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Welcome Aboard JetPiedmont.com!
On a cold day in February, 1948, a small DC-3 took to the skies over
Wilmington, North Carolina enroute to Cincinnati, Ohio with intermediate stops in Southern Pines, Charlotte and Ashville, North Carolina, Tri-Cities, Tennessee
and Lexington, Kentucky.
Piedmont Flight 41 was carrying one paying passenger, founder T.H. Davis who was not yet 30 years old and a handful of local dignitaries.
From this humble beginning, Piedmont Airlines grew from the smallest of 17 local and trunk airlines to become the 6th largest airline in
the United States in terms of passengers carried, flying over 200 jet aircraft from Los Angeles to London and more revenue passengers annually than British Airways,
Pan Am or TWA while consistently placing in the Top 3 U.S. flag carriers with the fewest passenger complaints according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
In recognition of its outstanding success, Piedmont was named Air Transport Worlds' "Airline of the Year" in 1984.
August 5th, 2008, marks the 19th anniversary of the
merger with USAir (now US Airways) and the end of scheduled operations as Piedmont Airlines.
While the "Route of the Pacemaker" no longer exists, the spirit of Piedmont that came to life on that fateful day in February, 1948 lives on in the men and women
who served our customers with that "Piedmont know how"!
We invite you to sit back, relax
and enjoy the web site...
as you explore the history and accomplishments of
PIEDMONT AIRLINES
"If you're driving down the road and see a turtle sitting on a fence post,
don't be too impressed. That turtle didn't get there by itself." - T.H. Davis
JetPiedmont.com News
 Bo Davis speaks at NC Transportation Hall of Fame CeremonyNORTH CAROLINA TRANSPORTATION HALL OF FAME
2008 Induction and Awards Ceremony
High Point Country Club
High Point, North Carolina
October 7, 2008
Comments by Thomas H. (Bo) Davis, Jr.
“This award, which is sponsored by my brother and sisters and the Piedmont Aviation Historical Society in memory of my father, is given to recognize an individual or group of individuals that have excelled in aviation activities in our state.”
“This year’s award goes to the tens of thousands (25,000 at the time of the merger) of Piedmont Aviation and Piedmont Airlines employees. These fine ladies and gentlemen mirror image my father’s pride in the company, a strong work ethic thru good times and bad, honesty, integrity, consideration of their fellow employees, and putting the customer first under any circumstance.”
“On behalf of the Piedmont employees, your new inductee Carol Fair will accept the award. I believe Carol is the longest serving Piedmont employee that is still ‘flying the line.’ She is the perfect example of all her fellow employees that preceded her.”
“Their pride of company still shines through today, nineteen years after the merger. If you happen to ask someone in the aviation business where they work, the standard answer might be; ‘I work for US Airways, but I started with Piedmont.’ Also, Carol can verify this; it is not uncommon for any of these employees to be recognized by a passenger who will say ‘you worked for Piedmont didn’t you?’”
“Now, before this gathering today, I take great pleasure in presenting to Carol Fair the Thomas H. Davis Excellence in Aviation Award honoring all former Piedmont Aviation and Piedmont Airlines employee. And, I ask all former employees that are here today to please stand and be recognized.”
NC Transportation Hall of Fame Honors All Former Piedmont Employees
On October 7, 2008, the North Carolina Transportation Hall of Fame presented the Thomas H. Davis Award for Excellence in Aviation to all former employees of Piedmont Aviation and Piedmont Airlines. This award is in recognition of their individual and combined distinguished service and commitment to Piedmont and its customers.
Carol Dobbins Fair inducted into the 2008 NC Transportation Hall of FameCarol Dobyns Fair, a Piedmont/US Airways flight attendant, was inducted into the 2008 North Carolina Transportation Hall of Fame on October 7, 2008. Thomas H. Davis, founder and retired CEO of Piedmont, was inducted posthumously in 2005.
Carol is in her 46th year as an airline flight attendant; first with Piedmont Airlines and now with US Airways. Piedmont Airlines hired her in 1963 at age 19, one year after the airline allowed woman flight attendants. Read more about Carol and the awards at http://ncthf.org.
PIEDMONT: Flight of the PacemakerPIEDMONT: Flight of the Pacemaker is a wonderful book. It is one of those ‘must haves’ if you ever worked for Piedmont. You will enjoy it even if you did not work for Piedmont. It is about a lot of people who worked together toward a common goal to pull off one of the greatest success stories ever. It is both captivating and fun. It is a genuine pleasure read and to have.
PIEDMONT: Flight of the Pacemaker is a 9x12 hardcover 400-page volume is loaded with over 600 photos in 16 very easy-to-read and insightful chapters. You can read a little or a lot at one time. Each chapter is complete within itself. The whole thing is very well done.
Copies are available directly from the Piedmont Aviation Historical Society (PAHS) and in select book stores. If you care to order your copy directly from PAHS, just click the link and download the order form.
Makes a great gift, too!
Andy Ray
JETPIEDMONT.COM Forum Moderator
FAY, INT, ROA Breakfasts & Luncheons
Registered JetPiedmont users are encouraged to log in and check the Up & Coming Events section for information on the bi-monthly luncheon in FAY, the monthly luncheon in INT, and the monthly breakfast in ROA.
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PIEDMONT: Flight of the Pacemaker
written by: Frank Elliot
compiled by: Elizabeth Norfleet
A readable and entertaining history in words and pictures of a southern institution that became one of the nation's
leading airlines. Drawing on exclusive access to Piedmont's files, the book traces the antecedents of the airline
before World War II and documents its growth over the ensuing decades into an international carrier.
Happy Birthday from JetPI & The PAHS! 10/10 : Barbara Jamieson Adams, Tierra Verde, FL 10/10 : Bill Carey, Winston-Salem, NC 10/10 : Leslie Miller, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 10/10 : Cynthia Reed, Denver, NC 10/10 : Richard Taylor, Dandridge, TN |
Carol Dobbins Fair inducted into the 2008 NC Transportation Hall of Fame 
