MOSIIC QUARANTINE FACIUTY
JIP- -'X- .
No, Piedmont has not
acquired a mobile quarantine
facility. So what is Allen Perry
doing? See story on
page five.
MANNED SPACEC
CENTER^
Vol. XXVIII, No. 1
January/February, 1977
Company's earnings soared in 1976
A 2000 per cent increase is more easily
understood by saying 20 times greater. However
it’s expressed, Piedmont’s earnings were up that
much in 1976 over the depressed earnings of
1975.
Net income was $4,398,033, or $1.76 per
share in 1976. In 1975 net income was $204,293,
or $.08 per share. The $4.4 million is the second
highest amount earned by Piedmont in one
year, exceeded only by earnings of $7 million
in 1974.
Gross revenues for the Company were
$192,053,665 in 1976 compared to $167,292,016
a year earlier, an increase of 14.8 per cent.
Costs and expenses rose 11.4 per cent from
$166,887,973 in 1975 to $186,012,743 in 1976.
For the fourth quarter of 1976, Piedmont
Aviation’s net income was $2,024,955. This was
an increase of 69 per cent over the $1,197,635
net income posted for the last three months
of 1975.
Gross revenues for the final quarter were up
22.7 per cent to $52,575,572 in 1976 compared
to $42,848,752 a year earlier.
The Airline Division also showed sub
stantial increases in traffic for 1976.
There were 1,157,179,076 revenue passenger
miles flown in scheduled service last year. This
was an increase of 9.06 per cent from the 1,061,-
020,738 flown in 1975.
Available seat miles flown in 1976 were up
5.87 per cent, to 2,266,275,134 from 2,140,613,-
302 in 1975.
Passenger boardings for last year totaled
Last year was safest for airlines
The year 1976 was the safest in commercial
aviation history for the nation’s air carriers.
In a January mailgram to Piedmont Presi
dent T. H. Davis, J. L. McLucas, Federal Avia
tion Administrator, said “The Nation’s air
carriers — scheduled and supplemental airlines
— have just completed one of the safest years
since commercial aviation started in 1927. The
airlines had the best safety record in more than
20 years and in terms of passengers carried,
1976 was the safest in commercial aviation’s
50-year history. This notable achievement is
all the more remarkable in a year that also set
a new record for the number of passengers
carried by U.S. airlines — about 220 million
men, women and children. The achievement of
1976 reflects the professionalism of all those
involved in the safety of flight. I am referring
to those on the ground as well as those who
fly the planes. Please extend my congratulations
to all the dedicated men and women in your
airline who, over the years — and particularly
the year just past — helped to establish so
splendid a record of safety, a record to be proud
of as we mark the just completed half century
of commercial avaition.”
In thanking McLucas Davis replied “You
are entirely correct that the credit for such an
achievement properly belongs to airline per
sonnel on the ground and in the air, w'ho have
demonstrated so much devotion to duty. I am
taking the liberty of making your message
available to all our employees, along with my
gratitude and challenge to continue to make
further progress.”
The delivery crew for the 727 included, from left, Henry Wilson, Joe Moorefield, Jim Sifford, Jack Tadlock and Bud Gilley
3,859,819, a gain of 7.13 per cent over the
3,603,001 passengers carried in 1975.
The passenger load factor for 1976 was
51.06 per cent compared with 49.57 per cent of
1975.
During the fourth quarter of 1976, the Air
line posted a 3.72 per cent increase in revenue
passenger miles. For the October/November/
December period, revenue passenger miles
totaled 292,591,915 as compared to 282,101,905
for the same months of 1975.
Available seat miles increased 7.76 per cent
in the fourth quarter of last year to 579,598,954
from 537,847,052 in 1975.
Passenger boardings for the last thi-ee
months of the year were 965,149, up 2.39 per
cent over the 942,608 passengers carried in the
final quarter of 1975.
We're number one!
For the third consecutive year Piedmont
employees kept their passengers happier than
any other regional carrier.
According to the year-end report of the
Civil Aei'onautics Board’s Ofl'ice of the Con
sumer Advocate Piedmont had the fewest pas
senger complaints per 100,000 boardings of all
the regionals. In addition, we ended the year
as number two for the entire industry. Only
Delta had a better record than ours for the
year. And we had been ahead of them for the
first seven months of 1976.
For five out of the past seven years Pied
mont has been the number one regional in this
report. We came in second those other two
years.
Kitfy Hawk Pacemaker
takes off in mid-March
For the first time since 1968 there is a
Boeing 727 flying in Piedmont’s colors.
The Kitty Hawk Pacemaker went on the
line in mid-March. The plane, N833N, arrived in
Winston-Salem on January 15, 1977. From then,
right up until it was put on schedule a lot of
people all but lived with our big bird to get
it ready. It had been owned by Lufthansa
and needed some modifications to conform with
Piedmont’s standards.
This newest Piedmont 727 has 113 passenger
seats and a crew of six. On the initial schedule
its flights are the 600-699 series. The cities
with 727 service currently include Winston-
Salem, Roanoke, Chicago, Newark and Tri-
Cities.
The day the Kitty Hawk Pacemaker made
its introductory flight the Company announced
plans to purchase a second Boeing 727. Number
two is coming from Delta. It is scheduled for
delivery the latter part of April and will be
ready for service by summer.