Mohawk Valley Airlines 1945-1972 with Jim Coulthart

Jim Coulthart, a local amateur military aviation historian, shares his research on Mohawk Airlines. This hour-long presentation covers the history of central New York’s regional airline, from the early years as Robinson Airline through to its demise in the early 1970s.
First headquartered in Ithaca, NY, Mohawk Airlines operated from the Oneida County Airport in Oriskany, NY. It was a regional passenger airline that covered the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States from the mid-1940s until it was bought by Allegheny Airlines in 1972.
At its peak, it employed over 2,200 personnel. It was a pioneer in regional airline operations, including being the first airline in the United States to hire an African American flight attendant and the first to offer a pressurized cabin. Coulthart will discuss the organization’s evolution, key personalities, aircraft, and several air crash tragedies.

[@museummaker]

Great story Jim you did a fantastic job

[@gregmoyer8959]

I started with Empire in November 85 in 89 after USAir bought Piedmont some of the former Mohawk employees returned I always enjoyed hearing some of the stories of Mohawk and Allegheny. I never knew much about Bob Peach, he was a war hero for sure, I’m at 37 years of my airline career now working for American Airlines, seems like a few years ago when I started.

[@oneidacountyhistorycenter]

Thank you for sharing

[@joepasquini2663]

In 1972 accident the Albany Vetrans Hospital sent nurses to the site as requested by Roderick O'Connor, recreation director. Nurses were ankle deep in jet fuel assisting in extracting survivors. As you know no fire took place so the site was very unsafe. I was at the site early on and it appears the wing hit a large tree and entered a two family house where it came to rest in the basement. Joe Pasquini

[@gordon-n6s]

What did in Mohawk Airlines was I-90 the Mass. Pike and NY Thruway which made the total trip time about equal and far more convenient as well as I-88 to Binghamton and southern tier and the Northway from Albany to the border.

[@tpajay]

The photo at 23:00 shows two trunk carriers (Northwest & National). The trunk carriers were long established before the local service carriers & the subsidies that were given to those local service carriers. The local service carriers (originally there were 13 across the country in 1950) were formed so that the trunk carriers could drop smaller cities. Upping the subsidy had nothing to do with establishing the trunk system. Detroit was a Mohawk city on the 1970 map & not a city served through a connecting system (service started in Dec. 1956). America West wasn't even around in 1975; but started flights in 1983. The USAirways/America West merger happened in 2005, with America West being the buyer but kept the more known USAirways name; same with the USAirways/American merger. USAirways bought American but kept the iconic American Airlines name. Hope you don't mind the corrections but correct historical content is so important to me. Still, I enjoy seeing airline info since it was the career I chose in the 1970s until my retirement.

[@patrickreynolds9896]

Thank you so much for you insights-- we will share it with Mr. Coulthart

[@AccessAir]

The Fairchild Hiller FH-227 was called the Fairchild Hiller Killer?? Seems to be a harsh nickname for the aircraft.

[@johannesbols57]

A glass of water would help the incessant coughing. I wanted to watch this as I was born in New York City and remember Mohawk very well.

[@zingwilder9989]

There was actually a time when the Utica-Rome area had some muscle. KUCA had it's own regional airline headquartered on premises. Now, while other facilities such as Ithaca, Binghamton and Elmira are thriving; the Oneida County Airport at Oriskany is gone! I don't even believe that the runways still exist. I'm not going to factor Griffiss into this equation because its still kept up by US Military spending. When will the Utica-Rome region regain its identity?

[@mikeogara3078]

My mother worked cabin crew with mohawk don't know what years cristeen o Connor

[@Mikell-h2c]

Jim did you Oneida high school?

[@tripinmind7837]

Knew it from Mad Men