Capital Airlines History Predecessors Pennsylvania Central

Clifford A. Ball, a McKeesport, Pennsylvania automobile dealer and owner of a controlling interest in Bettis Field near Pittsburgh, won airmail contract route #11 on March 27March 27 is the 86th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (87th in Leap years). There are 279 days remaining. Events 1306 Robert I of Scotland and Elizabeth de Burgh are crowned king and Queen of the Scots. 1513 (not 1512 as often cited) Explorer Jua, 1926Centuries: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s Years: 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 See also 1926 in aviation 1926 in film 1926 in literature 1926 in mu. In April of the following year, Clifford Ball Airline began operating between Pittsburgh and Cleveland, OhioThe city of Cleveland is the county seat of Cuyahoga County in the U. state of Ohio. As of the 2000 census, the city proper had a total population of 478,403, making it second in population in the state to Columbus, Ohio. Greater Cleveland, however, inclu. Will RogersThis page relates to the humorist; for others with similar names see William Rogers (disambiguation). Will Rogers ( November 4, 1879 August 15, 1935) was an American humorist and entertainer. Born in Indian Territory (he was part Cherokee) in what would l was known to be a regular passenger, but scheduled passenger service did not begin until April 28April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 247 days remaining. Events 1788 Maryland becomes the 7th state to ratify the Constitution of the United States. 1789 Mutiny on the HMAV Bounty''. Captain William B, 1928Centuries: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s Years: 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 See also 1928 in aviation 1928 in film 1928 in literature 1928 in mu. The following August, it became the first airline to serve Washington, DC from the west, offering its flagship "Path of the Eagle" service from Cleveland to Hoover Field across the Potomac RiverThe Potomac River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid- Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). The river is approximately 413 statute miles (665 km) long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles (38,000 km²). In terms.

Ball sold his interests in November 19301930 is the common year starting on Wednesday. see link for calendar) Events January-February January 6 The first diesel-engine automobile trip is completed ( Indianapolis, Indiana, to New York City). January 27 Miguel Primo de Rivera resigns January 30 G to Pittsburgh Aviation Industries Corp. purchased the operation, and the airline became Pennsylvania Air Lines (PAL). The airline was reorganized as Pennsylvania Airlines after the Air Mail Controversy of the early 1930s. Central Airlines, otherwise notable for hiring Helen Richey, the first female commercial pilot in the U.S., became PAL's main competitor after its founding in 1934. The two companies merged into Pennsylvania Central Airlines, or PCA, on November 1, 1936.

1.2 Pennsylvania Central Airlines

PCA, based at the new Allegheny County Airport near Pittsburgh, continued to add routes, notably to Chicago in 1938, and aircraft, notably the Douglas DC-3 in 1939.

In 1941, PCA moved its headquarters to the new Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, becoming one of its three original tenants; PCA had been consulted during the airport's design. The row of office buildings adjacent its hangars gained the nickname " mahogany row" and the airline adopted the slogan "The Capital Airline," with its aircraft dubbed "Capitaliners." By 1947 its route network no longer reflected its name, and on April 21, 1948 the airline adopted a new insignia, colors, and name: Capital Airlines.

In 1946, the airline became the launch customer for the Douglas DC-4. In 1948 it created the "Nighthawk," the first coach class service, designed to compete with the railroads between Chicago and New York City as well as the dominant carriers on the route, United, TWA, and American.

1.3 Capital's last decade

In 1948, the first airborne television was installed on a Capital airplane.

In 1950 Capital Airlines received its first Lockheed Constellations, enabling it to compete more effectively on longer distance routes. In 1955 it became the first U.S. operator of Vickers Viscounts, the first passenger turboprop. The Viscounts were deployed on the flagship Washington-Chicago route and the airline hoped to use them on expanded service, but they were mostly stymied by the Civil Aeronautics Board.

On July 20, 1952, a Capital pilot reported seeing a blue-white ball in the sky. The Unidentified Flying Object reports caused a sensation in the Washington area.

In the late 1950s, Capital experienced a string of accidents. On April 6, 1958, a Viscount stalled and crashed on approach to Saginaw, Michigan, resulting in 49 fatalities. On May 20 of the same year, 15 were killed when another Viscount collided with an Air National Guard training jet over Maryland. And two accidents occurred on May 12, 1959: a Constellation rolled off the runway in Charleston, West Virginia and a Viscount crashed during a thunderstorm near Baltimore. On January 18, 1960 another Viscount crashed in Virginia.

The airline also encountered labor difficulties. Maintenance personnel went on strike in 1958, crippling operations for 38 days. On April 1, 1960 the New York State Commission Against Discrimination faulted Capital Airlines for failing to hire Patricia Banks, an African-American woman who had been denied employment as a flight attendant despite meeting all job requirements. She became one of only two black flight attendants in the country.

These problems compounded slow revenue growth in the late 1950s, and the airline began to struggle financially. In May of 1960, Vickers foreclosed on Capital's entire fleet of Viscounts, and bankruptcy for the airline seemed certain. On July 28, 1960, however, it announced a merger with Chicago-based rival United Airlines, saving it from that fate. When completed on July 1, 1961 it was the largest airline merger in history.

In 1981, former employees formed the Capital Airlines Association to preserve their memories of the old carrier.

2 References

Airline History: Capital Airlines
Lloyd, Kristin B. "Flying the Capital Way, Part I" (PDF), Historic Alexandria Quarerly, Winter 1997
Lloyd, Kristin B. "Flying the Capital Way, Part II" (PDF), Historic Alexandria Quarerly, Spring 1998

3 External links

Defunct airline companies of the United States

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Home > Capital Airlines

1 History

1.1 Predecessors