MID-CONTINENT AIRLINES, INC.

BRANIFF MERGES WITH MID-CONTINENT AIRLINES

The merger of Mid-Continent Airlines into the Braniff International Airways family occurred at midnight on August 16, 1952. The Mid-Continent purchase was the last domestic merger for Braniff until the February 1967 Panagra merger, which was the last airline purchase for the Dallas-based carrier.

At the time of the merger, Mid-Continent featured a strong route system throughout the central Midwest of the United States stretching from as far north as Minot, North Dakota, and as far south as New Orleans, Louisiana. The short-haul route system complimented the Braniff Airways network and added what became Braniff strongholds such as Minneapolis/St. Paul, Sioux City, Sioux Falls, Omaha, Kansas City, Des Moines, St. Louis, Shreveport and New Orleans.

Oklahoma service would now include McAlester and Muskogee with Paris added in Texas, connecting Tyler and Houston. The merger gave Braniff more of a presence east of a Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Dallas line whereas Braniff was prevalent on the western side of that line. The presence switched north of Kansas City with Braniff more predominant on the east side of a Kansas City to Chicago line and Mid-Continent the predominant carrier on the Western side. The amalgamation of the two-carriers created a solid north and south flow to feed Braniff's Latin American route system.

Mid-Continent Airlines was founded as a flight school at Rickenbacker Airport in Sioux City, Iowa, during 1928, by Arthur Hanford, Jr., a dairy operator. The Hanford Produce Company was the largest creamery in the United States with over 100 trucks in operation. The company was primarily a dairy but also sold ice cream and poultry. The Hanford's also founded and built the new Rickenbacker Airport and operated eight gas stations and several service repair garages under the name Hanford's, Inc. The airport was a division of Hanford's, Inc., but the service stations and garages were later sold to finance airline operations.

The new flight school featured Stearman, American Eagle, Travelairs, Ryan Monoplanes and a Sikorsky Amphibian for searching local lakes for the best fishing. The airline operation began in the early 1930's under the operating name of Hanford's Tri-States Airlines. The carrier operated charter as well as scheduled air service from Sioux City to Omaha, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Bismarck/Mandan in North Dakota.

On April 1, 1932, Hanford's Tri-State Airlines began its first scheduled service flying between Sioux City, Iowa and Minneapolis and St. Paul, in Minnesota. The new service was operated with single-engine 4-passener Lockheed Vega airliners. Ten months later in February 1933, service was expanded from Sioux City to Omaha, Nebraska, with a daily flight. On July 1, 1933, service was extended to Omaha over the St. Paul/Minneapolis and Sioux City route, and on October 15, 1933, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was added as an intermediate stop between Sioux City and Minneapolis.

In 1934, Hanford's was awarded several important US Airmail Contracts that allowed the carrier to grow, in addition to becoming an international carrier. Airmail Route 26 was granted from Kansas City to Minneapolis with intermediate stops at St. Joseph, Omaha, Sioux City, Sioux Falls, Huron, Aberdeen and Bismark/Mandan and extension service from Sioux City added service to Minneapolis/St.Paul.

Airmail Route 16 was also awarded between Chicago to Winnipeg, Canada. Intermediate routings included Milwaukee, Madison, Wisconsin; Rochester, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Fargo, Grand Forks and Pembina, North Dakota, and finally Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Route 16 began in June 1934, with Route 26 beginning the following month in July 1934.

Handford's operated a fleet of Lockheed Vegas and Ford Tri-Motors. Route 26 required three-engine equipment, which Hanford's did not initially have and therefore, leased the route to Rapid Airlines for a brief period from June 1, 1934 until December 1, of the same year. The two carriers had merged in 1933 but but were operated as separate entities. As a result of the new routes, Hanford's base was moved to Minneapolis but executive offices moved back to Sioux City, when the Chicago to Winnipeg route was sold to Northwest Airlines later in December 1934.

