PAGE T\lfO
THE PIEDMONITOR
FEBRUARY, 1970
THBPiEomonim
Piedmont Aviation, Inc.
Smith Reynolds Airport
Winston-Salem, N. C.
Betsy Allen, Editor
Editorial Reply
Understanding The Situation
This comment is with regard to the editorial in the January,
1970, Piedmonitor, concerning rudeness by PI employees toward
pass-riders. The examples mentioned are certainly not excuses
for being rude but they most definitely tend to shallow the depth
of compassion with which one might approach an unpleasant
situation. For a suggestion to improve the situation which you
indicated exists, I would express the fact that we do everything
possible and within regulations to accommodate pass-riders.
Just recently, it was rather difficult for me to explain to a
pass-rider and his wife, why we had to move them from a
flight even though the aircraft departed with nearly fifteen empty
seats. The fact that we had nine other people, revenue passen
gers, who could not go either seemed to make little difference.
The full scope of this situation can only be appreciated when
one thinks of the size of our station at Myrtle Beach when
compared to Atlanta or Washington. These instances happened
to me and I do not regularly work on the ticket counter.
One morning not too long ago two flight attendants checked
in with class C passes going to Washington, for our flight 910
which operates from Myrtle Beach to Goldsboro to New Bern to
Washington. As I was checking their luggage I advised them
that they would probably be taken off the flight in Goldsboro due
to an oversale problem there. On hearing this one indicated she
wanted to purchase a full fare ticket as she had to be in Wash
ington that afternoon to work on a flight. This surprised me of
course, and I could offer no explanation that she would accept,
as to the reasons she could not buy a full fare ticket.
I can only imagine that the other stewardess had no more
knowledge of the reason for my action than her friend as she
made no effort to explain why we could not sell her a ticket.
Of the above two problems, one could have been prevented
with a little common sense and the other with a little more
knowledge of aircraft restrictions. The absence of both problems
would of course have prevented the rudeness that occurred.
We, at Piedmont, do have a very liberal pass policy, but to
appreciate we must understand it fully. I think that is the key
to less rudeness.
—John T. Montgomery, ORE
PRESIDENT’S PROSPECTUS
(Conti(Uied from Pajje One)
best to support this effort.
In closing, and with all the sincerity at my
command, I want to thank you for your loyalty
and hard work.
To our maintenance personnel, including
mechanics, electronics personnel, and other
fleet service and support personnel, for rising
to the challenge in the difficult transition to
new, more sophisticated equipment.
To our station personnel who have done
such a terrific job — many times during the
past year under very trying circumstances.
To our accounting, purchasing and clerical
and other related employees — the unsung
heroes who quietly, effectively and diligently
carry on a far more important function than is
generally recognized.
To our fUght crews — the pilots who have,
especially during recent months, been doing
such an outstanding job in keeping our flights
on time — and the stewardesses whose perform
ance has been resulting in a flood of compli
mentary letters from our passengers.
And to our General Aviation, Central Pied
mont Aero and Aerospace Institute gang —
bless them — they earned a nice profit last year!
You are a great people. I am proud to be
associated with you. I know I can depend on
you to do your part to launch our Company into
the new decade of the Super Seventies on a
profitable basis.
Congrats
25 YEARS
I.. J. Lambert—Stckrm. Supvr., INT
20 YEARS
E. L. Hurt—Sr. Mech., INT
M. E. Stokely—Cai>t., ILM
Palmer Alexander—Data Prcess.
