Misplaced Pages

#42957

19-406: Its first scheduled passenger airline flights were operated by Monarch Airlines (1946-1950) with Douglas DC-3s in 1949. By 1977, Monarch successor Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) was operating Convair 580 turboprop service direct to Albuquerque and Denver as well as nonstop to nearby Farmington . Frontier had ceased serving Cortez by 1982. Following cessation of service by Frontier, Cortez

38-507: A former executive at Continental Air Lines , which at that time was located in Denver. Challenger immediately condolidated sales functions with those of Denver-based Monarch Air Lines (another local service carrier), moved the headquarters to Denver in April, and then consolidated maintenance in Denver with Monarch. The two airlines continued to consolidate operations. By the time Monarch announced

57-729: A plane crash during the CAB process that resulted in the award to Summit. A separate company, Challenger Airlines, a Utah intrastate airline , was an unsuccessful applicant in the same CAB case that certificated Summit. Challenger was founded by George W. Snyder, Jr. with a majority stake held by Claude Neon , the company that introduced and popularized neon signs through the patents of its inventor, French engineer Georges Claude . Unable to secure CAB certification for their Utah carrier, Snyder and Claude Neon shut it down in November 1946. They then bought Summit (which had yet to launch airline operations) at

76-659: A stop in Durango also flown with Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner aircraft. In 1989, Mesa Airlines was the only air carrier serving Cortez with nonstop flights from Denver and direct flights from Albuquerque via a stop in Farmington both operated with Beechcraft commuter turboprops. By 1995, Mesa Airlines was operating code sharing flights as United Express on behalf of United Airlines with nonstop service from Denver and Farmington flown with Beechcraft 1900D and Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia commuter propjets. In 2000, Great Lakes Airlines

95-497: A three way merger. CAB approvals of the mergers were forthcoming in December 1949 (Monarch-Challenger) and April 1950 (Arizona-Monarch). Cost savings were specifically cited as a reason to approve the merger. At the time its merger with Monarch was approved, Challenger had 200 employees, with no job losses expected due to the activation of the moribund Arizona Airways system as part of the merger. The merger occurred June 1, 1950, with

114-537: Is 7,205 by 100 feet (2,196 x 30 m) asphalt. In 2019 the airport had 9,834 aircraft operations, average 27 per day: 86% general aviation , 13% air taxi , and <1% military. 26 aircraft were then based at the airport: 85% single-engine, 1% multi-engine, and <1% helicopter . The airport is an uncontrolled airport and has no control tower. Denver Air Connection currently operates Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner turboprop aircraft on its flights serving Cortez. Monarch Airlines (1946-1950) Monarch Air Lines

133-471: The airline was sharing several functions with Challenger Airlines , such as maintenance and sales at Denver. Monarch bought a controlling interest in Challenger in December 1949. Monarch merged with Arizona Airways and Challenger Airlines on June 1, 1950, to form Frontier Airlines . Monarch's President, Hal S. Darr, became President of the new airline. Ray Wilson became V.P. Operations and Maintenance of

152-426: The beginning of 1947 and renamed it Challenger. The new Challenger Airlines started operations on May 3, 1947 with 28-seat DC-3s. By then the company had moved to Salt Lake City. Marketing elements also transferred from the earlier Challenger to the new: the old Challenger called their aircraft Sunliners and so did the new. Management changed at the beginning of March 1948, the new president being Donald A. Duff,

171-455: The combined airline called Frontier Airlines . The new airline was by far the largest local service carrier , some calling it a "super feeder", with the route-mileage (i.e. total of the mileage of the authorized routes, without regard to their revenue potential) exceeding of trunk carriers Colonial Airlines , Continental Air Lines , Inland Air Lines , Mid-Continent Airlines , National Airlines , Northeast Airlines , Western Air Lines and

