Capital Airlines was a United States trunk carrier, a scheduled airline serving the eastern, southern, southeastern, and midwestern United States. Capital's headquarters were located at Washington National Airport (now Reagan Washington National Airport) across the Potomac river from Washington, D.C., where crew training and aircraft overhauls were also accomplished."World Airline Directory". Flight International. April 8, 1960. 495. In the 1950s Capital was the fifth largest United States domestic carrier by passenger count (and sometimes by passenger-miles) after the Big Four air carriers (American, United, TWA, and Eastern).Flight & Aircraft Engineer, Airline Scheduled Traffic, April 8, 1960, Dorset House. Stamford Street, London, S.E.1., page 516

Capital merged with United Airlines in 1961.

History

Clifford Ball Airline Clifford A. Ball, a McKeesport, Pennsylvania, automobile dealer and owner of a controlling interest in Bettis Field near Pittsburgh, won airmail contract route No. 11 on March 27, 1926. In April of the following year, The Clifford Ball Airline began operating between Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Cleveland, Ohio. Clifford Ball Airlines operated from Pittsburgh's first commercial airport, Bettis Field, a former farm field which farmer Barr Peat had allowed to be used for barnstorming.Rand, Kurt (February 1940). "The Path of the Eagle", Popular Aviation, page 13 The airplane which flew the first flight from Pittsburgh to Cleveland, a Waco 9 named "Miss Pittsburgh", is currently displayed at the Pittsburgh International Airport. Famed humorist and performer Will Rogers was known to be an early and regular passenger,Charles Baptie "Capital Airlines a Nostalgic Flight into the Past" Charles Paptie Studio, Annandale, Virginia, 1984, lccn 84-070588, page 101 but scheduled passenger service did not begin until April 28, 1928. The following August, Ball Airline became the first airline to serve Washington, D.C., from the west, offering its flagship "Path of the Eagle" service from Cleveland to Hoover Field across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.Rand, Kurt (February 1940). "The Path of the Eagle", Popular Aviation, pages 14-15 A "Path of the Eagle" brochure and schedule are displayed at the Pitcairn Field Web site.

Pennsylvania Air Lines Ball sold his interests in November 1930 to Pittsburgh Aviation Industries Corp., and the airline became Pennsylvania Air Lines (PAL). PAL was reorganized as Pennsylvania Airlines after the Air Mail scandal of the early 1930s. In 1934 Pennsylvania Airlines acquired Kohler Aviation.Bohl, Walt, The Aircraft History of Capital Airlines, American Aviation Historical Society Journal, Aviation Historical Society, Huntington Beach, California, Spring 2001, page 10

Central Airlines

Central Airlines was founded in 1934 by the men who had formed Pittsburgh Airlines in 1929.Bohl, Walt The Aircraft History of Capital Airlines, American Aviation Historical Society Journal, Aviation Historical Society, Huntington Beach, California, Spring 2001, page 11 Central was notable for hiring Helen Richey, the first female commercial pilot in the U.S. Central Airlines became PAL's main competitor and they engaged in ruinous rate wars with prices well below those charged for railroad seats.Rand, Kurt (February 1940). "The Path of the Eagle", Popular Aviation, page 23

The two companies merged to form Pennsylvania Central Airlines, or PCA, on November 1, 1936.Bohl, Walt, The Aircraft History of Capital Airlines, American Aviation Historical Society Journal, Aviation Historical Society, Huntington Beach, California, Spring 2001, page 23

Pennsylvania Central Airlines

The merged airlines flew Stinson A and Boeing 247 aircraft.Bohl, Walt, The Aircraft History of Capital Airlines, American Aviation Historical Society Journal, Aviation Historical Society, Huntington Beach, California, Spring 2001, pages 16-17 Early in its existence, PCA faced a minor crisis in January 1937 when the Bureau of Air Commerce temporarily grounded the airline's Boeing 247s. The six B-247s were all sold off in 1937. The airline's 15 B-247Ds were all gone by the end of 1942. Two remain in museums today—one at the National Aviation Museum at Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and another, the City of Renton, in flying condition at the Museum of Flight, Boeing Field, Seattle, Washington.Bohl, Walt, The Aircraft History of Capital Airlines, American Aviation Historical Society Journal, Aviation Historical Society, Huntington Beach, California, Spring 2001, page 17

PCA, based at the new Allegheny County Airport near Pittsburgh, continued to add routes, notably to Chicago in 1938, and aircraft, notably the Douglas DC-3, in 1940.Bohl, Walt, The Aircraft History of Capital Airlines, American Aviation Historical Society Journal, Aviation Historical Society, Huntington Beach, California, Spring 2001, page 14 In 1941 PCA moved its headquarters to the new Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, becoming one of its three original tenants; PCA had been consulted during the airport's design. The row of office buildings next to its hangars became "mahogany row" and the airline adopted the slogan "The Capital Airline", with its aircraft dubbed "Capitaliners".Charles Baptie "Capital Airlines a Nostalgic Flight into the Past" Charles Paptie Studio, Annandale, Virginia, 1984, lccn 84-070588, page 47 In September 1943 Pennsylvania Central requested the CAB authorize new routes affecting 23 states indicating plans for a major expansion after the war. PCA even had big trans-Atlantic ambitions. PCA did see expansion as the war wound down. The company signed contracts with Douglas Aircraft for DC-4s, on September 28, 1944, worth $10 million.United Press, “$10,000,000 Plane Contract Signed”, The San Bernardino Daily Sun, San Bernardino, California, Friday September 29, 1944, Volume 51, page 13.

