As it grew in the 1950s, the Douglas DC-3 became
its primary aircraft; the Convair CV-240,
CV-440s and Martin 4-0-4s were integrated into
its fleet later. The airline also experimented
with helicopter service between New York and
Catskill Mountains resorts with limited success.
In 1952 Robinson was purchased by Robert Peach,
and the name was changed to Mohawk Airlines as
the result of a customer contest. In 1958, the
airline moved its headquarters to Utica, NY, in
the heart of the Mohawk Valley.
On February 11, 1958, Ruth Carol Taylor was
hired by Mohawk Airlines, becoming the first
African-American flight attendant in the United
States. Only six months after breaking one
historic barrier, Taylor's career ended due to
another discriminatory barrier: the airline's
marriage ban, a common practice among airlines
of the day of dismissing flight attendants who
became either married or pregnant.
In 1961, it became the first airline to use a
centralized computer-based reservation service.
And in 1965, it became the first regional
airline to utilize flight simulators. Mohawk
also upgraded its fleet with the British
Aircraft Corporation BAC 1-11 in 1965, becoming
the first regional airline to inaugurate jet
aircraft service. By 1969, all piston-engined
aircraft had been retired from its fleet and
Mohawk flew mainly BAC 1-11 and Fairchild Hiller
FH-227 aircraft.
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