The Chuck Lyford Story

From three-time world champion powerboat racing to fighter combat missions and air racing, Chuck Lyford's life.

Chuck Lyford has been called the most fascinating man in the world. Charismatic and handsome, he was a natural-born racer. He first caught the world's attention when he became a three-time World Champion powerboat racer at the age of twenty. He graduated from boats to airplanes at twenty-one, when he bought a powerful P-51 Mustang. He became U.S. National Air Racing Champion in his famous "Bardahl Special." When the tiny nations of Central America needed to build their own air forces to fend off the threat of communism, Chuck headed south to fly combat missions over the jungle. He also helped the CIA make sure that the fledgling air forces had the parts they needed to keep their planes flying.
In between trips to Central America, Chuck flew at air shows across the U.S. and Canada in WWII fighters. His company JetAir helped introduce William Lear's famous Lear Jet to America by flying A-list celebrities around the country. Eventually Chuck discovered car racing and won races in North and South America in a variety of different classes. Throughout it all, Chuck was a generous philanthropist, giving money to charities and reminding us all that Every Day Counts.