190-474: The domestic operations of Braniff Airways , a fact that one of the five CAB Board members noted in his dissenting opinion from the approval of the Arizona-Monarch merger. He noted that between them, Challenger and Monarch collected $ 25 per passenger from the government for every $ 10 ticket sold, an indication of just how subsidy-dependent were these early local service carriers. Duff became a vice president of

209-643: The first Frontier Airlines . The company was incorporated in Wyoming , December 31, 1941, by Charles W. Hirsig II, as Summit Airways Inc., a fixed base operator located in Laramie . During World War II , Summit trained over 1300 pilots for the US military. On March 28, 1946, the CAB certificated Summit to fly between each of Salt Lake City, Billings, MT, and Denver, CO, in each case via points in Wyoming. Hirsig died 15 January 1945 in

SECTION 10

#1732851683043

228-414: The grounds of lack of value for government subsidy, and in 1949, Monarch and Challenger had two of the highest ratios of mail revenue to commercial revenue of any of the local service carriers. Monarch had previously announced a merger with Arizona Airways , which had received CAB certification to be a local service carrier, but had not operated as such. So Monarch was effectively asking for CAB blessing for

247-599: The late 1940s: This article relating to a United States airline is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Challenger Airlines Challenger Airlines was a local service carrier , a United States scheduled airline certificated to fly smaller routes by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), the now defunct US Federal agency that, at the time, tightly regulated almost all air transport. Challenger merged with two other local service carriers, Monarch Air Lines and Arizona Airways , in 1950 to form

266-441: The new company and Monarch's Treasurer, C.A. Myhre, became Executive Vice President and later President of Frontier. Monarch operated five Douglas DC-3 aircraft at the time of the merger: NC64421, NC64422, NC64423, NC64424, and NC66610. They became Frontier "Sunliners" named Arizona, New Mexico, Royal Gorge, Mesa Verde and Utah . Monarch was serving the following destinations on a daily basis with Douglas DC-3 aircraft during

285-480: The purchase of Challenger in September 1949 (through the purchase of Claude Neon's controlling stake), joint functions also covered stations (i.e. airports) and advertising. The acquisition was responsive to CAB desires, at the time, for mergers; the CAB was under pressure to reduce airline subsidies. Earlier in 1949, the CAB had refused to extend the certification of Florida Airways , another local service carrier, on

304-562: Was an American local service airline based in Denver , Colorado , that began its scheduled air service on November 27, 1946, with a flight from Denver to Durango, Colorado , using a Douglas DC-3 . It was formed by F.W. Bonfils of The Denver Post family and Ray M. Wilson, who operated a Denver flying school. Other services started to Albuquerque , Salt Lake City and Grand Junction . Monarch pioneered all-weather operations in its service area by installing its own navigational system. By 1948,

323-580: Was on a training flight originating at Laughlin AFB , Texas; the U-2 aircraft engine flamed out at 70,000 feet MSL. Maj. Hua established best glide and was able to navigate through a valley to a lighted airport that wasn't on his map; nor did he know of its existence beforehand. The airport was the only one in the area with a runway that was lighted overnight. Cortez Municipal Airport covers 622 acres (252 ha ) at an elevation of 5,918 feet (1,804 m). Its one runway , 3/21,

342-510: Was operating code sharing service as United Express on behalf of United Airlines with nonstop Beechcraft 1900D flights to Denver. Great Lakes Airlines then operated nonstop Beechcraft 1900D service primarily to Denver as an independent air carrier from 2001 through 2016. A USAF Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft made an emergency nighttime forced landing at the Cortez Municipal Airport on August 3, 1959. Major Hsi-Chun Mike Hua

361-505: Was served by several commuter air carriers over the years. During the mid-1980s, two airlines were serving the airport: Pioneer Airlines operating code sharing flights as Continental Express on behalf of Continental Airlines with direct service from Denver via a stop in Grand Junction flown with Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner commuter propjets, and Trans-Colorado Airlines operating independently with direct service from Denver via

#42957