Lake Central Airlines

Last updated
Lake Central Airlines
Lake Central Airlines Logo, October 1967.png
IATA ICAO Call sign
LC(1) [1] LC(1) [1] LAKE CENTRAL
Commenced operations1950
Ceased operations1968, June 1
Operating bases Weir Cook Airport (now Indianapolis International Airport)
Fleet size Douglas DC-3,
Convair 340,
Convair 580,
Beechcraft Bonanza,
Nord 262.
Parent company Employee owned
Headquarters Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Notes
(1) IATA, ICAO codes were the same until the 1980s

Lake Central Airlines was a local service carrier and scheduled airline that served multiple locations throughout the midwestern and eastern United States from 1950 to 1968, when it then merged into Allegheny Airlines. In 1979 Allegheny became USAir, and in 1997, USAir became US Airways. In 2015, US Airways was acquired by American Airlines through a merging of the two companies.

Contents

History

DC-3 at Chicago O'Hare 1962 Douglas DC-3, Lake Central Airlines JP7079315.jpg
DC-3 at Chicago O'Hare 1962
Convair 580 at Columbus 1968 Lake Central Convair CV-580 N73131.png
Convair 580 at Columbus 1968

The airline was founded as Turner Airlines in 1948; it was based at Weir Cook Airport (now Indianapolis International Airport) in Indianapolis, Indiana. Lake Central's network in the 1950s extended from Chicago to Pittsburgh; in August 1953 it had scheduled flights to 21 airports, and in May 1968, this number increased to 39.

Like other local service airlines regulated by the federal Civil Aeronautics Board, Lake Central was subsidized; in 1962 its revenue of $10.8 million included $4.2 million of "pub. serv. rev.". [2]

In February 1955 Lake Central Airlines became the first employee-owned scheduled airline in the history of the air transport industry. [3] 162 employees (65% of the total) bought 97.5% of the outstanding stock, 25% outright, and the rest financed over 24 months.

Effective July 1, 1968, the airline was acquired by and merged into Allegheny Airlines. Allegheny later closed the Indianapolis base and sold the Nord 262s, which had proven unreliable. [4] Lake Central had planned on acquiring new Boeing 737-200s, but the order was cancelled.

Fleet

Lake Central flew Douglas DC-3s, Convair 340s, Convair 580s, Beechcraft Bonanzas, and Nord 262s. DC-3 flights ended in 1967, and by spring of 1968 Lake Central had an all-turboprop fleet of Convair 580s and Nord 262s. [5]

Historical fleet

Lake Central's first Nord 262 was delivered in August 1965 Nord 262 A F-WLHX Lake Cent LBG 19.06.65 edited-3.jpg
Lake Central's first Nord 262 was delivered in August 1965

Lake Central Airlines previously operated the following aircraft: [6]

Destinations in 1968

Shortly before the merger into Allegheny Airlines, Lake Central was serving the following cities with an all-turboprop fleet, mainly consisting of Convair 580 and Nord 262 aircraft, according to its April 28, 1968 timetable: [7]

Accidents and incidents

See also

Related Research Articles

Jack Brooks Regional Airport, formerly Southeast Texas Regional Airport, is near Port Arthur, Texas, nine miles (14 km) southeast of Beaumont and northeast of Port Arthur. It was Jefferson County Airport, but its name was changed to honor former U.S. Representative Jack Brooks. The airport is southwest of the city of Nederland in unincorporated Jefferson County, and is used for general aviation. Southwest Airlines ended scheduled jet service in 1980 and several other airlines have started and ended service as well including American Eagle, Continental, Delta/Delta Connection and United Express. The latest chapter is the resumption of service by American Eagle for American Airlines to Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allegheny Airlines</span> Defunct airline of the United States (1952–1979)

Allegheny Airlines was a local service carrier that operated out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1952 to 1979, with routes primarily located in the eastern U.S. It was the forerunner of USAir that was subsequently renamed US Airways, which itself merged with American Airlines. Its headquarters were at Washington National Airport in Arlington County, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierre Regional Airport</span> Airport

Pierre Regional Airport is a public airport three miles east of Pierre, in Hughes County, South Dakota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huron Regional Airport</span> Airport in South Dakota, US

Huron Regional Airport is in Huron, in Beadle County, South Dakota. The airport has charter passenger flights operated by fixed base operator (FBO), Fly Jet Center and Revv Aviation. Revv Aviation wants to bring all services to Huron including maintenance, avionics, flight school and charter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Junction Regional Airport</span> Airport in Grand Junction, Colorado

Grand Junction Regional Airport is three miles (4.8 km) northeast of Grand Junction, in Mesa County, Colorado, United States. Owned by the Grand Junction Regional Airport Authority, it is the largest airport in western Colorado and third largest in the state, behind Denver International Airport and Colorado Springs Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durango–La Plata County Airport</span> Airport in Durango, Colorado, USA

Durango–La Plata County Airport is a city- and county-owned public airport 12 miles southeast of Durango, in La Plata County, Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Smith Regional Airport</span> Public airport in Fort Smith, Arkansas, US

Fort Smith Regional Airport is a public use airport located near the Interstate 540 freeway three nautical miles (6 km) southeast of the central business district of Fort Smith, in Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States. FSM is governed by the Fort Smith Airport Commission as established by the City of Fort Smith, Arkansas. It serves the transportation needs of residents and businesses of western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. FSM is currently served by American Eagle, the regional airline affiliate of American Airlines. It has a large population of corporate and general aviation aircraft. A full-service fixed-base operator (FBO), Signature Flight Support, provides service to general aviation, airline, and military operators.