Sui)vr., INT
D. 15. Johnson—Ld. Mech., INT
.1. M. Higgs—Sr. Mech., INT-FB
B. A. Walker—Jet Capt., ATL
J. H. Gibson—Capt., ATL
C. A. Hughes—Capt., ILM
P. N. Lyons—Fit. Serv., INT
15 YEARS
J. L. Brown—Stkrm. Clk., INT-FB
B. J. Heflin—Ld. Agent, LEX
Sara Kelly—Agent, INT
Ted Arrington—Sta. Mgr., BLF
D. W. Kimery—F/A, INT
C. W. .Morrison—Dis])atcher, INT
It. F. Mvrick—Parts Sales Kej).,
lN'r-FI5
W. K. Gordon—Dispatcher, INT
r. J. Johnson—Chf. Agent, HTS
E. E. Pickel—Agent, TRI
B. R. Barnes—Ca))t., ILM
10 YEARS
K. L. W'ood—Jr. Mech., ROA
W. A. Gooson—Parts Clk., ORF-FB
D. E. Collins—Sr. Mech., ROA
D. G. Moles—Instr., PASI
R. R. Gabriel—Sr. S))ec., INT
G. W. Lancaster—S/O, ATL
R. L. Mann—Capt., ILM
B. J. Barnliardt—Sr. S|)ec., INT
J. L. Elmer—Sr. Mech., ORF-FB
W'. A. WHshon—Sr. S])ec., INT
L. P. W’renn—Gen. Mgr., INT-CPA
F. 1(. Krynicki—I,d. Mech., ROA
5 YEARS
K. N. Johnston—Ld. Agent, ATL
R. H. Wamj)ler—Agent, ROA
S. R. Collins—I.d. Agent, GSB
Jacob Moffett—Porter, ATL
U. W. Williams—Sr. Stk. Clk., INT
Pat Craig—Agent, ATL
L. A. Clvburn—1x1. Agent, FAY
J. E. Grubb—Jr. Clk., INT-FB
C. K. Carter—Jet F/0, ORF
J. M. Bruton—Jr. Mech., ILM
W. (). Radford—Agent, HSP
Around the System
PROMOTIONS
\V'. Lucas—to Sr. Mech., ORF
C. F. Franklin—to Ld. Mech., MEM
J. F’. Nel.son—to Ld. .Mech., ROA
J. E. Davis—to Ld. Mech., SDF
K. W. May—to Ld. Agent, LYH
R. V. Shi)iton—to Div. Chf. Pilot,
ILM
B. L. Hari)er—to Sta. Mgr., DAN
A. J. Slaydon—to Mech., ROA
W. L. Summers—to Mech., ORF
W^ R. Wimmer—to Sr. Mech., INT
M. H. Baugess—to Sr. Work Cont.,
INT
S. H. Dudley—to I/d. .Mech., ORF
S. E. Elmore—to I.d. Agent, BLF
J. T. Gibson—to Inspector, ROA
W. D. Boggs—to Ld. Agent, DCA
D. R. Collins—to Ld. Agent, BNA
D. A. Coughenour—to I^d. Agent,
DCA
L. G. Brooks—Chf. Agent, ISO
G. A. Gentry—Chf. Agent, AVL
M. A. Pequignot—Acting Res. Mgr.,
CVG
S. L. Smith—Ld. Agent, ROA
TRANSFERS
E. G. Booth—INT to ROA
N. B. Mitchell—SHD to RIC
R. H. Bishop—INT to ORF
F. O. Adkins—To Asst, to Dir. of
Fit. Standards, INT
V. B. Crisp—to Sta. Mgr., DAN
W. D. Hall—to Instructor-Fit. 0))s.,
INT
M. L. Jones—RIC to ORF
PI Employee Stock
Purchase Progress
To help you keep up with the
amount you pay for Piedmont
stock every month if you’re buy
ing it through payroll deduction
the Piedmonitor publishes this
periodic report of the number of
shares purchased, average price
per share and total investment in
the previous month.
FOR DECEMBER, 1969
Amount Invested $4,528.41
Number of Full
Shares Purchased 465
Average Price Paid
Per Share $ 9.72
FOR JANUARY, 1970
Amount Invested $4,638,38
Number of Full
Shares Purchased 651
Average Price Paid
Per Share $ 7.12
How Goes It?
