VOL. 11 — NO. 7
Published By And For The Employees Of Piedmont Aviation, Inc.
JULY, 1959
CAB Decision Released PILOT BEAMER MEETS
Southeastern Case UNTIMELY DEATH
The Civil Aeronautics Board
on July 20 issued its press re
lease decision in the South
eastern States Area Investi
gation, in which it denied our
application for extension of
our routes in the State of
Tennessee. Quite frankly, we
are amazed at the outcome.
We have followed a policy of
seeking only route extensions
that are clearly justified. Evi
dence of this is the fact that
this is the first application
by Piedmont which, after
hearing, has been denied by
the Civil Aeronautics Board.
In this decision the Board
disregarded completely the re
commendation of the Exami
ner and the recommendations
of its own analysts in the
Bureau of Air Operations.
Completely aside from our
own disappointment in not be
ing awarded the routes we
sought, it is our feeling that
this decision fails to satisfy
the proven needs of the
travelling public.
Henry Rex. Beamer, born
December 2, 1928, was killed
Saturday, July 25, in an auto
mobile accident.
Mr. Beamer was employed
by Piedmont in March, 1953,
as a co-pilot. On July 1, 1957
he was granted a leave of
absence to be an executive
pilot for Krispy Kreme Com
pany. During his years of as
sociation with Piedmont, Mr.
Beamer gained the respect
and friendship of all who
knew him.
Not too many years ago, Mr.
Beamer became interested in
sports cars, and it was this
hobby that led to his death.
He was giving his AC Bristol
a trial run at Virginia Inter
national Raceway when sud
denly he seemed to lose con
trol of his car. He skidded
off the track and overturned
several times. The practice
run was in preparation for
the Sports Car Club of Amer
ica Races.
Mr. Beamer is survived by
his wife, Doris, and Steven,
his seven-year-old son.
Funeral services were held
Tuesday, July 28, at Wall
Glade Hill Chapel by Dr. Ro
nald E. Wall and the Rev.
D. D. Hodges. He was buried
in Antioch Baptist Church in
Surry County.
‘‘^USE IT OR
LOSE IT’’ PLAN
A new policy was adopted
by the CAB during the Seven
States Awards. The policy has
been labeled the “use it or
lose it” plan and means that
each city that has air service
will be required to reach a
certain number of passengers
boarded daily or stand a
chance of losing service.
“Under our ‘use it or lose
it’ policy, each city will be re
quired to meet a minimum
standard of use, e.g., enplane
an average of five or more
passengers daily,” the Board
said. “Unless a city enplanes
an average of at least five
passengers daily for the 12
months following the initial
six months of service, we will,
in the absence of unusual or
compelling circumstances, in
stitute a formal investigation
to determine whether that city
should lose its air service for
lack of use.”
The policy applies to a city
whether it has been certificat
ed for a temporary or an in
definite period. The policy
also applies to routes gran
ted to airlines.
If “the passenger load on each
flight serving a segment in
question averages less than
five passengers, we will begin
appropriate proceedings to de
termine whether to suspend
or delete the route segment,’
the Board explains.
There are two cities on the
Piedmont system which under
the new plan would be in
vestigated. Last month, Dan
ville averaged only two pas
sengers a day and London-
Corbin averaged a little over
five. These two cities are on
temporary certification and
are both being considered for
extention under the Piedmont
Area Case. We are certified
to serve both points until 60
days after the final decision
in this route application, but
under this new policy, the
cities will have to show that
they can increase passenger
boardings before they will be
eligible for continuted service.
Important
is Only H
A compromise decision by
this session of Congress to
cut the 10% travel tax in half
effective July 1, next year, is
a step in the right direction
but a battle only half won.
The Senate had voted for
immediate repeal of the whole
tax. But the House insisted
on no tax reductions this year
and the compromise was
reached by conferees who
met June 26 to resolve differ
ences in the House and Sen
ate versions of a bill to ex
tend the excise and corpor
ate income taxes for another
year. Repeal of the travel
tax was a Senate amendment.
Senator Maguson of Wash
ington termed the reduction
an “important first step tow-
Tax Battle
alf Won
ard ultimate outright repeal
of this discriminatory tax.”
Additional bills were intro
duced immediately to repeal
the tax, and sentiment in
the House appears widen
ing in support of ultimate re
peal. Senator Smathers of
Florida, who led +he move
for appeal in the Senate, as
serts that efforts to wipe out
the travel tax completely wi'.l
be renewed next session of
Congress.