Memorial Field Airport is located in City of Hot Springs, in Garland County, Arkansas, United States, 3 miles (4.8 km) southwest of Downtown Hot Springs. It serves nearby Hot Springs National Park. The airport is used for general aviation; airline flights are subsidized by the federal government's Essential Air Service program at a cost of $1,637,012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bradford Regional Airport</span> Airport in Pennsylvania, U.S.

Bradford Regional Airport is 11 miles (18 km) south of Bradford, in Lafayette Township, McKean County, Pennsylvania. It has scheduled airline service subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muskegon County Airport</span> Airport in Michigan, USA

Muskegon County Airport is a county-owned, public-use airport in Muskegon County, Michigan, United States. The airport is located four nautical miles south of the central business district of Muskegon, Michigan, in Norton Shores. It is mostly used for general aviation but is also served by Southern Airways Express flying Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft to Chicago-O'Hare, subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Portsmouth Regional Airport</span> Airport

Greater Portsmouth Regional Airport is on State Route 335 in Minford, Ohio, 12 miles northeast of Portsmouth, in Scioto County, Ohio. It is owned by the Scioto County Airport Authority. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a general aviation facility.

Frontier Airlines was a United States local service carrier, a scheduled airline that was formed by the merger of Arizona Airways, Challenger Airlines, and Monarch Air Lines on June 1, 1950. Headquartered at the now-closed Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado, the airline ceased operations on August 24, 1986. A new airline using the same name was founded eight years later in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republic Airlines</span> US airline that merged into Northwest (1979–1986)

Republic Airlines was an airline in the United States that operated from 1979 until it merged with Northwest Airlines in 1986. Republic was formed by the merger of North Central Airlines and Southern Airways on July 1, 1979. Their headquarters were at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, in what is now Fort Snelling in unincorporated Hennepin County, Minnesota. The former headquarters is now Delta Air Lines Building C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piedmont Airlines (1948–1989)</span> Defunct airline of the United States (1948–1989)

Piedmont Airlines was a United States local service carrier, a scheduled carrier that operated from 1948 until it merged with USAir in 1989. Its headquarters were at One Piedmont Plaza in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a building that is now part of Wake Forest University.

Aspen Airways was an airline carrier and regional affiliate of United Express and based in Hangar 5 in Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado. Aspen ceased operations on April 1, 1990, when separate portions of the airline were acquired by Mesa Airlines and Air Wisconsin Services, Inc.

Commuter Airlines was a US regional commuter airline that operated from 1964 to 1984, based for many years at Greater Binghamton Airport, Broome County, New York, and later at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Beginning life as Broome County Aviation, the operation included local air taxi, manufacturing modified Beech 18s, and scheduled services with 19- and 50-seat airliners to Washington D.C., and all three main airports in the New York Metropolitan area. Following the death of the airlines founder in 1984, the airline ceased operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purdue University Airport</span> Airport in Indiana, United States of America

Purdue University Airport is a public-use airport in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States. It is owned by Purdue University, and is 2 nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Lafayette, Indiana, in West Lafayette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Central Airlines</span> US airline (1944–1979), merged to form Republic Airlines

North Central Airlines was a local service carrier, a scheduled airline in the Midwestern United States. Founded as Wisconsin Central Airlines in 1944 in Clintonville, Wisconsin, the company moved to Madison in 1947. This is also when the "Herman the duck" logo was born on Wisconsin Central's first Lockheed Electra 10A, NC14262, in 1948. North Central's headquarters were moved to Minneapolis–St. Paul in 1952.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Britt Airways</span> Defunct regional airline of the United States (1964–1996)

Britt Airways was a regional airline in the United States that operated from 1964 until it merged with ExpressJet in 1996. It was established as Vercoa Air Service in 1964 and renamed to Britt Airlines when it was purchased by William and Marilyn Britt in 1975 later on Britt Airways. It was based in Terre Haute, Indiana until 1996. It began as a commuter airline. It primarily operated turboprop aircraft but also flew British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven twinjets as an independent air carrier at one point as well. The airline evolved into a regional air carrier operating code share flights primarily for Continental Airlines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terre Haute Regional Airport</span> Airport

Terre Haute Regional Airport is a civil-military public airport in Terre Haute, in Vigo County, Indiana, six miles (9.7 km) east of the city center. The FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a general aviation facility. It is also the location of Hulman Field Air National Guard Base of the Indiana Air National Guard.

References

  1. 1 2 Airport Activity Statistics of Certificated Route Carriers (Report). Air Transport Association of America. 31 December 1959. p. iv.
  2. Moody's Transportation Manual 1964
  3. Aviation Week 21 Feb 1955 p111
  4. Furlong, Patrick J. (1994). "Lake Central Airlines". In Bodenhamer, David J.; Barrows, Robert G. (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. pp. 891–892. ISBN   0-253-31222-1.
  5. http://www.timetableimages.com, April 28, 1968 Lake Central timetable
  6. "Lake Central Airlines". rzjets. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  7. "April 28, 1968 Lake Central timetable" . Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  8. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original on 2012-10-04. Retrieved 2013-09-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)