In 1946 PCA began flying the Douglas DC-4 but found the airplane was unprofitable on some of its low volume short segment routes. One of PCA's DC-4s had been used to transport President Roosevelt to the Casablanca Conference during World War II Ten DC-4s still served Capital at the time of the UAL merger. All were immediately disposed of by United.

By 1946, the combination of expansion and post-war inflation were financially pressing United States airlines. PCA was facing stronger competition on the essential New York to Chicago route. By the end of the first quarter of 1947 Pennsylvania-Central was in such a bad situation that the company president had to seek S.E.C. approval for a refinancing agreement with PCA's bankers.

The crisis led PCA to the election of J.H. "Slim" Charmichael as president, and drastic cuts from 4,800 employees to 3,000.Charles Baptie "Capital Airlines a Nostalgic Flight into the Past" Charles Paptie Studio, Annandale, Virginia, 1984, lccn 84-070588, page 11 By October 1, 1947, PCA had 25 DC-3s (two cargo only) and three DC-4s. "We had a sick airline on our hands, and we had to get it out of bed, but quickly. We figured our best chance lay in leading not just following the others", Charmichael told the New York Times. The cuts were followed by the acquisition of used, but newer, equipment and the situation was saved.

By 1947 PCA's route network no longer reflected its name. On April 21, 1948, the airline adopted a new insignia, colors and the name Capital Airlines.Bohl, Walt, The Aircraft History of Capital Airlines, American Aviation Historical Society Journal, Aviation Historical Society, Huntington Beach, California, Spring 2001, page 12

Capital Airlines In 1948 Capital introduced the "Nighthawk", one of the first coach class services, to compete with the railroads between Chicago and New York City, as well as the dominant airlines on the route, United, TWA and American. Each flight left at 1 AM and stopped for ten minutes at Pittsburgh (Allegheny County). Chicago-NY fare was $29.60 plus 15% federal tax; seats on all other flights cost $44.10 plus tax.

Also in 1948 the first airborne television was installed on a Capital airplane.

In 1950 Capital Airlines received its first Lockheed Constellations. In 1955 Capital became the first U.S. operator of the British manufactured, four engine Vickers Viscount, the first passenger turboprop airliner.Flight & Aircraft Engineer, Capital Viscounts at Work, October 14, 1955, Dorset House. Stamford Street, London, S.E.1., page 351 The Viscount propjets were deployed on the flagship Washington-Chicago route and the airline had planned to fly them on expanded service; however, Capital was mostly stymied by the federal Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB).Flight & Aircraft Engineer, Capital Comets on Puerto Rico Run?, March 15, 1957, Dorset House. Stamford Street, London, S.E.1., page 351Flight & Aircraft Engineer, Capital Buy 880s, January 31, 1958, Dorset House. Stamford Street, London, S.E.1., page 157Flight & Aircraft Engineer, More Multiple Competition, February 14, 1958, Dorset House. Stamford Street, London, S.E.1., page 222 The CAB also refused Capital a requested subsidy. Still, Capital's passenger-miles in 1957 were 88% more than 1955.

In 1958, Capital was operating shuttle service with its Viscount propjets between New York and Chicago, New York and Detroit, and Chicago and Washington D.C. The cover of its April 27, 1958, system timetable proclaimed: "Now! Viscounts every sixty minutes all day long! Chicago-New York, New York-Detroit, Chicago-Washington". The next year, the airline introduced high frequency Viscount service between Chicago and Minneapolis–St. Paul with this message appearing on the cover of its August 3, 1959, system timetable: "First Jet-Powered Service Between Minneapolis–St. Paul and Chicago - 7 Jet-Prop Viscounts Each Direction Daily".

The airline encountered labor difficulties when the International Association of Machinists went on strike in fall 1958.Lemmon, Captain R.A. "Ray", Not Flying Alone, 2015, AuthorHouse, Bloomington, Indiana, , page 141 The strike crippled operations for 38 days. On April 1, 1960, the New York State Commission Against Discrimination faulted Capital Airlines for failing to hire Patricia Banks, an African-American woman who had been denied employment as a flight attendant despite meeting all job requirements. She became one of only two Black flight attendants in the country.Patricia Banks collection, 1957–1999, New York Public Library archives.Rothacker, Pat Powers, White Gloves to Washington — A Capital Experience, 2004, Paladwr Press, McLean, Virginia, , page 74

By 1961 Capital had begun operating its first and only jet aircraft type: new Boeing 720 jetliners leased from United Airlines. The cover of the airline's June 1, 1961, timetable proclaimed: "New Boeing 720 Jets New York - Atlanta - New Orleans: 2 Round Trips Daily".timetableimages.com, June 1, 1961, Capital Airlines system timetable This same timetable stated that Capital was operating "596 daily flights" and was also flying: "The Only Jets to Miami from Pittsburgh and Cleveland". However, this was not the airline's first attempt to operate jets as Capital had previously placed orders for the De Havilland Comet 4 and 4C jet aircraft models. The airline then canceled these orders after taking into consideration its declining financial standing.

Acquisition by and merger with United