Red Baron Airlines
A short-lived American commuter and charter airline that operated under the Red Baron Airlines name before becoming Florida Commuter Airlines.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Red Baron Airlines was the operating name used by Roberson Air Inc., a small United States airline established in 1979 by Clive E. Roberson and Rudolph P. Scheerer. The business was organized as a joint venture and was intended to provide regional passenger and charter services from Florida. It is principally documented as an early predecessor of Florida Commuter Airlines rather than as a long-lived independent airline brand. On June 13, 1980, Scheerer Air acquired all of Roberson Air Inc. The airline was subsequently renamed Florida Commuter Airlines, while most of the management structure remained in place apart from Clive E. Roberson. The successor received its carrier operating certificate on July 24, 1980, authorizing commuter and charter operations with two Douglas DC-3 aircraft and a Piper PA-31 Navajo. This certification established the operational framework that followed the Red Baron Airlines period. Florida Commuter Airlines developed scheduled service linking West Palm Beach with cities in northern Florida. The weekday pattern began at Palm Beach International Airport and continued through Gainesville and Tallahassee to Jacksonville, with reverse-direction services later in the day and evening. Jacksonville was omitted from the weekend schedule. The carrier also entered into an interline agreement with Air Florida in September 1980 and signed both an interline and bilateral agreement with Eastern Airlines, seeking to connect its local service with larger airline networks. The airline’s operating history was brief and ended in the aftermath of a fatal accident involving a Douglas DC-3 near West End, Grand Bahama, on September 12, 1980. The aircraft, operating a passenger flight from Palm Beach International Airport, crashed into the sea with 34 people aboard. Investigators did not establish a definitive cause, although the aircraft encountered a thunderstorm and had reported deficiencies involving its pitot-tube and static-system components. Contemporary accounts also criticized the carrier’s maintenance practices. The business was renamed Southern Airlines in 1981 and ceased operations soon afterward. Because the Red Baron Airlines name was used before the 1980 rebranding, the brand is best understood as the short-lived predecessor identity of Florida Commuter Airlines. No evidence in the available reference material indicates that it survived as an active airline, developed a substantial fleet beyond the aircraft associated with its successor, or became a nationally prominent passenger brand.
History
Roberson Air Inc. was formed on June 11, 1979, as a joint venture between Clive E. Roberson and Rudolph P. Scheerer. It conducted business under the Red Baron Airlines name, positioning the venture as a small regional operator rather than a large trunk carrier. The available historical record associates the business with Florida and with the regional-airline environment surrounding Palm Beach International Airport. The Red Baron Airlines identity was short-lived. On June 13, 1980, Scheerer Air purchased the entirety of Roberson Air Inc. and renamed the airline Florida Commuter Airlines. The management arrangement largely continued, although Clive E. Roberson was no longer part of the management structure. The transition created the corporate and operational successor through which the airline’s scheduled services are chiefly documented. Florida Commuter Airlines obtained its carrier operating certificate on July 24, 1980. The authorization covered commuter and charter flying and identified a fleet of two Douglas DC-3s and one Piper PA-31 Navajo. The airline then operated scheduled regional flights from West Palm Beach, with service through Gainesville and Tallahassee to Jacksonville. Flights ran in both directions during the working week, while weekend schedules did not include Jacksonville. This route structure connected southeastern Florida with several important cities in the northern part of the state. The carrier also pursued network links with established airlines. On September 9, 1980, it signed an interline agreement with Air Florida. It additionally entered into an interline and bilateral agreement with Eastern Airlines. These arrangements were commercially significant for a small commuter carrier because they could allow local traffic to connect with the broader networks and ticketing systems of larger airlines. On September 12, 1980, a Florida Commuter Airlines Douglas DC-3A, registration N75KW, crashed into the sea approximately 6.5 kilometres off West End, Grand Bahama. The aircraft was operating a passenger flight from Palm Beach International Airport to Grand Bahama International Airport, and all 34 people aboard died. The precise cause was never determined. The available account states that the aircraft flew into a thunderstorm and had pre-existing deficiencies in its pitot-tube and static-system equipment. The airline was also criticized for the quality of its maintenance regime. The accident was followed by another change in corporate identity. The airline became Southern Airlines in 1981 and ceased operations completely not long afterward. Consequently, Red Baron Airlines is remembered primarily as the original operating name of a short-lived Florida commuter venture and as an antecedent to Florida Commuter Airlines, rather than as a durable standalone brand. The available sources do not document a continuing operation, a surviving corporate group, or a current owner.
