National Museum of Transportation Speaker Series: Aviation Historian Alan Hoffman and The Story of Ozark Airlines

By Carmelo Turdo

The National Museum of Transportation recently featured aviation historian Alan Hoffman in their monthly Speaker Series held at the museum's Earl C. Lindburg Automobile Center. Hoffman's presentation was based on his book, Up There with the Biggest: The Story of Ozark Airlines, an authoritative look at the rise and fall of the St. Louis-based regional carrier that dared to compete with the nationals following de-regulation of the airline industry. From DC-3s to DC-9s, Ozark Airlines played an essential part in the development of post-war commercial air travel along with the growth of St. Louis as a center of aviation and aerospace excellence.

In Up There with the Biggest, Hoffman gives a detailed account of the formation of Ozark Airlines through the historical lens of the times and, most importantly, through first-hand accounts from key employees. The book reads like a diary written by siblings growing up in an airline family, with the good times and the hard times included in the narrative.     

Starting out as a charter operation in 1945 using Beech Staggerwings and Cessna T-50 light twins, Ozark was awarded the routes served by the fledgling Parks Airlines from Cahokia, IL in 1950. The new airline used its growing fleet of DC-3s to serve smaller cities out of Lambert Field, later adding the more modern Fairchild F-27/FH-227 turboprops and the Douglas DC-9 series of jets as their route system expanded. The DC-9 Super 80 was coming online in place of the original Boeing 727 order in the early 1980s just as the effects of de-regulation were taking hold.   

Ozark Airlines had experienced significant growth in the mid 1970s, flying longer routes, building an all-jet fleet and increasing market share in the air charter business. But the perfect storm lay ahead, bringing the forces of fleet acquisition debt, labor strife, the energy crisis, airline de-regulation and head-to-head competition with St. Louis rival TWA to epic proportions. Enter Carl Icahn, who in 1986 gained majority shares in TWA and then went after Ozark. Both airlines would subsequently lose their identity and be absorbed into American Airlines, who then removed St. Louis from major hub status. 

Along with Up There with the Biggest, Alan Hoffman has contributed greatly to the preservation and distribution of St. Louis aviation history in two other literary works. He co-authored Come Fly with Me: The Rise and Fall of Trans World Airlines, with Dr. Daniel Rust and was instrumental in the publishing of Dr. Rust's book, The Aerial Crossroads of America: St. Louis's Lambert Airport. Both are highly recommended!

Come Fly With Me: New Book Tells the Story of TWA, Once the "Airline of the Stars"

By Carmelo Turdo

A new book, Come Fly With Me: The Rise and Fall of Trans World Airlines, tells the inside story of how a hybrid rail/air transcontinental travel system became a household name as the "Airline of the Stars" before collapsing to the pressures of deregulation and predatory investors. Co-authors Dr. Daniel Rust and Alan Hoffman were at the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis November 9 for a book signing and panel discussion that sold out the book supply and filled the Lee Auditorium with many former TWA and Ozark Airlines employees (Ozark was acquired by TWA in 1986). The authors also made an appearance at the TWA Museum in Kansas City on November 10, bringing their message to the airline's early headquarters and current repository of TWA memorabilia, a former TWA Lockheed Electra aircraft, full-scale training equipment and a learning center.

During the autograph session, the Museum hosted several exhibits featuring TWA and St. Louis aviation historical items in MacDermott Grand Hall under the Spirit of St. Louis movie aircraft replica. The Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum provided a 1960s-era flight attendant uniform along with aircraft models, patches, pins and other memorabilia. St. Louis University displayed an original Parks Air College mechanic coverall, crew wings and photo history of the Parks College evolution from the first federally certified school of aviation to a major part of the School of Science and Engineering at the University. Former TWA, Ozark and other airline pilots and maintenance technicians visited the exhibits and shared their experiences before heading to the auditorium for the main event.

A capacity crowd gathered in the Lee Auditorium for a presentation by the authors followed by a panel discussion with former TWA and Ozark Airlines employees. Missouri Historical Society Managing Director Sam Moore spoke briefly about the programs at the museum before introducing Alan Hoffman as the first speaker of the evening. 

