Capital Airlines
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| Founded | November 1, 1936 (as Pennsylvania Central Airlines) |
|---|---|
| Commenced operations | April 21, 1948 (as Capital Airlines) |
| Ceased operations | June 1, 1961 (merged into United Airlines) |
| Hubs | |
| Fleet size | See Fleet in 1961 below |
| Destinations | See Destinations in 1961 below |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C., United States |
Capital Airlines was an airline serving the eastern, southern, southeastern, and midwestern United States. Capital's headquarters were located at Washington National Airport (now Reagan Airport) across the Potomac river from Washington, D.C. where crew training and aircraft overhauls were also accomplished. In the 1950s Capital was the fifth largest United States domestic carrier by passenger count (and sometimes by passenger-miles) after the Big Four air carriers (American, United, TWA, and Eastern). Capital merged with United Airlines in 1961.
Clifford A. Ball, a McKeesport, Pennsylvania, automobile dealer and owner of a controlling interest in Bettis Field near Pittsburgh, won airmail contract route No. 11 on March 27, 1926. In April of the following year, The Clifford Ball Airline began operating between Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and Cleveland, Ohio. Clifford Ball Airlines operated from Pittsburgh's first commercial airport Bettis Field, a former farm field which farmer Barr Peat had allowed to be used for Barnstorming. The airplane which flew the first flight from Pittsburgh to Cleveland, a Waco 9 named "Miss Pittsburgh", is currently displayed at the Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT). Famed humorist and performer Will Rogers was known to be an early and regular passenger, but scheduled passenger service did not begin until April 28, 1928. The following August, they became the first airline to serve Washington, D.C. from the west, offering their flagship "Path of the Eagle" service from Cleveland to Hoover Field across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. A "Path of the Eagle" brochure and schedule are displayed at the Pitcarin Field Web site.
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