me piBomoniTOH
NEW FEATURE:
From the Front Office
See Page Four
VOL. X, NO. 1
i948 _ CELEBRATING OUR TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY — 1968
JANUARY, 1968
I
VIZE DOTSON
BNA
LYLE COX
HTS
ROBERT WAUGH
CMH
Nashville and Memphis Station
Personnel Have Been Appointed
Vize T. Dotson has been ap
pointed Station Manager for
Piedmont’s new facility in Nash
ville, Tennessee. Former man
ager at Columbus, Dotson joined
Piedmont as an agent in New
Bern in 1949.
He was promoted to Chief
Agent and transferred to Lex
ington, Kentucky in 1950. Five
years later he was named Station
Manager for London-Corbin. He
subsequently held the same posi
tion in Bluefield and Parkers
burg before going to Columbus
in 1966.
Dotson graduated from, the
public schools in Harlan, Ky.,
and attended Bowling Green
Business College and the Central
Airline School in Kansas City
prior to joining Piedmont.
Mrs. Dotson is the former
Jean Phelps of Bowling Green.
They have two children.
Other Transfers
Other Piedmont folks who
have transferred to Nashville
include Bob Walls of Atlanta to
fill the position of Chief Agent
and Don Conner of Roanoke who
is Lead Agent.
J. W. Cox from Danville, R. H.
Wylie from Norfolk, J. T. Bur
ger from Louisville, Marie
Leedy from Knoxville and S. R.
Collins from Goldsboro have also
moved to Nashville. New em
ployees for the station are
Carolyn Marie Smith, Julia Ann
Boger, Miriam L. Thompson,
Sheran Ann Murphree, Parker
W. Nettles, Jr., Robert L. Town
send, John Thomas Holland,
Donald G. Hall, Patrick O’Brien,
Eddie C. Arnold, Rennie John
McIntyre, Joe A. Proctor, Frank
W. Price and Charles E. Halli
burton.
Haley Goes To MEM
he new Station Manager in
emphis is R. Parker Haley,
who, until his promotion had
been manager in Goldsboro.
Haley came to Piedmont in
1950 as an agent at Louisville.
Three years later he was pro
moted to Chief Agent for that
station. In 1962 he was promoted
and transferred to Goldsboro.
A native of Jeffersonville,
Indiana, Haley is married to the
former Alyne Minnis of Port
land, Tennessee. They have one
daughter and live at 3744 Hill-
brook Road in Whitehaven,
Tennessee.
Joining Haley in Memphis are
D. K. Jones, formerly of Myrtle
Beach, as Chief Agent and E. A.
Warf from Washington (Nation
al) as Lead Agent. L. A. Haden
from Richmond, J. W. Gillespie
from Washington and W. L.
Jett from Tri-Cities have also
made the move to Memphis.
New employees for the station
are Diane B. Mitchell, Sandra L.
Crill, Ann Jo James and William
E. Finley.
Waugh At CMH
Robert K. Waugh has assum
ed the position of Station Man
ager at Columbus to succeed
Vize Dotson.
Waugh joined Piedmont as an
agent at Hot Springs in 1955. He
was promoted to Chief Agent for
that station in 1960 and named
Station Manager in 1964.
Prior to being employed by
the Company Waugh served in
the U. S. Marines as a Corporal.
He is a graduate of Huntington
High School in Huntington,
PAI Credit Union
Declares Dividend
The Piedmont Aviation Credit
Union has again declared a 6%
dividend on savings accounts,
for the tenth consecutive year.
Dividends are paid on savings
at the end of each year as di
rected by the Credit Union
Board of Directors. They are
computed on the balance in each
member’s account at the end of
the year based on the length of
time this balance has been on
deposit.
Increase In Dividends
The dividends paid on accounts
during 1967 will amount to
$65,604.31 as compared to $48,-
267.85 during 1966, or a 36% in
crease. Members savings at the
end of 1967 amounted to $1,369,-
884.09 as compared to $1,060,-
469.37 at the beginning of the
year, or a 29% increase.
A total of 409 new accounts
were added during 1967, bring
ing the total number of mem
bers in the Credit Union to 2,159.
During this past year 2,316
loans were approved for mem
bers totaling $3,032,010.14. The
Piedmont Aviation Credit Union
is a cooperative employees or
ganization, owned and operated
by the employees of Piedmont
Aviation, Inc. The cost of oper
ating the Credit Union is shared
with Piedmont Aviation, Inc.,
and is operated for the benefit
of its members. The purpose of
the Credit Union is to provide
a convenient method for mem
bers to save money and secure
loans.
Statements will be mailed to
members by the end of January
RICHARD SMITH
GSO
West Virginia and he attended
Marshall University.
Mrs. Waugh is the former
Joann Dobbins of Huntington.
They have three children.
Succeeding Waugh as Manager
at Hot Springs is former Chief
Agent Lyle Cox. Cox is a native
(Coutinued on Page Two)
r For 1968 ‘
The President's Prospectus
A year ago we had just completed the greatest year in our
company’s history.
It was a great feeling. Yet, we realized there were many
factors which indicated it would be extremely difficult to top that
record again in 1967. In the 1967 New Year edition of the
Piedmonitor, I mentioned five or six of the more readily apparent
difficulties with which we would be confronted. Little did I know
then that even more difficulties would arise including the worst
operational weather in years and a very tragic accident:
As a result, I must report to you that 1967 was not a very
satisfactory year in most respects. Except for the capital gains
on the disposal of our F-27’s, the Airline Division operated at a
loss. Happily, our general aviation operations had a good year in
aircraft and service sales and earned nice profit.
