Grinningbirds: PSA 1967-1970

Within a decade PSA had gone from being a small piston airline operation to the major player in the Californian intrastate market flying a fleet of brand new trijets, with the transformational, but ultimately intermediary, prop-jet Electras on their way out after only 7-8 years. During the next 3 years PSA would continue to expand, but also attempt to diversify its business - an enterprise that wasn't entirely successful.

For previous parts in this series see:

Poor Sailor's Airline: PSA 1949-1958

Jet California: PSA 1957-1967

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The mid-60s was still a boomtime for PSA and despite new competition from the new intrastate startup Air California flying from Orange County from January 1967 PSA's own traffic growth continued unabated. It had grown so much in fact that the original short 727-14s were no longer big enough for all of its services and in mid-1966 7 brand-new 158 seat Boeing 727-200s were ordered. 

The airline also modified its livery for the 727s, which now consisted of a red rudder wedge connecting to a thinner wedge on the fuselage with another red pinstripe beneath it. The big 727-200s were a little too large for all of PSA's routes and with a wish to retire the Electras a pair of Douglas DC-9-30s were also ordered, with the first in service in March 1967.

Although PSA would have preferred Boeing 737-200s the DC-9 was available then and was connected to an ultimately unsuccessful venture with Douglas whereby PSA would train DC-9 pilots. They did at least allow the last Electras to leave the fleet in 1968. PSA's preference for the 737-200 was so great in fact that it placed an order for ten of the baby Boeings to replace the 727-100s and DC-9s, with the first to arrive in September 1968.

A top up order for 7 more 727-200s meant that PSA was aiming towards a two aircraft fleet of 727-200s and 737-200s. By the end of 1968 the fleet stood at 7 727-14s, 7 727-214s, 4 737-214s and 2 DC-9-30s. Sacramento and Ontario had been added to the network and well over 100 daily flights were being flown.

Jon Proctor (GFDL 1.2 or GFDL 1.2 ), via Wikimedia Commons

During 1968 PSA introduced something it would forever be famous for - the smile on its aircraft. There are several stories about how it came about but at the centre of both of them was PSA's advertising man Len Gross. PSA's slogan at the time was 'World's Friendliest Airline' and either the smile cae about from an advertising campaign or was a product of a radome alignment line mechanics had added. Either way, despite some seeming resistance from the CEO ​J. Floyd "Andy" Andrews the popularity of the smile meant it was here to stay.

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The US aviation industry was in a purple patch in the late 60s and 1969 was another great year for PSA. The year earlier the airline's facilities were consolidated at the new PSA Hangar at San Diego Lindbergh and the airline was diversifying into new territory. These included the Airline Training Center (a pilot training school), Crownair (a helicopter training school), JetAir Leasing (a lessor for unwanted 727-14s and even some new 727-200s) and Val Car (a car rental business). 

Bill Larkins, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

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Some of the diversification would be successful but the rental car business, later hotel ventures and four radio stations proved to be massive financial loss makers and would prove a serious burden to PSA in the difficult early 70s.

Even so, by 1970 PSA had grown consistently for a decade and shown profits in each of the past 15 years. The airline had flown a record 4.4 million passengers in 1969 and the fleet transformation was largely complete too. By 1970 the fleet stood at 15 727-214s and 10 737-214s. Of course the dawn of the 1970s would spell the beginning of the widebody era, as well as a serious economic downturn. PSA would take a gamble on widebodies, which would prove unsuccessful and that is what we'll look at in part 4.