June 1984
volume 35, number 3
News about Piedmont. The Up-And-Coming Airline.
737-300S to spread Pi's wings in 1985
The 737-300 — Boeing’s new-
generation aircrcift with the lowest
seat-mile cost and overall noise
levels of any commercial airliner of
its type — has been chosen as the
aircraft of the future for Piedmont.
On May 21, following approval
by our Board of Directors, we
announced firm orders for 15 of the
new twinjet curcraft with options
on 15 more. Our first 737-300 is
scheduled for delivery next April.
Our order represents the largest
fleet expansion ever in the Com
pany’s history.
“These aircraft will give us
greater scheduling flexibility, fly
more passengers while consuming
less fuel, and provide airports
served by Piedmont with one of the
quietest aircraft in production
today,” Bill Howard, our president
and chief executive officer, said.
The 737-300 features a longer
fuselage than the 737-200, a new
engine, revised wing leading edge,
uprated flight deck, and more
extensive use of lightweight com
posite structures.
The flight deck will have the latest
digital computer technology for
automatic control and guidance of
the aircraft. At the same time
because the aircraft is similar to the
737-200, we will save money in
training and maintenance costs as
compared to setting up new pro
grams for an entirely different new-
generation aircraft.
Other modifications include:
• a strengthened wing to accom
modate more gross weight.
• heavier wheels, tires £md brakes.
• revised wing leading-edge slats
and tailoring of the aft flaps in the
Several hundred people
were on hand when the
first 737-300 was rolled
out January 17, 1984. in
a ceremony at Renton.
Washington, /^ter a
nine-month flight test
program, initial deliver
ies will begin late
this year. Piedmont is
scheduled to receive its
first 737-300 in spring
1985. The aircraft will
have the lowest seat-
mile cost and the lowest
overall noise levels of
any commercial airliner
of its type.
area of the engine exhaust for
improved performance,
lengthened and reshaped dorsal
fairing at the root of the vertical
tail.
repositioning the nose gear to
provide engine inlet ground
clearance about the same as
the 737-200.
mounting engine accessories at
the side of the nacelles instead
of the bottom to provide more
ground clearance, giving a flat
tened appearance to the bottom
of the engine inlet.
• a 22 percent increase in the
lower-hold cargo area due to extra
body length.
Ten of the first 15 aircraft we
receive will be in an all-coach seat
ing configuration that will offer 138
seats, 26 more than the 737-200s
we fly today. The remaining five new
aircraft will be delivered in a mixed
coach and first-class configuration
offering 128 seats and equipped for
transcontinental nonstop flight
range.
The new fuel-efficient CFM56-3
engines are produced by CFM
International, a company jointly
owned by General Electric Com
pany of the U.S. and SNECMA of
France. These new powerplants
enable the 737-300s to take off
more quietly than any comparable
size jetliner flying today.
For more on the 737-300s, see
pages 6 and 7.
Size Comparison
737-200/300
Dimensions In bfue are 737-300
94 ft-9 in.
100 ft - 2 in.—\\
- 109 ft-7 in.
-—41 ft-8 in.-*
-36 ft - 0 in.-
737-300
1-737-200
37 ft - 0 in.
*"36 ft-6 in.
[—37 ft - 4
in.—
— 40 ft-10 in.—
17 ft-2 in.
on the inside
• Training’s a $ 1 million busi
ness. For details, see page 2.
• Who’s ^4? Answer, page 3.
• Maintenance’s growing
responsibility, pages 4 and 5.
• Labonte wins at Riverside,
page 5.
• Passengers praise our LA serv
ice. Page 8 for compliments.
• Now it’s Dr. Davis. Page 9 for
story.