me piBamoniTon
Merry
Christmas!
VOL. VIII, NO. 11-12
THE BEST WAY TO TRAVEL — ALL OVER PIEDMONTLAND
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 1966
m
%
SANTA SAYS — Since some of PAI's Christmas presents, the FH-227B's, came a little
before the big day, his helpers have a lot of work to do in order to get them on the
line early next year. He seems to be pitching in to help INT radio technician James
Samples.
New Facilities
Are Planned
For Home Office
Along with the Forsyth County
Airport Commission, Piedmont
has announced plans for a $1 mil
lion expansion program at Smith
Reynolds Airport.
The Airport Commission will
build a large maintenance han
gar north of the main airport
building and lease it to Piedmont.
President Davis said the num
ber of new jet aircraft being
bought by the airline is one of
the main reasons for the expan
sion.
“Our present facilities are not
adequate to accommodate all the
growth we foresee,” he said.
Included in the 300,000-square-
foot maintenance hangar will be
additional office space.
Included in the airport com
mission’s expansion plan is ex
tension of runway 3 to the north
west to give the airport another
runway capable of handling
piedmont’s big jets.
The airport’s primary runway,
"which can handle jets now, will
be strengthened to accommodate
even heavier aircraft.
Piedmont intends to construct
ten T-hangars at the northern
end of the airport and lease them
to owners of private planes. This
will be a $50,000 investment.
Construction of the T-hangars
and strengthening of the main
instrument runway will begin in
the spring of 1967.
Construction of the mainten
ance hangar will begin at about
the same time. It is expected to
be completed by the spring of
1968.
The new hangar facility will
enable Piedmont to continue its
policy of bringing all the airline’s
planes to Smith Reynolds for in
spection, maintenance and over
haul.
New York Progress Report
by Eddie Jones
Since the beginning of our op
erations into New York, we have
received many questions relative
to our setup here. We would like
to familiarize you with some of
the local conditions and answer
some of your questions.
First of all, we handled a total
of 2,462 passengers during No
vember’s fifteen days of opera
tion, 1,207 boarded and 1,255 de
planed.
Our operations in New York
are handled by Eastern Air
Lines at LaGuardia Airport —
MAIN TERMINAL. The reason
for indicating main terminal is
that Eastern operates their shut
tle flights from a separate termi
nal approximately one-half mile
from the main terminal. Here in
the main terminal they handle
their fifteen scheduled flights
plus our five. A courtesy car op
erates between the two terminals
every five minutes for the con
venience of connecting passen
gers. This courtesy car is a
stretched Checker Limo painted
in Eastern colors and operates
during hours of the shuttle
flights.
Check-In
There is no specific check-in
position at Eastern’s ticket coun
ter for Piedmont customers. All
positions are equipped with our
tie-lines to Washin^on Reserva
tions Offices, Piedmont baggage
tags, etc., in order to expedite
our customers as they arrive.
Ticketing
Eastern ticket stock is being
used for all ticketing, all of
which must be done at La
Guardia—Main Terminal. We are
not set up for any advance ticket
ing at either of the downtown
terminals (Eastside or Westside
Terminals) or at the Eastern
Shuttle Ticket Counter. There
has been some confusion recent
ly whereas passengers were ad
vised they could check-in at the
downtown terminals before com
ing to the airport, or perhaps
purchase on-line tickets with
Piedmont credit cards, at these
points.
Insofar as our Piedmont Credit
Cards, Trade Agreement Cards,
etc.. Eastern uses the same poli
cy we do even though their
ticket stock is used; however,
tickets must be purchased at
LGA — Main Terminal only. Our
Washington Reservations Office
handles bookings for the New
York flights, and our present
procedure is for them to forward
Eastern’s ticket counter a ticket
ing manifest approximately two
hours prior to each flight. This
enables them to have tickets
ready prior to the customer’s
check-in.
Ground Transportation
The distance between LGA and
JFK is approximately fourteen
miles,'all via Expressway; how
ever, driving time can vary
drastically, depending upon the
time of day. Under normal con
ditions, driving time is approxi
mately twenty-five minutes and
can increase up to forty-five min
utes to one hour during rush
hours (7:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m. and
4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.).
Various ground transportation
rates requested recently are:
LGA-JFK — Carey Coach $1.35
— Every half hour.
LGA to City (Eastside or West-
side Terminals) — Carey Coach
$1.50 — Every fifteen minutes.
