In 1951 I had the privilege of receiving my Lake Central Airlines (LCA) "wings" from Col. Roscoe Turner along with 12 other Stewardesses who replaced male flight attendants. LCA was formerly Turner Airlines.
I was Chief Stewardess with LCA from 1951-1956 responsible for interviewing, hiring, and training sixty-five (65) stewardesses. Needless to say it was a rewarding experience. My maiden name was Paula N. Osborne.
LCA served a five (5) state route which included Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Most airports had one runway at the time as we were considered a "feeder line" and LCA was the only airline offering services to those smaller communities into larger cities. Purdue University at Lafayette, Indiana were among those with one runway. Our "fleet" of aircraft consisted of two (2) reliable DC-3's.
In 1953 Dr. R. B. Stewart of Purdue University became Chairman of the Board and President of LCA. During this time improvements were made (i.e., new interiors of the DC-3 cabins, improved our airport check-in counters, redesigned our in-flight brochures).
In 1955 the Weesner brothers sold their LCA stock shares to the employees. LCA became America's first "employee owned" airline.
About 1968 LCA merged with Allegheny Airlines and the rest is "airline history."
I will be 89 years of age this year, LCA days were 63 years ago, what an experience, and how time "flies."
Aviation buffs might be interested in reading more about Col. Roscoe Turner in a book entitled "Roscoe Turner, Aviation's Master Showman," by Carroll V. Glines with a foreword by James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle, published in 1995 (Smithsonian History Aviation Series). Col. Turner was born 9/29/1895 and died 6/23/1970 at the age of 75.
I have flown on a B-17 (Collings Foundation), a B-24 "All American" (Collings Foundation), a P-51 Mustang (WOW), a Constellation (Constellation Historical Society), Otis Spunkmeyer Air DC-3 and a hot air balloon over Napa Valley during the 1990s.