Up There with the Biggest: The Story of Ozark Airlines

by Alan B. Hoffman

A history of Ozark Airlines, a St. Louis-based carrier, from its founding in 1950 until its merger with Trans World Airlines (TWA) in 1986. This account includes interviews with Ozark personnel and photographs of the airline's aircraft and advertising.

136 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ozark Air Lines was a Local Service Airline that operated from 1950 until it was merged with Trans World Airlines (TWA) in 1986. Alan B. Hoffman's self-published book tells the St. Louis-based airline's story--its highs (service growth, close-knit personnel) and lows (deregulation challenges, labor strife during the TWA merger). (Full disclosure: Hoffman is a friend and a fellow member of the Missouri Aviation Historical Society.) He interviewed over 20 former Ozark pilots, flight attendants, and service support personnel for this account, and accessed much archival material on Ozark. Photos of Ozark's aircraft, advertising, and personnel interviewed for this book are included. There are a handful of times the word flow seems to be disjointed (it's the editor in me), but overall it's a very fine account of Ozark Air Lines and how it made its place in commercial aviation history. Recommended for all airline fans.