Airline pioneer. Born in Govan (Glasgow), McIntyre was notably involved with the Royal Air Force 602 'City of Glasgow' Squadron in the early 1930s. However he is perhaps best known for completing the first-ever flight over Mount Everest in 1933, piloting an open-cockpit Westland Wallace biplane accompanied by Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, then the Marquess of Douglas and Clydesdale who later became the 14th Duke of Hamilton (1903-73).
In 1935, he founded Scottish Aviation at Prestwick and was responsible for the development of that airport. This company went on to produce the successful Prestwick Pioneer and Twin Pioneer aircraft. This company was nationalised in 1977 becoming part of British Aerospace, which was sold off in the early 1980s. McIntyre's legacy of aircraft manufacture continued at Prestwick until the Jetstream ceased production in 1998.
McIntyre went on to establish Scottish Airlines during the growth period of commercial air travel following World War II.