Stuart G. Tipton, president
of the ATA said; “The sche
duled airline industry is
grateful to Senator Smathers
and his associates for their
successful efforts in the Sen
ate to remove the present 10%
See BATTLE - Page 3
NEW EXEC. CONVERSION
FOR CHATHAM COMPANY
The Chatham Company, well
known manufacturers of
blankets and fabrics, decided
not long ago to purchase a
DC-3 and have it converted
into an executive plane. Pied
mont, having done their main
tenance work for about two
years, was consulted and be
gan to investigate.
First of all, the right plane
for the right price had to
be found; but prices here in
the states were a bit steep.
Then Bill Davis, working on
a hunch, remembered that
Avensa Airlines of Venezue
la had bought F-27s and
thought they might
consequently sell their DC-3s.
Contact was made and the
hunch paid off. A quick trip
to Caracas proved that the
plane was in good condition.
Dale Balzer, Chatham’s pilot.
went down with Bill to ap
prove the ship and after final
agreement was made with
Chatham, Bill and “Pappy”
Wilkes returned to Caracas to
ferry the plan back home. A
little unusual and extra ef
fort, but it enabled Pied
mont to contract Chatham’s
executive conversion.
The ship is being equioped
with maximizer speed conver
sion which increases speed
through streamlining and en
gine modifaction, and radar
and radio equipment are be
ing installed. E. P. Stutts, an
interior decorator of Winston-
Salem, is helping with the de
sign of the interior which
will be done predominately in
biege and blue and will in
clude a tape reproducer for
continuous music and formica
cabinet work.
Bd. Of Directors
Meet In Winston
The Board of Directors of
Piedmont Aviation, Inc., met
in Winston-Salem this month
for their quarterly meeting.
After the proceedural open
ing and a calling for new and
old business, Mr. Davis gave
a report on the status of the
F-27 program and explained in
detail our latest route applica
tion.
BLOODMOBILE DAY FOR
TRANSPORTATION
EMPLOYEES
Each year we are ail giv
en the opportunity to give
blood to the Red Cross
Blood Bank. Support this
drive in your community.
Winston-Salem employees
can participate in the For
syth County Cooperative
Blood Program at the fol
lowing times;
August 4 - 11 A. M. to
5 p.m.
August 5 & 6 - 10 a.ifi. to
4 p.m.
On these days the Blooa-
mobile will be at the Old
Armory on Patterson Ave
nue.
Piedmont Presents Case In Hearings
The hearing before Exami
ner Paul N. Pfeiffer in the
Cincinnati/Detroit suspension
Case which began June 29
was concluded July 14. Essen
tially, this case involves the
suspension of certain route
authority presently held by
TWA between Cincinnati and
Detroit. TWA is willing to re
linquish its operating rights
between the following pairs
of points; Detroit/ Cincinnati,
Detroit/Dayton, Detroit/ Col
umbus, Toledo/ Cincinnati,
Toledo/Dayton, and Toledo/
Columbus. Three local service
airlines and two trunk carri'
ers participated as applicants
in the proceeding. The local
carriers were Piedmont, Lake
Central, and North
Central; the trunk carriers Ea.s
tern and Delta. Delta was aw
arded a route from Cincinnati
to Detroit via Dayton, Colum
bus, and Toledo in the Great
Lakes/Southast Case; however
the Board placed a long-haul
restriction on Delta’s authori-
tv. which provides that all
flights operated betv.'een Cin
cinnati and Detroit must ori
ginate and terminate south of
Atlanta, Georgia. In this case
Delta is seeking the removal
of this restriction.
A number o f cities on our
route were naturally much in
terested in this proceeding
since our proposal would
make possible for them first
one-plane, one carrier service
to Detroit, Dayton, and Toledo.
Dr. F. L. Blair, Chairman of
the Air Transportation Com
mittee of the Greater Parkers
burg Chamber of Commerce,
appeared on behalf of the
County Court of Wood County,
the City of Marietta Chamber
of Commerce and the Park
ersburg Chamber of Com
merce. Dr. Blair testified that
the Parkersburg/Marietta area
had a strong community of
interest with Dayton, Toledo,
and Detroit. In support of this:
See HEARINGS - Page 4