 1941, and would soon become the single largest flight training operation in the region. At its peak the service employed fifty-five instructors and had a fleet of fifty planes. Between the two companies, over 3,000 pilots were trained at the Logan-Cache Airport from 1940 to 1946.

In 1946, Hansen sold his company to the Valley Airmotive Corporation. He became the manager of the Logan-Cache Airport in 1948 and served in that position until his retirement in 1972. Throughout those years of service he heavily promoted commercial aviation, making Logan-Cache Airport a terminal for Western Airlines, among other companies.

In addition to aviation, Hansen contributed to his community as a member of the Logan Chamber of Commerce, the Utah Civil Defense Council, the Utah Wildlife Federation, and the Imperial Glee Club. He was also an active member of the LDS church.

Floyd Hansen married Meda Althea Staley on August 18, 1928 in Preston, Idaho. Together, Floyd and Meda had four children: Keith, Brent, Dorene, and Clara. Floyd D. Hansen passed away January 28, 1987 in Logan.