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Piedmont Airlines (1948-1989)
Encyclopedia
Piedmont Airlines was a major airline in the United States
which operated from 1948 until its operations were merged into USAir in 1989. Its headquarters were located at One Piedmont Plaza in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
, a building which is now part of Wake Forest University
.
As of April 1989, shortly before it was merged into USAir, Piedmont had 22,000 employees and served 123 cities in 29 states, as well as Canada, the Bahamas and the United Kingdom, from hubs in the eastern United States.
.
Davis grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. As a child, he loved airplanes and often used his allowance to take flying lessons. He took pre-med classes at the University of Arizona
. At the same time, he worked as a part-time flight instructor
.
.
Like most airlines before deregulation
, Piedmont did not use a hub system. The airline was known for providing jet service into relatively small airports and for connecting unlikely city pairs with jet flights. Examples of this include nonstop jet flights between Kinston
, North Carolina
, and Florence
, South Carolina
; Roanoke
, Virginia
, and Asheville, North Carolina
; Lynchburg, Virginia
, and New York City's LaGuardia Airport
; Chicago's O'Hare International Airport
and Bristol
/Kingsport
/Johnson City
, Tennessee
; and Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to Lynchburg, Virginia.
At its beginning, its route system stretched from Wilmington, N.C.
, northwest to Cincinnati, Ohio
, with numerous intermediate stops. Early routes were operated with Douglas DC-3
aircraft.
Piedmont's fleet grew along with the airline. Piedmont began operations with the DC-3 but added the Fairchild F27
, the Martin 4-0-4
and the Fairchild-Hiller FH 227B to their fleet by the 1960s. Routes starting in 1968 and through the late 1970s were operated with Japan
ese-built NAMC YS-11A
prop-jet aircraft and Boeing 737
-200 pure-jet aircraft. Boeing 727
-200 aircraft were added to the fleet from 1977. Interestingly, one Boeing 727 that Piedmont purchased from Northwest Orient Airlines
and placed into service was the aircraft that had been involved in the famous D. B. Cooper
hijacking in the Pacific Northwest.
In 1955 their network extended from Cincinnati and Louisville east to the coast from Norfolk to Myrtle Beach. By the end of 1978, still under U.S. route regulation, Piedmont's routes reached north to New York
, west to Denver
, Colorado
, and south to Miami
, Florida
.
slammed into Bucks Elbow Mountain near Charlottesville, Virginia
due to a navigational error, whose cause remains in dispute. Twenty-six of the 27 people aboard died.
On July 19, 1967, Piedmont suffered another fatal accident when Flight 22
, a Boeing 727
, collided with a Cessna 310
over Hendersonville, North Carolina
. The National Transportation Safety Board
(NTSB) found that the pilot of the Cessna went off course, placing his aircraft in the path of the 727. In July 2006, the NTSB reopened the investigation after a local historian filed a petition to reconsider the findings. In early 2007, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) upheld the original 1968 probable cause. In a February 2007 letter, the NTSB notified the local historian that it had voted 3-1 that his arguments were unsubstantiated.
in Charlotte, North Carolina
.
Piedmont purchased Empire Airlines
, a carrier based in Utica, New York
, in 1985.
Later hubs included Baltimore/Washington International Airport; James M. Cox Dayton International Airport in Dayton, Ohio
; and Syracuse Hancock International Airport
in Syracuse, New York
. The extent of Piedmont's route map grew as well, with nonstop flights to the west coast beginning from the Charlotte and Dayton hubs during the early 1980s. The airline introduced first class service for the first time on its long-haul Boeing 727-200 jets in 1987. Piedmont also began nonstop service from Charlotte to London Gatwick Airport
in the United Kingdom
utilizing newly acquired Boeing 767
aircraft. Shortly before its acquisition by USAir, Piedmont was the first airline to announce adoption of the Traffic Collision Avoidance System
on a fleet-wide level.
(formerly Allegheny Airlines
), which had previously focused its route network around the northeastern states. The combined carrier became one of the East Coast's largest airlines.
Piedmont Airlines still exists as a brand within US Airways, and flies out of many locations doing business as US Airways Express.
. Based at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, in Charlotte, North Carolina
, the aircraft continues to wear Piedmont colors, flies at air shows, and has been used in a number of movies.
