First flight of Piedmont Airlines flew from ILM 70 years ago
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Passengers boarded a plane at Wilmington International Airport for the first flight for Piedmont Airlines 70 years ago. Even though the company is gone its memory lives on.
Piedmont’s parent company, US Airways, merged with American Airlines a few years ago, but some American flights still have the Piedmont logo branded on the plane.
ILM still honors Piedmont’s memory, and some workers remember what it was like working for the airline. They say a strong sense of pride comes to mind when they see the Piedmont logo.
“I went to work for Piedmont in 1984 in Raleigh,” Barney Corley said. “My first airplane ride was on a Piedmont Airlines airplane. So it’s just a sense of not only… I guess it’s North Carolina pride and pride in a great company.”
Corley said the memory of Piedmont will live on for years and believes it was the greatest airline of all time.
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