me Pieomoninm
VOL. VI, NO. 6
APACE WITH THE PACEMAKER
JUNE, 1963
I
I
1
/fl CAB Examiner James Keith
Recommends Piedmont
For Service To Hot Springs
THE WINNAHS! Presenting Beckley, the winning station in the
Piednfiont-United Sales Contest, (left to right) Bobby Harper, Jaci Guy,
Manager Charlie Field, and Bob Wilson read that important telegram
from United Airlines informing them that their station's percentage in
crease in passengers was the best in the system. Plans are underway for
a party at which the BKW staff members will draw for the all-expense
paid trip to Hawaii. Also ready for their prizes are Bluefield, second-
place winner, and Richmond, third-place winner. At press time dates for
the drawing of winners at the above stations had not been set. ,
Piedmont Credit Union Announces
Several Loan Policy Changes
In an initial decision issued Staunton, Lynchburg, Roanoke,
June 12, Civil Aeronautics Board
Examiner James Keith has
recommended that Piedmont Air-
Unes be authorized to provide
service to Hot Springs, Va., and
the nearby communities of Cov
ington and Clifton Forge.
The resort area would be
designated as an intermediate
point on Piedmont’s Segment
Six route between Staunton-Har-
risonburg- Waynesboro and
Lynchburg.
(Points on Segment Six are:
(a) Washington, Charlottesville,
The Piedmont Aviation, Inc.,
Credit Union recently approved
several changes on loan policies
and procedures, the latest deal
ing with loans secured by co
signers, and loans secured by
Credit Union savings or Pied
mont Aviation, Inc., stock.
Effective June 7, states the
Credit Union, loans with a maxi
mum of $600 or an amount equal
to the member’s average month
ly pay, whichever is greater, are
available for up to 18 months to
members with less than three
years continuous service with
the company.
For members with more than
three, but less than five, years
service, loans up to $800 or an
amount equal to their monthly
pay, whichever is greater, are
available for a maximum period
of 24 months.
Previous rules regarding co
signers for loans over $500 still
apply toward the above changes.
Loans secured by Credit Union
savings or Piedmont Aviation,
Inc., stock may be made for a
maximum period of 24 months.
Employees with more than five
years continuous service, how
ever, may take up to 30 months
to pay.
Savings in the Credit Union
are accepted as security at their
full value but while the loan is
still unpaid, at no time may the
amount of the savings account
be reduced to less than the bal
ance still owed on the loan.
Piedmont Aviation stock is ac
cepted as security to the extent
of 85 per cent of the market
value of the stock as of the date
application for the loan is made.
At no cost to the member, all
loans have been insured by the
Credit Union against death of
the member for up to $5,000.
Those interested in further in
formation on the Credit Union
and its loan savings policies
should contact the Credit Union
office at Winston-Salem.
For Mechanics
FAA Offers New Safety Awards
Establishment of an annual
national awards system honor
ing aviation mechanics for out
standing contributions to air
safety has been announced by
N. E. Halaby, Administrator of
the Federal Aviation Agency.
Halaby said the awards are
part of an overall FAA effort to
bring greater recognition to
aviation mechanics by emphasiz
ing their vital role in air safety.
He pointed out that 1963 has
been designated by the Agency
as “Maintenance Year.”
FAA will administer the Avia
tion Safety Awards program in
conjunction with the Flight
Safety Foundation of New York
City. Industry and aviation trade
organizations also will partici
pate.
Selection of winners will be on
the basis of (1) the best sugges
tion or development by an avia
tion mechanic for a redesign of
or improvement to an aircraft
or any of its components leading
to increased reliability or safety
in aviation, and (2) the best sug
gestion or development by an
aviation mechanic of a mainten
ance or inspection procedure
contributing significantly to safe
ty in aviation.
Symposium Treats
Airport Problems
“Improved Service at Smaller
Airports” was the topic of a day
long symposium held June 4 in
Washington by the Air Trans
port Association and attended
by airport managers from small
er cities and officials from ATA
and the Federal Aviation Agen
cy.
The meeting dealt with the
problems of poor weather op
erations and prospects of im
proving service reliability under
poor weather conditions. Speak
ers included representatives
from the airlines and FAA, and
technical experts on electronic
and visual air navigation sys
tems.
From Non-hubs
Managers from so-called non
hub airports were invited. These
airports are those which do not
normally qualify for FAA instal
lation of the full complement of
navigation aids for aircraft ap
proach and landing.
The airlines believe, however,
that any airport which is eligi
ble for certificated airline serv
ice should have navigation aids
which would permit minimums
of at least 400 feet and one mile.
Any airport with traffic that
regularly exceeds the basic re-
quirement for certification
should have the aids necessary
to permit minimums of 300 feet
and 3/4 mile.
