Jim Coulthart, a local amateur military aviation historian, shares his research on Mohawk Airlines. This hourlong presentation covers the history of central New York’s regional airline, from the early years as Robinson Airline through to its demise in the early 1970s.

First headquartered in Ithaca, NY, Mohawk Airlines operated from the Oneida County Airport in Oriskany, NY. It was a regional passenger airline that covered the MidAtlantic region of the United States from the mid1940s until it was bought by Allegheny Airlines in 1972.

At its peak, it employed over 2,200 personnel. It was a pioneer in regional airline operations, including being the first airline in the United States to hire an African American flight attendant and the first to offer a pressurized cabin. Coulthart will discuss the organization’s evolution, key personalities, aircraft, and several air crash tragedies.