Looking Back to May 1956: Direct air mail service begins

Posted: 6:23 am, May 2, 2024 by Reporter Jackie Iddings

This look back at Paso Robles history comes from local newspapers in the Paso Robles Area Historical Society collection. News for this column is selected with the assistance of Research Director Jan Cannon. Newspaper photography by GiGi Green.

Excerpts from the Thursday, May 4, 1956, Paso Robles Journal:

Direct air mail service begins

Southwest PR airport service started Sunday

Southwest Airways resumed commercial airline service to San Luis Obispo County through the Paso Robles Airport Sunday when the first northbound flight took off at 10:45 a.m.

Another northbound flight took to the air at 6:38 p.m., and two southbound flights cleared the airport at 11:20 a.m. and 6:20 p.m.

Six passengers were on hand to board the big DC-3 for the flight to San Francisco and Supervisor A.A. Peters, who more than any one man is responsible for the acquisition and development of the county airport was on hand to see the takeoff.

Those enplaning for the initial flight included Mr. and Mrs. Jack Harris and daughter, Barbara, Fred Barry, Pete Peterson and Carolyn Ludemann. Crew of the plane was Capt. M.L. Carter, C.C. Oldham, first officer, and Roy Carter, purser.

Thus ended two years of intermittent and undependable service to residents of the county caused by the unfortunate physical attributes of the county airport in San Luis Obispo. The terrain surrounding the county seat facility is such that it is impossible to attempt a landing in any degree of bad weather and weather is what the area has plenty of. Further, the county seat has no equipment for instrument landings.

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By contrast, the Paso Robles Airport is situated five miles northwest of the city in an area so flat there is hardly a hill in sight. In addition, the field, which originally was built by the army during World War II, has a communication station of the Civil Aeronautics Authority with complete ground approach control service.

The airport was purchased by the county from the United States government in 1947. Southwest started service there in 1949. In 1951 the modern terminal building and CAA station were built with federal aid.

When Camp Roberts closed down at the conclusion of the war in Korea, there was an immediate and almost crippling decrease in passenger revenue and Southwest decided to shift its terminal to San Luis Obispo.

Last fall, recognizing the futility of trying to maintain adequate service to the county through the San Luis Obispo airport, Southwest petitioned the Civil Aeronautics Board in Washington for permission to use the Paso Robles facility. San Luis Obispo, naturally, opposed the move.

But the CAB decided favorably on the petition by Southwest and ordered service here to resume in December of 1955. The county seat asked for a rehearing and the move was delayed another 60 days while CAB re-affirmed its first ruling. San Luis engineered one more delay that ended on the 13th of this month when the CAB once more ruled in favor of Paso Robles.

Resumption of service on Sunday was announced Wednesday.

With the resumption of airline passenger service, residents of the area also received the benefit of renewal of direct air mail service. Postmaster Tod Chlaparri announced last Thursday that closing hours for north and south-bound air mail will be 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Read previous Looking Back articles

Thank you to the sponsors of Looking Back

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