During WWII, the Government contracted with, then, Pennsylvania Central Airlines (PCA) to train pilots for the C-47 the commercial version being the DC-3 passenger airliner. PCA chose Roanoke’s Woodrum Field to do this. They did not have commercial service here. Many dedicated local people here were hired for this effort, which is a little known factor of Roanoke’s contribution to the War effort. My father was a mechanic on the C-47′s engines.

PCA rented out the Pine Room, renovating it and turning it into an employees lounge and hang out place for the workers….After the war PCA became Capital Airlines in 1948, was headquartered at Washington National Airport. Capital Airlines was taken over in 1961 by United Airlines. It was my goal to try and get a plaque hung in the Pine room recognizing this history through the former Capital Airlines Assoc., but it dissolved before I was able to do it.