Commuter Airline Service

At convenient Cleveland lakefront Airport Sohio tank truck fuels one of TAG's Piper Aztecs. Downtown service and frequent flights are keys to the airline's success. INGER Robert Goulet was appearing S in a Detroit nightclub recently when he received an invitation to appear on a television show in Cleveland. The popular vocalist declined politely, explaining that his tight schedule would not give him time to make the trip. TAG Then someone suggested an airline called TAG. With flights every 15 min utes at peak hours, it would make Cleve COMMUTER land as accessible as a trip across town. Arrangements were made. Goulet left his Detroit hotel, made a ten-minute AIRLINE drive to City Airport, a 38-minute flight to downtown Cleveland, taped the show, and was back in Detroit without missing as much as a rehearsal. His e:h:perience, multiplied by 75,000 passengers a year, reveals the pheno menal success of TAG, by far the largest air taxi service in the world. In 1964, operating exclusively between 15 to the customer on the basis of 'go when you want to go.' " Instead of adding larger planes, TAG purchased more Doves. Today it owns 11 of the 70 being used in this country. Then, in the spring of 1965, when Columbus, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh were added - in that order - TAG added even smaJ]er aircraft. Against the advice Ross E. Miller founded of friends and critics, MiJ]er purchased 17 TAG Airlines when he spotted the potential in twin-engine, five-passenger Piper Aztecs. a new kind of short-trip All of the planes are fully instrumented commuter airline service. and can fly anytime the major airlines can operate. The pilots of both the Doves and the Aztecs and copilots of the Doves must have airline transport ratings and pass frequent airline tests. There the similarity ends. Officially, TAG is categorized by the Civil Aero nautics Board as a "third-level" airline, a classification that makes pilots cringe. Actually, the term has nothing to do with quality. It merely separates taxi service from the "first level" airlines such as TWA, and the "second level" supporting airlines such as Piedmont and Lake Cen Cleveland and Detroit, TAG accounted with an airline. tral, which are government-subsidized. for 65 percent of the total 100,000 pas The early years were experimental. To Recognizing the confusion which such sengers carried by 600 air taxi services be competitive, TAG would have to take a designation might cause, the air taxi in the United States. its passengers in landplanes to the heart companies now refer to themselves as Last year, with Columbus, Cincinnati, of business on a scheduled basis, its owner "commuter airlines." The industry asso and Pittsburgh added to the route, it reasoned. Trial service was made among ciation also has changed its name to nearly reached the 100,000-passenger mark the cities of Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Association of Commuter Airlines. by it:::elL and Akron. Then a careful study was TAG is fueled with Sohia aviation made of the results. AG must stick to planes with less than gasoline at Cleveland, Columbus, anu T12,500 pounds gross weight to be Cincinnati airports. It is served in Detroit HE; evidence was conclusive. Cleveland exempt from CAB routing and rate ap through Sohio's Fleet-'Wing subsidiary. Tand Detroit, with their close industrial proval. But, unlike the second level air It aJ] came about because one man ties, were compatible for the marriage lines, it can go into any airport it chooses. decided that he needed a larger airplap.e MiJ]er intended to perform with his little TAG chooses Cleveland Lakefront, to take on hunting and fishing trips. airline. Detroit City, Port Columbus, Cincinnati The Chicago and Akron flights were Lunken, and Pittsburgh's Allegheny oss MILLER, genial president of Miller dropped. TAG's focus zoomed in on County airports. ROil Company in Toledo and an avid Cleveland and Detroit, each of which had Gerry Weller, longtime leader in Ohio outdoorsman, had been landing his pon a downtown airport suitable for smaJ] aviation programs and now sales manager toon plane in the Maumee River near aircraft. for TAG, believes that it "doesn't actually his home. A smaJ] plane, it did not quite Since that day in 1958, TAG'S calcu compete at aJ] with the second-level air have the speed to take him where he lated guesses have proved to be uncanny. lines. Their function is primarily in inter wanted to go in the brief periods he could Most radical departure from accepted line operation to connect with the major take away from business. airline practice was