Commuter airline legend Dick Henson dead at 92
The regional airline industry lost a legend on June 12, when Dick Henson succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 92.

The regional airline industry lost a legend on June 12, when Dick Henson succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 92.

Universally acknowledged as one of the pioneers of the commuter airline business, Henson planted the seeds for what would become Piedmont Airlines in 1931, when he opened an FBO and charter service in Hagerstown, Md. called Henson Flying Service. After 31 years of selling and flying aircraft, managing flight departments and flying test missions for Fairchild Aircraft, Henson began scheduled passenger service between Hagerstown and Washington National Airport. In 1967 Henson Aviation and Allegheny Airways forged the industry’s first code-share affiliation, building a model for countless partnerships to follow and laying the foundation for today’s regional airline business.