Does anyone remember Rio Airways?

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On 3/24/2003 8:50:38 PM texflyer wrote:

They also flew Beech 1900s and Dash 8s.

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I don''t think they ever actually took delivery of any of their ordered Dash-8s before they shut down in 1987.
They had (at various times) Metros, Beech 99s, Twin Otters, and Dash-7s, before switching to an all-1900 fleet shortly before the end.
 
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On 3/24/2003 8:46:45 PM texflyer wrote:

Back in the early 80s,DL was actually ahead of AA in the regionals game. DL had Rio Airways as a partner out of DFW. Does anyone here remember them? There were at one time the fourth largest regional in the country.....With the bright yellow aircraft.

Since you mention it, I remember it quite well having spent 4 years employed by RIO also known as xo airways. They were a leader in the commuter industry when commuters were not a common thing. In the early 70s we operated DC3, BE18 and BE99s in Texas with a large charter operation that served most of the US, Mexico and Canada. There were lots of sportsman charters in those days with the likes of BASS (Bass Angler''s Sportsmen Society) and others that kept us very busy and profitable.
One item of interest, Rio was the trial platform for ALPA to embark upon representation of Commuter Air Carriers in 1975. That effort invoked a 98% supportive vote for representation but unfortunately, ALPA met their match with a very deep pocketed Texas family (Connell''s), which totally outmaneuvered our fearless leaders and escourted ''scab'' labor to the airstairs of the aircraft by armored car. Just a walk down memory lane but that was not a pleasant event. Yes, Rio became a DL commuter but long before that, they were a very enterprising and successful entity dating back to the early 60s.
May all our motion be forward.
 
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On 3/29/2003 9:36:02 AM AV8NSIGO wrote:

Didn''t they have some F-27s? I remember someone referring to them as the "flying banannas."

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No, Rio never flew F-27s (or F.27s, or FH-227s). I''ll bet you''re confusing them with Hughes Airwest, who did indeed have quite a few F-27s and were indeed known as "the banana".
 
I remember them. I wanted to fly for them when I graduated from SOSU. At one time I thought those Twin Otters were big iron. Ha!Ha! I wound up cleaning toilets after college(for a bit of humility) then got hired by Royale. Does anyone remember them?
 
No, Rio never flew F-27s (or F.27s, or FH-227s). I''ll bet you''re confusing them with Hughes Airwest, who did indeed have quite a few F-27s and were indeed known as "the banana".

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They used to market themselves as ''Top Banana in the West.''
 
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On 3/30/2003 12:37:01 PM GraftedOne wrote:

then got hired by Royale. Does anyone remember them?

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Sure. One of the original CO Express carriers. Operated for CO out of both IAH and MSY, during that time that Lorenzo beefed up MSY to kill Pride Air (it worked).
Did Royale operate the DC-9 "Proud Bird Express" between IAH and Hobby, or was that Emerald?
 
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Did Royale operate the DC-9 "Proud Bird Express" between IAH and Hobby, or was that Emerald?
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It was Emerald that did the IAH-HOU hop with the DC9. But Royale had a DC9 too for a time, flying it back and forth between Houston and Brownsville.