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Flashback Fridays: Remembering Bill Franklin

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Employee
Employee

Late last week, Bill Franklin, our first Vice President of Ground Operations, passed away at the age of 88.  While Bill has been retired for many years, his contributions to our Company were a key factor in the success we enjoy today.  As a member of the “Over the Hill Gang,” Franklin came into our young Company to help turn it into a profitable venture in less than three years. 2 Bill was one of the first Employees hired by Herb and Lamar Muse on March 29, 1971, the same day we changed our name from Air Southwest and began our heritage as a 737 operator when Boeing offered us our three original aircraft.  He had previously worked at Trans Texas and Frontier Airlines, and contributed his wealth of experience to write many of our first procedure and operational manuals required by the regulatory agencies prior to offering revenue flights. 3 Perhaps his biggest contribution to our success was his role in implementing the now-famous ten-minute turn, which came about when Employees determined they could work together to operate a schedule built for four planes with only three when we were forced to sell aircraft N20SW to Frontier so we could stay in business. Their Warrior Spirit not only saved us from bankruptcy in 1972, but also earned us the reputation as one of the most reliable, innovative, and productive airlines in the business. Bill went on to assume the Chief Operating Officer role in 1978 following Lamar’s departure, and later went on to become President and CEO of TranStar Airline following Southwest’s acquisition of the former Muse Air in 1985.  Following the final TranStar flight in 1987, Bill retired after a career that saw Southwest Airlines rise from an almost unheard of commuter airline to perhaps the biggest success story the industry has ever witnessed. 4