Mohawk Airlines was started in 1945 as the airline division of Robinson Aviation in Ithaca, NY. It began primarily at the urging of the Grange for Local Farmers (G.L.F.) The main headquarters for the G.L.F., which later changed its name to Agway, was in Ithaca and required frequent business trips to New York City. The G.L.F. had to decide if they should purchase an aircraft for their own use or start up an airline to do the same thing. So they put up the money to start up an airline division of the Local FBO-Robinson Aviation. Robert Peach, a student at Cornell University and a WWII Navy pilot, got a part time job flying for Robinson. Peach married the daughter of Robinson thus starting his career culminating in the Presidency and office of Chairman of the future Mohawk Airlines.

The Airline began operations with two, single engine, three passenger Fairchild F-24’s, flying 173 miles between Ithaca and New York City.

In 1948 it was certified as a local service carrier and started operating throughout upstate New York. Mohawk bought some war surplus DC-3’s to begin its regular passenger service.

In 1952 its name was changed to Mohawk Airlines. A contest was held throughout its system and because of the primary upstate New York location in the Mohawk Valley, the name “Mohawk Airlines” was selected.

At the same time it extended its route into New England and also experimented with helicopter service between Newark, NJ and the Catskill resort area. Mohawk proved helicopter service could be successful. However, it was handicapped by a lack of a more convenient heliport for New York City and stopped its service.

With its expansion, Mohawk found the Ithaca base to be inadequate for a growing airline. In 1958, it completed a new three million dollar headquarters in Utica, NY and became the first local service carrier to complete both plant and equipment transition. Mohawk started using the term ‘regional’ to describe its new mission to grow out of local carrier status. This term was later adopted by many other carriers.

In 1960 Mohawk inaugurated its ‘Gaslight Service’ in which DC-3 aircraft interiors were fitted out in a gay nineties style, complete with antimacassars on the seat backs, brocade curtains, Currier and Ives prints and gas lanterns. Flight attendants wore long satin gowns and served free Utica Club beer, cheese and crackers along with good five-cent cigars. This service was for male passengers only, but eventually popular demand forced Mohawk to have a separate area on each plane designated as a family area to include women and children. This lasted until 1962.

Mohawk was the first local service carrier to enter the jet age when it purchased its first BAC1-11 in 1962. It was put into service in 1965.

In 1965 the mechanic’s union I.A.M. Local 75 went on a seven-week strike against the company. The issue being a company paid pension plan. Mohawk did continue to fly during this strike but with greatly reduced schedules. This resulted in severe financial losses before settling with the I.A.M. mechanics.

Mohawk continued its expansion and by 1969 had one of the largest jet fleets among its fellow regional airlines. The last piston aircraft were retired in the year 1969. This represented an investment of more than fifty-three million dollars, the largest ever undertaken by a regional airline at the time. Robert Peach, President of Mohawk, said this was not simply fleet modernization but the only method of survival in the face of jet competition.

In 1961 Mohawk was the first U.S. airline to centralize its reservation system and the first among regional/local service carriers to use computer support in its reservations operations in 1962.

Mohawk was also the first regional airline to purchase flight simulators in 1965 to use in its new four million dollar Edwin A. Link Training Center at Utica base. They also built a motel, The Horizon Hotel, to house the training students who came to use the simulators.

Russell V. Stephenson became the new president of Mohawk as Robert Peach remained as Chairman of the Board in 1969.

In 1970 the Pilots went on strike. This time the airline ceased all operations and laid all its employees off. The strike lasted for six months and in 1971 Mohawk started flying again. Because of heavy losses incurred during the strike, as well as a period of declining air traffic, Mohawk had no choice but seek consolidation with another regional airline as means of expansion and survival.

In early 1971, the boards of directors of Mohawk Airlines and Allegheny Airlines, announced their intention to merge. Allegheny would be the surviving airline. With the necessary approvals obtained, the merger became effective on April 12, 1972.

My own personal thoughts on Mohawk Airlines history are as follows: When I started working at Mohawk, the airline was on subsidy and everything was penny-pinching and cost saving. In 1962 Mohawk posted a profit of one and one half million dollars. Projecting future growth and more increased earnings, Mohawk went on a big spending binge. They bought new jets (BAC 1-11’s). They built an executive office building and a new training center along with the Horizon Hotel. They had a choice of modifying the Convairs by putting turbo prop engines or buying new Fairchild FH 227B aircraft. They went the more expensive way and bought the FH-227B’s. Meanwhile during this period of spending, the economy of the area started going down and the rosy increased earnings didn’t materialize. Mohawk was doomed and the signs were there in the late 60’s. When Robert Peach stepped down as president and Mr. Stephenson was made president, the powers to be had decided that they were tired of playing airline. The pilot strike gave them the perfect excuse to let Mohawk go out of existence and not be blamed for it! I think Mr. Peach was against doing this and tragically his suicide after the announcement of the merger just made it more clear to me that the money people, namely the G.L.F and Chase Manhattan, wanted to get rid of Mohawk!  Of course I could be wrong!