This article is about the airline founded as Henson Airlines in 1962, but currently called Piedmont Airlines. For the airline founded as Piedmont Airlines in 1948, see Piedmont Airlines (1948–1989).
Started in 1961 as Henson Airlines, the airline was rebranded in 1993 to re-use the name of Piedmont Airlines (1948–1989), one of the predecessors of today's American Airlines, to protect the brand.
In 1983, Piedmont Aviation bought Henson Airlines and re-branded the airline as "Henson, The Piedmont Regional Airline." Under Piedmont's control, the airline expanded rapidly, particularly in Florida. Both were purchased by the USAir Group in 1987 with Piedmont absorbed two years later and Henson's aircraft repainted in USAir Express livery.[5] The 1980s saw rapid growth by the company with the upgrade of its fleet to the de Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft and fleet expansion. With the growth in capacity, the airline expanded to Florida, including numerous intrastate routes in Florida, and it opened a maintenance facility in Jacksonville.[4]
The Piedmont name was resurrected in 1993, when USAir (the erstwhile Allegheny Airlines that became US Airways) renamed Henson to "Piedmont Airlines", to protect the Piedmont brand name, which could be used by others if not exercised in trade use for a period of time. USAir continued this practice by changing the name of its two other wholly owned regional airline subsidiaries, Jetstream and Suburban Airlines, to PSA Airlines and Allegheny Airlines, respectively. (Pacific Southwest Airlines was the name of a California-based airline merged into USAir.) In 1997, USAir was renamed US Airways, and Piedmont and Allegheny were likewise re-branded as US Airways Express carriers. US Airways merged Allegheny Airlines into Piedmont in 2004.
Operations
The airline had more than 10,000 employees, as of August 2022, and operated nearly 400 daily flights to more than 55 destinations.[6]
On September 23, 1985, Henson Airlines Flight 1517, a Beechcraft Model B99turboprop, crashed near Grottoes, Virginia. The crash was fatal to all 12 passengers and both crewmembers. This was the first fatality of a female commercial U.S. pilot, First Officer Zilda A. Spadaro-Wolan. The National Transportation Safety Board concluded that part of the probable cause of the crash was the airline's failure to standardize the cockpit configurations of its aircraft and on its failure to provide adequate training to its pilots.[11]
On November 16, 2008, US Airways Express Flight 4551, a Piedmont Airlines-operated Dash 8 turboprop, took off from Lehigh Valley International Airport at 8:20am heading to Philadelphia International Airport, had to make an emergency landing.[12][13] The flight crew was indicated that the front nose gear hadn't come down and had to make a flyover the runway for confirmation. Of 35 passengers and 3 crew, there were no injuries. The aircraft (N326EN) incurred only minor damage and was returned to service.
On January 1, 2011, US Airways Express Flight 4352, a Piedmont Airlines-operated Dash 8-100 turboprop forced an evacuation of the U.S. Capitol and fighter jets were scrambled from Andrews Air Force Base after Flight 4352 suffered radio problems on approach to Washington, DC'sRonald Reagan Washington National Airport and strayed into restricted airspace.[14][15] The Capitol was evacuated for approximately 20 minutes until the Dash 8 aircraft landed at Reagan National Airport.
On January 7, 2011, US Airways Express Flight 4507, a Piedmont Airlines-operated Dash 8-100 turboprop from Philadelphia International Airport to Tweed New Haven Regional Airport in Connecticut was struck by lightning over the Long Island Sound.[16] The captain reported electrical problems and diverted safely to Long Island MacArthur Airport due to more favorable weather conditions. The aircraft had 33 passengers aboard who were then bussed to New Haven.
^"Piedmont Airlines Fleet Details and History". www.planespotters.net. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
^"Piedmont Airlines to add 15 Embraer 145s to the fleet". Piedmont Airlines. August 1, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
^"After 33 years, Piedmont Airlines retires planes that revolutionized regional industry". Delmarva Daily Times. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
^The first female commercial U.S. pilot fatality involving a propeller aircraft was that of First Officer Zilda A. Spadaro-Wolan, in the Henson Airlines flight 1517 turboprop crash of September 23, 1985, near Grottoes, Virginia."Aircraft Accident Report: Henson Airlines Flight 1517" (PDF).
^"Accident: Piedmont DH8C at Philadelphia on Nov 16th 2008, nose gear did not deploy". avherald.com. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
^"Aviation Photo #1445445: De Havilland Canada DHC-8-311 Dash 8 - US Airways Express (Piedmont Airlines)". Airliners.net. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
^Sarah Brumfield (January 1, 2011). "Pilot error prompts evacuation of U.S. Capitol building". thestar.com. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
^Mary Compton (January 1, 2011). "Jets Scrambled Over Capitol Hill Airspace Scare". ABC News. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
^"US Airways Conn.-bound flight safely lands in NY". The Seattle Times. January 7, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
^NBC News (May 18, 2013). "Plane makes belly landing at Newark Airport, no injuries reported". Retrieved May 20, 2013.
