The first TWA pilots flew passengers over 70 years ago for airlines known as Western Air Express, TAT, Maddux and Standard Airlines. These fledgling airlines merged in 1930 to form Transcontinental and Western Air, Trans World Airlines' predecessor. Starting with the first airline flight in the late1920s, the pilots of TWA have dedicated their professional lives to providing the traveling public with the safest air transportation possible.
These early TWA pilots made aviation history, developing new routes and services with the aviation equivalent of the Model T Ford. The achievements of these pioneers laid the foundation for much of today's United States air transportation system, the world's safest.
A lot has changed since TWA pilots flew handfuls of shivering passengers in slow, open cockpit biplanes. Today, TWA pilots fly modern, state of the art jetliners high above the weather at 600 miles per hour. The coast to coast flight that required two train rides and two days now takes a mere five hours.
TWA and its pilots also played a major leadership role in the development of modern air transportation. It took over 30 years from the first revenue passenger flight in the '20s until jets were introduced. During this time of propeller driven planes, TWA pilots set speed records, flew the first scheduled non stop air service between the US and many foreign cities, flew the first pressurized airliner, and aided the Army Air Corps in WWII.
Starting with the jet age in late 1959, airline travel became faster, safer and more comfortable. TWA pilots flew on the first all jet international route system of a major airline and were the first to fly the Boeing 747 on domestic routes.
Different challenges faced TWA pilots in the jet age. Flying the most advanced airliners in the world, pilots were no longer faced with 24 hour flights, navigating by lighted beacons on the ground or operating out of grass runways. Pilots instead faced hijackings in the '60s, fuel shortages and terrorists in the '70s, and corporate raiders, deregulation and more terrorists in the '80s. Throughout the jet age until the early 1990s, TWA and its pilots have endured the negative effects of mismanagement by the temporary occupants of TWA's headquarters, including Howard Hughes and Carl Ichan.
One of the greatest challenges facing TWA pilots in the 1990s is the rebuilding of our proud airline after the mismanagement of the last thirty years. TWA is still one of the world's premier airlines due to its dedicated and experienced employees. TWA pilots today continue a tradition which began seven decades ago: flying passengers professionally, safely and comfortably. This section of the TWA MEC Internet site provides a glimpse of the rich heritage of achievement and leadership shared by every TWA pilot.
Keith O'Leary
TWA MEC Communications Committee Chairman
Obtained from the official TWA website.
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December 17, 1935
The Douglas Aircraft Company rolled out,
and flew the Legendary DC-3!
The DC-3 in this single event, has rippled through the Aviation World for over 60 years.
Competing designers have proclaimed the demise of this valiant workhorse,
with each new aluminum show plane, but to no avail.
The DC-3/C-47/R4D/Dakota and its many other variants, has touched the lives of people
from every country in the World, and from Pole to Pole. The DC-3 was designed to
do the work of the world then -- and the DC-3 is still at it!
A new group of DC-3 fans are now retracing the path of history, and the
DC-3/C-47/R4D/Dakota is there to greet them, and share a "Spirit of Aviation"
that has crossed both generational and financial barriers to capture the heart of
those that love aviation as a way of life, and not simply a occupation!
