I began my career with Piedmont on a Saturday morning August 18, 1979. I was twenty years old. I was always fascinated with airplanes and enjoyed going to the old Douglas Municipal Airport and sitting on the observation deck and watching the planes come and go. I watched the Piedmont Y.S.11's as well as the Fairchild 227's and the 737-200. I was thirteen when I took my first plane ride from Nashville to Charlotte and from that moment I was hooked and my dream was someday to work for Piedmont.

I remember getting the call from Watson Furr who was OPS Manager in Charlotte. He said they were going to be hiring part-time on the Ramp and asked if I was interested. Of course I said "yes". He told me to come to the airport on Monday afternoon to fill out my application and talk to him. I remember how excited I was to go behind the ticket counter and look across the Ramp at the planes and the work going on around them. From Monday until Friday seemed so long but Friday I got the news that I was hired at Piedmont Airlines. I started Saturday morning on the Ramp learning to load and unload aircraft and parking planes. There were no jetways and the planes had their own stairs. Passengers walked across the Ramp. I worked outside for about a year and then went to customer service. I learned the Ticket Counter, the Gates, and also Baggage Service. We never really had a training department-you learned as you did it.

In May of 1982 we moved to the new terminal. I began there in Seat Selection where we closed out flights and got seating charts ready for flights as well. We had not gone to seat charts in the computer. Since going to the new terminal I have gone back to the Ramp a couple of times, worked Catering, Air Cargo, Mailsort, Ticket Counter, Baggage Service, and the Presidential Suite. Today I work inside at the Gates.

I miss the Piedmont name and working for Piedmont Airlines. I am truly thankful for Mr. Davis and everyone who began Piedmont and gave me the honor of working for such a fine company. The Piedmont name may be gone but in my mind and heart I will always be a Piedmont employee. I was proud to tell folks "yes, I work for Piedmont". As of this writing I have 34 years with the airlines and soon will begin work at American Airlines when the merger takes place. I have been proud to work with the airlines and I was most proud of Piedmont.

Michael Joe Wilson
CLT-Agent