^American Airlines worker 'ingested' into engine | NewsNation Prime, retrieved January 2, 2023
^"Airline worker killed in accident at Alabama airport". NBC News. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Piedmont Airlines.
piedmont, airlines, this, article, about, airline, founded, henson, airlines, 1962, currently, called, airline, founded, 1948, 1948, 1989, peed, mont, american, regional, airline, headquartered, salisbury, regional, airport, wicomico, county, maryland, near, c. This article is about the airline founded as Henson Airlines in 1962 but currently called Piedmont Airlines For the airline founded as Piedmont Airlines in 1948 see Piedmont Airlines 1948 1989 Piedmont Airlines Inc ˈ p iː d m ɒ n t PEED mont is an American regional airline headquartered at the Salisbury Regional Airport in Wicomico County Maryland 2 near the city of Salisbury 3 The airline is a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Airlines Group and it is paid by fellow group member American Airlines to staff operate and maintain aircraft used on American Eagle flights that are scheduled marketed and sold by American Airlines Piedmont also provides ground handling and customer service for airports in the northeastern and western United States Piedmont Airlines Inc IATA ICAO CallsignPT PDT PIEDMONTFounded1961 62 years ago 1961 as Henson AirlinesCommenced operations1962 61 years ago 1962 AOC HNAA001A 1 HubsCharlottePhiladelphiaFrequent flyer programAAdvantageAllianceOneworld affiliate Fleet size55Destinations55 Parent companyAmerican Airlines GroupHeadquartersSalisbury MarylandKey peopleEric Morgan President amp CEO Employees9 800 April 2019 Websitepiedmont airlines wbr comPiedmont operates a fleet consisting of exclusively Embraer ERJ145 regional jet aircraft 4 Its main base is Philadelphia International Airport with an additional hub at Charlotte Douglas International Airport The company has a team of more than 9 800 employees operating flights to nearly 50 destinations Started in 1961 as Henson Airlines the airline was rebranded in 1993 to re use the name of Piedmont Airlines 1948 1989 one of the predecessors of today s American Airlines to protect the brand Contents 1 History 2 Operations 3 Fleet 3 1 Retired fleet 4 Incidents and accidents 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksHistory EditThe airline was formed in 1961 by Richard A Henson as Henson Aviation a fixed base operator in Hagerstown Maryland It began its first scheduled flights to Washington National Airport in 1962 under the Hagerstown Commuter name later changed to Henson Airlines 4 Allegheny Airlines which became US Airways which in turn has now merged with American Airlines and Henson began one of the world s first code sharing arrangements in 1967 Henson re branded itself as an Allegheny Commuter carrier using Beechcraft 99 aircraft It initially developed a route structure serving Washington D C Philadelphia and Baltimore while establishing a new headquarters for Allegheny Commuter at Salisbury Maryland in 1968 In the 1970s the airline upgraded to Short 330 and de Havilland Canada Dash 7 turboprops 4 In 1983 Piedmont Aviation bought Henson Airlines and re branded the airline as Henson The Piedmont Regional Airline Under Piedmont s control the airline expanded rapidly particularly in Florida Both were purchased by the USAir Group in 1987 with Piedmont absorbed two years later and Henson s aircraft repainted in USAir Express livery 5 The 1980s saw rapid growth by the company with the upgrade of its fleet to the de Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft and fleet expansion With the growth in capacity the airline expanded to Florida including numerous intrastate routes in Florida and it opened a maintenance facility in Jacksonville 4 The Piedmont name was resurrected in 1993 when USAir the erstwhile Allegheny Airlines that became US Airways renamed Henson to Piedmont Airlines to protect the Piedmont brand name which could be used by others if not exercised in trade use for a period of time USAir continued this practice by changing the name of its two other wholly owned regional airline subsidiaries Jetstream and Suburban Airlines to PSA Airlines and Allegheny Airlines respectively Pacific Southwest Airlines was the name of a California based airline merged into USAir In 1997 USAir was renamed US Airways and Piedmont and Allegheny were likewise re branded as US Airways Express carriers US Airways merged Allegheny Airlines into Piedmont in 2004 Operations EditThe airline had more than 10 000 employees as of August 2022 and operated nearly 400 daily flights to more than 55 destinations 6 As of January 2022 Piedmont is currently the exclusive operator at Williamsport Regional Airport Pitt Greenville Airport Florence Regional Airport Watertown International Airport and Salisbury Regional Airport Piedmont Airlines currently flies under the American Eagle brand after a merger of American Airlines and US Airways in December 2013 The airline operates maintenance bases in Albany Charlotte Harrisburg Philadelphia Richmond Roanoke and Salisbury 7 Piedmont has crew bases in Charlotte Harrisburg and Philadelphia 6 Fleet Edit An American Eagle ERJ145 operated by Piedmont Airlines on approach to Baltimore As of April 2023 the Piedmont Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft 8 Piedmont Airlines Fleet Aircraft Total Orders Passengers NotesY Y TotalEmbraer ERJ145 55 5 3 47 50 Orders are aircraft being transferred