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Featured Map for 20 February 2023:
Piedmont's 75th Birthday

 

Piedmont Airlines logo
Today is the 75th anniversary of the first flight of Piedmont Airlines. The previous day, Piedmont's 29-year old founder Thomas H. Davis had flown a Douglas DC-3 (NC37468, named Kanawha River Pacemaker) from Winston-Salem to Wilmington, NC to position the aircraft for the airline's inaugural flight. At 7:05 am on 20 February 1948, flight 41 departed on a six-segment flight, with Cincinnati as its ultimate destination.

After deregulation, Piedmont built Charlotte/Douglas International Airport into a major hub airport. Charlotte was subsequently the origin of Piedmont's first trans-Atlantic flight, to London Gatwick, on 15 June 1987.

Piedmont's last flights operated on 4 August 1989; the next day they were US Air flights. After a name change to US Airways, the airline merged with America West (keeping the US Airways name), and then with American Airlines, for which Charlotte continues to be a major hub.

Today's Featured Map illustrates Piedmont's first flight. Thanks to Markus Fuchs for suggesting the map, and to The Piedmont Aviation Historical Society for posting the details of the flight (and for publishing details of the airline's history).

References and additional information:

 

 

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