Carol Taylor

Ithaca, New YorkAfter 1958, Utica, New York
Key people
Robert Peach - founder
Website: n/a
Mohawk Airlines was an airline that operated in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, primarily the states of New York and Pennsylvania from the mid-1940s until its acquisition by Allegheny Airlines in 1972. At its height, it employed over 2,200 personnel and pioneered several technical and social aspects of regional airline operations, including being the first airline in the United States to hire an African American flight attendant.
Contents[hide]
1 History
1.1 1940s
1.2 1950s
1.3 1960s
1.4 1970s and acquisition
2 Former destinations
3 Fleet
4 Accidents and incidents
5 Mohawk Airlines in Popular Culture
6 Footnotes
7 References
8 External links
//

[edit] History

[edit] 1940s
The airline began operations in 1945 as Robinson Airlines out of Ithaca Municipal Airport near Ithaca, New York, flying single engined, three passenger Fairchild F-24 aircraft.

[edit] 1950s
As it grew in the 1950s, the Douglas DC-3 became its primary aircraft; the Convair CV-240, CV-440's and Martin 4-0-4's were integrated into its fleet later. The airline also experimented with helicopter service between New York and Catskill Mountains resorts with limited success. In 1952, Robinson was purchased by Robert Peach and the name changed to Mohawk Airlines to reflect the Mohawk Valley of New York where the airline originated service. In 1958, the airline moved its headquarters to Utica, NY, in the heart of the Mohawk Valley.
On February 11, 1958, Ruth Carol Taylor was hired by Mohawk Airlines, becoming the first African-American flight attendant in the United States.[2] Only six months after breaking one historic barrier, Ruth Carol Taylor's career ended due to another discriminatory barrier: the airline's marriage ban, a common practice among airlines of the day of dismissing flight attendants who became either married or pregnant.

[edit] 1960s

Mohawk Airlines Convair CV-240 "Air Chief Pasquat" circa 1959.
In 1961, it became the first airline to use a centralized computer based reservation service. And in 1965, it became the first regional airline to utilize flight simulators.
Mohawk upgraded its fleet with the British Aerospace Corporation BAC 1-11 in 1965, becoming the first regional airline to inaugurate jet aircraft service.
By 1969, all piston engined aircraft had been retired from its fleet and Mohawk flew mainly BAC 1-11 and Fairchild Hiller FH-227 aircraft.

[edit] 1970s and acquisition

Mohawk Airlines British Aerospace Corporation BAC-111 "Quebec" circa 1972.
By 1971, labor issues and several strikes had caused Mohawk to enter merger discussions with Allegheny Airlines.
It was purchased by Allegheny Airlines in 1972, which eventually became USAir in the late 1970s and then changing its name to US Airways in the late 1990s.

[edit] Former destinations
Connecticut
Hartford (Bradley International Airport)
Illinois
Chicago (Chicago Midway Airport)
Massachusetts
Bedford (Hanscom Field)
Boston