Pacific Southwest Airlines

This article is about the airline that operated from 1949 to 1988. For the US Airways commuter airline, see PSA Airlines. For the present day airline based in Texas, see Southwest Airlines. For the airline that currently uses the IATA Code PS, see Ukraine International Airlines.
Pacific Southwest Airlines
IATA ICAO Callsign
PS PSA PSA
Founded 1949
Commenced operations 1949
Ceased operations 1988 (integrated into USAir)
Hubs
Airport lounge Presidents Club
Fleet size 75
Destinations 31
Company slogan Catch our Smile
Parent company PSA Inc. (1949–1986)
USAir (1987–1988)
Headquarters San Diego, California
Key people Kenny Friedkin
(Founder and Original President)
Jean Friedkin
(Founder and Original Vice President)
Eleanor Glithero
(PSA's first employee)

Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) was a United States airline headquartered in San Diego, California, that operated from 1949 to 1988. It was the first large discount airline in the United States. PSA called itself "The World's Friendliest Airline" and painted a smile on the nose of its airplanes, the PSA Grinningbirds. Opinion L.A. of the Los Angeles Times called PSA "practically the unofficial flag carrier airline of California for almost 40 years."[1] The airline initially operated as an intrastate air carrier wholly within California before expanding to other destinations in other states following the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978.

PSA was one of the four airlines that formed US Airways, the others being America West Airlines, Piedmont Airlines and Allegheny Airlines. PSA was merged into USAir in 1988. USAir then changed its name to US Airways which in turn merged with American Airlines in 2013.

PSA's Boeing customer number was 14. Following the acquisition by and merger with USAir, the PSA name was given to Jetstream International Airlines by US Airways to preserve the PSA name and trademarks.

History

A Lockheed L-188 Electra of PSA in flight around 1959.
PSA 1953 logo
A PSA Boeing 737-200 with the “smiling” livery in 1974.

Kenny Friedkin founded the airline in 1949 with a $1,000-a-month leased Douglas DC-3. Friedkin obtained information from a travel agent upon starting the airline due to lessons learned from a failed precursor airline (Friedkin Airlines).[2] The DC-3 inaugurated a weekly round trip from San Diego to Oakland via Burbank. Reservations were initially taken from a World War II surplus latrine refitted as a ticket office. In 1951, PSA flights moved from Oakland to San Francisco International. In 1955, PSA bought two Douglas DC-4s from Capital Airlines and painted boxes around the windows to make the planes resemble the Douglas DC-6.

In January 1958, it scheduled 37 DC-4s a week Burbank to San Francisco (29 of which originated in San Diego) and four nonstop flights San Diego to San Francisco; the fare from Burbank to San Francisco was $9.99. United, Western and TWA then had 241 non-stop flights each week from Los Angeles to San Francisco and 49 flights a week Burbank-San Francisco. About half of their flights were First Class only ($22.05); the rest carried coach passengers for $13.50. (All fares were subject to 10% federal tax.) Later in 1958, PSA shifted some flights from Burbank to Los Angeles; that year it carried 296,000 passengers.

