Surprised Bluefield wasn't on the list, use to fly in there from CLT in the 80s with Piedmont Commuter Beechcraft C-99 and BAE J-31 Jetstreams, was a hoot in the icy winter.
Wheeling doesn't have any commercial service at the moment. It's only about an hour's drive from Pittsburgh's airport. I did, however, pass through there on my drive back home from PIT after ending my trip there. It was right at sunset; it looked great!
Wheeling last had airline service on a larger local service carrier Allegheny when they left in 1971. At the time, they had daily flights to PIT & used Convair 580 propjets. In 1978, two different commuter carriers competed with each other (both started the same day) with a total of 7 roundtrips to PIT. Christman Air used Beech 99s & Aeromech used Bandeirante props. Neither lasted very long because it was a quick interstate drive to PIT & it was 2 days before one of them had their first & only passenger. 1978 was the last year Wheeling had scheduled service. In the 1960s, Wheeling had flights on Allegheny, TWA, Capital Airlines & Lake Central!
United left NCWV airport and now all you can get is Contour from North Carolina. Apparently, the manager of NCWV airport, a fellow named Rock, thinks swapping direct flights by a major carrier from Dulles and O'Hare to Contour in Charlotte is no big deal. After trying to find my usual holiday flight (Tokyo-Clarksburg) from one of those hubs ,which was easy when United Express still flew, is now a complete confusing mess. I gave up trying to find one on Contour that does not require an overnight stay at Charolette both coming and going. I understand that whenever they mosey around to getting things organized, that we will be able to arrange flights to Clarksburg (from Tokyo) with American airlines, I gave up and chose a flight to Morgantown on the Cessna---a Cessna!!!??? WTF!---and then rely on Greyhound or my mother to get me to Clarksburg. The good news is the NCWA spent $15 million to extend the runway there. All they need now are flights to the place. What was the recent motto former governor, now U.S. Senator came up with-? Oh yes, "West Virginia. Open for business!"
That's too bad; I believe United also left Lewisburg, so lots of West Virginians are having to change their plans if they're used to connecting at Dulles.
UA (SkyWest) left because of the pilot shortage. There were 29 (I could be off on that one) that SW was trying to drop because of the shortage. Normally, EAS carriers can't vacate a city until a replacement carrier is found. That's where Contour came into play. I don't think the city had a choice giving that SW wanted to leave. The same story was for LWB and SHD.
It wasn't LWB that was used by the Senate (it wasn't built until 1968) but the original airport was called Greenbrier Airport & it was in White Sulphur Springs (airport opened in 1930, closed in 1986). This airport, near the hotel, was used for commercial flights until LWB was opened in 1968. In the 1940s, the runway was 3,400 ft. so that a military DC-4 could land there. Greenbrier Airlines provided flights to/from CRW, DCA, & ROA. Various presidents & other gov't. officials used this airport when going to the hotel. When it closed in 1986, the runway was 5,200' X 150'.
What airlines used the old airport? I started with Piedmont and I wasn't aware that anyone else served the area. All of Piedmont's flights were at the LWB airport if I'm not mistaken.
@@flu4pdmt As I said above, it was an airline called Greenbrier Airlines. Yes, PI only used LWB, starting Sept. 15, 1970 (about 2 yrs. after LWB opened). On the cover of PI's Sept 15, 1970 timetable, it stated that they now serve the Greenbrier Valley Airport (this is PI's first service to Lewisburg/White Sulphur Springs). If you do a search "Abandoned & Little Known Airfields : West Virginia", a website, by a Mr. Paul Freeman, will come up with very detailed info about WV airports with many historical photos. It includes a timetable of Greenbrier Airlines & many photos of the original White Sulphur Springs Airport. It has airports from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, & DC.
