Having operated a de facto airline since 1940 for employees of his Clin-tonville, Wisconsin-based Four Wheel Drive Auto Company, President Walter A. Olen incorporates Wisconsin Central Airlines on May 15, 1944. FWD Public Relations Director Francis M. Higgins is named the airline’s first president and travels to Washington to lobby the CAB for route awards in the North Central area. Meanwhile, in 1945, a new headquarters and hangar is built at Clintonville.
In March 1946, a CAB examiner recommends against a route award for WCA, suggesting conflict of interest between the air transport and auto firms. Under the direction of former Transcontinental & Western Air Lines (TWA) executive and new Vice President-Traffic Hal N. Carr and employing the Howard DGA-15 owned at the time of its formation, the airline inaugurates an intrastate service to six Wisconsin cities on April 6.
When rental property is made available by the U. S. Army Air Forces, headquarters are transferred to Madison in July. Having proved its commitment by serving six cities, WCA ceases its expensive demonstration in November while, on December 19, the CAB reverses its examiner’s ruling and grants certification on December 19, provided its association with FWD is severed. Although the corporate reshuffle is approved, WCA has difficulty raising the $1 million in capital necessary for its start-up.
Hal N. Carr is named executive vice president in January 1947 and given responsibility for day-to-day operations. His workforce now totals 100 and WCA is recertified October 3. During the fall, three Lockheed Model 10As are acquired (the company is so cash starved that it can only paint one side of the first aircraft following its delivery) and service is inaugurated between Minneapolis (MSP) and Hibbing/Chisholm in Minnesota on February 24, 1948.
A fourth Model 10A, first flown by Trans Canada Air Lines, Ltd. in 1937 and destined to hang in Ottawa’s National Aviation Museum, is acquired in the spring as the route network grows to 1,028 unduplicated miles. The famous Herman mallard deck logo is introduced and en-planements for the year total 11,400.
Destinations visited in 1949 include Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Cloud, Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids, Rhinelander, Eau Claire, and Minneapolis (MSP), as well as smaller communities in Wisconsin and Minnesota. A fifth and a sixth Electra join the fleet and passenger boardings ascend to 32,630. The workforce at year’s end stands at 228.
Operations continue apace and in October 1950, success leads to the purchase of six Douglas DC-3s for $450,000 from Trans World Airlines (TWA). America’s third largest local service carrier transports
100,000 travelers on the year.
In 1951, the intrastate carrier, employing the advertising phrase “Route of the Northliners” is allowed to extend its routes into North Dakota and additional Minnesota regions. The CAB recertifies the company and despite objections from Vice President Carr, votes to reduce its service to help it save on expenses. Unable to accept this downturn, Carr resigns at year’s end.
The situation does not significantly improve in 1952 and the USAF advises the company that it must abandon its rented headquarters. At this point, President Higgins resigns and is succeeded by new Executive Vice President/General Manager Donald A. Duff. Arthur Mueller is named chairman and president and headquarters are moved to Minneapolis (MSP). In March, two more DC-3s are purchased, this time from Eastern Air Lines.
In November, Vice President Duff dies suddenly and his place is temporarily taken by Art Mueller, who himself resigns in early December. Wisconsin State Aeronautics Commission Chairman Howard Morey now becomes the company’s leader. To celebrate its new locale, Wisconsin Central changes its name on December 16 to North Central Airlines.
WISE AIRLINES: United States (1983-1985). N. M. Michael establishes Wise at San Angelo, Texas, in 1983 to provide scheduled passenger and cargo services to intrastate destinations. Employing 1 each Beech 99 and Piper T-1040, Wise inaugurates daily roundtrips linking its base with Brownwood, Dallas (DAL), Midland, and Austin. Operations continue apace until late 1985.
WOODLAND AVIATION: Yolo County Airport, Davis, California 95616, United States; Phone (530) 662-9631; Fax (530) 669-3144; Http://woodlandaviation. com; Year Founded 1952. Woodland is originally set up as the FBO at Yolo County-Davis Woodland Winters Airport in 1952. Over the next 45 years, the company also undertakes a variety of domestic executive and small group passenger charters.
In 2000, Mary MacCormac is charter coordinator and she schedules the work of 6 pilots, who fly 1 each Beech 2000 Starship, Beech Super King Air 200, and King Air 90.
WOODLEY AIRLINES: United States (1932-1945). Arthur G. Woodley, employing a single aircraft, establishes a charter service known as Woodley Airways at Anchorage on April 10, 1932. Return flights are undertaken linking that city with points in the southwestern part of the territory. A Post Office mail contract is acquired in 1934 and four years later, in 1938, route certification from Anchorage to Kodiak and to the regions around the Kuskokwim River and Bristol Bay is obtained.
The fleet by decade’s end includes 1 Lockheed Model 10 Electra, 1 Consolidated Fleetster 20A, and 2 Travel Air 6000s. A Stinson Model A is purchased from Frank Reynolds on January 31, 1940. The aircraft is lost in a crash landing at Juneau on January 19, 1943.
Two ex-U. S. Army Air Forces C-73s (military Boeing 247Ds) are obtained in July and August 1944 and are placed into service over a route from Anchorage to Juneau. On January 1, 1945, another Stinson Model A is acquired from the military. Later in the month, the company is renamed Stinson Airlines and following various corporate arrangements, is retitled Pacific Northern Airways on August 23.
World History
