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 Serving the Aviation Industry since 1980A Brief History of Columbia Air Services, Inc.What is in a Name? The Columbia Air Services, Inc., corporate name has an interesting and colorful connection with the early history of transportation and Connecticut. Harry Holt and Arthur Maurice, the company's co-founders, report that “Columbia” was the name of a nineteenth century tall ship captained by John Rathbone of Mystic, Connecticut. This 1051-ton vessel was representative of a class of sleek, fast sailing ships known as Packets. These ships enabled the United States to capture a major share of the growing transatlantic passenger traffic.
Messrs. Holt and Maurice have preserved these roots in the company's name and unique logo, which reflects the past symbolized by the ship “Columbia” shown flying the famous Black Ball Bergee, and the present symbolized by the fastest production turboprop in the world — the Piper Cheyenne 400LS. Columbia Air Services, Inc., combines the tradition and excellence of the past with the innovation and technology of the present, to create a new standard in transportation for the future.
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William Rathbone of Liverpool, England, was instrumental in organizing the Black Ball Line, which provided the first regularly scheduled transatlantic passenger service between the United States and Britain. Capt. John Rathbone sailed under the famous Black Ball Line Burgee for many years before being lost at sea in 1847. His ancestors helped to settle Mystic and Stonington Connecticut, as well as Block Island, Rhode Island. Captain Rathbone is credited with attempting to torpedo a British naval blockade of Stonington Harbor during the War of 1812.