Reduce Costs
“If costs could be reduced,
more airports could be provided
with such aids and service,” the
airlines say. Most of the airports
on Piedmont’s system would be
affected if those problems could
be solved.
Pulaski-Radford-Blacksburg, Tri-
Cities, Asheville, and the termi
nal point at Atlanta; and (b) be
yond Lynchburg, the interme
diate points of Danville, Greens
boro-High Point, Winston-Salem,
Hickory, Asheville, and the
terminal point of Atlanta.)
Area Involved
The area involved in the Hot
Springs Service Case lies in the
heart of the Alleghany Moun
tains near the Virginia-West Vir
ginia border said Mr. Keith, and
except for a small industrial belt
embracing Clifton Forge and
Covington, the region is pre
dominantly rural.
One of the chief attractions
there is an outstanding health
and recreational resort at Hot
Springs, site of the well-known
Homestead Hotel, to which
many guests come during the
summer season.
In recommending Piedmont
for service over Lake Central,
the other airline involved in the
case, Mr. Keith weighed factors
such as traffic benefits and cost
of service, historical interest and
diversion, and geographical in
tegration and market identifi
cation, and added:
Significant Edge
“ . . . considering further that
Piedmont has offered a plan of
operation capable of being in-
Local Service Problems Get Long Look
A long look was taken at some
of the problems faced by the
local service airlines recently in
the May issue of the Airways
Traveler, official publication of
the Airways Club, Inc.
In a survey taken among its
members, the Club noted that
several local service airlines had
received relatively low ratings
in comparison with trunk car
riers.
“We turned the matter over
to our Man in Washington, Colin
H. McIntosh,” says the Airways
Traveler, “and here is what he
had to say:
“Two factors make it almost
impossible for the local service
carriers to equal the passenger
service offered by the average
trunkline: (1) short haul routes;
and (2) an inherently unprofit
able operation without Federal
subsidies.
“The local service airline has
all of the operating problems
that major long haul airlines
have. These problems become
more acute for the local because
their average flights are less
than 100 miles whereas the
average flight of a trunkline is
approximately 300-400 miles.
(Continued on Page Six)
augurated upon certification, it
is concluded that Piedmont holds
a significant edge from the
standpoint of comparative public
interest and fitness and ability
to perform.”
Mr. Keith’s recommendation is
in opposition to that of the
CAB’S Bureau of Economic Reg
ulation, which opposes the serv
ice — not because of its failure
to meet the standards established
by the Board in certificating
local air service — but because
it does not meet new criteria
suggested by the Bureau for cer
tificating subsidized air service.
Rail Service
The Bureau has argued that
most of the airline passengers
would be vacationers or tourists
using the facilities of the Home
stead Hotel. “Their principal
gateway,” says the Bureau,” will
be Washington, D. C., which has
a rail service that is not so un
satisfactory as to justify a sub
sidized air service.”
According to Director of Re
search R. W. Kadlec, Examiner
Keith’s decision does not mean
that Piedmont will automatical
ly begin serving Hot Springs.
Mr. Keith’s decision -becomes"-
final only if there are no objec
tions to the decision within 25
days, or if the CAB decides not
to review the decision within
the next 30 days.
They Gove Them 'A Really Big Shoe'
0
"Piedmont and American Congratulate Ortho-Vent," says an anniversary
cake given the shoe company to celebrate a year of fast air freight
shipments. Across the top of the cake is a jet airplane. Piedmont and
American emblems, and trailing along behind the airplane, a shoe.
Watching the first slice cut are (left to right) Spencer Rice, District Sales
Manager, American Airlines; E. Cabell Brand, President, Ortho-Vent
Shoe Company; Lionel Anders, Roanoke City Sales Manager; E. H.
Hunter, Air Freight pick-up and delivery service; and Frank Logan, Dis
trict Manager Cargo Sales and Services, American Airlines.
Piedmont and American Air
lines joined forces recently to
help a good customer celebrate
an anniversary.
The event marked the end of
the first year the Ortho-Vent
Shoe Company of Roanoke has
shipped shoes by air to Los
Angeles and San Francisco.
Before taking to the air, Ortho-
Vent had a serious problem fill
ing orders on the West Coast
fast enough. By using air freight,
the firm is now delivering or-
d e r s in California as fast or
faster than mail order companies
which maintain West Coast
warehouses.
Orders are received by air
mail from Ortho-Vent’s 2,100
salesmen. These orders are then
processed and packed on the
same day, and usually leave the
plant by 1 p.m. Departing out
of Roanoke on Piedmont Flights
611 and 473, they connect to
American for the coast and ar
rive there the same night. From
the airport the orders are put
in the U. S. mail and are de
livered the next day by postmen.
With the help of Roanoke City
Sales Manager Lionel Anders, a
celebration was held in the Or
tho-Vent offices to toast the first
year of speedy deliveries by air.
Volume for the shoe company
averages 8,000 shoes a month.