Chalk's Ocean Airways
Encyclopedia
Chalk's International Airlines, formerly Chalk's Ocean Airways, was an airline
with its headquarters on the grounds of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
in unincorporated
Broward County
, near Fort Lauderdale
. It operated scheduled seaplane services to the Bahamas. Its main base was Miami Seaplane Base
(MPB) until 2001, with a hub at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. On September 30, 2007 the United States Department of Transportation
revoked the flying charter for the airline.
The airline was founded by Arthur "Pappy" Chalk, and started ad-hoc charter operations as the Red Arrow Flying Service in 1917. After "Pappy" Chalk served in the Army Air Service
in World War I
, he returned to Miami and commenced scheduled service between Miami and Bimini
in the Bahamas in February 1919 as Chalk's Flying Service. During prohibition
, Chalk's was a major source of alcohol smuggled from the Bahamas to the United States.
Chalk's first base was a beach umbrella on the Miami shore of Biscayne Bay
. In 1926 a landfill island, Watson Island
, was created in Biscayne Bay close to Miami. Chalk's built an air terminal there, and operated from the island for the next 75 years. After the September 11, 2001 attacks
, the company had to relocate operations due to concerns about port security. Chalk continued to be involved in the daily operations of the airline until he retired in 1975. He died in 1977 at the age of 88.
In the 1990s Resorts International purchased Chalk's Airlines, which became the primary air carrier to Paradise Island
, near the Bahamian capital Nassau
, where Resorts International owned and operated hotels and other resort facilities. Resorts International sold Chalk's in 1991 to United Capital Corporation of Illinois
.
Chalk's International's all-amphibian fleet during 1985 consisted of eight Grumman Mallard
s (three being turboprop conversions) and five ex military Grumman Albatross aircraft.
United Capital expanded Chalk's service to Key West, Florida
. In 1996, United sold Chalk's to a group of investors, who operated the airline under the name Pan Am Air Bridge. In early 1998, Texas
-based aircraft lease company Air Alaska purchased 70% of Pan Am Air Bridge, but following the collapse of Air Alaska, Pan Am Air Bridge filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
in February 1999. Later the same month the company re-emerged as Chalk's International Airlines. Chalk's emerged from Chapter 11 under new ownership on August 2, 1999. On December 17, 1999, the airline was relaunched as Chalk's Ocean Airways. It is currently wholly owned by Rajan Nair. In 2006 the company reverted to the earlier name of Chalk's International Airlines.
Chalk's operations base is at Watson Island, adjacent to the Port of Miami
near downtown Miami
, for 75 years, but it moved its base to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
after September 11, 2001, where it already had its maintenance base, because of security concerns around the port and increased helicopter traffic around Watson Island.
The airline suspended operations after the crash of Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101
on December 19, 2005. The airline had planned to resume flights between Fort Lauderdale and the Bahamas on November 9, 2006, but its airworthiness certificate issued by the Bahamas had expired. As of mid-November 2006, it is flying from Fort Lauderdale to Key West and to St. Petersburg, Florida
, using aircraft "wet lease
d" from and operated by Big Sky Airlines
. Chalk's added flights between Palm Beach International Airport
(PBIA) and destinations in the Bahamas in late May, 2007, but carried only 14 passengers through PBIA in August, 2007. Chalk's ceased flying from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after September 3, 2007. Although the US Department of Transportation revoked Chalk's authority for scheduled service, the airline continues to have its FAR 121 operating with a part 298 authority in good standing. The airline is in the process of adding 60 passenger Regional Jets to its FAR 121 operating licence.
Chalk's has claimed to be the oldest continuously operating airline in the world, having begun operations in 1917 and scheduled flights in February 1919, and having only ceased operations for three years due to World War II
, two days due to 1992's Hurricane Andrew
, and eleven months due to an "at altitude tragedy
" on December 19, 2005. The title of oldest continuously operating airline is now given to KLM of the Netherlands, founded later in 1919.
