Continental Air Services, Inc
Encyclopedia
Continental Air Services, Inc, better known as CASI, was a subsidiary airline of Continental Airlines
set up to provide operations and airlift support in Southeast Asia
. CASI was formed as the South-East Asia Division of Continental in April 1965 with operations starting in September 1965 using approximately 22, mainly STOL
, aircraft. Contintental paid over a million US dollars for BirdAir
(Bird and Sons) and its 350 employees and 22 aircraft. CASI aircraft in Laos
were registered as Air Continental. As of 1998 CASI still operated in the Pacific Islands.
, was officially located at One East First Street, Reno, Nevada
but its headquarters was located at 7300 World Way West, Los Angeles, California
. CASI maintained Overseas Offices in Bangkok
Thailand
, Vientiane
(Laos
), & Saigon (South Vietnam
). CASI’s Southeast Asia headquarters was in Udorn, Thailand with operations bases at Phnom Penh
, Cambodia
, Vientiane, Laos, Singapore
, Bangkok
and Udorn, Thailand and Saigon, Vietnam.
CASI’s original purpose was to operate aircraft and ground facilities to support projects involving construction, oil exploration and engineering companies as well as contracts with USAID and other government agencies.
Wings were both US-made and Laotian-made and were worn in Vietnam but not in Laos.
CASI/Bird Air were known to operate the following aircraft:
Total fleet: 37 to 45 aircraft by 1976
CASI occasionally leased its assets to others such as:
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
set up to provide operations and airlift support in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. CASI was formed as the South-East Asia Division of Continental in April 1965 with operations starting in September 1965 using approximately 22, mainly STOL
STOL
STOL is an acronym for short take-off and landing, a term used to describe aircraft with very short runway requirements.-Definitions:There is no one accepted definition of STOL and many different definitions have been used by different authorities and nations at various times and for a myriad of...
, aircraft. Contintental paid over a million US dollars for BirdAir
BirdAir
BirdAir was an airline owned by the construction company Bird & Sons, Inc which served in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.Bird & Sons, Inc was a San Francisco heavy construction company operating in Vietnam and Laos....
(Bird and Sons) and its 350 employees and 22 aircraft. CASI aircraft in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
were registered as Air Continental. As of 1998 CASI still operated in the Pacific Islands.
Organization
CASI, as a Nevada CorporationNevada Corporation
A Nevada corporation is a corporation incorporated under Chapter 78 of Nevada Revised Statutes of the U.S. state of Nevada.Nevada, like the state of Delaware , is well known as a corporate haven...
, was officially located at One East First Street, Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
but its headquarters was located at 7300 World Way West, Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. CASI maintained Overseas Offices in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Vientiane
Vientiane
-Geography:Vientiane is situated on a bend of the Mekong river, which forms the border with Thailand at this point.-Climate:Vientiane features a tropical wet and dry climate with a distinct monsoon season and a dry season. Vientiane’s dry season spans from November through March. April marks the...
(Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
), & Saigon (South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
). CASI’s Southeast Asia headquarters was in Udorn, Thailand with operations bases at Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, Vientiane, Laos, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
and Udorn, Thailand and Saigon, Vietnam.
CASI’s original purpose was to operate aircraft and ground facilities to support projects involving construction, oil exploration and engineering companies as well as contracts with USAID and other government agencies.
Uniforms
Initially CASI uniforms were locally made khaki uniforms which were manufactured in different parts of Laos, Thailand or Vietnam. Some shirts are 2-pocket, others are 4-pocket safari-type jackets. Later CASI uniforms consisted of white shirts and black trousers. Most CASI pilots were issued the baseball cap. A few of the early CASI pilots were issued the "bus driver" hat.Wings were both US-made and Laotian-made and were worn in Vietnam but not in Laos.
AirFleet
- Beech 18
- Beech Baron
- Beech D50C Twin BonanzaBeechcraft Twin Bonanza|-See also:-References:Twin Bonanza Association http://twinbonanza.com...
- Bell 47G-3B-1 Sioux
- Bell 205
- Bell 206Bell 206The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- or twin-engine helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter program, the 206 failed to be selected...
A JetRanger - Camair Twin NavionCamair Twin Navion|-See also:...
, a Ryan Navion converted by Cameron Aircraft Co - Cessna 180Cessna 180The Cessna 180 is a four- or six-seat, fixed conventional gear general aviation airplane which was produced between 1953 and 1981. Though the design is no longer in production, many of these aircraft are still in use as personal aircraft and in utility roles such as bush...
- Cessna 206
- Curtiss C-46
- De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300
- Dornier Do 28Dornier Do 28The Dornier Do 28 Skyservant is a twin-engine STOL utility aircraft, manufactured by Dornier Flugzeugbau GmbH. It served with the Luftwaffe and Marineflieger and other air forces around the world in the communications and utility role....
A-1 & B-1 - Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The 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...
/C-47 SkytrainC-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and... - Douglas DC-6Douglas DC-6The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
A/B - Fairchild Hiller FH-1100
- Helio 395 Super CourierHelio CourierThe Helio Courier is a light C/STOL utility aircraft designed in 1949.Around 500 of these aircraft were manufactured in Pittsburg, Kansas from 1954 until 1974 by the Helio Aircraft Company. During the early 1980s, new owners made an attempt to build new aircraft with direct-drive Lycoming engines,...
- Lockheed PV-2 Ventura
- Lockheed L-100-20 Hercules
- Pilatus PC-6Pilatus PC-6|-See also:-References:* Lambert, Mark. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993–1994. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Data Division, 1993. ISBN 0 7106 1066 1.* Taylor, John W. R. Janes's All The World's Aircraft 1965–66. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1965....
Porter & Turbo Porter - Piper PA-18 Super Cub
- Scottish Aviation Twin PioneerScottish Aviation Twin Pioneer|-See also:-Bibliography:*Green, William. Macdonald Aircraft Handbook. London. Macdonald & Co. Ltd., 1964.*Donald, David, ed. The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X....
Series 2 - Short SC.7-3-200 Skyvan
Total fleet: 37 to 45 aircraft by 1976
CASI occasionally leased its assets to others such as:
- Foreign Air Travel Development, Inc
- Boun Oum AirwaysBoun Oum AirwaysBoun Oum Airways or BOA, was a Laotian Airline owned by Prince Boun Oum of Laos. After 1965 BOA expanded using aircraft on loan from Continental Air Services, Inc . BOA's aircraft did not carry any logo or titles and their Thai pilots were integrated with CASI by early 1967.-History:The CIA created...
See also
- Air America
- Pacific CorporationPacific CorporationThe Pacific Corporation , was a holding company that the Central Intelligence Agency used to control several aviation front companies.Former US Army pilot George Doole created Pacific as a Delaware corporation in 1950...