- 1981
Renamed Southern Airlines and later shut down
[1]The carrier adopts the Southern Airlines name and ceases operations soon afterward.
- 1980
Transition to Florida Commuter Airlines
[1]Scheerer Air acquires Roberson Air Inc. and the airline adopts the Florida Commuter Airlines name.
- 1980
Carrier certificate issued
[1]The successor receives certification for commuter and charter operations using two DC-3s and a Piper PA-31 Navajo.
- 1980
Interline agreements signed
[1]The carrier establishes interline arrangements with Air Florida and Eastern Airlines.
- 1980
Grand Bahama crash
[1]A successor-airline DC-3 crashes off Grand Bahama, killing all 34 occupants.
- 1979
Roberson Air Inc. is established
[1]Clive E. Roberson and Rudolph P. Scheerer form Roberson Air Inc. as a joint venture, operating under the Red Baron Airlines name.
Products and positioning
A small Florida-based commuter and charter operator focused on linking West Palm Beach with destinations in northern Florida and feeding traffic through interline relationships with larger airlines.
Passenger air transport · 1980
Scheduled regional passenger flights
The airline’s successor operated weekday regional flights from West Palm Beach through Gainesville and Tallahassee to Jacksonville, with return and later-day services in the opposite direction. Weekend schedules were more limited and did not include Jacksonville. This route pattern reflects the local and regional connectivity that defined the Red Baron Airlines business lineage.
Aviation services · 1980
Commuter and charter operations
The carrier certificate covered both commuter and charter operations. The authorized fleet consisted of two Douglas DC-3 aircraft and a Piper PA-31 Navajo, supporting short-haul passenger service and smaller-scale charter flying.
Brand decisions
1980
Sale to Scheerer Air and rebrandingM&ABackground
Roberson Air Inc., operating as Red Baron Airlines, was a small regional venture that changed ownership less than a year after its formation.
Action taken
Scheerer Air acquired 100 percent of Roberson Air Inc. on June 13, 1980, and renamed the airline Florida Commuter Airlines.
Aftermath
The new identity received operating certification, launched Florida regional service, and later became Southern Airlines before shutting down.
1980
Network integration through airline agreementsStrategyBackground
As a small commuter operator, the successor sought connections with larger carriers to extend the usefulness of its regional routes.
Action taken
It signed an interline agreement with Air Florida and interline and bilateral agreements with Eastern Airlines.
Aftermath
The agreements linked the carrier’s Florida service with larger airline networks, although the company’s overall operating life remained brief.
Recent events
- 1981
Airline later becomes Southern Airlines and ceases operations[1]
Other
The carrier was renamed Southern Airlines in 1981 and stopped operating completely soon afterward.
- 1980
Scheerer Air acquires Roberson Air Inc. and the airline is renamed[1]
M&A
Scheerer Air acquired all of Roberson Air Inc. on June 13, 1980, leading to the transition from Red Baron Airlines to Florida Commuter Airlines.
- 1980
Successor receives commuter and charter operating certificate[1]
Regulation
Florida Commuter Airlines received its carrier operating certificate on July 24, 1980, covering commuter and charter operations with two Douglas DC-3s and a Piper PA-31 Navajo.
- 1980
Interline relationships established with Air Florida and Eastern Airlines[1]
Other
In September 1980, the successor airline signed an interline agreement with Air Florida and interline and bilateral agreements with Eastern Airlines.
- 1980
Fatal DC-3 crash near West End, Grand Bahama[1]
Other
A Florida Commuter Airlines Douglas DC-3 operating from Palm Beach to Grand Bahama crashed into the sea on September 12, killing all 34 people aboard. The accident occurred shortly after the Red Baron Airlines identity had been replaced, but it belongs to the same operating succession described in the reference history.
- 1979
Roberson Air Inc. begins operating as Red Baron Airlines[1]
Other
Roberson Air Inc. was established as a joint venture between Clive E. Roberson and Rudolph P. Scheerer and operated under the Red Baron Airlines name.
Sources1 sources
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