Allegheny Airlines
Encyclopedia
Allegheny Airlines was an airline operating out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, United States
, from 1952 to 1979. It was a forerunner of today’s US Airways
. Its headquarters were located on the grounds of Washington National Airport in Arlington County
, Virginia
.
, a business founded by du Pont family
brothers Richard C. du Pont
and Alexis Felix du Pont, Jr.
in 1939.
to passenger service. The company was again renamed, to Allegheny Airlines, in 1952; the 1950s began a period of significant growth for the airline.
In 1960 Allegheny had its headquarters in Washington, D.C.
In the early 1960s, Allegheny added the Convair 540 turboprop to its fleet. The aircraft proved to be unreliable, with many engine problems. Throughout the industry the company was jokingly referred to as "Agony Air". Shortly thereafter, the airline switched to General Motors/Allison turboprops, the Convair 580. This proved to be a great aircraft and is credited with much of the airline's growth.
Allegheny Airlines also became one of the first airlines to create an affiliated branded network of regional airline carriers operating in unison with Allegheny. This was called the Allegheny Commuter System.
Also contributing to Allegheny’s growth were the acquisitions of regional carriers Lake Central Airlines
in 1968 and Mohawk Airlines
in 1972.
As deregulation dawned on the industry, Allegheny — looking to shed its regional image — changed its name to USAir on October 28, 1979.
(Mohawk was struck on 12 November 1970; the strike continued into 1971.)
After Allegheny Airlines rebranded itself as USAir as airline deregulation
took effect, the company retained its earlier name for its Allegheny Commuter service, later renamed “US Airways Express
”.
Under USAir, which again rebranded itself as US Airways, the Allegheny name continued to be used by the US Airways parent company, keeping the trademark under US Airways' control. That Allegheny division was headquartered on the grounds of Harrisburg International Airport
in Lower Swatara Township, Pennsylvania
, near Harrisburg
, and primarily flew De Havilland Canada Dash 8 turboprop
aircraft serving 35 destinations in the northeastern United States, and eventually Canada, from hubs at Boston
and Philadelphia. Its activities and Dash 8 fleet were incorporated into Piedmont Airlines
in 2004 to consolidate operations and costs.
Today an Airbus A319
aircraft (N745VJ) of US Airways is painted in Allegheny colors.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, from 1952 to 1979. It was a forerunner of today’s US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
. Its headquarters were located on the grounds of Washington National Airport in Arlington County
Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
History
Allegheny Airlines began as All American Aviation CompanyAll American Aviation Company
All American Aviation Inc was an airline company founded by Dr. Lytle Schooler Adams in 1937. All American Aviation was originally a Patent Holding Company and it's sister company was Tri-State Aviation founded on the same date. Tri- State was the operating Company. Dr. Adams was the first...
, a business founded by du Pont family
Du Pont family
The Du Pont family is an American family descended from Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours . The son of a Paris watchmaker and a member of a Burgundian noble family, he and his sons, Victor Marie du Pont and Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, emigrated to the United States in 1800 and used the resources of...
brothers Richard C. du Pont
Richard C. du Pont
Richard Chichester du Pont was an American businessman and an aviation and glider pioneer who was a member of the prominent Du Pont family....
and Alexis Felix du Pont, Jr.
Alexis Felix du Pont, Jr.
Alexis Felix du Pont, Jr. was an American aviation pioneer, soldier, philanthropist, and a member of the prominent Du Pont family.-Biography:...
in 1939.
Allegheny before 1979
In 1949, the company was renamed All American Airways as it switched from airmailAirmail
Airmail is mail that is transported by aircraft. It typically arrives more quickly than surface mail, and usually costs more to send...
to passenger service. The company was again renamed, to Allegheny Airlines, in 1952; the 1950s began a period of significant growth for the airline.
In 1960 Allegheny had its headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
In the early 1960s, Allegheny added the Convair 540 turboprop to its fleet. The aircraft proved to be unreliable, with many engine problems. Throughout the industry the company was jokingly referred to as "Agony Air". Shortly thereafter, the airline switched to General Motors/Allison turboprops, the Convair 580. This proved to be a great aircraft and is credited with much of the airline's growth.
Allegheny Airlines also became one of the first airlines to create an affiliated branded network of regional airline carriers operating in unison with Allegheny. This was called the Allegheny Commuter System.
Also contributing to Allegheny’s growth were the acquisitions of regional carriers Lake Central Airlines
Lake Central Airlines
Lake Central Airlines was an airline that served points in the midwestern United States from 1950 to 1968, when it was merged into Allegheny Airlines. Founded as Roscoe Turner Airlines, the company was based at Weir-Cook Airport in Indianapolis, IN. It serviced communities principally in...
in 1968 and Mohawk Airlines
Mohawk Airlines
Mohawk Airlines was an airline that operated in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, primarily the states of New York and Pennsylvania from the mid-1940s until its acquisition by Allegheny Airlines in 1972...
in 1972.
