Argonaut Airways

  1946 to 1966

  United States of America

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TYPE: Non-scheduled airline

IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil

HEADQUARTERS: Miami, FL

FORMER NAME: Nil

SUBSEQUENT NAME: Southeast Airlines (merged)

Argonaut Airways started operations in 1949 using a single Commando leased from the USAF, operating cargo flights between Florida and Latin America. The airline added charter passengers services from 1954, marketing itself as "Florida's intrastate airline". The Commando fleet was built up to five units. The CAB granted Argonaut supplemental air carrier certification in January 1959, but these operations stopped on 7 November 1962 when the CAB refused to renew the certificate due to several incidents.

In October 1957, one of the Commandos inadvertently flew into a tornado over the Pacific Ocean while enroute from Columbia to Panama. The aircraft went inverted at least five times and control of the plane was recovered at only 100 feet above the water. All four crew members suffered cuts and bruises while the payload of 35 monkeys and 300,000 tropical fish perished. The plane landed safety despite serious structural damage and the loss of one engine. Later, on 29 June 1960, a passenger fell out through a Commando door over Virginia.

Scheduled passenger flights were opened in July 1963 between Miami and Key West, and later West Palm Beach, FL using several DC3s in 28-seat configuration. In 1964, the fare between Miami and Key West, FL was $7.60. In parallel, several DC7Bs were added to the fleet under subsidiary Southern Pipeliners Inc., based in Hialeah, FL for the conduct of contract cargo flights.

Argonaut merged into Southeast Airlines in March 1965, but continued to operate under its own name until 1966.

1961* to June 1963

Argonaut operated at least 7 Commandos, many of them leased, both in cargo and passenger configurations. All but one of them were disposed of in 1962.

N10426 was leased from AAXICO.

• Curtiss R5C-1 Commando: N10426 (leased)
• Other Commandos: N1822M, N3925C, N4718N, N4874V, N4876V, N74178