On December 17, 2003, N44V was one of a handful of aircraft which participated in an over flight of the Wright Brothers National Monument at Kill Devil Hills on the 100th anniversary. The aircraft was piloted by Howard Miller, a retired Piedmont Airlines pilot who was in the first class of Piedmont Airlines.
On January 5, 2010 N44V made the first take off and landing at Charlotte Douglas International Airport's new 18R/36L runway. On January 12, the DC-3 made the first landing at the official dedication of the new runway, leading a procession of three airplanes (Piedmont DC-3, NC Air Guard C-130, and US Airways Airbus A320).
The last of the original 22 DC-3s, known as the Potomac Pacemaker, is located at the North Carolina Transportation Museum
in Spencer, North Carolina
. This aircraft was placed on display outside the Science Museum in Durham NC when it was retired from Piedmont. A few years ago it was dismantled and moved to the NC Transportation Museum. It is in very poor condition, and is undergoing restoration by a group of local volunteers. The airplane currently resides in the back shop of the museum, and can be seen in its dismantled state by means of an observation area on site. When finished, the aircraft will be put on static display inside the museum.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
which operated from 1948 until its operations were merged into USAir in 1989. Its headquarters were located at One Piedmont Plaza in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
, a building which is now part of Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
.
As of April 1989, shortly before it was merged into USAir, Piedmont had 22,000 employees and served 123 cities in 29 states, as well as Canada, the Bahamas and the United Kingdom, from hubs in the eastern United States.
History
Piedmont Airlines was founded by Thomas Henry Davis (1918 – April 22, 1999) in Winston-Salem, North CarolinaWinston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
.
Davis grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. As a child, he loved airplanes and often used his allowance to take flying lessons. He took pre-med classes at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
. At the same time, he worked as a part-time flight instructor
Flight instructor
A flight instructor is a person who teaches others to fly aircraft. Specific privileges granted to holders of a flight instructor qualification vary from country to country, but very generally, a flight instructor serves to enhance or evaluate the knowledge and skill level of an aviator in pursuit...
.
Foundation
Davis formed Piedmont Aviation on January 1, 1948. The first flight, flight 41, was at 7:05am on February 20, 1948, bound for Wilmington, North CarolinaWilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
.
Like most airlines before deregulation
Airline Deregulation Act
The Airline Deregulation Act is a United States federal law signed into law on October 24, 1978. The main purpose of the act was to remove government control over fares, routes and market entry from commercial aviation...
, Piedmont did not use a hub system. The airline was known for providing jet service into relatively small airports and for connecting unlikely city pairs with jet flights. Examples of this include nonstop jet flights between Kinston
Kinston, North Carolina
Kinston is a city in Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 23,688 at the 2000 census. The population was estimated at 22,360 in 2008. It has been the county seat of Lenoir County since its formation in 1791 . Kinston is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, and Florence
Florence, South Carolina
-Municipal government and politics:The City of Florence has a council-manager form of government. The mayor and city council are elected every four years, with no term limits...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
; Roanoke
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
, 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...
, and Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
; Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
, and New York City's LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is an airport located in the northern part of Queens County on Long Island in the City of New York. The airport is located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. The airport was originally...
; Chicago's O'Hare International Airport
O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
and Bristol
Bristol, Tennessee
Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundaries of both cities run parallel to each other along State...
/Kingsport
Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...
/Johnson City
Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, with most of the city being in Washington County...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
; and Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to Lynchburg, Virginia.
At its beginning, its route system stretched from Wilmington, N.C.
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
, northwest to Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, with numerous intermediate stops. Early routes were operated with 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...
aircraft.
Expansion
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...
, the Martin 4-0-4
Martin 4-0-4
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Andrade, John. U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Leicester, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1979, pp. 95, 217. ISBN 0-904597-22-9....
and the Fairchild-Hiller FH 227B to their fleet by the 1960s. Routes starting in 1968 and through the late 1970s were operated with Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese-built NAMC YS-11A
NAMC YS-11
The NAMC YS-11 is a turboprop airliner built by a Japanese consortium, the Nihon Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation. The program was initiated by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1954, the aircraft was rolled out in 1962, and production ceased in 1974.-Development and design:In...
prop-jet aircraft and Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
-200 pure-jet aircraft. Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
-200 aircraft were added to the fleet from 1977. Interestingly, one Boeing 727 that Piedmont purchased from Northwest Orient Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
and placed into service was the aircraft that had been involved in the famous D. B. Cooper
D. B. Cooper
D. B. Cooper is the name popularly used to refer to an unidentified man who hijacked a Boeing 727 aircraft in the airspace between Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington on November 24, 1971. He extorted $200,000 in ransom and parachuted to an uncertain fate...
hijacking in the Pacific Northwest.
