Piedmont Airlines retired the de Havilland “Dash 8” fleet, top, with a water canon salute on July 4. The retirement comes 33 years after the first Dash was delivered to Salisbury by company founder Richard Henson. After deregulation in the 1980s, the Dash revolutionized regional airline service, providing modern, comfortable air transportation to communities too small to be profitable if served by large jets. Piedmont Capts. Ricky Snyder and Malcom Ferrand piloted the final Dash flight from Charlotte, and touched down to a large crowd of well-wishers waiting at the Salisbury-Wicomico County Airport. Piedmont now operates a fleet of 48 regional Embraer 145 jets to more than 50 cities on the East Coast.