LGA-JFK — Taxicab approx.
$3.00.
(Continued on Page Eight)
Aerospace Institute Opens
Under Piedmont Sponsorship
The announcement of the open
ing of a training school for avia
tion students sponsored by Pied
mont Aviation, Inc., has been
made by President T. H. Davis.
Named the Piedmont Aero
space Institute, the new depart
ment is located at 1800 North
Liberty Street in Winston-Salem.
Its stated objective is the pro
vision of technical education and
training opportunities for per
sons interested in entering aero
space careers.
The initial course offered is
“The Aircraft Maintenance Tech
nician.” It is a fourteen month
full-time program which pre
pares the students to become
Federal Aviation Agency certi
fied airframe and power plant
mechanics.
Future Curriculum
Plans for future curriculum
additions include advanced elec
tronics specifically related to
aviation (avionics) as well as
programs designed for ground
and air crew personnel.
Lt. Col. Henry F. Murray,
USAF (Ret.), is director of the
institute. Included among the in
stitute’s staff are: J. Fryhover,
administrative assistant and in
structor in Basic Mathematics
and Science; A. S. Rinehardt,
senior Airframe and Power Plant
instructor; Darius Moles, Jr., in
structor in Aircraft Electrical
and Basic Electronic subjects;
James R. Johnson, shop tech
nician and instructor in Me
chanical Drawing and Blueprint
Reading; Mrs. Faye Flippin, sec
retary; and Leonard Jackson,
custodian. Other personnel from
Piedmont will also serve as in
structors in their areas of tech
nical specialization.
Unique Spot
Murray feels that Piedmont
Aerospace Institute occupies a
unique place in the aviation in
dustry.
“Few, if any, other schools can
provide as broad a base for tech
nical education as does our in
stitute,” he commented.
“The resources of highly ex
perienced, technically qualified
personnel are exceptional. Physi
cal facilities of a scheduled air
line, a general aviation complex,
and a FAA approved flying
school, provide a base for un
beatable learning situations in a
variety of aeronautical occupa
tions.”
The Aircraft Maintenance
Technician curriculum involves
a six-weeks introductory study
including aero-industrial mathe
matics, aero-physics, mechanical
drawing, blueprint reading and a
basic acquaintance with related
Federal Aviation regulations.
Eighteen weeks of the course
is devoted to the study of air
frame structures, sheet metal
work and welding of aircraft
metal structures, and mainten
ance of landing gear, brakes, air-
conditioning and pressurization.
Similarly eighteen weeks of in
tense study are devoted to air
craft powerplants, including op
eration, maintenance, overhaul
procedures and practice. Twelve
further weeks are consumed in
aircraft electricity and introduc
tory electronics, including ele
mentary electro-physics study.
President Davis predicted that
Piedmont’s Aerospace Institute
will be a giant step toward the
provision of training not pre
viously available in this region,
where more and more persons
are becoming interested in tech
nical career fields. The vast ex
pansion of aviation expected
within the next few years will
provide a tremendous increase
in good career opportunities for
well trained aerospace tech
nicians.
Training History
Piedmont Aviation, Inc., has
trained aviation personnel since
the company was established in
1940. The Piedmont Aerospace
Institute represents a higher de
gree of formalization In this field.
The present curriculum and
facility is recognized by the Fed
eral Aviation Agency as an ap
proved mechanic school, and has
been awarded an Air Agency
Certificate to that effect. It is
also approved by the State Com
missioner of Veteran’s Education
for education benefits under PL-
358. Close liaison is being main
tained with Forsyth Technical
Institute of Winston-Salem. This
coordination will assure mu
tuality of purpose and strive to
avoid duplication.
Col. Murray stated that the
first class which began Novem
ber 21 was “the culmination of
many hours of work developing
the Aircraft Maintenance Tech
nician curriculum.” There are
nine students in the first class. ’
He paid particular tribute to
Rinehardt, Johnson, and Jack
son on his staff. These men, he
said, utilize their craftsmanship,
knowledge and ingenuity in set
ting up the shop and equipment
in a very short time.
’’
CLASSROOM PRACTICE — Part of the Institute's first class listens to In
structor A. S. Rinehardt explain repair steps. They are, from left, Ray
Shoemaker of Portsmouth, Va., Rinehardt, Arnold Moore of Greensboro,
John Hayes of North Wilkesboro, Wade Saunders of Winston-Salem, and
Jerry Hughes of Trinity, N. C.