Mid-Continent Airlines
Mid-Continent Airlines was a trunk carrier, a scheduled airline which operated in the central United States from the 1930s until 1952 when it was acquired by and merged with Braniff International Airways. Mid-Continent Airlines was originally founded as a flight school at Rickenbacker Airport in Sioux City, Iowa, during 1928, by Arthur Hanford Jr., a dairy operator. The Hanford Produce Company was the largest creamery in the United States with over 100 trucks in operation. The company was primarily a dairy but also sold ice cream and poultry. The Hanford's also founded and built the new Rickenbacker Airport and operated eight gas stations and several service repair garages under the name Hanford's, Inc. The airport was a division of Hanford's, Inc., but the service stations and garages were later sold to finance airline operations. Mid-Continent was based in Kansas City, Missouri at the time of its acquisition by Braniff.
History
Hanford's Tri-State Airlines
The company was founded in 1928 at Rickenbacker Airport in Sioux City, Iowa, as a small flight school by Arthur S. Hanford Sr and his son Arthur S. Hanford Jr. Soon the company became known as Hanford's Tri-State Airlines, which offered charter service and scheduled flights from Sioux City to Omaha, Nebraska, Minneapolis, Minnesota and Bismarck, North Dakota.The fleet consisted of Stearmans, American Eagles, Ryans, Travel Airs, Eagle Rocks and one Sikorsky amphibian, which was used for operations in the Northern lake country.
In 1934 it was awarded Air Mail Route 16 for runs from Chicago to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Intermediate routings included Milwaukee, Madison, Wisconsin; Rochester, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Fargo, Grand Forks and Pembina, North Dakota, and finally Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The company was also awarded Air Mail Route 26 from Minneapolis to Kansas City with intermediate stops at Sioux Falls, Sioux City and Omaha, and finally between Sioux Falls and Bismarck/Mandan with enroute stops at Huron and Aberdeen. Service began over Route 16 in June 1934 and over Route 26 in July 1934.
At this time, the company moved its headquarters to Minneapolis. However, when the Chicago to Winnipeg route was sold in December 1934 to Northwest Airlines, general offices were moved back to Sioux City. Its fleet included four four-passenger Lockheed Vegas and three Ford Tri-Motors. Route 26 required three-engine equipment, which Hanford's did not initially have and therefore, leased the route to Rapid Air Lines for a brief period from June 1, 1934 until December 1, of the same year. The two carriers had merged in 1933 to form Hanford-Rapid Airlines but were operated as separate entities.
New Management
On June 23, 1935, Hanford's founder Arthur Hanford Jr. was killed in a tragic plane crash while on a training mission. His father, Arthur Sr., assumed the Presidency and then searched for someone to operate the airline that had a solid vision to ensure the fledgling airline's future. He found Thomas Fortune Ryan III of Lockheed Aircraft, who Mr. Hanford had met while buying aircraft at Lockheed for his airline.The airline was acquired in May 1936 by Thomas Fortune Ryan III, the grandchild of financier and industrial pioneer Thomas Fortune Ryan. The same year, Ryan moved the headquarters to Kansas City and Arthur S. Hanford Sr., was elected president of the new company and J. W. Bill Miller joined the company as vice president and general manager. At the time of the change in ownership, Hanford's employed 64 people, served nine cities and held route certificates that totaled 838 miles. The Ryan's only purchased six of Hanford's aircraft including two Ford Trimotors and four 4-passenger single-engine Lockheed Vegas.
The new Hanford-Rapid Airlines moved to Fairfax Airport at Kansas City, Missouri. Here the company moved into the building that was once occupied by United Airlines. Mr. Ryan III also moved to Kansas City and became the airline's Executive Vice President. The new management began replacing aging equipment, strengthening the existing organization and began a comprehensive study of possible expansion opportunities was implemented almost immediately.
Hanford-Rapid Airlines served the following cities: Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota; Bismarck/Mandan, North Dakota; Aberdeen, South Dakota; Huron, South Dakota; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Sioux City, Iowa; Omaha, Nebraska and Kansas City, Missouri. At the time of purchase, the airline flew one daily round trip between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Bismarck/Mandan with intermediate stops at Sioux Falls, Sioux City, Huron and Aberdeen. One daily round trip was also flown between Omaha and Kansas City.
As a result of the purchase of Hanford's Tri-State Airlines by the Ryan's, Mid-Continent Airlines was incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware on May 6, 1936. The company officially began air carrier operations on July 1, 1936, under the corporate name of Hanford Airlines, Inc. The purchase of Hanford Airlines assets included its air mail contract and the liabilities associated with that contract in addition to the Ford Trimotor and Lockheed Vega airliners.