Even so, I must hasten to say that there were some good
things that happened and some progress made.
First, to my mind, is the realization that our difficulties
during the year were not the result of a lack of effort and dili
gence on the part of Piedmont employees. They were the result
of factors largely or completely beyond our control. I am con
vinced that most of our gang did their best even though the
results may not look like it.
Secondly, I know that we all learned a lot during the year
that will pay dividends in the future. This is particularly true
with the tremendous amount of learning and experience we have
behind us in progressing to our jet program.
Third, we paved the way for future rapid growth by opening
service on the New York route, getting final approval of a route
extension to Nashville and Memphis, completing implementation
of the FH-227’s into our fleet and embarking on a program de
signed to make Piedmont an all-jet-powered airline in 1969 by
ordering ten YS-ll’s, with an option for ten more, to replace our
404’s. In addition, we filed applications with the CAB for route
extensions to Miami and to Chicago.
Fourth, we began work on our wonderful new home office
and maintenance facility which by year end was about half
completed.
Fifth, Piedmont again set the pace by having the highest load
factor in the local service industry and operated with far less
subsidy than any of the others.
So, for these and many other reasons we have a lot for which
to be thankful.
While much of what we accomplished and learned in 1967
will be a big help, the new year will require a continuation of
that good old Piedmont devotion to duty. This year will be one
of major transition for our company. Our six 737’s and ten YS-ll’s
will be delivered and we will be opening service to Nashville
and Memphis. In July we will move into our new headquarters.
Hopefully, we may even have Miami and Chicago before year
end. While we are doing all of this, we have still got to keep our
eye on the ball and give our customers SUPER SERVICE. Along
with all of this, we have got to turn around our profit picture to
assure continuation of a strong and financially sound company.
Let’s get at it. God bless you.
—T. H. Davis
First YS-11 Is Christened Sakura
(Cherry Blossom) Pacemaker
Piedmont’s first Nihon YS-llA
60-passenger prop jet airliner
was christened the “Sakura
(Cherry Blossom) Pacemaker”
in ceremonies at Nagoya, Japan,
by Mrs. T. H. Davis, wife of
President Davis. The “Sakura
Pacemaker” and a second YS-
llA departed Japan in mid-Janu
ary for the United States.
Cable Prom DOT
On the occasion of the chris
tening, Secretary Alan Boyd sent
the following message to Mr.
Nagahide Mori, president of
Nihon Aeroplane Manufacturing
Company, and Mr. Davis: “The
U. S. Department of Transpor
tation extends its best wishes to
Piedmont Airlines and to Nihon
Aeroplane Manufacturing Com
pany, on the occasion of the
dedication of the first YS-llA
aircraft which have been pur
chased by Piedmont. The con
tract between these two com
panies is further evidence of the
strong economic ties which bind
together the U. S. and Japan.
Japanese manufacturers who
sell their products to the U. S.
and American manufacturers
who sell products in Japan are
participating in an enterprise
which strengthens friendship
between our peoples. We are
aware of Japanese important ad
vances in the field of transpor
tation and Piedmont’s purchase
of ten YS-llA’s is recognition of
Japan design capability within
this area. We salute all sectors
of the transportation industry
of both countries in their efforts
on behalf of improved transpor
tation in a stable world com
munity.”
Davis Comments
At the christening ceremony.
President Davis, following the
deliverance of greetings on be
half of the officers and directors
of the Company remarked, “This
is a very happy and eventful day
for Piedmont and a very signifi
cant day for a large area of the
United States because the YS-11
will assure the finest possible
air service to many of the cities
served by Piedmont. I hope and
believe this is also a happy and
eventful day for Nihon Aero
plane Manufacturing Company,
the Japanese Government and,
indeed, all the people of Japan.
So typical of the Land of the
Rising Sun, the YS-11 is a shin
ing example of the rising im
portance of Japan as a world
leader in technology and produc
tion.
It is my fervent hope that this
undertaking between Nihon and
Piedmont is but one of many
similar mutually beneficial en
deavors between our two great
countries.”
CAB Has Issued
Show Cause Order
In SDF - CVG Case
The Civil” Aeronautics Board
has issued an order tentatively
finding that Piedmont Airlines
should be authorized to operate
non-stop between Louisville, Ky.,
and Cincinnati, Ohio.
In regard to this action. Presi
dent T. H. Davis commented,
“We are delighted to learn of
the Board’s favorable decision.
While not a major route exten
sion, this authority would make
possible significant service bene
fits between Louisville and
Cincinnati. Travelers and ship
pers in the two cities and con
tiguous communities have con
tinually sought more and im
proved service between Cincin
nati and Louisville. In addition,
the authority would greatly im
prove our operational efficiency.
Presently, Piedmont flights east
of Cincinnati are characterized
by a large number of stops. The
ability to combine Louisville
and Cincinnati on the same
flight would greatly increase
Piedmont’s ability to render
more express-type service over
its system. This new authority
would permit Piedmont to
schedule additional flights with
fewer stops east of Cincinnati
to such points as Roanoke, Rich
mond and Norfolk, and Winston-
Salem, Greensboro, Charlotte
and Raleigh-Durham.”