D land planes from Big Sky Airlines
which were later replaced by Saab 340A and other wet lease
d aircraft while working with the Federal Aviation Administration
to rebuild its fleet of Grumman
G-73T Turbine Mallard
s.
As of March 2007 the Chalk's International Airlines fleet comprised :
while they were taxiing at Key West. Captain Alberto left behind a wife and two children. Jimmy Buffett
dedicated a chapter to Captain Alberto in his book A Pirate Looks At Fifty
.
On December 19, 2005, Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101
from Fort Lauderdale to Bimini made an unscheduled stop at Watson Island, Miami. Within a minute of taking-off again, it fell into the sea near Miami Beach
. Witnesses said they saw smoke billowing from the plane and the separation of its right wing as it plunged into the ocean. None of the twenty people on boardeighteen passengers and two pilotssurvived. At first, only nineteen of the twenty bodies were found (by the Coast Guard
and Miami Beach Ocean Rescue), but, on December 23, the twentieth was found by two Miami-Dade firefighters while fishing on their day off.
Investigators later identified cracks in the main support beam connecting the wing to the fuselage. The plane was a Grumman
G-73T Turbine Mallard
, registration N2969, manufactured in 1947. It was the second fatal passenger accident for Chalk's Ocean Airways. A few months after the NTSB released its report on the crash, the airline shut down.
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
with its headquarters on the grounds of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport is an international commercial airport located in unincorporated Broward County, Florida, three miles southwest of the central business district of Fort Lauderdale...
in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Broward County
Broward County, Florida
-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
, near Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
. It operated scheduled seaplane services to the Bahamas. Its main base was Miami Seaplane Base
Miami Seaplane Base
Miami Seaplane Base is a public-use seaplane base located east of the central business district of Miami on Watson Island in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The seaplane base is publicly owned.-History:...
(MPB) until 2001, with a hub at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. On September 30, 2007 the United States Department of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
revoked the flying charter for the airline.
History
United States Army Air Service
The Air Service, United States Army was a forerunner of the United States Air Force during and after World War I. It was established as an independent but temporary wartime branch of the War Department by two executive orders of President Woodrow Wilson: on May 24, 1918, replacing the Aviation...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he returned to Miami and commenced scheduled service between Miami and Bimini
Bimini
Bimini is the westernmost district of the Bahamas composed of a chain of islands located about 53 miles due east of Miami, Florida. Bimini is the closest point in the Bahamas to the mainland United States and approximately 137 miles west-northwest of Nassau...
in the Bahamas in February 1919 as Chalk's Flying Service. During prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
, Chalk's was a major source of alcohol smuggled from the Bahamas to the United States.
Chalk's first base was a beach umbrella on the Miami shore of Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay is a lagoon that is approximately 35 miles long and up to 8 miles wide located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida, United States. It is usually divided for purposes of discussion and analysis into three parts: North Bay, Central Bay, and South Bay. Its area is...
. In 1926 a landfill island, Watson Island
Watson Island, Florida
Watson Island is a neighborhood and man-made island in Biscayne Bay, in Miami, Florida, United States. Immediately east of the Omni neighborhood of Downtown Miami, it is connected to the mainland and South Beach, Miami by the MacArthur Causeway.-History:...
, was created in Biscayne Bay close to Miami. Chalk's built an air terminal there, and operated from the island for the next 75 years. After the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, the company had to relocate operations due to concerns about port security. Chalk continued to be involved in the daily operations of the airline until he retired in 1975. He died in 1977 at the age of 88.
Paradise Island
Paradise Island is an island in the Bahamas formerly known as Hog Island. The island is located just off the shore of the city of Nassau, which is itself located on the northern edge of the island of New Providence. It is best known for the sprawling 'Vegas-by-the-sea resort' Atlantis.Paradise...
