▁War ▁I ▁flying ▁ace ▁Edd ie ▁R icken back er ▁bought ▁Eastern ▁from ▁General ▁Mot ors . ▁The ▁complex ▁deal ▁was ▁concluded ▁when ▁R icken back er ▁presented ▁Alfred ▁P . ▁Slo an ▁with ▁a ▁cert ified ▁check ▁for ▁$ 3 . 5 ▁million . ▁In ▁March ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁Eastern ▁had ▁ 1 5 ▁week day ▁depart ures ▁from ▁New ark ▁( six ▁to ▁Washington , ▁five ▁to ▁Miami ▁and ▁one ▁each ▁to ▁Richmond , ▁Atlanta , ▁Houston ▁and ▁San ▁Antonio ), ▁two ▁from ▁Chicago ▁to ▁Miami , ▁one ▁from ▁T ampa ▁to ▁Atlanta ▁and ▁one ▁from ▁T alla has see ▁to ▁M emph is . ▁Those ▁fl ights ▁and ▁their ▁returns ▁were ▁Eastern ' s ▁whole ▁scheduled ▁operation ; ▁it ▁fit ▁on ▁one ▁page ▁in ▁the ▁Air ways ▁Guide . ▁Then ▁as ▁later , ▁Eastern ▁was ▁the ▁fourth ▁largest ▁air line ▁in ▁the ▁country ▁by ▁passenger - m iles ▁( 1 0 3 ▁million ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 ). ▁ ▁R icken back er ▁pushed ▁Eastern ▁into ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁growth ▁and ▁innov ation ; ▁for ▁a ▁time ▁Eastern ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁prof itable ▁air line ▁in ▁the ▁post - war ▁era , ▁never ▁need ing ▁state ▁subs id y . ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁Eastern ' s ▁position ▁was ▁er oded ▁by ▁subs id ies ▁to ▁rival ▁air lines ▁and ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁the ▁jet ▁age . ▁On ▁October ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁R icken back