Alan Hoffman retired as a partner with the Husch Blackwell law firm in 2017 and collaborated with Dr. Rust on his previous book, The Aerial Crossroads of America: St. Louis's Lambert Airport. His interest in St. Louis aviation and TWA developed over a lifetime of air travel for business and pleasure, and this book project was a natural fit for Hoffman and Dr. Rust. 

"In a way I was almost born for that job," Hoffman told the audience as he introduced his role in the TWA book project. "I flew on early TWA Constellations back in 1948. And almost twenty  years later, I was a passenger on one of the last TWA Constellation flights. During my law practice, I traveled all over the country, to Hawaii and to the UK on TWA for business, and my wife and I flew TWA domestically and internationally on vacations. Our last TWA flight was in the fall of 2001, shortly before it ceased to exist, when the agent upgraded us to first-class as a gesture of appreciation for our business. So, the subject really came naturally."

Hoffman was "introduced" to Dr. Rust in 2011 when his wife brought home from the library a book entitled, Flying Across America: The Airline Passenger Experience, by Daniel L. Rust. He attended a presentation on the book by Dr. Rust at a local event, and they went on to produce the book on Lambert Airport in 2016 and Come Fly With Me earlier this year. In the intervening years, Hoffman also wrote a definitive history of Ozark Airlines, titled Up There With the Biggest: The Story of Ozark Airlines. 

Hoffman and Dr. Rust made extensive use of the TWA archives kept in the Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri St. Louis - 75-years of records covering TWA and its immediate predecessors, Transcontinental Air Transport and Transcontinental and Western Air. The documentation was very detailed, including corporate meeting minutes and photographs, providing the basis for Come Fly With Me. Interviews with former TWA and Ozark Airlines employees and executives were also conducted, and their stories were added to the narrative. The Missouri History Museum provided additional photographs and assisted in preparing the book for publication.

Come Fly With Me is not a dry, historical narrative that only aviation historians would venture to read. It is actually an intriguing story of the development of U.S. air travel in the context of the rise of American technological and industrial growth through the maturation of the current airline hub system. The story is told through the influence of three major actors, Charles Lindbergh, Howard Hughes and Carl Icahn, who led and sometimes dragged TWA through the highs and lows of the often-troubled times of the airline industry. 

"The three characters that we zero in on in this book - Charles Lindbergh, Howard Hughes and Carl Icahn - three that were as we say, larger than life," Dr. Rust said in his introduction to Come Fly With Me. "Three that exerted more influence and power than those who were the corporate leaders." Charles Lindbergh was an early consultant on fleet aircraft design, route structure and all-around credibility following his historic solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic in 1927. Howard Hughes was the major financier of TWA during the growth years of the late 1940s to the introduction of the Lockheed Constellation and Boeing 707 jetliner of the early 1960s. Hughes' reign at TWA began with great promise, but soon the airline became more like his personal flight service to the detriment of sound business practices. A decade later, airline deregulation drastically changed the government's role in setting routes and fares, and cash-light airlines such as TWA, Pan Am, Braniff and other legacy carriers found it even more difficult to compete. Investor Carl Icahn saw the opportunity to restructure TWA, sell off assets, cut expenses (i.e. employee concessions) and ultimately add to his personal wealth through a discount ticketing scheme in the process. TWA was ultimately absorbed by American Airlines in 2001, decimating airline traffic in St. Louis for decades.

Following Dr. Rust's presentation, a panel discussion was held on stage in the Lee Theater. The panel was moderated by Dr. Jody Sowell, President and CEO of the Missouri Historical Society, and included: (L-R) Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, Ozark Airlines employee, TWA executive and current Director of St. Louis-Lambert International Airport; Greg Pochapsky, Captain and Program Manager at Ozark Airlines, TWA and American Airlines; Jerry Castellano, Flight Attendant and instructor for Ozark Airlines and TWA; and Maurice Falls, Flight Attendant and Flight Service Manager for TWA and American Airlines.

