Lone Star Airlines was an American regional airline that operated both domestic and international flights. The airline's largest hub was located at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Founded in 1984 in Stillwater, Oklahoma as Exec Express Inc. by Philip Trenary (later President of Pinnacle Airlines), the company moved its headquarters to Fort Worth, Texas in 1987. Exec Express Inc. operating as Exec Express Commuter Airlines later became Exec Express II Inc. and eventually operated under the d/b/a's of Lone Star Airlines and Aspen Mountain Air. The airline became an American Airlines and Frontier Airlines code sharing partner. In 1996 Professional Pilot magazine selected Lone Star Airlines to receive the Regional Airline Teamwork Award. By 1997 the airline was serving 21 cities in 8 states Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Texas. International non-stop service to Mexico was provided from DFW International Airport.

Hubs and Destinations

DFW

• From the airline's main hub of operations at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport direct flights were operated to:
  • • Aspen; Colorado
    • Pensacola; Florida
    • Natchez; Louisiana
    • Knoxville; Tennessee

• • • Columbia and Joplin; Missouri
    • Santa Fe and Roswell/Ruidoso; New Mexico

• • ARKANSAS
    • Camden, El Dorado, Harrison, Hot Springs, Jonesboro, and Mountain Home

• • TEXAS
    • Alpine, Brownwood, Del Rio, Lufkin/Nacadoches, Paris, Temple and Texarkana

• • OKLAHOMA
    • Altus, Enid, McAlester, and Ponca City; Oklahoma

• • MEXICO
    • Chihuahua, Hermosillo, Saltillo and Torreon

STL

• From St Louis, MO direct flights were operated to:
  • Bloomington, Muncie, Terre Haute (IN); Harrison, Hot Springs, Mountain Home (AR); and Joplin, (MO).

DEN

• From Denver, CO direct flights were operated to:
  • Aspen, (CO) and Bozeman, (MT).

EAS (Essential Air Service) Communities,

• Arkansas
  • Camden, El Dorado, Harrison, Hot Springs and Jonesboro.
• Indiana
  • Terre Haute
• Oklahoma
  • Enid and Ponca City
• Texas
  • Brownwood, Paris and Temple

Aircraft

• The airline began service with the Piper Navajo aircraft. Later, Dornier Do 228 and Beechcraft Model 99's were added. These aircraft were retired as the airline began taking deliveries of the Fairchild Metro III, Fairchild Metro 23 and the Daimler Benz Aerospace - Dornier 328.

• The relatively high operating costs of the Dornier 328 were minimized by operating it on long range flights thus reducing the number of takeoffs, landings and engine starts per hour. During its operation, Lone Star was recognized by Dornier for operating the longest stage lengths of any Dornier operator.

• APALS (Autonomous Precision Approach Landing System). Lone Star Airlines became Lockheed Martin's APALS launch customer in 1996. The intent of the system was to provide precision approach capabilities at airports that did not have the equipment and procedures to support a precision approach. APALS equipped aircraft would be able to safely and successfully operate into and from airports under conditions not available to other aircraft.

History

• In the 1980s,
  • Exec Express primarily operated EAS (Essential Air Service) subsidized routes feeding DFW from Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. For a brief period in 1987 & 1988 the company provided direct service to Houston, San Antonio and Austin (TX) from a hub at Fort Worth Meacham International Airport.

• 1988 and beyond
  • Exec Express II greatly expanded the number of routes, adding operations in Indiana, Louisiana and Missouri with new EAS destinations as well as unsubsidized destinations such as Alpine and Nacogdoches, TX; Natchez, LA; and Joplin, MO. A major maintenance base was established in Hot Springs, Ar. and the company began operating under the d/b/a Lone Star Airlines. With the addition of the high speed Dornier 328 aircraft in 1994, the company was able to operate long range (over 600 miles) non stop flights from DFW to locations in Mexico, Colorado, Tennessee, and Florida.

• 1993
  • With the interest and assistance of investors in Mexico, the airline began preparations for service to several destinations in Mexico and ordered the Dornier 328 to service these routes as well as some of its' domestic routes. The peso was devalued shortly after operations commenced. Demand for service to Saltillo and Hermosillo was weak and service was discontinued shortly after it began. Torreon and Chihuahua City were more successful.

• 1995
  • The airline decided to add service to Knoxville, TN and Aspen, CO. Scheduled airline operations into Aspen, require special authorization from the FAA. Following extensive coordination and assistance from Daimler Benz / Dornier, Honeywell Avionics, Aspen city and airport authorities, aeronautical engineers, the FAA and others; qualifications, procedures and training were established; special operating authority was granted and direct service between DFW and Aspen commenced.

• Late 1996
  • Having demonstrated its ability to successfully service the Aspen community, the airline was acquired by Peak International, an aviation group out of Aspen, CO. funded largely by Skico and the Crown family. Colorado service then began operating under the d/b/a of Aspen Mountain Air (AMA) and the focus of Aspen service was changed from Dallas / Aspen to Denver / Aspen in direct competition with United Airlines. By late 1997, the airline was expanding rapidly; adding additional aircraft and destinations. New destinations included, Pensacola, Fl; Bozeman, MT and Sante Fe, NM. The headquarters were relocated from the Fort Worth Stockyards to Grand Prairie, Texas.

