Piedmont Airlines  Boeing 767-201 (ER)    N603P                   (c/n 23897)

                                    

                                        In the late 1980s Piedmont opened up a Charlotte (NC) to London route. To operate this, and
                                        possible other European destinations,  they acquired a fleet of six Boeing 767-201s of the Extend-
                                        ed Range model.  Surprisingly there are load factors from the Piedmont area of North Carolina
                                        sufficient to sustain direct service to the UK.  (There are many high tech corporations in North
                                        Carolina which generate a fair amount of business travel.   In fact, the area is currently served by
                                        an American Airlines flight from Raleigh to London).   Anyway, the above shot was captured by
                                        Peter de Groot at Schipol Airport, Amsterdam, one day in August of 1987 when the 767 had been
                                        diverted from London.   Piedmont Airlines merged into USAir in May of 1989.    Clearly this move
                                        had been in the works for some time, since many of Piedmont's latter acquisitions were already regis-
                                        tered into the USAir series of registration numbers when delivered. to the North Carolina company.