from Envoy Air 9 Total 55 5Retired fleet Edit A Short 330 of Henson Airlines in Allegheny Commuter livery at BWI in 1983 Piedmont Airlines Retired Fleet Aircraft 4 Introduction Retired Replacement s NotesBeechcraft Model 99 1967 1987 Short 330Short 330 1977 1989 de Havilland Canada Dash 8 100de Havilland Canada Dash 7 1979 1997 de Havilland Canada Dash 8 300de Havilland Canada Dash 8 100 1993 2017 Embraer ERJ145 Last flight was November 29 2017 Bombardier Q200 1996 2008de Havilland Canada Dash 8 300 2000 2018 Embraer ERJ145 Last flight was July 4 2018 10 Incidents and accidents EditOn September 23 1985 Henson Airlines Flight 1517 a Beechcraft Model B99 turboprop crashed near Grottoes Virginia The crash was fatal to all 12 passengers and both crewmembers This was the first fatality of a female commercial U S pilot First Officer Zilda A Spadaro Wolan The National Transportation Safety Board concluded that part of the probable cause of the crash was the airline s failure to standardize the cockpit configurations of its aircraft and on its failure to provide adequate training to its pilots 11 On November 16 2008 US Airways Express Flight 4551 a Piedmont Airlines operated Dash 8 turboprop took off from Lehigh Valley International Airport at 8 20am heading to Philadelphia International Airport had to make an emergency landing 12 13 The flight crew was indicated that the front nose gear hadn t come down and had to make a flyover the runway for confirmation Of 35 passengers and 3 crew there were no injuries The aircraft N326EN incurred only minor damage and was returned to service On January 1 2011 US Airways Express Flight 4352 a Piedmont Airlines operated Dash 8 100 turboprop forced an evacuation of the U S Capitol and fighter jets were scrambled from Andrews Air Force Base after Flight 4352 suffered radio problems on approach to Washington DC s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and strayed into restricted airspace 14 15 The Capitol was evacuated for approximately 20 minutes until the Dash 8 aircraft landed at Reagan National Airport On January 7 2011 US Airways Express Flight 4507 a Piedmont Airlines operated Dash 8 100 turboprop from Philadelphia International Airport to Tweed New Haven Regional Airport in Connecticut was struck by lightning over the Long Island Sound 16 The captain reported electrical problems and diverted safely to Long Island MacArthur Airport due to more favorable weather conditions The aircraft had 33 passengers aboard who were then bussed to New Haven On May 18 2013 US Airways Express Flight 4560 made a belly landing at Newark Liberty International Airport after landing gear would not extend All passengers and crew members were evacuated safely 17 On December 31 2022 a Piedmont Airlines ground worker was killed after being ingested into the engine of an Embraer 175 aircraft operated by Envoy Air at Montgomery Regional Airport in Montgomery Alabama The incident caused flights at Montgomery Airport to be temporarily grounded 18 19 See also EditAir transportation in the United States List of airlines of the United States List of airports in the United States Transportation in the United StatesReferences Edit Federal Aviation Administration Airline Certificate Information Detail View av info faa gov Retrieved June 27 2019 Career Opportunities Piedmont Airlines Retrieved on May 20 2009 5443 Airport Terminal Rd Salisbury MD 21804 Our Company Retrieved November 9 2016 a b c d e Piedmont History Retrieved November 9 2016 Flight International April 12 18 2005 a b Our Company Piedmont Airlines Retrieved August 23 2022 http piedmont airlines com News Latest News1 Post 2768 Piedmont expands maintenance network to Albany NY dead link Piedmont Airlines Fleet Details and History www planespotters net Retrieved December 11 2022 Piedmont Airlines to add 15 Embraer 145s to the fleet Piedmont Airlines August 1 2022 Retrieved August 29 2022 After 33 years Piedmont Airlines retires planes that revolutionized regional industry Delmarva Daily Times Retrieved July 3 2018 The first female commercial U S pilot fatality involving a propeller aircraft was that of First Officer Zilda A Spadaro Wolan in the Henson Airlines flight 1517 turboprop crash of September 23 1985 near Grottoes Virginia Aircraft Accident Report Henson Airlines Flight 1517 PDF Accident Piedmont DH8C at Philadelphia on Nov 16th 2008 nose gear did not deploy avherald com Retrieved January 17 2018 Aviation Photo 1445445 De Havilland Canada DHC 8 311 Dash 8 US Airways Express Piedmont Airlines Airliners net Retrieved January 17 2018 Sarah Brumfield January 1 2011 Pilot error prompts evacuation of U S Capitol building thestar com Retrieved February 10 2011 Mary Compton January 1 2011 Jets Scrambled Over Capitol Hill Airspace Scare ABC News Retrieved February 10 2011 US Airways Conn bound flight safely lands in NY The Seattle Times January 7 2011 Retrieved January 17 2018 NBC News May 18 2013 Plane makes belly landing at Newark Airport no injuries reported Retrieved May 20 2013 American Airlines worker ingested into engine NewsNation Prime retrieved January 2 2023 Airline worker killed in accident at Alabama airport NBC News Retrieved January 2 2023 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Piedmont Airlines Official websitePortals Maryland United States Companies Aviation Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Piedmont Airlines amp oldid 1150589047, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