• 1998
  • In concluding it's response to AMA's request for an exemption to limits on its fleet expansion, the DOT (United States Department of Transportation) wrote: "Notwithstanding AMA's expectations that its expanded operations would prove profitable, they were not and, despite the infusion of funds from its owner, the carrier's financial situation deteriorated until, on August 7, 1998 AMA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection." The airline was liquidated in October 1998. Some of the assets and crews went to Air Wisconsin. Some of the routes were taken over by Big Sky Airlines

Misc

Airline Codes: AD / LSS

DOT Certificate ID: EQGA

Call Sign: Lonestar

• In 1960 an air carrier named "Lone Star Airlines" operated three Martin passenger aircraft between Dallas and Houston. The flight attendants wore "hot pants". The operation lasted only six months.

• A Lone Star Airlines Fairchild Metro III aircraft was provided and featured in "Angie ", starring Geena Davis and released in 1994.

• The airline briefly operated an Embraer Brazilia EMB-120RT aircraft will awaiting delivery of the Dornier 328 aircraft.

• The airline traditionally held an annual Christmas party and provided dedicated aircraft to gather employees throughout their system for the event.

• Lone Star logo and artwork were created by Ed Tavender. http://www.linkedin.com/pub/ed-tavender/6/92b/701

• In order to have both names on the same ticket stock an additional d/b/a was created "Aspen Mountain Air/Lone Star Airlines"

• Dornier aircraft production was acquired from Daimler Benz by Fairchild Aircraft.

• In 1998 AMA did wet lease two Metro aircraft from Merlin Express, an aircraft operating division of Fairchild Aircraft later Fairchild-Dornier Aircraft acquired by M7 Aerospace

• Aspen Mountain Air/Lone Star Airlines operations were separate and distinct from Mountain Air Express, "MAX"; an air carrier that operated Dornier 328 aircraft from Colorado Springs, CO and affiliated with Western Pacific Airlines.

• Former executives of Aspen Mountain Air founded Aspen Executive Jet in 2003. "AEXJet" was based in Aspen, Colorado, and served nine major metropolitan regions throughout the U.S., including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, South Florida, Dallas, Houston, Austin and Atlanta.

References

1. World Airline Directory. Flight International. March 22-28, 1995. 76.
2. Reuters - Pinnacle Airlines; http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/officerProfile?symbol=PNCL.O&officerId=334544
3. Fort Worth Stockyards. Livestock Exchange Building - http://www.texas-on-line.com/graphic/stkyrds.htm
4. World Airline Directory. Flight International. March 25-31, 1998. 80.
5. Timetableimages.com
6. Air Carriers of the US; http://www.airlinedata.com/us-e.htm
7. Professional Pilot, May 1996; Regional Airline Teamwork Award
8. Dallas Business Journal, Feb 03, 1995; http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-16928011/lone-star-adds-new.html
9. Airliners.net - Lonestar Airlines; http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/1657772/
10. DOT Order 92-11-33, Docket 47909; Nov 23, 1992
11. Aerofiles.com, image; http://www.aerofiles.com/swear-metro23.jpg
12. Aviation Database. http://www.aviationdb.com/index.shtm
13. Flight International, Jan 24, 1996, APALS. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/1996/01/24/19276/lone-star-launches-apals-map-based-landing-system.html
14. Meacham International Airport - History. http://www.fortworthgov.org/aviation/info/default.aspx?id=7444
15. 1994 Economic Crisis in Mexico; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_economic_crisis_in_Mexico
16. "Global Commerce", Summer 1995 - Vol1, No.1; Why did the Peso Collapse?
17. Flight International, Jan 24, 1996, APALS. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/1996/01/24/19276/lone-star-launches-apals-map-based-landing-system.html
18. Aspen Times, Mar 14, 2003. Aspen Executive Air. http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20030314/NEWS/303130006
19. DOT Order 98-11-8, Nov 10, 1998; Docket OST-97-2978, Docket OST-97-3037
20. DOT Order 98-11-8, Nov 10, 1998; Docket OST-97-2978, Docket OST-97-3037
21. USA DOT Order 98-9-16; http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=cache:R93_XyD93h8J:docketsinfo.dot.gov/general/orders/19983qtr/sep98/98916.pdf+Exec+Express+d/b/a+Aspen+Mountain+Air&hl=en&gl=us&sig=AFQjCNGZfxsI2w2xijXJ9iKzXjxMEfaffQ
22. Lone Star Airlines
23. DOT Order 98-11-8, Nov 10, 1998; Docket OST-97-2978, Docket OST-97-3037
24. Lone Star - Martin 404 aircraft; http://www2.photovault.com/Link/Technology/Aviation/FlightCommercial/Airlines/LoneStarAirlines.html
25. DOT Order 97-9-31, Sep 30, 1997
26. DOT Order 98-11-8, Nov 10, 1998; Docket OST-97-2978, Docket OST-97-3037
27. M7 Aerospace Acquires Fairchild-Dornier; http://www.m7aerospace.com/page/1/news_2003_05_19.jsp
28. Morris James LLP; http://bankruptcy.morrisjames.com/2007/09/articles/news/aspen-executive-air-llc-files-chapter-11-case-in-delaware/

External links

• Air Transport Intelligence; Aspen Mountain Air; http://www.rati.com/ALLANDING_1700.htm
• Abilene TX, City Council Work Session Jan 8, 1998 ; http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:aRaOXTkY0xcJ:www.abilenetx.com/Agendas/Council/1998/1998-01-08.htm+Exec+Express+d/b/a+Aspen+Mountain+Air&cd=10&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a