In November 1959 PSA began flying Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprops[3] with 92 seats and a six-seat lounge, replacing 70-seat DC-4s. Boeing 727-114s, Boeing 727-214s and Boeing 737-214s replaced the Electras in 1966-70. The May 1965 OAG shows 103 Electras a week Los Angeles to San Francisco, 32 a week Los Angeles to Oakland, 34 a week Burbank to San Francisco and 5 a week San Diego to San Francisco. Los Angeles-San Francisco was scheduled for 60 minutes, Burbank-San Francisco was 55. In 1966 PSA started flying to San Jose, and in 1967 to Sacramento Executive Airport; later that year they and everyone else moved to then new Sacramento International Airport. Ontario was added in 1968 and Long Beach, Fresno and Stockton in 1971–72. Starting in 1974 PSA briefly operated several wide body Lockheed L-1011 TriStar jetliners until 1976 before deeming them unprofitable and selling them; PSA's L-1011-1s were unique in having lower deck seating.[4] The L-1011s flew intrastate routings of Los Angeles-San Francisco, Los Angeles-San Francisco-Sacramento and San Diego-Los Angeles-San Francisco. PSA was the only intrastate air carrier in the U.S. ever to operate wide body jetliners. Electras returned in 1975 for flights to Lake Tahoe that ended in 1979. (Lake Tahoe, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, did not allow airline jets until the 1980s although Pacific Air Lines briefly operated Boeing 727-100 jetliners into Lake Tahoe in 1966.) Major intrastate competitor Air California also flew Electras to Lake Tahoe until 1979-80 but then returned to Lake Tahoe as AirCal with McDonnell Douglas MD-80s and Boeing 737-300s after the jet ban ended. PSA never served Lake Tahoe again after retiring its Electras.

After airline deregulation, PSA expanded beyond California to Reno, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Tucson and Albuquerque. Its first flight beyond California was Oakland to Reno in December 1978. The airline introduced automated ticketing and check-in machines at several airports and briefly flew to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. When PSA's plan to buy the assets of Braniff International Airways fell through, the airline expanded its network north to Washington, Oregon and Idaho. PSA used new BAe 146s to smaller airports like Eureka, California, and Concord, California. PSA held a "Name the Plane" contest, publicized in full-page newspaper advertisements, to name the fleet, with the prize being a private flight for the winner and 99 friends. The winning entry was Smiliner[5] submitted by Dr. Hugh Jordan of Whittier, California.[6]

Revenue Passenger-Miles/Kilometers, in millions
Year Traffic
1964 490 RPMs
1968 1232 RPMs
1970 1585 RPMs
1973 3116 RPKs
1979 4527 RPKs
1985 5670 RPKs
Source: Air Transport World

In 1986, Western and AirCal were purchased (by Delta Air Lines and American Airlines respectively).

An hour after the AirCal deal was announced PSA agreed to merge with USAir, which was completed in 1987. At the time, PSA was in talks with Boeing about acquiring a Boeing 757-200 but never ordered it. PSA's last flight was on April 8, 1988. The PSA route network slowly disintegrated within USAir and was gone by 1994. Most of the former airline's assets were scrapped or moved to USAir's hubs on the East Coast. PSA's base at San Diego International Airport was gutted and is now that airport's commuter terminal. PSA had planned from the start to become a nationwide carrier, but this never came to fruition. By the time of the merger, PSA's route system covered the western United States as far east as Colorado and New Mexico, and as far north as Washington state.

In the San Diego Aerospace Museum a display showcases PSA, the city's home town airline.

PSA was one of the sponsors of The Dating Game TV show on ABC from 1965 to 1973.

US Airways Airbus A319 painted in PSA's livery

After the 2005 merger of US Airways and America West, a US Airways Airbus A319 was repainted in PSA's livery as one of four heritage aircraft commemorating the airlines that had merged to form the present-day US Airways. The aircraft was dedicated at San Diego International Airport's commuter terminal (PSA's former operations base) on March 30, 2006, and flew routes similar to PSA's.

Corporate culture

PSA was known for its sense of humor. Founder Ken Friedkin wore Hawaiian shirts and encouraged his pilots and stewardesses to joke with passengers. Its slogan was "The World's Friendliest Airline", and its recognizable trademark was a smile painted on the nose of each plane and an accompanying advertising campaign declaring "Catch Our Smile".[7] Because of the major San Diego flight schedule and its discount fares, military personnel nicknamed PSA the "Poor Sailor's Airline."[8] After PSA was bought by USAir, ex-PSA mechanics would occasionally paint smiles on USAir planes as a joke.[9]

An example of the PSA smile on one of its Lockheed L-1011 TriStars.