As deregulation dawned on the industry, Allegheny — looking to shed its regional image — changed its name to USAir on October 28, 1979.
| Allegheny | Mohawk | Lake Central | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 30 | 16 | 5 |
| 1955 | 56 | 49 | 17 |
| 1960 | 131 | 116 | 36 |
| 1965 | 289 | 348 | 95 |
| 1970 | 1683 | 566 | (merged 1968) |
| 1975 | 3272 | (merged 1972) |
(Mohawk was struck on 12 November 1970; the strike continued into 1971.)
“Allegheny” under USAir and US Airways
Airline deregulation
Airline deregulation is the process of removing entry and price restrictions on airlines affecting, in particular, the carriers permitted to serve specific routes. In the United States, the term usually applies to the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978...
took effect, the company retained its earlier name for its Allegheny Commuter service, later renamed “US Airways Express
US Airways Express
US Airways Express is an airline brand name, rather than a fully certified airline, and as such, the US Airways Express name is used by several individually owned airlines or airline holding companies which provide regional airline and commuter service for US Airways.Operations are conducted from...
”.
Under USAir, which again rebranded itself as US Airways, the Allegheny name continued to be used by the US Airways parent company, keeping the trademark under US Airways' control. That Allegheny division was headquartered on the grounds of Harrisburg International Airport
Harrisburg International Airport
-Statistics:-Air cargo:Harrisburg International Airport is well positioned with freight-forwarding capabilities. The airport is located adjacent to I-76 , I-83, and I-81, allowing for fast air-to-ground transfer of goods and commodities...
in Lower Swatara Township, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, near Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, and primarily flew De Havilland Canada Dash 8 turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
aircraft serving 35 destinations in the northeastern United States, and eventually Canada, from hubs at Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and Philadelphia. Its activities and Dash 8 fleet were incorporated into Piedmont Airlines
Piedmont Airlines
Piedmont Airlines is an American regional airline operating for US Airways Express. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the US Airways Group, headquartered in unincorporated Wicomico County, Maryland, near the city of Salisbury, it conducts flight operations using De Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft...
in 2004 to consolidate operations and costs.
Today an Airbus A319
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
aircraft (N745VJ) of US Airways is painted in Allegheny colors.
Fleet
| Aircraft | From | To | Fleet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas DC-3 Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made... |
1953 | 1966 | 24 |
| Martin 202 | 1955 | 1966 | 18 |
| Convair 540 | 1959 | 1963 | 5 |
| Convair 340 | 1960 | 1967 | 17 |
| Convair 440 | 1962 | 1974 | 27 |
| Fokker F27 Fokker F27 The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner... |
1965 | 1974 | 27 |
| Convair 580 | 1965 | 1978 | 40 |
| Douglas DC-9-30 | 1966 | 1979 | 89 |
| Douglas DC-9-50 | 1974 | 1978 | 8 |
| Nord 262 Nord 262 |-See also:-References:* Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965–1966. London:Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1965.* Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976–1977. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1976. ISBN 0 354 00538 3.... |
1968 | 1977 | 13 |
| Boeing 727-200 | 1970 | 1971 | 2 |
| Boeing 727-100 | 1978 | 1979 | 11 |
| BAC 1-11 | 1972 | 1979 | 31 |
| Mohawk 298 | 1975 | 1979 | 9 |
Accidents and incidents
- On December 1, 1959, Allegheny Airlines Flight 371, a Martin 2-0-2Martin 2-0-2The Martin 2-0-2 was one of the first modern airliners. The twin-engined piston aircraft was designed and built by the Glenn L. Martin Company.-Design and development:...
, crashed into a mountain on approach Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States, 25 fatalities. - On December 24, 1968, Allegheny Airlines Flight 736, a Convair 580, crashed on approach to approach to Bradford, PA, killing 20 of the 47 people on board.
- On January 6, 1969, Allegheny Airlines Flight 737, a Convair 580, crashed on approach to Bradford, PA, killing 11 of the 28 people on board.
- On September 9, 1969, Allegheny Airlines Flight 853Allegheny Airlines Flight 853Allegheny Airlines Flight 853, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30, collided in mid-air with a Piper PA-28 at approximately 3,550 feet on September 9, 1969, near Fairland, Indiana. The DC-9 carried 78 passengers and 4 crew members. The Piper was leased to a student pilot making a solo cross-country flight...
, a DC-9 en route from Cincinnati to IndianapolisIndianapolisIndianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, collided with a small private plane and crashed into a soybean field southeast of Indianapolis, near ShelbyvilleShelbyville, IndianaShelbyville is a city in Addison Township, Shelby County, Indiana, United States. The population was 17,951 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Shelby County...
, killing all 83 people aboard both aircraft. - On June 7, 1971, Allegheny Airlines Flight 485, a Convair 580, enroute from Washington DC to New Haven CT (via New London, CT) crashed short of the runway at New Haven. 26 passengers and 2 crew members were killed; Two passengers and one crew member survived. Pilot Error and work rules were blamed; Since pilots received bonus pay for shorter flights, the pilot had an incentive to land the aircraft in poor conditions, rather than circle around or divert.
External links
- Allegheny Airlines Flight 853 Memorial website by Dan McGlaun on the September 9, 1969 crash near Indianapolis