, near the Bahamian capital Nassau
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
, where Resorts International owned and operated hotels and other resort facilities. Resorts International sold Chalk's in 1991 to United Capital Corporation of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
Chalk's International's all-amphibian fleet during 1985 consisted of eight Grumman Mallard
Grumman Mallard
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Hotson, Fred W. Grumman Mallard: The Enduring Classic. Scarborough, Ontario: Robin Brass Studio, 2006. ISBN 978-1896941448....
s (three being turboprop conversions) and five ex military Grumman Albatross aircraft.
United Capital expanded Chalk's service to Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
. In 1996, United sold Chalk's to a group of investors, who operated the airline under the name Pan Am Air Bridge. In early 1998, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
-based aircraft lease company Air Alaska purchased 70% of Pan Am Air Bridge, but following the collapse of Air Alaska, Pan Am Air Bridge filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 11 is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is available to every business, whether organized as a corporation or sole proprietorship, and to individuals, although it is most...
in February 1999. Later the same month the company re-emerged as Chalk's International Airlines. Chalk's emerged from Chapter 11 under new ownership on August 2, 1999. On December 17, 1999, the airline was relaunched as Chalk's Ocean Airways. It is currently wholly owned by Rajan Nair. In 2006 the company reverted to the earlier name of Chalk's International Airlines.
Chalk's operations base is at Watson Island, adjacent to the Port of Miami
Port of Miami
The Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami is a seaport located in Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida, United States. It is connected to Downtown Miami by Port Boulevard, a bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. The port is located on Dodge Island, which is the combination of three historic islands that have...
near downtown Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, for 75 years, but it moved its base to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport is an international commercial airport located in unincorporated Broward County, Florida, three miles southwest of the central business district of Fort Lauderdale...
after September 11, 2001, where it already had its maintenance base, because of security concerns around the port and increased helicopter traffic around Watson Island.
The airline suspended operations after the crash of Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101
Chalk's Ocean Airways flight 101
Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101 was an aircraft crash that occurred off Miami Beach, Florida, in the United States on December 19, 2005. All 20 passengers and crew on board the 1947 Grumman G-73T Turbine Mallard died in the crash, which was attributed to metal fatigue on the starboard wing...
on December 19, 2005. The airline had planned to resume flights between Fort Lauderdale and the Bahamas on November 9, 2006, but its airworthiness certificate issued by the Bahamas had expired. As of mid-November 2006, it is flying from Fort Lauderdale to Key West and to St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
, using aircraft "wet lease
Wet lease
Aircraft leases are a number of types of leases used by airlines and other aircraft operators. Airlines lease aircraft from other airlines or leasing companies for two main reasons; to operate aircraft without the financial burden of buying them, and to provide temporary increase in capacity...
d" from and operated by Big Sky Airlines
Big Sky Airlines
Big Sky Airlines was an American regional airline that operated from 1978 to 2008. Headquartered in Billings, Montana, United States. Big Sky was wholly owned by Big Sky Transportation Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of MAIR Holdings....
. Chalk's added flights between Palm Beach International Airport
Palm Beach International Airport
Palm Beach International Airport is a public airport located 3 nautical miles west of Palm Beach, Florida, in West Palm Beach, Florida, and serves Palm Beach County. The airport is operated and maintained by Palm Beach County Department of Airports. Road access to the airport is available...
(PBIA) and destinations in the Bahamas in late May, 2007, but carried only 14 passengers through PBIA in August, 2007. Chalk's ceased flying from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after September 3, 2007. Although the US Department of Transportation revoked Chalk's authority for scheduled service, the airline continues to have its FAR 121 operating with a part 298 authority in good standing. The airline is in the process of adding 60 passenger Regional Jets to its FAR 121 operating licence.
Chalk's has claimed to be the oldest continuously operating airline in the world, having begun operations in 1917 and scheduled flights in February 1919, and having only ceased operations for three years due to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, two days due to 1992's Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
, and eleven months due to an "at altitude tragedy
Aviation accidents and incidents
An aviation accident is defined in the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, in which a...
