Although MISSED APPROACH is totally a work
of fiction, it does draw heavily upon the author’s intimate knowledge of
the commuter/regional airline industry—an industry essentially created
by the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. As such, the author would be
remiss to not recognize those colorful, real-life characters who helped
form that industry during its early years. Indeed, these pioneers—and
there were many—inspired the concept of MISSED APPROACH.
Among airlines, appreciation is extended to
a host of noteworthy executives: Joel and Gloria Hall (Chautauqua
Airlines), Angelo and Ann Koukoulis (Aeromech Airlines), Curt Coward
(Air Virginia), Preston Wilbourne (Air Wisconsin), George Pickett
(Atlantic Southeast Airlines), Bill Best and Lou Sutton (Atlantis
Airlines), Al Caruso (Bar Harbor Airlines), Bill and Marilyn Britt
(Britt Airways), Roy Hagerty (CCAir), Clark Stevens (Chaparral
Airlines), Tony von Elbe (Clinton Aero), Chuck Colgan (Colgan Airways),
Dave Mueller (Comair), Kingsley Morse (Command Airways), John Sullivan
(Crown Airways), Paul Quackenbush (Empire Airlines), Doug Voss (Great
Lakes Aviation), Dick Henson (Henson Airlines), Milt Kuolt (Horizon
Airlines), Larry Risley (Mesa Air), Rob Swenson (Mesaba Aviation), Jay
Seaborn (Metro Airlines), Bryce Appleton (Midstate Airlines), Bill Clark
(Pennsylvania Airlines), Walt and Suki Fawcett (Precision Valley
Aviation), John Van Arsdale (Provincetown-Boston Airlines), Dawson
Ransome (Ransome Airlines), D.Y. Smith (Royale Airlines), Joel Murray
(Simmons Airlines), Jerry Atkin (Skywest Airlines), Mike Brady
(Southeastern Airlines), Don Young (Southern Jersey Airways), Art Horst
(Suburban Airlines), Stu Adcock (Tennessee Airways), Jim Dent (Trans
Air), Neal and Ruth Frey (Vee-Neal Airlines), Tim Flynn (Westair Commuter
Airlines), and Carl Albert (Wings West Airlines).
Among airframe manufacturers, special
recognition is given to the following instrumental people of the then
nascent industry: Earl Morton (Fairchild Aircraft), Colonel Ozires Silva
(Embraer, SA), Newton Berwig (Embraer, NA), Ove Dahlen (SAAB Aircraft of
America), Chet Schickling (Beech Aircraft), Jack Cook (Piper Aircraft),
and Oakley Brooks (Short Brothers, USA).
The author is privileged to have known many
of the people who were along during the wild ride of developing and then
rapidly expanding this segment of America’s air transportation system.
To all of these amazing people, and others involved but not listed
above, many thanks from this author for those exciting times.
And lastly, I give my most important thanks
to my wonderful and remarkable wife, Marguerite, who supported
the project from the initial thought to the final editing draft. Without
her continued support and editorial prowess MISSED APPROACH would not
exist as it now does. |
