Charles "Chuck" Stewart (1949–2023) realized his passion for aviation at the age of twenty-eight after serving as a construction engineer in the US Army in Vietnam. In 1978, he closed his construction business in Belleville, Michigan, and used his VA benefits to obtain his Commercial Pilot Certificate and Flight Instructor Certificates. That decision kickstarted decades of exploits that culminated in over eighteen thousand flight hours and numerous close calls. Stewart spent his final years enjoying life and adventuring in McAllen, Texas, with his wife, four grown children, and five grandchildren.