" on December 19, 2005. The title of oldest continuously operating airline is now given to KLM of the Netherlands, founded later in 1919.
Fleet
During 2006 the airline leased conventional Beechcraft 1900Beechcraft 1900
The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop airplane manufactured by the Beechcraft Division of the Raytheon Company . It was designed, and is primarily used, as a regional airliner...
D land planes from Big Sky Airlines
Big Sky Airlines
Big Sky Airlines was an American regional airline that operated from 1978 to 2008. Headquartered in Billings, Montana, United States. Big Sky was wholly owned by Big Sky Transportation Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of MAIR Holdings....
which were later replaced by Saab 340A and other wet lease
Wet lease
Aircraft leases are a number of types of leases used by airlines and other aircraft operators. Airlines lease aircraft from other airlines or leasing companies for two main reasons; to operate aircraft without the financial burden of buying them, and to provide temporary increase in capacity...
d aircraft while working with the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
to rebuild its fleet of Grumman
Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation
The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a leading 20th century U.S. producer of military and civilian aircraft...
G-73T Turbine Mallard
Grumman Mallard
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Hotson, Fred W. Grumman Mallard: The Enduring Classic. Scarborough, Ontario: Robin Brass Studio, 2006. ISBN 978-1896941448....
s.
As of March 2007 the Chalk's International Airlines fleet comprised :
- 5 MallardGrumman Mallard|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Hotson, Fred W. Grumman Mallard: The Enduring Classic. Scarborough, Ontario: Robin Brass Studio, 2006. ISBN 978-1896941448....
s - 2 Saab 340A The Saabs were chartered by Chalks from Bimini Island Air
Incidents and accidents
In 1994, Captain John Alberto and his co-pilot drowned after their aircraft sank due to the failure of the airplane's bilge pumpBilge pump
A bilge pump is a water pump used to remove bilge water. Since fuel can be present in the bilge, electric bilge pumps are designed to not cause sparks. Electric bilge pumps are often fitted with float switches which turn on the pump when the bilge fills to a set level. Since bilge pumps can fail,...
while they were taxiing at Key West. Captain Alberto left behind a wife and two children. Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
dedicated a chapter to Captain Alberto in his book A Pirate Looks At Fifty
A Pirate Looks At Fifty
A Pirate Looks at Fifty is the autobiography of the singer and songwriter Jimmy Buffett, revolving around the singer's fiftieth birthday. The book was released on June 3, 1998...
.
On December 19, 2005, Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101
Chalk's Ocean Airways flight 101
Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101 was an aircraft crash that occurred off Miami Beach, Florida, in the United States on December 19, 2005. All 20 passengers and crew on board the 1947 Grumman G-73T Turbine Mallard died in the crash, which was attributed to metal fatigue on the starboard wing...
from Fort Lauderdale to Bimini made an unscheduled stop at Watson Island, Miami. Within a minute of taking-off again, it fell into the sea near Miami Beach
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
. Witnesses said they saw smoke billowing from the plane and the separation of its right wing as it plunged into the ocean. None of the twenty people on boardeighteen passengers and two pilotssurvived. At first, only nineteen of the twenty bodies were found (by the Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
and Miami Beach Ocean Rescue), but, on December 23, the twentieth was found by two Miami-Dade firefighters while fishing on their day off.
Investigators later identified cracks in the main support beam connecting the wing to the fuselage. The plane was a Grumman
Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation
The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a leading 20th century U.S. producer of military and civilian aircraft...
G-73T Turbine Mallard
Grumman Mallard
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Hotson, Fred W. Grumman Mallard: The Enduring Classic. Scarborough, Ontario: Robin Brass Studio, 2006. ISBN 978-1896941448....
, registration N2969, manufactured in 1947. It was the second fatal passenger accident for Chalk's Ocean Airways. A few months after the NTSB released its report on the crash, the airline shut down.