In 1935, Handford's founder Arthur Hanford, Jr. was killed in a tragic plane crash while on a training mission. His father, Arthur, Sr., assumed the Presidency and then searched for someone to operate the airline that had a solid vision to ensure the fledgling airline's future. He found Thomas Fortune. Ryan III of Lockheed Aircraft who Mr. Hanford had met while buying aircraft at Lockheed for his airline. In 1936, Ryan bought controlling interest in Hanford's Tri-States and Mr. Hanford, Sr. became Executive Vice President.

Mr. Ryan purchased Hanford's air mail contracts and certain assets but assumed none of the debts of the old company. The new company was incorporated under the business corporation laws of Delaware on May 6, 1936, with the new name of Hanford Airlines, Inc. Hanford Airlines began operations using the new name on July 1, 1936. At that time, Hanford employees 64 employees, served nine cities, held route certificates covering 838 miles with a fleet of three Ford Tri-motors and four 4-passenger Lockheed Vegas. Hanford served Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bismarck, Aberdeen, Huron, Sioux Falls, Sioux City, Omaha and Kansas City.

Thomas Ryan was the grandson of Thomas Fortune Ryan, the famed New York City industrial pioneer of street railroads, public utilities, tobacco and mining. Young Ryan was elected Executive Vice President while J. W. "Bill" Miller was elected Vice President of the new company on July 1, 1936. Mr. Miller had served as President of Hanford's Tri-States Airlines but assumed the Vice Presidency for Mr. Hanford, Sr., to become President.

Also in 1936, Hanford's expanded and modernized its fleet with ten Lockheed Electra I aircraft and moved its corporate offices to Kansas City, Missouri, on August 1, where they would remain until the 1952, merger with Braniff. The first service with the new Electras was inaugurated on April 1, 1937, between Minneapolis and Omaha. In August 1938, Hanford's was officially renamed Mid-Continent Airlines with Mr. Ryan elected President. In 1940, Lockheed L-18 Lodestars were added to the fleet and Mid Continent began training pilots for the war effort. President Ryan resigned and joined the military and J. W. "Bill" Miller was elected to take his place.

Service to Tulsa, Oklahoma, was added during 1936 and two years later in August 1938, Hanford Airlines, Inc., changed its name to Mid-Continent Airlines, Inc. In 1938, Mid-Continent was the first carrier authorized by the Civil Aeronautics Board to operate scheduled night flights over an unlighted airway using radio direction finder navigation equipment. MCA had perfected the use of the equipment and was authorized to use it over its new Kansas City to Tulsa route.

Mr. Hanford, Sr., was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mid-Continent on December 11, 1939. He held this position until his death in 1941. Mr. Ryan was elected President on the same date. A year later, the company was awarded a new route from Minneapolis to St. Louis, Missouri, with intermediate stops at Rochester, Minnesota and Des Moines and Ottumwa in Iowa, and extension service was added from Bismarck, North Dakota, to Minot in the same state. The luxurious Lockheed Lodestar was added to the fleet, also in 1940, which was the fastest airliner in the sky at the time.

The United States entered World War II on December 7, 1941, and over a year later on March 6, 1942, MCA President Thomas Ryan resigned to join the war effort. Mr. Miller was elected President and General Manager of the corporation and he remained in those positions until the merger with Braniff Airways in August 1952. For its part in the war effort, Mid-Continent trained pilots for the Army as well as mechanics and modified aircraft for them. A critical cargo route was flown by the company for the Army that moved over 17000 pounds of war materials, while simultaneously operating its regularly scheduled but reduced airline operations with superb reliability and efficiency.

Over 70-percent of Mid-Continent’s airliner fleet had been remanded to the military and as late as 1943 only 50-percent of the fleet had been returned to the airline for scheduled services. Also during the war, Mid-Continent streamlined and greatly improved its maintenance and as a result the company was able to operate 85-percent of its schedule before the war with only half of its pre-war equipment.

