Tag Archives: Bombardier DHC-8-102

Piedmont Airlines to operate the last DHC-8 Dash 8 flight on July 4, 2018

Piedmont Airlines (2nd) began Embraer ERJ 145 (EMB-145) regional jet revenue service for American Airlines as an American Eagle carrier in February 2016.

The arrival of the EMB-145s marked the sixth Piedmont transition to new aircraft since 1962.

The change prior to this came in 1985 when Henson Aviation moved from the four-engine de Havilland Canada DHC-7-100 Dash 7 turboprop (below) to the newer Dash 8.

Above Copyright Photo: Allegheny Commuter – Henson Airlines de Havilland Canada DHC-7-102 Dash 7 N903HA (msn 52) PHL (Bruce Drum). Image: 103193.

Piedmont is in the process of retiring the last DHC-8-300 Dash 8, with the final DHC-8-300 revenue flight scheduled for July 4, 2018. The final flight will be a passenger service from Charlotte to the Piedmont headquarters in Salisbury, Maryland.

Piedmont currently has 46 Embraer 145 regional jets in its fleet, with two additional jets arriving each month.

Henson Aviation was formed by Richard A. Henson in 1961 as a FBO in Hagerstown, MD. His Hagerstown Commuter began operations on October 1, 1962.

Henson became an Allegheny Commuter airline in 1967. The company shifted to flying for Piedmont Airlines (1st) in 1983.

The first de Havilland Canada DHC-8-102 entered revenue service for Henson Airlines on May 2, 1985 with a flight between Salisbury, MD and Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI).

Above Copyright Photo: Henson Airlines-Piedmont Regional Airline de Havilland Canada DHC-8-102 Dash 8 N917HA (msn 75) MIA (Bruce Drum). Image: 103719.

Henson Airlines (Henson Aviation) operated the DHC-8 Dash 8s for Piedmont Airlines as the Piedmont Regional Airline and later as Piedmont for USAir as USAir Express.

Above Copyright Photo: US Airways Express-Piedmont Airlines (2nd) Bombardier DHC-8-102 N807EX (msn 292) CLT (Bruce Drum). Image: 101955.

Below Copyright Photo: US Airways Express-Piedmont Airlines (2nd) Bombardier DHC-8-311 N326EN (msn 234) CLT (Bruce Drum). Image: 102365.

Henson was renamed Piedmont Airlines (2nd) in 1993 to preserve the Piedmont name. Piedmont Airlines operated the DHC-8 Dash 8 for USAir Express, US Airways Express and now as an American Eagle carrier.

Piedmont previously retired the DHC-8-100 Dash 8 (below) on November 29, 2017.

Above Copyright Photo: American Eagle (2nd)-Piedmont Airlines (2nd) Bombardier DHC-8-102 Dash 8 N807EX (msn 292) CLT (Jay Selman). Image: 403765.

The DHC-8-200 was previously retired in 2008 (below).

According to Piedmont Airlines, here are the destinations served by their Dash 8s throughout history:

Above Copyright Photo: USAir Express-Piedmont Airlines (2nd) de Havilland Canada DHC-8-201 Dash 8 N990HA (msn 428) MIA (Bruce Drum). Image: 104040.

Top Copyright Photo: American Eagle (2nd)-Piedmont Airlines (2nd) Bombardier DHC-8-311 Dash 8 (Q300) N337EN (msn 284) CLT (Jay Selman). Image: 403770.

Below Copyright Photo: American Eagle (2nd)-Piedmont Airlines (2nd) Bombardier DHC-8-311 Dash 8 (Q300) N330EN (msn 274) CLT (Trent Sellers). Image: 942659.