Ever since ex-Air Force Major William F. Long founded Dallas' Pioneer Airlines in 1946, the busy, ambitious feeder line has grown like a Texas steer. Starting with six surplus Douglas DC-3s, Pioneer began by shuttling oilmen from west Texas oilfields to Dallas and Houston, soon built its fleet up to 13 DC-3s and its route to 21 cities in Texas and New Mexico. In 1950, moneymaking Pioneer flew more passenger-miles (37 million) and carried more mail than any of the nation's 14 other local service lines.
Last year, bucking hard for trunk-line routes, Pioneer asked the Civil Aeronautics Board to let...
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