The Lockheed Lodestar's were replaced with Douglas DC-3 equipment beginning in January 1945 and during 1946 many of the company's routes that had been scaled back or discontinued during the war effort were restored. Mr. Ryan returned from the military with the rank of Colonel to Mid-Continent in February 1946, and was elected Chairman of the growing Midwest local service carrier. On January 1, 1947, the company inaugurated its first air cargo service and the airline continued its Southern expansion with new service from Tulsa to Tyler, Texas, and Houston in February 1947. On February 16, 1950, the Mid-Continent Board authorized the purchase of five former Pan American World Airways Convair 240 aircraft that seated 40 passengers and related equipment for $2 million USD. This new twin-engine airliner would become Mid-Continent's first pressurized aircraft.

Mid-Continent continued to expand its system during 1948 and 1949. Service was inaugurated at Quincy, Illinois, and Waterloo, Iowa, and on the first of January, Non-Stop service was added between Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri. However, the largest expansion yet occurred when the company announced that its board of directors had approved a merger with Parks Airlines of St. Louis, on May 5, 1949. If approved by the Civil Aeronautics Board, over 4000-miles of new routes would be added to the MCA system but the Parks system would be operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mid-Continent. However, on August 1, 1950, the CAB denied Mid-Continent petition but a substantial number of additional routes were awarded as a result of the North Central United States Route Case.

Prior to the disappointing CAB decision in the Parks case, MCA inaugurated its first Convair 240 pressurized twin-engine service on June 1, 1950. The fast 300 miles per hour airliners were put into service over the following routings:

Minneapolis/St. Paul - Sioux Fallas - Sioux City - Omaha - Kansas City

Minneapolis/St. Paul - Rochester - Des Moines - Kansas City

Kansas City - St. Louis - Tulsa - Houston

As a result of the Parks/North Central Case the CAB authorized MCA to fly from Chicago to Sioux City with intermediate stops at Elgin, Rockford, Dubuque, Waterloo and Ft. Dodge. Service was also granted between Milwaukee and Des Moines with intermediate stops at Sterling, Clinton, Moline/Davenport, Muscatine, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo and Marshalltown. Mid-Continent began service between Chicago and Sioux City and between Milwaukee and Rockford on September 26, 1950, the day the certificate was received. However, three local service carriers filed a petition to stop MCA from continuing to operate the routes claiming that MCA was a small trunkline carrier rather than a local service carrier. Hearings began and Mid-Continent was able to prove that the huge success of its new local service routes were a result of its efficient operation as a local service carrier.

New maintenance facilities were announced on October 1, 1950. A spacious new hangar would be built at Minneapolis/St. Paul's Wold-Chamberlin Airport. The new facility would double the space it currently occupied at MSP and could accommodate the carrier's new Convairliners. The cost of the new facility was $375,000 USD, with construction beginning in December 1950 and only seven months later, the company took possession of the new hangar in July 1951.

 On June 11, 1951, Mid-Continent ordered six new Convair 340 twin-engine 46-passenger luxury aircraft from Consolidated-Vultee Aircraft Company of San Diego, California. The aircraft were scheduled for delivery beginning in 1953, and also that year, the DC-3 fleet was increased by four and a fleet modernization program was commenced. The upgrade program included the installation new integral steps to the entry doors and increased passenger capacity from 21 to 24 passengers.

 Braniff began negotiations with Mid-Continent on January 16, 1952, when a letter of application was filed with the CAB for the merger on January 24, 1952. The Civil Aeronautics Board approved the merger on May 26, 1952, with an effective date of August 16, 1952. Mid-Continent Chairman Thomas Ryan and President J. W. Miller became officers of Braniff Airways, Inc., at that time.

Mid-Continent Airlines celebrated its 90th Anniversary during 2018. This anniversary coincided with the 90th Anniversary Celebration of Braniff Airways, which also began service during the same year on June 20.

Braniff Airways Foundation

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