its early decision to airlines. Some local service carriers depend Then in 1955, he heard that a larger stick with smaJ] planes and frequent trips. upon interline traffic for up to 90 percent seaplane was being sold by a Cleveland Miller started with a nine-passenger De of their total traffic. TAG is a terminal organization known as the Taxi Air Group. HaviJ]and Dove. Then, a~ bwine3~ grew, service. A passenger wants to go to De When he investigated, MiJ]er found he resisted the tempta ion to go to larger troit or Cleveland or Columbus, period." that he could purchase the plane, aJ] right. planes. A check with passengers supports But he became intrigued with the story "The first reaction a~ bu",iness builds Weller. of TAG. Using two large planes, it had is to add bigger planes, ' he explains. "But Rollin Winegar is a p!")duct engineer attempted to provide intercity charter this would defeat the purpose of TAG. and designer for Ohio Rubber Company service by landing on Lake Erie and the You have to look at the expected number of Willoughby, Ohio. When he wants to Detroit River. Sometimes passengers \Vere of passengers per day. Big planes with go over a problem with one of his Detroit taken to the planes by rowboat. the departure frequency we believe in customers in the automotive industry, But even then there had been some would get murdered by the empty seats he hops on a TAG Dove. An hour later demand for the service. Ross Miller pon at nonpeak periods. If we cut back on the he is conferring with his customer in the dered the situation. Then he made his schedule, we would be abandoning the Detroit office. decision. Having tra\-elecl to Cleveland convenience on which we have baser! our A grandmother boarding a TAG plane to buy an airplane, he returned to Toledo business. In essence, we plan our service in Detroit last month explained that she 16 was on her way to Cleveland, where her land until someone thought of TAG. The flight, one "no-show" represents 20 per daughter was being taken to the hospital checks were put on a noon flight. The cent of the load. to have her third child. By arrangement, owner met them at the Detroit airport lVlost TAG passengers are seasoned air the daughter had caJled her mother just at 12 :45 during a conference break for travelers, and 90 percent of them are before she went to the hospital. Less than lunch, signed them, and returned them men. This has produced a camaraderie an hour after the daughter would arrive on the 1 p.m. flight to Cleveland. unforeseen by even the most optimistic at the hospital, her mother would be in sales promotion man. Cleveland taking care of the two gTand OTH freight and pa~.,;enger services Passengers explain that they enjoy the children. B have grown tremendously in the past small planes. They get to know the 12 months. A year ago TAG offered a instruments, the planes, and the pilots. NE regular passenger explained that total of 32 departures a day. Today it is And they get to know each other. On O he had been transferred by his com almost 100 daily departures, and the many flights there are introductions all pany from Detroit to Cleveland, and was service is increasing steadily. There were the way around and handshakes upon commuting daily until he could find a 30 employees in 1964. Now there are more departure. house for his family. "TAG takes the than 100. Passengers request that the pilot use frantic house-sale-and-purchase problem At peak hours - 6:30 to 9 a.m. and the overhead speaker instead of the ear out of transferring," he explained. 3 to 6 p.m.'=:'- TAG planes leave Detroit phones so they can learn the jargon of the Most regular passengers are salesmen City and Cleveland Lakefront airports tower operator. Some of the regulars who have discovered that the "downtown every 15 minutes. That is more frequent show up early to reserve the seat next to airline" has in effect doubled their local than buses in the suburbs. the pilot in the Aztecs. market. Service is so good at times that it There are no frills such as snacks, Similar convenience led to an unex actuaJly creates a problem of passengers hostesses, and limousines. But TAG offi pected bonanza in the freight business. with reservations on one flight arriving cials have learned that none of these ap A need to rush engineering drawings, at the airport before the previous flight peals to the air commuter passenger. machine parts, and television film from leaves. When space is available, passen What is important is a flight schedule one city to another has created an over gers are dispatched on the earlier flight, that fits into a business schedule.

Load more