Here we feature remarks from the panel members on two controversial topics:

The culture of Ozark Airlines and the merger with TWA:

Jerry Castellano

I've never experienced, or even observed, a company that had the camaraderie, and essentially felt like a family, as Ozark Airlines. To this day, we existed for thirty-six years, we've been gone for thirty-seven years, we still have annual reunions. It was a very informal place to work...We had extraordinary service...Basically, everyone respected everyone else's job...The first difference that most of us noticed in transitioning to TWA is that it was much more formal, there were a lot more rules...There were still a lot of people whose airline career ended in 1986 when Ozark was purchased. 

Greg Pochapsky

The thing about Ozark Airlines, from our experience from the pilot side, was they had a deep, deep background and experience. Most of the guys that we started flying with in the seventies had flown in World War II in one theater or the other. A lot of us came out of the military and at twenty-five years old we thought we knew everything. We started flying with these guys that flew on D-Day or flew in the islands during World War II, and you realize these guys can do this with their eyes closed. They're making nine stops a day with DC-3s and Fairchilds and now we're in the jet age and they've done it all. They were the greatest mentors that you could have had at the time. 

Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge

The thing that stands out is that there was such a respect, and that respect, I think, came from Edward Crane on down, our CEO and President. And he believed the Midwestern people had a great work ethic and would make great employees. So they really focused on hiring people from the Midwest to really bring the type of customer service that he wanted to the airline. 

Maurice Falls

When we merged (from the TWA point of view), I became junior and so I went from going to Heathrow-London to Des Moines in October! We had a flight to North Dakota - the coldest flight in my life. Ozark people were just so remarkable in character and personality, and it was just something to remember because it did help initiate us as a family of the Midwest. 

Carl Icahn's effect on TWA:

Greg Pochapsky

Under Carl, things got difficult to do from a business standpoint...I was managing the MD-80 fleet and we needed stuff from McDonnell Douglas out at Long Beach and it was difficult to get done because we had zero credit, or less than zero credit...We were buying used airplanes, all the time...We were going around looking at used airplanes, and all of a sudden, we got a lot of new airplanes...We couldn't figure that out.

Maurice Falls

I lost my seniority, because right before the strike of flight attendants, they actually sent us to Europe. So when the strike started, if you participated in the strike in Europe, you couldn't get home. Carl Icahn was that kind of guy...We gave all the concessions we gave until we couldn't give any more. We were almost flying for a little bit of nothing, but it was in our blood.  

Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge

He was interesting because he could be a nice person if you were just in a conversation not talking about the airline. But things that stuck in my mind - we had a TWA Ambassador Club in West Palm Beach, and it was only because Carl had an uncle there and his uncle wanted a club. And so we had a club in West Palm Beach until the day it shut down. And it didn't meet any of the criteria, but it didn't matter...If there was something that he wanted, he was going to have it. It didn't matter whether it fit within the portfolio or what made sense. If he wanted it, he had it. So that's the type of individual he was.

Jerry Castellano

We were merged in after the flight attendants at TWA went on strike...Ozark Airlines recognized that the face of Ozark Airlines would be the flight attendants...And the fact that he (Icahn) just figured they could all be replaced says a lot about what his business acumen was. At one level, he did extremely well for himself...Ozark owned all but two of our aircraft - we owned like fifty aircraft - and within weeks, he had made the purchase price back by selling the aircraft. We had to lease them to operate them, so our operating costs went way up. The longevity of the carrier was not his main goal.  

Come Fly With Me goes into great detail on these topics and many others as Dr. Rust and Alan Hoffman tell the story of the airline once touted by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Hollywood starlets as the "Airline of the Stars." The story of TWA is also a story of America, with its ups and downs and cultural transformations over three quarters of the twentieth century.

The Aero Experience thanks Dr. Daniel Rust, Alan Hoffman, the Missouri Historical Society, the Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum, St. Louis University and everyone who worked to make the Come Fly With Me book launch in St. Louis a great success!

