America's Local Service Airlines

In the 1950s and 1960s, the United States was blanketed by a group of air carriers that served virtually every nook and cranny of the 'Lower 48' states. Residents of smaller cities, such as Hazleton, Penn.; Moultrie, Ga.; and Gallup, N.M., could board a 21-28 passenger Douglas DC-3 at their hometown airport and be on their way to any place else in the world. The 13 airlines selected to provide this convenience eventually wound up serving 580 cities in the U.S. with a fleet of more than 400...