KEITH KAHLE 1949 - 1965 FOUNDER & PRESIDENT - CENTRAL AIRLINES FTW ACF GSW Keith was the founder of Central Airlines. With the help & counsel of Tom Braniff and C.R. Smith, he started up his little airline in 1949 - flying out of Meacham Field in Ft. Worth. He was forced out of the airline in 1965. Keith worked at the LTV company after he left Central. He died 7/4/97 at age 88. The honorary pallbearers at his funeral were the ex-employees of Central Airlines. -Jake Lamkins (6/3/99) Central started scheduled airline service on September 15, 1949. Service started up from Meacham Field (FTW) in Ft. Worth. Kahle had the authority for almost 3 years before he got the money together to do it - just before it's expiration. Later, they moved HQs to Amon Carter Field (ACF) which was re-named Greater Southwest Airport (GSW) in the Ft. Worth area. -Jake Lamkins (6/12/99) Amon Carter and Greater Southwest were the same airport - Fort Worth changed the name in 1961 or so in a last-ditch attempt to lure Dallas' into joining them in the mid-cities airport. It didn't work, and Amon Carter/Greater Southwest was closed in 1973 when DFW opened. If Central started service from Fort Worth in 1949, they would have been based at Meacham, as Amon Carter opened in 1953. Actually, Amon Carter was there in a much smaller state and was known as Midway, but there was no terminal until 1953, nor was the airport open to commercial airlines. I've done a scenery for Amon Carter that can be used with FS98. It's kind of rudimentary right now, but I'm working up a new version that will feature accurate buildings. Best Regards, -Kristopher Crook (6/12/99) Annual Report 1993-1994 University of Texas - Arlington Keith and Jean Kahle donated Mr. Kahle's extensive personal and business papers. Mr. Kahle was the president of Central Airlines and spent his career in the aviation industry. A cash gift accompanied this donation. -Internet (6/25/99) From the Winter 2002 issue of FRONTIER NEWS How Meacham Field landed Central By Bill Fairley "I think I can, I think I can," the Little Train That Could said as it tried to chug up a hill in a popular children's story. And that's probably what 39-year-old Oklahoman Keith Kahle repeated with his innovation: a feeder service for areas too small to support their own airport in 1949. Kahle's Central Airlines, which eventually flew among 41 cities in six states, was the forerunner of the later, highly successful commuter airlines such as Southwest, Western, Continental, Legend and others. He began small with a single-engine, four-passenger Beech Bonanza plane out of Meacham Field. By 1965, Central was flying Douglas DC3s and Convair Dart 600 turbojets. The latter could zip along at a speedy 300 mph, as fast as many World War II fighter planes. Kahle was born in West Virginia but moved to Oklahoma when he was a year old. An engineering major in college, Kahle, a member of the Civil Air Patrol during World War II, worked in the Oklahoma oilfields where he met barnstorming pilots. He also wrote about aviation, eventually becoming aviation editor for The Daily Oklahoman, while operating the Oklahoma City Flying School. He received strong encouragement from C.R. Smith, president of American Airlines, and Tom Braniff, founder and president of Braniff Airlines to start a feeder airline. He also landed investments from Fort Worth oilman F. Kirk Johnson Sr. and a close friend, movie star James Stewart. The airline hired six stewardesses, who were outfitted in the latest fashions rather than the typical drab gray or tan military-style uniforms of flight attendants. In 1953, Kahle needed more and longer runways and more hangar and service facilities, so he moved his base to the Greater Southwest International Airport, just south of present-day Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. Greater Southwest was to be a joint effort by Dallas and Fort Worth to establish a regional airport. But Dallas backed out at the last minute and turned to Love Field. Nevertheless, Dallas was extremely interested in Central Airlines, cordially inviting Kahle to move his operation to Love. He declined. Subsequently, each time Central petitioned the Civil Aeronautics Board to allow expansion of its routes, Dallas filed protests, arguing that Central would take several flights a day away from Love. Dallas took its protests to court and lost; and the decision was not overturned on appeal. In his 1953 annual report, Kahle announced that Central Airlines' payroll had increased to $1 million per year; it employed 248 people in Tarrant County, and the company was buying about $500,000 worth of supplies a year in this area. Through the 1950s, the CAB approved Central flights to cities such as Memphis, Tenn.; New Orleans; Shreveport, La.; Little Rock, Ark.; Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Okla.; Midland-Odessa; and