Lockheed Electra L-10 Airliner Joins the Fleet
One of the first moves of the new Ryan led management was the introduction of the new Lockheed L-10 Electra twin-engine airliner. Luxurious seating for ten passengers made this aircraft popular among passengers at the time. On July 10, 1936, the new aircraft was pressed into service amidst colorful ceremonies for the newly dubbed "The Sioux Chief" airliner. Mr. Ryan led a contingent of VIPs and airliner management on the inaugural flight from Kansas City to Minneapolis/St. Paul Wold-Chamberlain Airport. Guest passengers included Mr. Eddie Rickenbacker, Mr. W. N. DeWald, Operations Manager, Mr. J. W. Bill Miller, Vice President and General Manager and Mr. Justin Bowersock, Aviation Editor of The Kansas City Star Newspaper along with other members of the press.The new Electra was already an industry star. Just before Mid-Continent introduction of L-10 service, the famed James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle established an all-time speed record for a passenger airliner flying between Chicago and New Orleans.
Expansion Southbound
On August 30, 1936, Hanford inaugurated new air mail, express and passenger service between Kansas City and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Hanford began the tradition of inviting a Native American Chief to fly on its inaugural flights. Chief Crazy Bull, a Sioux Native from the Rosebud Reservation in North Dakota, was a VIP on the first flight, which was christened in Kansas City by Miss Loraine Norquist, daughter of Mr. E. E. Norquist. Also on board was Mr. Alexander W. Graham, Mr. Homer Bredow, Chairman of the Aviation Committee of the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce; Colonel Ruby D. Garrett; Mr. Clarence R. Mooney, Public Relations Director of the Kansas City Chamber; Mr. Thomas R. Ryan III; Mr. J. W. Bill Miller; Mr. W. N. DeWald, Operations Manager at Hanford and Mr. Malcolm L. Boss, Traffic Manager.The flight was flown by Captain A. J. "Al" Jaster. Captain Jaster continued on with Mid-Continent Airlines and ultimately retired from Braniff Airways, Inc. He had flown over 3 million miles during his career with Hanford and Mid-Continent.
During this time, Hanford became the first US airline to operate scheduled flights over unlighted airways. The Airline used the new onboard direction finding equipment to navigate without lighter ground navigation aids over its Kansas City to Tulsa route.
Mid-Continent Airlines
The company was renamed Mid-Continent Airlines in 1938 after expanding service into the oil boom cities in the Mid-continent Oil Field out of a hub in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Company management felt that the new name would better identify it with the Midwest region that it served.On December 11, 1939, Mr. Ryan was elected President of the company and Mr. Hanford Sr., became the Chairman of the Board of Directors. He retained that position until his death in the fall of 1941.
In 1940, Mid-Continent doubled its route miles and personnel with it was awarded a certificate to operate a new route between Minneapolis and St. Louis, with intermediate stops at Rochester, Minnesota; Des Moines and Ottumwa and between Des Moines and Kansas City. An additional route was awarded between Bismarck and Minot, North Dakota.
As was fashionable for the era, Mid-Continent named its routes of flight as follows :
The Kansas Citian - Minneapolis/St. Paul - Sioux City - Omaha - Kansas City - operated with Lockheed L-10 Electra airliners
The Missourian - Minneapolis/St. Paul - Rochester - Des Moines - Ottumwa - St. Louis - operated with Lockheed Lodestar airliners
The Corn Husker : Minneapolis/St. Paul - Watertown - Huron - Sioux City - Sioux-Falls - Omaha - Kansas City - operated with Lockheed Lodestar airliners
The Dakotan : Minneapolis/St. Paul - Sioux Falls - Huron - Aberdeen - Bismarck/Mandan - Minot - operated with Lockheed L-10 Electra airliners
That same year, the Lockheed Lodestar airliner was added to the fleet, which seated 14-passengers in comfort. The Lodestar was the fastest commercial plane in service at the time.
The company flew 6 million revenue passenger miles that year; Braniff had 36 million and industry leader American had 312 million. After World War II Mid-Continent expanded to Shreveport, Louisiana, New Orleans and Houston.
Chief Wapello
Mid-Continent adopted a unique corporate logo that honored Native Americans and their Chiefs. Specifically, MCA selected the famed Chief Wapello as their company mascot and logo, which featured either the Chief's face or his full upper body with arms and hands drawing a bow and arrow.The Great Chief Wapello commanded the Meskwaki Tribe, which was also known as the Fox Tribe. The Tribe migrated from what is today Ontario, Canada, to what is today, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa, which covered a large section of Mid-Continent's service area. The Chief was known for his ability to work with white settlers and avoid conflict.