Piedmont Airlines

Piedmont Airlines (1948-1989) was based at the airport.^[4] Predecessor Camel City Flying Services had become Piedmont Aviation, Inc. in 1940 and spent the 1940s building a base in flight training and airline sales. The company grew to over 80 employees by 1947 when the federal Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) awarded Piedmont Airlines a temporary certificate for regional air service. The company split into two divisions to continue to operate the fixed base operations (FBO) services and also operate four scheduled passenger feeder line routes extending from Wilmington, NC to Cincinnati, Ohio, serving twenty-two airports with one of three of the original DC-3s affectionately known as the Pacemakers. According to the airline's July 1, 1948 system timetable, Piedmont was operating nonstop service from the airport to both Bristol, Tennessee, and nearby Greensboro-High Point, North Carolina, as well as direct, no change of plane service to Cincinnati; Lexington; Raleigh-Durham; Goldsboro, North Carolina; New Bern, North Carolina; Morehead City-Beaufort, North Carolina; and Wilmington, North Carolina, with all flights on Douglas DC-3s.^[5] The route between Winston-Salem and Greensboro-High Point was the shortest commercial flight in the U.S. at sixteen miles.

By 1953, Piedmont Airlines employed over 680 people and grossed over $5.3 million on almost 3,000 miles (4,800 km) of routes. In 1966 the airline was operating Fairchild F-27 turboprops and Martin 4-0-4 prop aircraft from Smith Reynolds Airport with fifteen weekday departures, direct to Asheville; Atlanta; Baltimore; Charleston, West Virginia; Charlottesville, Virginia; Cincinnati; Fayetteville, North Carolina; Kinston, North Carolina; Knoxville; Louisville; Myrtle Beach; Newport News; Norfolk; Washington, D.C.; Wilmington and other destinations.^[6]

In 1968 Piedmont was flying Boeing 727-100 jetliners nonstop to Asheville and Roanoke and direct to Atlanta, New York La Guardia Airport and Charlottesville. Piedmont also flew Fairchild Hiller FH-227B turboprops from INT.^[7] By 1978, the airline was operating Boeing 727s and Boeing 737-200s in addition to NAMC YS-11 turboprops and had added direct jets to Chicago O'Hare Airport and nonstop jets to Washington National Airport.^[8] In 1983 all Piedmont flights from Smith Reynolds Airport were being operated with Boeing 737-200 jets with nonstops to Atlanta and Washington, D.C., and direct flights to Denver and Louisville with a total of four 737 departures a day being operated.^[9]

Piedmont had grown into one of the nation's major airlines with an all-jet mainline fleet when it was acquired by and merged into USAir in 1989. Piedmont's largest operation in later years was located at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, a major hub for the airline, but Piedmont continued to serve Smith Reynolds Airport as well. USAir (later US Airways which has since been merged into American Airlines) closed its INT crew base in 1991. Their heavy aircraft maintenance base was closed in September 1998, leaving only specialty maintenance shops, the last of which closed in 2005. US Airways maintained its largest reservations center in Winston-Salem before merging with American.

Other prior airline service

Capital Airlines and Eastern Air Lines operated flights into Smith Reynolds Airport until 1961. The June 1, 1960 Eastern Air Lines system timetable listed nonstop flights to Washington National Airport and Charlotte as well as direct service between INT and New York La Guardia Airport, New York Newark Airport, Atlanta, Providence, Rhode Island, Richmond, Virginia, Atlantic City, New Jersey, Wilmington, North Carolina, and other destinations operated with Convair 440, Lockheed Constellation (L-1049 "Super-G" model) and Martin 4-0-4 prop aircraft.^[10] According to its June 1, 1961, system timetable, Capital Airlines was serving the airport with British-manufactured Vickers Viscount four-engine turboprops with nonstops to Asheville, North Carolina and Richmond, Virginia and direct one-stop service to Atlanta and Washington National Airport.^[11] Capital and Eastern then ceased serving the airport and the only scheduled passenger airline flights were then operated by Piedmont and its successors. Nonstops operated by Piedmont may never have reached beyond Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.

By 1984, the only scheduled air carrier flights were being operated by commuter turboprops to the nearby Piedmont hub at Charlotte (CLT). In 1989, USAir Express was operating seven flights a day between the airport and Charlotte with British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 31 and Short 360 commuter turboprop aircraft.^[12] By 1999, successor US Airways Express was operating only three flights a day between the airport and Charlotte with BAe Jetstream 31 commuter propjets.^[13] US Airways Express commuter air carrier CCAir then ceased its code share service operated on behalf of US Airways to Charlotte in January 2000 and Winston-Salem has not had air carrier flights associated with a major airline since then. The airport maintains high volume and income with general aviation and private business aircraft activity.

FBO & Charter Service

Signature Flight Support Inc. Is the primary fix base operate at Smith Reynolds Airport. They provide:^[14]

• 100LL Line Service
• 100LL Self Service
• Fuel System Icing Inhibitor (Prist)
• Jet A Line Service
• Aircraft Detailing 3rd Party
• Aircraft Maintenance (Signature TECHNICAir)
• Aircraft Parking
• Aircraft Parking Long Term
• Airstairs
• Airstart Cart
• Avionics Service
• Defueling
• Deicing/Anti-ice
• Flight Planning
• GPU KVA
• GPU VDC
• Helicopter Handling
• International Trash Disposal
• Lavatory Service
• Nitrogen
• Tie Downs
• Overnight Hangar

They also provide many other amenities and services. They have 3rd party connections for many convivence services such as dry cleaning, catering, and limousine service.

Emergency Services

Forsyth County Fire Division station 9 is located on Smith Reynolds Airport. The station is located at the end of taxiway Echo. It houses a 2007 Oshkosh Striker 1500 Airport Rescue and Firefighting Vehicle. The vehicle is staffed 24/7 year round. It carries 1500 gallons of water, 210 gallons of foam concentrate, and 500 pounds of purple K dry chemical agent.^[15]

Maintenance Facilities

North State Aviation operates a maintenance facility at Smith Reynolds Airport. The facility works aircraft for several airlines. United Airlines, American Airlines, and IAero have all used North State's Services. North State Aviation is a Certified FAR 145 Repair Station with Heavy Maintenance, Modification and Repair capabilities for Boeing 727, 737 -200 thru -900 series, 757 -200 and -300 series, plus the Airbus A-320 family of aircraft and limited capability on 767 aircraft models. The North State facility can house 6 to 10 airliners at any given time with 6 bays in its facility and additional ramp space dedicated to them.^[16]

Signature TECHNICAir is a total service FAA Part 145 repair station based at Smith Reynolds Airport. Capabilities include full aircraft maintenance services including engine overhaul and replacement, major and minor checks, full avionics installations, and Mobile Service Unit capabilities.^[17]

Flight Training

Piedmont Flight Training is a primary flight training provider located at Smith Reynolds. They operate the Cessna 172 S, Cessna 172 L/M, Piper Archer PA-28-181, Piper Seneca 1, and Pipistrel Alpha Trainer.^[18]

Lookup Flight Academy is a flight training provide located at Smith Reynolds. They operate Sling NGT aircraft.^[19]

Other tenants

Collins Aerospace has a facility at Smith Reynolds that deals with aircraft interior components and maintenance. A large portion of operation at Smith Reynolds is related to aircraft seating.^[20]