During the 1960s, PSA was also known for the brightly colored flight attendant uniforms that included miniskirts. In the early 1970s, the fashion changed to hotpants.[8] One PSA flight attendant, Marilyn Tritt, wrote a book about her tenure at the company titled Long Legs and Short Nights (ISBN 0-9649577-0-1).

Management diversified in the early 1970s into a broadcasting venture called PSA Broadcasting. Radio stations were purchased in Sacramento (96.9 KPSC later KEZC), San Jose (106.5 KEZD later KEZR), Los Angeles (107.5 KPSA later KLVE) and San Diego (102.9 KEZL now KLQV). All ran easy listening formats (hence EZ call letter combinations). The idea was to keep some of the airline's advertising dollars within the broadcasting company as well as collect some co-op (co-operative advertising) from businesses doing business with the airline. These stations were sold to various interests in the late 1970s.

PSA flight attendants disembarking from one of the company's aircraft.

Throughout PSA's lifetime as an airline, the flight attendants, with their humor, over-the-top passenger service, and sense of duty, helped to create a loyal passenger following. One flight attendant, Sandy Daniels, with the help of a frequent flyer, started the "Precious Stewardess Association". Frequent fliers would bring tasty treats to the crew, particularly on morning flights. In turn, PSA started the "Precious Passenger Association", with certificates and free drinks given to friendly and helpful passengers.

Ken Friedkin's son Tom was a PSA pilot in 1962 when the elder Friedkin died abruptly of a stroke, aged 47. A year later, Tom Friedkin's mother died, making him the largest shareholder of PSA. Tom had a seat on the Board of Directors, but continued working as a full-time pilot for the airline.[8]

Southwest Airlines founder Herb Kelleher studied PSA extensively and used many of the airline's ideas to form the corporate culture at Southwest, and even on early flights used the same "Long Legs And Short Nights" theme for stewardesses on board typical Southwest Airlines flights.

PSA helped train the first class of mechanics for Southwest Airlines and lent the fledgling carrier flight manuals and other needed items.

Headquarters

The PSA headquarters were located in a windowless gray-brown building on Harbor Drive in San Diego, California.[10][11] Currently, the building is San Diego International Airport's commuter terminal.

Accidents and incidents

Hijackings

There were several attempted hijackings which resulted in no injuries and the surrender of the often lone hijacker. These incidents are not included. The following are notable hijackings because of fatalities or success in forcing the aircraft to fly to another country

Destinations

Passengers board a PSA Boeing 727 in rainy weather in 1971.

PSA served many destinations in the western U.S. and Mexico over the years although not all at the same time. The following is a list of known PSA destinations served during the airline's existence.[23][24]

California

Arizona

Colorado

Idaho

New Mexico

Nevada

Oregon

Utah

Washington

Mexico

Fleet

Final fleet

PSA fleet details at the time of its merger into USAir:

Pacific Southwest Airlines Fleet
Aircraft Total Passengers
Douglas DC-9-31 3 107
Douglas DC-9-32 1 107
BAe 146-200 24 85
BAe 146-100 1
McDonnell-Douglas MD-81 23 150
McDonnell-Douglas MD-82 12 150

Historic fleet

Historic PSA fleet:

1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s
Douglas DC-3/C-47 Skytrain
1949–1955
Douglas DC-4/C-54 Skymaster
1954–1959		 McDonnell Douglas MD-80
1980–1988
Lockheed L-188 Electra
1958–1969		 Lockheed TriStar
1974–1975		 Lockheed L-188 Electra
1975–1979		 BAe-146
1984–1988
DC-6
1960–1961		 Boeing 727
1964–1985 (includes series -100 and -200 aircraft)
Boeing 737-200
1968–1976
Douglas DC-9-30
1967–1969		 Douglas DC-9-30
1983–1988
A PSA Lockheed L-1011 TriStar before delivery.