In 1955 their network extended from Cincinnati and Louisville east to the coast from Norfolk to Myrtle Beach. By the end of 1978, still under U.S. route regulation, Piedmont's routes reached north to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, west to Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, and south to 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...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
Accidents
On October 30, 1959, Piedmont suffered its first crash when Flight 349Piedmont Airlines Flight 349
On October 30, 1959, Piedmont Airlines Flight 349, a Douglas DC-3, crashed on Bucks Elbow Mountain near Crozet, Virginia, killing the crew of three and all but one of its twenty-four passengers. The sole survivor, Ernest P. "Phil" Bradley, was seriously injured and lay on the ground near the...
slammed into Bucks Elbow Mountain near Charlottesville, 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...
due to a navigational error, whose cause remains in dispute. Twenty-six of the 27 people aboard died.
On July 19, 1967, Piedmont suffered another fatal accident when Flight 22
Piedmont Airlines Flight 22
Piedmont Airlines Flight 22 was a Piedmont Airlines Boeing 727-22 on a scheduled airline flight in the United States from Asheville Regional Airport in Asheville, North Carolina to Roanoke Regional Airport in Roanoke, Virginia. Shortly after departure, the flight collided with a twin-engine Cessna...
, a Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
, collided with a Cessna 310
Cessna 310
The Cessna 310 is an American six-seat, low-wing, twin-engined monoplane that was produced by Cessna between 1954 and 1980. It was the first twin-engined aircraft that Cessna put into production after World War II.-Development:...
over Hendersonville, North Carolina
Hendersonville, North Carolina
Hendersonville is a city in Henderson County, North Carolina, USA, southeast of Asheville. In 1900, 1,917 persons lived in Hendersonville; in 1910, 2,818; and in 1940, 5,381 people lived here. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,223, up fivefold in one century. It is the county...
. The National Transportation Safety Board
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
(NTSB) found that the pilot of the Cessna went off course, placing his aircraft in the path of the 727. In July 2006, the NTSB reopened the investigation after a local historian filed a petition to reconsider the findings. In early 2007, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) upheld the original 1968 probable cause. In a February 2007 letter, the NTSB notified the local historian that it had voted 3-1 that his arguments were unsubstantiated.
Deregulation
Following airline route deregulation in the late 1970s, the airline grew rapidly and developed a hub-and-spoke system with a hub at Charlotte/Douglas International AirportCharlotte/Douglas International Airport
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is a joint civil-military public international airport located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Established in 1935 as Charlotte Municipal Airport, in 1954 the airport was renamed Douglas Municipal Airport after former Charlotte mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr...
in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
.
Piedmont purchased Empire Airlines
Empire Airlines (1976-1985)
-Overview:Empire Airlines was a regional airline serving the Northeastern United States beginning in 1976. In 1985, the airline was purchased by Piedmont Airlines, which itself was later purchased by USAir and whose name now lives on in the US Airways Express network.Founded by Paul Quackenbush,...
, a carrier based in Utica, New York
Utica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
, in 1985.
Later hubs included Baltimore/Washington International Airport; James M. Cox Dayton International Airport in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
; and Syracuse Hancock International Airport
Syracuse Hancock International Airport
Syracuse Hancock International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located northeast of Syracuse, in Onondaga County, New York, off of Interstate 81 near Mattydale, New York. The main terminal complex is located at the eastern end of Colonel Eileen Collins Boulevard.-History:In 1927...
in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. The extent of Piedmont's route map grew as well, with nonstop flights to the west coast beginning from the Charlotte and Dayton hubs during the early 1980s. The airline introduced first class service for the first time on its long-haul Boeing 727-200 jets in 1987. Piedmont also began nonstop service from Charlotte to London Gatwick Airport
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
utilizing newly acquired Boeing 767
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
aircraft. Shortly before its acquisition by USAir, Piedmont was the first airline to announce adoption of the Traffic Collision Avoidance System
Traffic Collision Avoidance System
A traffic collision avoidance system or traffic alert and collision avoidance system is an aircraft collision avoidance system designed to reduce the incidence of mid-air collisions between aircraft...
on a fleet-wide level.
