VQ AIRLINES / VOLUSIA AVIATION SERVICE
VQ was the airline division of Volusia Aviation Service, the FBO at Daytona Beach Airport. Scheduled passenger service began in 1970 between Daytona and Tampa using a Piper Aztec and a Piper Cherokee Six.
VQ's Piper PA-23 Aztec N5431Y is pictured on the ramp at Daytona in this postcard view. While the aircraft is pictured with International Sky Cab Airlines (a Puerto Rican carrier) titles, the small lettering above the cheatline reads: Volusia Aviation Service, Inc. Daytona Beach, FLA. Image from the collection of AirlineColors.com.
VQ's Piper PA-23 Aztec N5431Y is pictured on the ramp at Daytona in this postcard view. While the aircraft is pictured with International Sky Cab Airlines (a Puerto Rican carrier) titles, the small lettering above the cheatline reads: Volusia Aviation Service, Inc. Daytona Beach, FLA. Image from the collection of AirlineColors.com.
In an effort to capitalize on the opening of Walt Disney World, VQ inaugurated service to nearby Maguire Airport on October 1, 1971. The now closed Maguire Airport, 9 miles north of the Magic Kingdom and 12 miles west of Herndon Airport, was little more than a 2,400 foot grass airstrip surrounded by orange groves. Unlike Shawnee and Executive Airlines, VQ did not fly directly into Disney's Lake Buena Vista STOLport.
This rare VQ timetable is from the collection of Don Henchel and shows two daily round-trips on the Daytona - Maguire - Tampa route.
A VQ route map based on the October 1, 1971 timetable. Created with the Great Circle Mapper - copyright © Karl L. Swartz.
The anticipated expansion and paving of Maguire Airport's turf runway never happened and VQ moved their Orlando operations to Herndon Airport in September 1972. Two daily round-trips continued along the Daytona - Orlando - Tampa route using the single Piper Aztec, with a Piper Apache and a Beech Bonanza as backups. Plans to introduce Twin Otter service never came to fruition.
DOT records show that VQ carried an average of 3 passengers a day during its existence, meaning that at least one quarter of all flights were completely empty. As passenger loads continued to decline, scheduled flights were ended in mid 1973.
More information on Maguire Airport can be found at Paul Freeman's Abandoned and Little Known Airfields website.
DOT records show that VQ carried an average of 3 passengers a day during its existence, meaning that at least one quarter of all flights were completely empty. As passenger loads continued to decline, scheduled flights were ended in mid 1973.
More information on Maguire Airport can be found at Paul Freeman's Abandoned and Little Known Airfields website.