Historic PSA fleet details:

Historic Pacific Southwest Airlines fleet
Aircraft Total Passengers PSA name
Douglas DC-3/C-47 Skytrain 9
Douglas DC-4/C-54 Skymaster 4
Lockheed L-188 Electra 9 Super Electra Jet/Electrode/Trode
Douglas DC-6B 1
Boeing 727-14 9
Boeing 727-114 1
Boeing 727-173C 2
Boeing 727-51 5
Boeing 727-81 1
Boeing 727-214 18
Boeing 727-2J7A 2
Boeing 727-214A 7
Boeing 727-254 5
Boeing 727-2QA 1
Bell 206 1
Boeing 737-214 12 Fat Albert or FA
Boeing 737-293 2 Fat Albert or FA
Douglas DC-9-31 4 107
Douglas DC-9-32 2 107
Lockheed L-1011-1 TriStar 2 Mother Grinningbird
McDonnell Douglas MD-81 21 156-150
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 17 156-150
BAe 146-100 1 Smiliner
BAe 146-100A 2 Smiliner
BAe 146-200 5 100-85 Smiliner
BAe 146-200A 19 100-85 Smiliner

PSA training fleet

The following aircraft were used for training only.

List of aircraft PSA used for training:[25]

Pacific Southwest Airlines training aircraft fleet
Aircraft Total
Piper Aztec 28R-180 1
Bell 47-G4A 1
Beech Bonanza F33-A 7
Piper Aztec 23-350 9
Piper Comanche 24-260 5
Learjet 24 1
Piper Aztec 23-250 5
NAMC YS-11A-202 1
NAMC YS-11A-212 1
Brantly B-2 1
Beech 99 1

References

  1. ↑ "Southwest Airlines has a flashback -- emphasis flash." Los Angeles Times. March 3, 2009. Retrieved on February 18, 2010.
  2. ↑
    Trinkle, Kevin, PSA History. Retrieved June 2, 2011
  3. ↑ Airlift December 1959
  4. ↑ The PSA History/Olditimers Page - Lockheed L-1011 - Trinkle, Kevin; Retrieved August 24, 2010, Archived December 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ↑ Smiliner
  6. ↑ http://www.oldenglishsheepdogclubofamerica.org/hugh_e_jordan.php Dr. Hugh Jordan OESCA Memorial Page
  7. ↑ "PSA's Spring SuperSmile fares...". Spokane Chronicle. advertisement. March 24, 1987. p. A9.
  8. 1 2 3 Forbes Magazine: October 1, 2001-Under the Radar by Doug Donovan
  9. ↑ Trinkle, Kevin. "Smiles on US Airways". The PSA History Page. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  10. ↑ Ray, Nancy. "CORPORATE 'FAMILY' MOURNS." Los Angeles Times. September 27, 1978. Start Page SD_A9. Retrieved on February 18, 2010.
  11. ↑ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. March 31, 1984. 876.
  12. ↑ http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19690115-1
  13. ↑ ASN accident NAMC YS-11A-202 N208PA Borrego Springs, California Retrieved April 8, 2008
  14. ↑ ASN accident Boeing 727-214 N533PS San Diego International Airport, CA (SAN) Retrieved April 1, 2009
  15. ↑ Ted Vollmer, "PSA Ruled Liable for Crash Damage Claims", Los Angeles Times San Diego County edition (August 15, 1979)
  16. ↑ ASN aircraft accident British Aerospace BAe-146-200 N350PS Paso Robles, CA
  17. ↑ ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 727 ?
  18. ↑ Airliner Magazine, November, 2000
  19. ↑ ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 737-200 San Francisco International Airport, CA (SFO)
  20. ↑ Ada Evening News, July 6, 1972, p. 1
  21. ↑ Emch, Tom (September 12, 2009). "Anatomy of a Hijack". SF Chronicle and Examiner. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
  22. ↑ http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19800501-0
  23. ↑ The PSA/Oldtimers Page
  24. ↑ PSA Pacific Southwest Airlines bag tags
  25. ↑ Trinkle, Kevin. "Flight Training" - The PSA History/Olditimers Page - Retrieved March 28, 2009
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