The Paper 06-20-19

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June 20, 2019

Volume 49 - No. 25

By Tom Morrow

Air travel today often is less enjoyable and far more hectic than in “the old days.” Once upon a time there was an air carrier that had a reputation of being “the fun airline” – the “World’s Friendliest Airline” and, it was.

San Diego-based Pacific Southwest Airlines, affectionately known to Californians The Paper - 760.747.7119

website:www.thecommunitypaper.com

email: thepaper@cox.net

simply as “PSA,” operated from 1949 to 1988. In its early years it was an “intra-state” carrier – meaning all destination cities were within the state of California. Kenny Friedkin founded PSA in 1949, with a $1,000 monthly lease of one Douglas DC-3. This lone 1935-era two-engine plane made a weekly round-trip flight from San Diego to Oakland, with a stop-over in

Burbank. At first reservations were taken from San Diego by using a World War II surplus latrine, refitted as a ticket office. Friedkin was born in New York City during World War I. He and his parents moved to Kansas, and later San Diego, California. He got interested in aviation after he saw an air show in San Diego at the age of 8. Friedkin obtained his pilot

The Smiling Airline - See Page 2

license at the age of 17. In 1945, he opened a flight school called the Plosser-Friedkin School (later named the Friedkin School of Aeronautics). The parent company to the school was Friedkin Aeronautics Inc. But, the school was not making enough profit, so he tried numerous business methods from aerial fish delivery to banner-towing with the help of his comrades J. Floyd Andrews


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