Priority Air Dispatch

[Old Boeing Driver]

Anybody remember Priority Air Dispatch.

Headquarters at KDCA and based twin beeches at Andrews, Tappahannock, and Warrenton?

Regards.

[con-pilot]

Anybody remember Priority Air Dispatch.


I do, but I might be thinking of something different. Back in the mid to late 1960s I flew charters* for for a company called Priority Air Dispatch. We hauled military cargo, mostly inert weapons and on occasion strange stuff that was accompanied by armed military escorts.

We used a Aero Commander 500 and Piper Aztecs. A lot of the charters were on the west coast.

It that what you are inquiring about?


* I was working for a company called Catlin Aviation that was an FBO at KOKC. I flew charter, ferried used aircraft, new Pipers from the Piper factories and worked on the line. Was going to university and really needed money, so I'd do about anything. :p

[Old Boeing Driver]

Your company may have evolved into PAD at KDCA.

We flew Beech 18's, and they had a couple of Aztecs, as well.

They also had an operation at Santa Barbara, CA with a couple of Aztecs.

We flew military stuff, Class "A", and also the stuff with the armed couriers.

A Mr. & Mrs. Hess owned the company, and I don't know where they were from, Maybe OK?

[con-pilot]

Your company may have evolved into PAD at KDCA.


No, PAD was already in business, they were the people that chartered our aircraft and pilots.

A Mr. & Mrs. Hess owned the company, and I don't know where they were from, Maybe OK?

Okay, now this may have a link to Oklahoma. A guy by the name of Otto Hess owned a FBO/charter/flight training company based at Wiley Post airport (KPWA) in Oklahoma City, called Tulakes Aviation. A play on the words Two Lakes, as when Wiley Post airport was first built, it was called Two Lakes airport, as it is built between two lakes in Oklahoma City.

So it is possible that his son may have owned PAD. Otto Hess, long passed now, sold the FBO at KPWA to a wealth oil man in the mid-70s for a reported ridiculously high amount of money. After that I lost track of the Hess family. Never the less, PAD was in business well before Hess sold his FBO to the oil man.

Hope this helps.

[Old Boeing Driver]

I believe the Mr. Hess involved during my time was named Fritz Hess. The chief pilot was Marfred (Marv) Clark. He has since retired from the FAA.

They had 3 Beech 18's and 2 Aztecs on the east coast and 2 Aztecs on the west coast.

Their business was a very good money maker as they charged the government for road miles, and we made multiple pick ups and deliveries on all the flights.

As an example, we might pick up something in New York bound for Tucson, and pick up another load in Bloomington bound for Yuma. Both would get charged for the mileage even though we were going there anyway.

Nothing different than trucking today, but it made them a lot of $$$.

We flew a lot of classified stuff and couriers.

Their demise was that they did not handle the shipments very well, and of course, maintenance issues.

It was after I had left, but I was told that many pounds of class "A" stuff was found in a storage room at their Tappahannock location, just across the street from a school.

I posted to see if there were any of the aviators of my vintage, who might be on this site.

Regards,

OBD

[Old Boeing Driver]

As a follow up, was the wealthy oil man named Hardesty?

There was a 727 in Oklahoma somewhere that was operated by Hardesty Oil (I think), and the principal actually did some of the flying.

Regards,

OBD

[con-pilot]

As an example, we might pick up something in New York bound for Tucson, and pick up another load in Bloomington bound for Yuma. Both would get charged for the mileage even though we were going there anyway.


Yes, that was the way we worked it as well from what I can remember.

There was a 727 in Oklahoma somewhere that was operated by Hardesty Oil (I think), and the principal actually did some of the flying.


Sorry, the 727 doesn't ring any bells, but the name Hardesty does for some reason. Would have been in the 1990s? Also, any idea where it was based?

Reason is, that when I was flying 727s, there was a 727 based on Will Rogers, I don't know who owned it, but I seem to remember that they got into some trouble with the FAA about questionable charters in that 727.

The only other corporate 727 that I knew of in Oklahoma, was based at TUL and was owned by William's Pipeline, they did a lot of work in Alaska and South America.

[Old Boeing Driver]

The guys was F. Roger Hardesty, Tulsa, OK. United States Aviation. Oil and energy company.

I seem to recall some questionable charters, as well.

[first job]

Got my A&P certificate in 1972 and went to work as a technician in Tappahannock, Va. directly. We had three C45 (Beechcraft 18) and three Piper Aztecs. Was employed there two years. Things got real ugly towards the end in 1974. Paychecks were bouncing, or none at all. Could have been a great company if run wisely.

[Old Boeing Driver]

I left in 1972. I can't remember the Director of maintenance's name, but he seemed a little strange. Had us stripping a Beech 18 our near Warrenton.

Most of us lowly co-pilots were also A&P's.

It was fun for awhile

[Old Boeing Driver]

I don't remember the Aztec tail numbers, but the Beech 18's were N900X (queen of the fleet), N145L, N6645 (old and very cold in the winter). There was one more that Bill Seaman ground looped in Bloomington, Indiana. I think it was N6438B

[Old Boeing Driver]

I think the DOM was Ted Cobb.

[RetiredAirbus]

I think the DOM was Ted Cobb.
Marv was the dispatcher I notified when I landed in Hickory with the #2 engine main bearing missing with 600# of Class A. He says, “Wow that lasted longer than I thought it would”. Why Marv? “ We bought that engine from the WV state penitentiary where it was on static display since WWII”

[Old Boeing Driver]

Marv was the dispatcher I notified when I landed in Hickory with the #2 engine main bearing missing with 600# of Class A. He says, “Wow that lasted longer than I thought it would”. Why Marv? “ We bought that engine from the WV state penitentiary where it was on static display since WWII”
Marv Clark (Marfred) was also the chief pilot when I was there. I flew with him quite a bit. He eventually went with the FAA somewhere in northern Virginia. I think he died a few years ago.