Absorbed into USAir
Piedmont's expanding route system, its loyal passenger following, and its profitability caused it to gain notice among other airlines for a potential buyout. In August 1989, Piedmont Airlines was absorbed by USAirUS 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....
(formerly Allegheny Airlines
Allegheny Airlines
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....
), which had previously focused its route network around the northeastern states. The combined carrier became one of the East Coast's largest airlines.
Piedmont Airlines still exists as a brand within US Airways, and flies out of many locations doing business as US Airways Express.
Historical fleet
- Boeing 727-100Boeing 727The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
- Boeing 727-200Boeing 727The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
- Boeing 737-200Boeing 737The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
- Boeing 737-300Boeing 737The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
- Boeing 737-400Boeing 737The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
- Boeing 767-201ERBoeing 767The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
- 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...
- Fokker F27 "Friendship"Fokker F27The 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...
- Fokker F28 "Fellowship"Fokker F28The Fokker F28 Fellowship is a short range jet airliner designed and built by defunct Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:...
- Fairchild Hiller FH-227Fairchild Hiller FH-227The Fairchild F-27 and Fairchild Hiller FH-227 were versions of the Fokker F27 Friendship twin-engined turboprop passenger aircraft manufactured under license by Fairchild Hiller in the United States...
- Martin 4-0-4Martin 4-0-4|-See also:-Bibliography:* Andrade, John. U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Leicester, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1979, pp. 95, 217. ISBN 0-904597-22-9....
- NAMC YS-11NAMC YS-11The NAMC YS-11 is a turboprop airliner built by a Japanese consortium, the Nihon Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation. The program was initiated by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1954, the aircraft was rolled out in 1962, and production ceased in 1974.-Development and design:In...
Surviving Former Aircraft
A 1942-built Douglas C-47 was purchased by Piedmont Airlines in October 1986 and was painted in the airline's colors to represent the 22 DC-3s operated by the airline between 1948 and 1963. The aircraft (N44V) was restored and flown for many years by Piedmont, and then by US Air until 1996. Since then the aircraft has been owned and operated by the Carolinas Aviation MuseumCarolinas Aviation Museum
The Carolinas Aviation Museum is an aviation museum on the grounds of Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. The mission of the Museum is to educate the public about the importance of aviation to our society and inspire the next generation to excel academically in the...
. Based at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, the aircraft continues to wear Piedmont colors, flies at air shows, and has been used in a number of movies.
On December 17, 2003, N44V was one of a handful of aircraft which participated in an over flight of the Wright Brothers National Monument at Kill Devil Hills on the 100th anniversary. The aircraft was piloted by Howard Miller, a retired Piedmont Airlines pilot who was in the first class of Piedmont Airlines.
On January 5, 2010 N44V made the first take off and landing at Charlotte Douglas International Airport's new 18R/36L runway. On January 12, the DC-3 made the first landing at the official dedication of the new runway, leading a procession of three airplanes (Piedmont DC-3, NC Air Guard C-130, and US Airways Airbus A320).
The last of the original 22 DC-3s, known as the Potomac Pacemaker, is located at the North Carolina Transportation Museum
North Carolina Transportation Museum
The North Carolina Transportation Museum is a transport museum in Spencer, North Carolina.The museum is largely devoted to the state's railroad history, however its collection also includes exhibits of automobiles and aircraft....
in Spencer, North Carolina
Spencer, North Carolina
Spencer is a town in Rowan County, North Carolina, United States, incorporated in 1905. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 3,355.-History:...
. This aircraft was placed on display outside the Science Museum in Durham NC when it was retired from Piedmont. A few years ago it was dismantled and moved to the NC Transportation Museum. It is in very poor condition, and is undergoing restoration by a group of local volunteers. The airplane currently resides in the back shop of the museum, and can be seen in its dismantled state by means of an observation area on site. When finished, the aircraft will be put on static display inside the museum.
External links
- Piedmont Aviation Historical Society
- Carolinas Aviation Museum Custodian of the Piedmont Airlines DC-3 (Airworthy & formerly owned and operated by Piedmont Airlines and USAir)
- Story of Piedmont
- Piedmont Timetables
- "Sole survivor: Wreck of Flight #349"