Piedmont Airlines History | The Pacemakers 1948–1989 – Airline Employee Shop

Piedmont Airlines History

Piedmont Airlines started with DC-3s out of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and grew into a beloved regional and then national airline before merging into USAir in 1989. Here's a short history of the Pacemakers, plus the Piedmont collection that celebrates them.

From flying service to airline (1940–1948)

In 1940, 22-year-old Thomas H. Davis bought a Winston-Salem flying service and renamed it Piedmont Aviation. It sold aircraft, did repairs and trained pilots. After World War II the company formed an airline division, and on February 20, 1948, Piedmont flew its first passenger trip, a DC-3 run from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Cincinnati with stops along the way. The first flight attendants were male pursers, in part because they had to manage the heavy DC-3 door.

The Pacemakers

Piedmont named its airplanes "Pacemakers," often after the rivers, valleys and regions it served, such as the DC-3 "Potomac Pacemaker" and the YS-11 "Shenandoah Valley Pacemaker." Over the years the fleet grew from DC-3s to F-27s, Martin 4-0-4s and Japanese-built YS-11s, which crews nicknamed the "Rice Rocket." Jets arrived in 1967, with regular Boeing 737 service starting in August 1968 on the "PI Pacemaker." In 1966 Warren Wheeler became Piedmont's first Black pilot.

Hubs, growth and London (1982–1987)

Under Bill Howard, who became president and CEO in 1983, Piedmont built a hub-and-spoke network. Charlotte opened as a hub in 1982, followed by Dayton and Baltimore, with Syracuse added later. Piedmont also ran "Project Omaha," an intra-Florida shuttle network flown with F28 jets. Air Transport World named Piedmont its 1984 Airline of the Year, and in 1987 Piedmont began Boeing 767 service from Charlotte to London Gatwick.

Merger with USAir

Piedmont agreed to merge with USAir in March 1987 and became a USAir subsidiary that November. The final Piedmont flight, from Dayton to South Bend, operated on August 4, 1989, and the airline was fully combined into USAir the next day.

A few things collectors love

  • The first Boeing 737-400 Piedmont received, in 1988, was christened the "Thomas H. Davis Pacemaker" in honor of its founder.
  • Piedmont's last YS-11 was retired in March 1982.

Shop Piedmont

Browse Piedmont logo T-shirts, sweatshirts, coffee mugs, coasters, tote bags and vintage travel-poster designs in the Piedmont collection. Add an airline bag tag or key tag for a gift any former Piedmont employee will appreciate.

AirlineEmployeeShop.com sells Piedmont merchandise under license from American Airlines. This page is for historical interest.