Florida Commuter Airlines

Infobox_Airline | airline=Florida Commuter Airlines
logo=fcalogo.jpg
logo_size=100px
IATA=
ICAO=
callsign=FCA
parent=Scheerer Air, Inc.
founded=June 13, 1980
ceased=1981
headquarters=West Palm Beach, FL
key_people=Rudolph P. Scheerer, M.D.
hubs=Palm Beach International Airport
frequent_flyer=
lounge=
alliance=
fleet_size=3
destinations=Gainesville, FL, Tallahassee, FL, Jacksonville, FL, Freeport, Bahamas
website=

History

Florida Commuter Airlines was a small U.S. regional airline based out of Palm Beach International Airport that evolved directly from Roberson Air, Inc. which did business as Red Baron Airlines. This happened when Dr. Rudolph P. Scheerer bought out Dr. Clive E. Roberson for a 100% stake in the airline on June 13, 1980. The management structure remained the same except for Dr. Clive E. Roberson. On July 24, 1980, Florida Commuter Airlines received its carrier operating certificate as a commuter and charter operator. It was certified to fly 2 DC-3's and a Piper PA-31 Navajo. On September 9, 1980, and interline agreement was signed with Air Florida. An interline and a bilateral agreement was also signed with Eastern Airlines. [ [http://amelia.db.erau.edu/reports/ntsb/aar/AAR81-05.pdf NTSB Accident Report] ] .

Route

The airline offered weekday flights starting in the morning from West Palm Beach, FL and stopping in Gainesville, FL before continuing to Tallahassee, FL and then Jacksonville, FL. In the afternoon the route was the reverse. Finally in the late afternoon the flight path was West Palm Beach, Gainesville, Tallahassee, and the reverse for the evening. One Saturday and Sunday Jacksonville was not a destination. [ [http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/pg3.htm Florida Commuter Airlines Timetable and route map images] ]

The airline later became Southern Airlines [ [http://www.airlinehistory.co.uk/Americas/USA/Airlines.asp#F Airline History by David Lyall] ] in 1981 shortly after the Florida Commuter Airlines crash of a Douglas DC-3 in the Bahamas on September 12, 1980. [ [http://www.airdisaster.com/cgi-bin/view_details.cgi?date=09121980&reg=N75KW&airline=Florida+Commuter+Airlines Accident Database] ] .

References