Amarillo. In 1964, wealthy Midland businessman A.A. "Jack" Bradford bought controlling interest in Central, and, the following year, moved young B. Lamar Muse in as president and forced Kahle into early retirement. Muse apparently learned well from his experience at Central because he later became one of the founders of Southwest Airlines. Kahle watched with trepidation as his creation merged, first with Ozark Airlines and later with Denver's Frontier Airlines, which evolved into Continental Airlines. Kahle had a bit of fun in 1967. He sued his old airline for accrued vacation time for which he had never been paid. The court awarded him $11,287. Kahle became a consultant for LTV Aerospace, assisting in the design and development of its Air Trans people-mover system at D/FW Airport. He also continued his consulting work for several other aerospace companies before retiring in 1992. In 1982, Kahle was inducted into the Oklahoma Aviation Hall of Fame in recognition of his pioneering work making passenger air travel available to residents of smaller cities and communities and providing more economical travel to other metropolitan areas for frequent business fliers. Kahle died at 88 on July 4, 1997. (Sources - Star-Telegram and interview with Kahle's stepson, Jeff DeFord. Bill Fairley is a longtime Fort Worth resident interested in the history of Texas and Tarrant County.) E-mail to Bill Fairley I was following Central links a few nights ago and came across your Star-Telegram article dated 1/26/2000. I worked for Central 1964-67 then Frontier until their bankruptcy in 1986. It was an interesting article but I would like to point out one error. The sale of Central to Ozark never went through. Talks begun in 1966 led to an agreement of sorts if Ozark could get the financing. At the time, Ozark was starting to convert part of their fleet to DC-9s. Their bankers refused to finance both the jets and the purchase of Central so the purchase deal fell through. Subsequently Frontier bought us in 1967 in an agreement effective Oct. 1st. Central had also ordered DC- 9s but Frontier wasn't interested and cancelled the order. None were ever received. Regards, -Jake Lamkins (1/5/02) Thanks for your correction of the Central column. What you said was not reflected in the clips I obtained from the Star-Telegram archives. Also, I sent a copy of my column before it was published to Mrs. Kahle and one of her sons. They made a few changes, but not on that one. I imagine there was some confusion there at the end and some of it was misconstrued, even by the experts. Thanks again, -Bill Fairley (1/6/02) Speaking of nice guys, let me put in a good word for Keith Kahle, the founder and longtime president of Central Airlines. He was very good to me personally, and I thought very well of Mr. Kahle. Best regards, -Joe Max Johnson (3/5/02) Awards given by Kirkpatrick Science and Air Space Museum in OKC 1982 Mary Haizlip* James Haizlip* Keith Kahle* Eleanor Kirkpatrick* John Kirkpatrick Maj. Gen. Jess Larson* James C. Leake Rex Madeira -http://www.omniplex.org/html/past_recipients.html (2/23/03) I worked with Sam Cales when he was manager in DAL. I thought it was ironic that Sam and CN President Keith Kahle had a similar last name and both of them stuttered their words. I did not make fun of them as they were fine people and were admired. -Jack Prather (3/17/03) I was rummaging through some old photos the other day and ran across this news clipping that was taken during the Summer of 1960, at the Los Angeles Democratic National Convention. The heading under the picture began "A Texas Size Hat...." and goes on to read... "surrounded by Oklahomans appeared at the Democratic delegation breakfast in Los Angeles Tuesday morning. The hat is six feet in diameter and was brought to the convention by Keith Kahle, formerly of Oklahoma City who now heads Central Airlines in Fort Worth. Kahle is an ardent Lyndon Johnson supporter." The gentleman in the middle is Keith Kahle. (See pic posted) -Linda K Wagner (1/21/04) Was cleaning out some old files and ran acrossed a two letters the late Sam Cales sent me that he had received from Keith Kahle. One is a letter from the FAA in 1988, stated that Keith Kahle Aviation, a G.I. flight school operating at Oklahoma City from about 1934 to 1949 and Central Airlines had never had any violation filed against them by the FAA or its predecesser nor had any accidents, injuries or deaths occurred. The other was from Keith written in November of 1988, which he sent to all the old Central people that he could find an address for, thanking them for their efforts in achieving this record. -Larry Nenstiel (12/4/04) Kahle, Keith H., 1909-1997 Papers, 1902-1992; 234 boxes (97 linear ft.) Keith H. Kahle was an aviation pioneer, engineer, journalist, and