Fifth Mid-Continent is established at Aurora, Colorado, in February 1985 to offer scheduled passenger and cargo commuter flights. In April, following the acquisition of the fleet and route network of AAA Air Enterprises, a hub is established at Omaha, Nebraska. S. J. Gillette is president and destinations visited by his two Embraer EMB-110 Ban-deirantes include Norfolk, Columbus, and Grand Isle, Nebraska, Kansas City, Missouri, and Yankton, South Dakota.
Andrew Stumpf becomes president in 1987 and in May the company begins operations from Kansas City as a “Braniff Express” commuter affiliate of Braniff, Inc. The 65-employee small regional transports a total of 36,000 passengers in its expanded fleet of 4 Bandeirantes. Orders are placed for 12 Fairchild Metro IIIs. The year’s financial losses are $300,000 (operating) and $442,470 (net).
In 1988, the fleet is increased by the addition of three Metro IIIs. Customer bookings skyrocket 151.4% to 44,000 and revenues balloon 209.1% to $3.4 million. Expenses rise 162.3% to $3.7 million and cause an operating loss of $300,000. The net loss “improves” to $267,240.
Operations continue apace in 1989. A fare war is started with neighboring GP Express and is all but won when its own fiscal situation and that of its code-sharing partner forces it to cease operations on September 28. On October 16, flights resume to seven destinations. Braniff, Inc. files for Chapter XI bankruptcy on November 24 and stops flying.
MC-5 now only has the resources to operate into early December and then, on December 7, it must also shut its doors. Statistics for the doomed airline are duly reported for the year’s first six months.
Passenger boardings of 46,691 are up 110.7% over the same period a year earlier. During the same period, a $1.3-million operating loss is suffered.
MID HUDSON AIRLINES: United States (1951-1966). Theodore “Ted” Lafko establishes the FBO Mid-Hudson at Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1951. In addition to fueling, servicing, and other airport operations, the company, over the next decade, undertakes Part 135 Beech 18 charter operations to New York’s Idlewild Airport and other upstate destinations.
During the 1960s, Lafko’s on-demand fleet is increased by the addition of an Aero Commander 560 and six Cessna 172s. Scheduled air taxi flights replace the nonscheduled services on the Poughkeepsie to New York City run.
Founder Lafko sells his concern to General Foods Corporation executive Kingsley G. Morse on June 1, 1966 for $40,000. A month later, Morse begins his own operations under the name Command Airways.
MID-OHIO AVIATION: United States (1991-1996). Ned Parks sets up MOA in 1991 as the FBO/charter operation at the Wayne County Airport, Smithville, only a few miles from the author’s home town of Wooster. By 1994, Parks oversees the work of three full-time and three part-time pilots, who fly 1 each Beech Super King Air 200 and Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain.
Flights cease in 1996.
World History
