, circa 1925. Richter is standing in the back row, at far right. Richter learned to fly at Burdett Field in
Los Angeles, under to tutelage of Burdett Fuller. Richter received his pilot's license #309 in 1924, Air Transport license #501 in 1927 and Aircraft and Engine Mechanic license #702 in 1927. Richter became good friends with one of Fuller's flight instructors,
Jack Frye, and another student pilot,
Walter Hamilton. Richter and Frye had much in common: they both grew up on a cattle ranch and moved to
California to pursue aviation careers. In 1926, Richter, Frye and Hamilton, pooled their money together and founded Aero Corporation of California. Aero Corp bought Fuller's business and provided charter services, aerial surveying, sightseeing, flight instruction, and crop dusting. In March 1930,
Western Air Express bought controlling interest in Aero Corp, but continued to operate Standard Airlines as a separate airline. Western Air Express made Richter, Frye, and Hamilton vice presidents of the Standard Division. In 1934 Richter was made vice president of operations and director, and Frye was made president and director. Richter became executive vice president in 1938. In 1937, Richter and Frye founded "Conquistadores del Cielo" (Conquerors of the Sky), an annual gathering of top airline executives at a
dude ranch in
Wyoming. After Frye resigned from TWA due to a dispute with owner
Howard Hughes in 1947, Richter was offered the position of president but decided to resign as well. From 1947 to 1949, Richter served as chairman and president of
TACA Airlines of Central and South America. ==Military career==