Airlift International was an American scheduled cargo airline that operated from 1945 to 1991. Airlift's headquarters were at Miami International Airport, Florida.[1]
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| Founded | 1945 in Miami, Florida | ||||||
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| Ceased operations | 1991 | ||||||
| Operating bases | Miami, Florida | ||||||
| Destinations | Puerto Rico, Chicago, New York and Detroit | ||||||
| Headquarters | Miami, Florida United States | ||||||
| Founder | John Paul Riddle | ||||||
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History
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Airlift International was founded as Riddle Airlines by John Paul Riddle in 1945 in Miami, Florida as a charter and freight airline.[2] In 1965, Riddle Airlines was renamed to Airlift International.[3] In 1966, Airlift acquired the assets of defunct Slick Airways to ensure continuity of charter operations for the military.[4] In 1968, Airlift acquired the scheduled route authority of Slick.[5]
The first flights were between Miami and Puerto Rico using Curtiss C-46 and Douglas DC-4 aircraft. In 1951 it expanded services to serve New York City. Then the route system was expanded to include Chicago and Detroit. In 1960 two Douglas DC-7 were added to the fleet and with those aircraft were used for charter flights to Europe, including charters for the military.
The next aircraft type to join the fleet was the Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosy dedicated cargo aircraft, but those were replaced in 1963 by the Douglas DC-8. Further aircraft used were the L-1049 Super Constellation, the Canadair CL-44, the Lockheed L-100 Hercules, the Boeing 707, and the Boeing 727-100QC.
The freight schedule was augmented by charter flights to South America and the military but by 1981 Airlift International went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy for reorganization. Following the reorganization the DC-8-54, the Fairchild FH-227 and F-27 models were used.
Due to financial problems during 1990 and 1991, Airlift International ceased operations in June 1991.[3]
Fleet
editAs of May 1968, Airlift operated:[6]
World Airline Fleets 1979 (copyright 1979) shows Airlift with:[1]
1987–88 World Airline Fleets (copyright 1987) shows Airlift with:[7]
Other aircraft Airlift/Riddle operated included:
Accidents
edit- 17 December 1955: A Riddle C-46F disintegrated in flight over South Carolina with the loss of both pilots, the only people on board. The cause was traced to nonconforming elevator parts installed as part of conversion performed overseas by a contractor which created its own parts, which had left the aircraft ineligible for an airworthiness certificate.[8]
- 20 December 1957: A Riddle C-46R on departure from Miami suffered a hydraulic line rupture with subsequent fire in the right engine. The aircraft safely returned to Miami but was extensively damaged due to failure of the emergency fuel shutoff system, insufficient fire barriers and an inoperable fire bottle.[9] The aircraft had been rebuilt from the wreckage of an earlier accident (with another operator) that killed 26 people in 1951.[10]
- 30 March 1959: A Riddle C-46R suffered an intense inflight fire, over Georgia, with the subsequent crash fatal to both pilots on board, the only occupants. The probable cause was ignition of cargo in the aft belly compartment from an unguarded lightbulb.[11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Endres, Günter G. (1979). World Airline Fleets 1979. Hounslow (UK): Airline Publications and Sales. p. 195. ISBN 0905117530.
- ^ "Aerofiles: Airlines of North America N-Z".
- ^ a b "Aerofiles: Airlines of North America A-M".
- ^ "Airlift-Slick Transfer of Assets". Civil Aeronautics Board Reports. 44. Washington, DC: U.S. General Printing Office: 840–843. February–June 1966. hdl:2027/osu.32437011658263.
- ^ "Airlift-Slick Route Transfer". Civil Aeronautics Board Reports. 48. Washington, DC: U.S. General Printing Office: 579–607. January–July 1968. hdl:2027/osu.32435022360259.
- ^ "Slick Route Acquisition Aids Airlift Growth". Aviation Week & Space Technology. 88 (23): 33. 3 June 1968. ISSN 0005-2175.
- ^ Endres, Günter G. (1987). 1987–88 World Airline Fleets. Feltham, Middlesex, UK: Browcom Publishing. p. 129. ISBN 0946141304.
- ^ Aircraft Accident Report: Riddle Airlines, Inc., C-46F, N 9904F, Hollywood, South Carolina, December 17, 1955 (Report). Civil Aeronautics Board. 14 September 1956. doi:10.21949/1500666.
- ^ Aircraft Accident Report: Riddle Airlines, Inc., C-46R, N 3955C, Miami, Florida, Airport, December 20, 1957 (Report). Civil Aeronautics Board. 15 September 1958. doi:10.21949/1500712.
- ^ Aircraft Accident Report: Continental Charters, Inc., Near Little Valley, New York, December 29, 1951 (Report). Civil Aeronautics Board. 13 March 1952. doi:10.21949/1500557.
- ^ Aircraft Accident Report: Riddle Airlines, Inc., Curtiss C-46R, N 7840B, Alma, Georgia, March 30, 1959 (Report). Civil Aeronautics Board. 1 September 1959. doi:10.21949/1500737.
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