Mechanically speaking the January statistics revealed the
following:
Mechanical Dispatch Reliability Actual Forecast
FH-227 97.8% 99.4%
YS-llA 98.3% 99.0%
B-737 97.4% 99.0%
On-Time Performance of flights
operated not more than 15 minutes late - 72.1%
Load B'actor Actual Quota Forecast
39.9% 40.05%
HISTORY OF THE MARTINS
(Continued from l*:igo Three)
wide acceptance in later aircraft.
The maintenance manuals for
the airplane are still a model for
readibility and completeness.
Piedmont had a maximum fleet
of 32 Martin 404’s in 1967. The
Company has owned 36. Of these
twenty-four were TWA and twelve
were Eastern type.
We started operations with the
Martins in 1962. In that year we
flew 28,701 hours, 1963 — 43,200
hours, 1964 — 47,755 hours, 1965 —
56,143 hours, 1966 — 68,577 hours,
1967 — 78,516 hours, 1968 — 66,281
hours, 1969 — 31,394 hours for a
total fleet hours through 1969 of
420,567 hours.
The basic maintenance problems
encountered with the Martin 404
were the engine, cabin supercharg
er, and the electrical system. After
various modifications and improve
ments by Piedmont maintenance
personnel we established a degree
of reliability for piston equipment
that is unequalled in the industry.
Pratt and Whitney says that Pied
mont Airlines now has the best
R-2800 operational record that
exists. The overhaul agency for
the airconditioning components re
port that we have the highest re
liability and lowest cost of any
operator. The electrical system
was improved to the point where
it was not a major problem are^
The dispatch reliability for 1969
was 98.6%. The average modern
day jet aircraft does not meet this
reliability level.
The Martin 404 was orginally
designed to have a maximum take
off weight of 42,750 lbs. This was
later raised to 43,000 lbs. and then
to 44,900 using water injection en
gines. Piedmont operated at 43,650
pounds.
The Piedmont Martin 404 was
different from EAL or TWA. We
added radar, DME, and trans
ponder. We removed terrain warn
ing and the galley ovens. We modi
fied the TWA type to 44 seats and
deleted portions of the oxygen
system.
The steps in growth that we have
now accomplished by phasing out
the DC-3, F-27, and M-404 will be
looked upon with nostalgia. We
tend to forget the bad things and
remember the good. The Martin
404 certainly has it’s share of the
good in Piedmont’s history.
All five of the remaining Martins
will be based in Roanoke to be
used for charter work. Some of
those that have been sold or traded
are now being used by corporate
operators. An effort is being made
to convert others for fire fighting.
VFR
with
Turby
Part II of — Things That Have Happened in the Airline Business
in the Past Forty Years.
I think the time I was most embarrassed in dealing with passengers
occurred back in 1940 when I was Station Manager at GSO. I had
three passengers booked one morning to Houston. These three passen
gers (all men) arrived about an hour before departure time. Shortl^^
after checking them in, I was informed by teletype that the flight ws^B
canceled due to mechanical at RIC. In those days, there was verjl^
little frequency of service and this was our only direct flight to
Houston; however, that afternoon, we did have a flight which terminat
ed in New Orleans with an early A.M. connection to Houston which I
offered to these gentlemen.
They could not make up their minds whether to wait until the
next morning for this same flight or go on to New Orleans. So, trying
to be of service to the gentlemen, I suggested they take the afternoon
flight to New Orleans since New Orleans was a “wide-open” town,
with the French Quarter and its “girlie” shows and many bars and
wild night life in general.
With this suggestion, I was informed by one of the gentlemen that
they were all three Baptist Ministers and were on their way to a
church convention.
This was one of the few times I’ve been at a loss for words. They,
sensing my embarrassment, eased the pain by saying they would go
to New Orleans as it would be a good test of their restraint.
I never knew how strong their restraint was???
* * *
With some care, the human body will last a lifetime.