Greater St. Louis Flight Instructors Association Holds 2023 Aviation Awards Banquet

By Carmelo Turdo

The Greater St. Louis Flight Instructors Association (GSLFIA) held their annual awards banquet May 13 in conjunction with a celebration of the centennial of St. Louis-Lambert International Airport. The banquet was held in the Terminal 1, B Concourse event space with several jets parked just outside of the large windows for additional "atmosphere." The St. Louis aviation community was well represented, and sponsorship of the banquet was provided by Enterprise Leasing, Mungenast St. Louis Acura, Mungenast Alton Toyota, Piston Aviation and GoJet Airlines. 

Guests were greeted by the GSLFIA leadership team, including Association President Keith Mueller and Vice President Dick Horowitz, as they entered the concourse. For a few moments, they stepped back in time while viewing the exhibits illustrating the history of Lambert Field from the 1920s to the present day as seen through historic photographs, original art, models and even flight attendant uniforms from Ozark Airlines. The display items were provided by the Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum and individual contributors associated with the airport or its tenants over many decades. GoJet Airlines was represented in person by Samuel Curless, Vice President of Global Sourcing and Strategy, with a very nice table exhibit.

Following the informal cocktail hour, the dinner began with opening remarks by GSLFIA President Keith Mueller followed by the invocation from Father James Sebesta, a St. Louis University certified flight instructor. The food was amazing, and the service was excellent!

The GSLFIA promotes aviation safety and flight instruction excellence through educational programs and recognition of outstanding flight instructors and organizations that significantly contribute to the St. Louis aviation community. GSLFIA Director Jim Stamm officiated the awards portion of the program as well as the presentation of Discovery Flights donated by Gateway Flight Training and Ideal Aviation. Discovery Flights provide the initial, hands-on flight experience for prospective student pilots, and this year they were awarded to Thor Gavin, Lillian Averbeck and Jack Stokes.

The James P. Byrnes Award was presented to three St. Louis area businesses that have contributed greatly to aviation over the life of the organization. Here representatives from the Boeing Company, Enterprise Leasing and GoJet Airlines accept their awards.

The Spirit of St. Louis Award was presented to three organizations who have contributed greatly to St. Louis aviation. Here representatives from the Oliver L. Parks Department of Aviation Science, Elite Aviation and The Crossing Church accept their awards. Elite Aviation and The Crossing Church are sponsors of the Red Tail Cadet Program, annually providing flight instruction and mentoring to five high School students from the Ferguson-Florissant School District.

Certified Flight Instructor of the Year was presented to the CFI with three or more years of experience and who shows initiative in professional development and student success. This year's recipient is James Braithwaite, Assistant Chief Flight Instructor at Ideal Aviation, St. Louis Downtown Airport.

New Certified Flight Instructor of the Year was presented to the CFI with less than three years of experience and who has outstanding performance and career potential as a CFI. This year's recipient is Meadow Boden, CFI at Southern Illinois University - Carbondale. She will participate in the Air Race Classic, an all-female point-to-point cross-country air race, taking place next week.

One of the special guest speakers was Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, the Director of St. Louis - Lambert International Airport. She gave an update on various airport development projects, including the proposed single terminal renovation that recently received preliminary approval by the FAA as part of the Master Plan through 2040. Final approval and the start of construction are still years away, but Hamm-Niebruegge is optimistic that it will eventually be completed and improve the passenger experience in and out of the airport.

The keynote speaker for the GSLFIA Awards Banquet was Dr. Daniel Rust, Author of the book, The Aerial Crossroads of America: St. Louis's Lambert Airport. Since the book launch in 2016, Dr. Rust has given numerous presentations based on his authoritative work, and this one was just as enlightening and entertaining as ever. The book is locally sponsored by the Missouri Historical Society. Dr. Rust was previously the Assistant Director of the Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and he is currently Associate Professor, School of Business and Economics, at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. Dr. Rust was available to autograph copies of the book before and after the banquet.

The Aero Experience congratulates the GSLFIA for producing a great Midwest Aviation event to honor the awardees and celebrate the centennial of St. Louis - Lambert International Airport. Thanks also go out to all of the many organizations and individuals who contributed to the success of the banquet, and to those who attended to support their fellow flight instructors.