Rocky Mountain Airways

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Rocky Mountain Airways
IATA
ICAO
Callsign
JC RMA ROCKY MOUNTAIN
Founded1963 (1963)
(as Vail Airways)
Commenced operations1965 (1965)
Ceased operations1991 (1991)
Operating basesStapleton International Airport
AllianceContinental Express
Fleet sizeSee Fleet below
DestinationsSee Destinations below
HeadquartersDenver, Colorado, United States
Key peopleGordon Autry

Rocky Mountain Airways was an American

Denver, Colorado.[1] It was sold to Texas Air Corporation/Continental Airlines in 1986 and was operated as a Continental Express subsidiary until its operations were merged with Britt Airways in 1991.[2]
The airline flew from Denver's Stapleton International Airport to a variety of destinations in Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming. The airline operated out of the old commuter terminal in Concourse A at Stapleton.[3]

History

It was established as Vail Airways in 1963 by Gordon Autry.[4] The airline adopted "Rocky Mountain Airways" in 1968, shortly after service to Aspen was introduced.

Rocky Mountain Airways de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter operating a scheduled commuter flight at Denver's Stapleton International Airport in 1971

Vail Airways began operations with

de Havilland Canada DHC-8 Dash 8 twin turboprops,[7]
coincident with the type's service introduction; however, no Dash 8 aircraft were subsequently delivered to Rocky Mountain.

Both the DHC-6 Twin Otter and the DHC-7 Dash 7 featured short takeoff and landing (

Eagle County Airport, 35 miles to the west via Interstate 70. Steamboat Springs is now served by the Yampa Valley Airport
, 25 miles to the west via U.S. 40. Leadville no longer has airline service.

Another primary route served by the airline was between

Canadair CRJ-700
regional jets.

Upon its sale to Texas Air Corporation in 1986, Rocky Mountain Airways began serving as a

Telluride Airport with its airfield elevation of 9,070 feet.[8] All Rocky Mountain aircraft received the new blue and gold livery introduced by Continental in 1990. Rocky Mountain was merged with fellow Continental Express subsidiary Britt Airways
in 1991.

Destinations

Rocky Mountain Airways served the following destinations at various times during its existence:

Fleet

Rocky Mountain Airways also operated

Beechcraft 1900C turboprops after becoming a Continental Express
air carrier.

Accidents

On December 4, 1978, Rocky Mountain Airways Flight 217 crashed in snow-covered terrain at 10,530 feet MSL near Buffalo Pass, 9 miles(15 km) east of Steamboat Springs. All 22 persons aboard survived the impact, although a female passenger died four hours later (possibly from exposure before being rescued), and the injured pilot died in hospital, seventy hours later.

Twin Otter
.

See also

References

  1. ^ "World Airline Directory". Flight International. 1985. p. 112. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
  2. ^ Pagiola, S., 1999. "Continental Express: Going All-Jet." Airways, A Global Review of Commercial Flight, November 1999, pp. 39-49.
  3. ^ OAG Travel Planner & Hotel/Motel Guide, 1972, Reuben H. Donnelley Corp.
  4. ^ a b Williams, David O. (2010). "Birth of a Destination: Charting Vail's Evolution from Sheep Pasture to Center of the Skiing Universe" (PDF). Vail-Beaver Creek Magazine. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
  5. ^ Larsson, Björn; Zekria, David. "Vail Airways USA". Airline Timetable Images. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
  6. ^ PodOmatic, Gordon Autry interview podcast. Retrieved: January 23, 2013. (subscription required)
  7. ^ "New orders as Dash 8 rolls out". Flight International. 1983. p. 1142. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
  8. ^ Feb. 1, 1987 Continental Airlines system timetable
  9. ^ Kotz, Peter. Twin Otter Crash in The Rockies Plane & Pilot, 7 January 2019


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