founder of the Oklahoma City Flying School and Central Airlines of Fort Worth, Texas. Central Airlines served more than one million passengers in six southwestern states from the 1940s to the 1960s, and was the first commercial airline to fly out of Meacham Field. In 1967, Central Airlines merged with Frontier Airlines and Kahle joined LTV Aerospace Corp. of Dallas. He also published his own aviation magazine, Taxi Strip, and wrote columns for the Oklahoma City News and the Daily Oklahoman. As an advocate for the airline industry, Kahle worked with the Civil Aeronautics Board, was a member of the Civil Air Patrol during World War II, and in 1982, was inducted into the Oklahoma Aviation Hall of Fame. He was also an active supporter of the Democratic Party and the University of Oklahoma athletic program. Correspondence, journals, newspaper clippings, reports, minutes, photographic materials, family history and biographical materials, scrapbook, motion picture film, printed materials, and memorabilia. The Keith H. Kahle Papers reflect the life and career of an aviation pioneer through his personal and business records. The journals, 1956-1992, include notations of Kahle’s daily activities as well as contain correspondence, clippings, and memorabilia. They offer insights into the daily life of a business executive in the later half of the twentieth century. Business records include Kahle’s early work for Ozark Airlines, records of Keith Kahle Aviation, and Central Airlines. The Central Airlines records document the history of one of the nation’s earliest commercial airlines. There are extensive files of Kahle’s business activities after leaving Central Airlines until his retirement. They include materials from his employment with the Vought Division of LTV, his corporation, New Ideas, Inc., his attempt to create ABC Airlines, and his involvement in the founding and work with the National Bank of Texas. Biographical materials include resumes and information about Kahle, as well as biographies of several family members and a genealogy of the Kahle family, 1734-1959. Democratic Party politics in Fort Worth and Texas are covered extensively and correspondence and memorabilia relate to Kahle’s passion for University of Oklahoma football. Photographs span his childhood, youth, and family and include aviation celebrities; Central Airlines planes and personnel; the XC-142a Tiltwing aircraft produced by Vought/ElectroCom as well as celebrity visits to these corporations; Democratic Party politicians including presidents, governors, and senators; and Oklahoma football players and coaches. Issues of Taxi Strip, the magazine he founded, and Take Off, a newspaper he edited, 1942-1944, are included. -http://library.uta.edu/Main/guideDetails.uta?GU=guideHist4 (5/26/05) Posted at the FL Club: Subject: FL Club Updated memorial webpage James Ray, 2nd CN president http://FAL-1. tripod.com/ James_Ray. html Frankly, I had never heard of James Ray until Ken Schultz sent some info a month or so ago. And now Ken has sent two photos of CN's second president with Thomas Edison, the renowned inventor. Ray, it is turning out, is one of those little known aviation pioneers who influenced many aspects of the development of aviation. Keith Kahle started two airlines before CN and one of them was Southwest Airways. Ray seems to have been involved there too. Southwest somehow morphed from an OK operation into a CA operation. James Stewart, the actor, who was later a CN board member, was involved with Southwest too. The California version of Southwest was renamed Pacific Airlines which merged with Bonanza and West Coast airlines on Apr 17, 1968 to form Air West. Air West, in turn, became Hughes Air West - then Republic West - then Republic in Oct 1980 - then Northwest on Oct 1 1986. There's a lot of fascinating airline history that needs exploring. Another good reason to get an Old Frontier Airlines Historical Society going. Otherwise, all this great FL history is going to be eventually lost to a great extent. -Jake Lamkins (9/6/07) Posted at the FL Club: Updated memorial webpage KEITH KAHLE 1949 - 1965 FOUNDER & PRESIDENT - CENTRAL AIRLINES FTW ACF GSW http://FAL-1. tripod.com/ Keith_Kahle. html Many articles found in the CN newsletters. -Jake Lamkins (10/16/08) Posted at the FL Club: Subject: Updated memorial webpage KEITH KAHLE 1949 - 1965 FOUNDER & PRESIDENT - CENTRAL AIRLINES FTW ACF GSW http://FAL.tripod.com/Keith_Kahle.html Several more items added to Keith's webpage. -Jake Lamkins (5/29/10) A great man who had a huge impact on this man's life. -Ray Marney (5/30/10) FLacebook - FL Club FLight West: Keith Kahle GSW Central Airlines founder and president Keith Kahle's memorial webpage had been enlarged and updated at http://FAL-1.tripod.com/Keith_Kahle.html -Jake Lamkins (4/6/17)