Skipper Riley

Skipper Riley is the deuteragonist of Planes and the tritagonist in Planes: Fire & Rescue.

Air Mater
Skipper is a grey plane who lives in Propwash Junction, a whole town full of airplanes. He runs Skipper's Flight School with his assistant Sparky, and he teaches Mater how to fly in Air Mater. Skipper learns that he can really teach anyone how to fly, guaranteed.

Planes
A reclusive old Navy Corsair, Skipper was an ace flier and top instructor of the esteemed Jolly Wrenches squadron until a combat mission in which he was the only survivor of his squadron left him grounded for life. These days, Skipper keeps to himself, but his quiet existence is turned upside down when an ambitious and persistent Dusty solicits Skipper's aerial expertise—and gets a few life lessons in the process. But Skipper—who’s never really come to terms with his past—finds that he has a few things to learn, too, and while coaching Dusty to fly faster and smarter, the teacher becomes the student.

Skipper appears to be a little judgmental in Planes, as he hesitated to teach Dusty how to fly well at first. After Dusty passed qualifying however, Skipper then realized he had been a little harsh and agreed to help Dusty and his friends.

Planes: Fire & Rescue
In Planes: Fire & Rescue he keeps on telling Dusty about the news if he could find a gearbox for him.

Trivia

 * Skipper's make (F4U Corsair) and Skull and Crossed Wrenches insignia on his engine cowling are clearly based upon the World War II US Navy Figher Squadron VF-17 ("The Jolly Rogers"). Skipper even has "VF-17" stenciled on his rear fuselage. In the photo, you can compare Skipper with "Big Hog", the Corsair flown by Cdr Tom Blackburn, CO of VF-17.
 * In the Japanese trailer of Planes, Skipper was voiced by Takaya Hashi (土師孝也), but Tarō Ishida (石田太郎), the Japanese actor of Skipper, passed away from a heart attack on September 21, 2013 while Japan was producing Planes in Japanese.