fi
In honor of a dream
As part ot this year's anniversary celebration an exact replica of Lind
bergh's plane is duplicating the flight he made around the U.S. in
1927 following the historic trip to Paris.
On May 20, 1927, a young pilot set out
on a nonstop journey from New York to
Paris. Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr.,
made that day one of the most famous in
aviation history.
Not only did his historic flight open
the doors to the age of air travel, but he
spent much of his life involved in medical
research, conservation and wildlife preser-'
vation helping to further improve the
quality of life and the world we live in.
A project headed by General Jimmy
Doolittle and former astronaut Neil Arm
strong hopes to raise $5 million to establish
the Charles A. Lindbergh Memorial Fund
as a part of the 50th anniversary celebra
tion of the hero’s flight.
Piedmont Aviation, Inc., along with
hundreds of members of the aviation in
dustry and interested individuals, is help
ing to fund the project.
The Memorial Fund will provide finan
cial assistance to students in areas of study
which advance scientific progress while
maintaining the ecological balance essential
to survival.
Lindbergh Fellowships will be awarded
annually on May 21 to undergraduate and
graduate students and to professionals in
their fields for projects closely associated
with aeronautic research, exploration, field
and natural sciences, conservation and
wildlife preservation.
For more information on the Fund, con
tact The Lindbergh Memorial Fund, 30
East 42nd Street, New York, N. Y. 10017.
May/June, 1977
Vol. XXVIII, No. 3
Second quarter results were best ever
More passengers were carried by Piedmont
during the second quarter than have ever before
been carried during any quarterly period. Also,
the month of June was the best for any single
month in the Company’s history and on May
27, 1977, we carried the greatest number of
passengers ever carried on any single day. The
overall improvement in traff'ic produced earn
ings of $2,916,506, or $1.15 per share, an in
crease of 36 per cent over the second quarter
of 1976 when we earned $2,145,164 or SQf per
share. For the first six months, earnings in
1977 were more than four times the amount
earned in the same period of 1976. After deduct
ing the first quarter losses, earnings were
$1,775,090, or lOf per share, this year as com
pared to $406,269, or 16^' per share, last year.
The largest improvement was in passenger
revenues which rose a total of $8.8 million for
the six-month period. Of ^ this amount, $4.5
million was derived from a growth in passenger
traffic and $4.3 million came from higher fares.
Total gross revenues rose 16 per cent from $49.5
million for the second quarter of 1976 to $57.4
million this year. For the six-month periods,
gross revenues were up 15 per cent from $89.4
million in 1976 to $102.5 million in 1977.
The airline traffic figures for the second
quarter showed revenue passenger miles were
up 7.66 per cent for the April through June
period, from 304,817,033 in 1976 to 328,157,437
this year. Passenger boardings rose 6.93 per
cent for the three-month period, from 1,016,316
last year to 1,086,771 at the end of June, 1977
The passenger load factor for the April through
June period was 53.50 per cent.
For the first six months of 1977, revenue
passenger miles increased 7.18 per cent. There
were 585,000,686 revenue passenger miles flown
through June of this year as compared to 545,-
788,924 during the same period last year. Pas
senger boardings for the first half of 1977
totaled 1,948,987, up 5.77 per cent over the
1,842,582 passengers carried during the first
six months of 1976. The passenger load factor
for January through June, 1977 was 50.25 per
cent. For the first half of last year, it was 50.20
per cent.
New route and new plane added in June
Company seeks
restriction
improvements
In late June and early July Piedmont filed
two requests with the Civil Aeronautics Board
which would improve operating restrictions.
In the first instance, the Company asked the
CAB for permission to operate on a one-stop
basis between Raleigh/Durham and New York
Newark. The Company has been required to
make two stops in this market.
In asking that the Board amend the certi
ficate, the Company said the change was to
improve aircraft routing flexibility. The Board
was asked to issue a show cause order in the
case.
In its second, similiar request Piedmont
asked the CAB for permission to operate one-
stop flights between Charlotte and Washington.
The Company has also been required to make
two stops in this market. In its filing to the
Board, the Company said the two stop restric
tions between Charlotte and Washington pre
vent Piedmont from improving services in other
unrelated markets. For example, the new au
thority would allow the Company to ofl'er
flights from points west or south of Charlotte
to the Queen City and on to Washington with
only one intermediate stop.
Piedmont’s second, in the current fleet, 727
went into service with the June 14 schedule
change. In honor of the 50th anniversary of
the real beginning of air travel. President Davis
named the jet, N832, the Lindbergh Pacemaker.
It is the only Piedmont plane ever to have been
named for an individual. Traditionally, the
Pacemakers have been given first names recog
nizing difl'erent areas served by the Company.
The first of our present 727s, N833, is the Kitty
Hawk Pacemaker.
For employees who’ve joined the Company
since 1967, an explanation of our use of current/
present 727s is in order. The 727s Piedmont is
now flying are not the Company’s first. Back in
March of 1967 Piedmont inaugurated its very
first pure jet service using Boeing 727 aircraft.
They were planes Piedmont had leased for use
until the Company’s first 737s were delivered.
In 1968, when our first 737s went into service,
we returned the 727 to Boeing. Piedmont be
came the first airline in the world to “retiTe”
the Boeing 727 from its fleet. So, to keep the
Company’s fleet history accui'ate. Piedmont’s
1977 Boeing 727s are not the first. The 727s
were simply reinstated in the Piedmont fleet
this year.
In addition to a new plane the June 14
schedule boasted new nonstop jet service from
Richmond and Tri-Cities to New York. The Civil
Aeronautics Board had granted Piedmont’s re
quests to provide those services earlier in the
spring.
f'ffomonr
piEnmaiiT
A show cause procedure was also requested
in this case.
The second, in the current fleet, 727 went into service actually of the first 727, N833. It was our first view
with the June 14 schedule change. This picture is of the big bird in the present paint scheme.