Thanks everyone for your answers! We're alot ealier here in Alaska so y'all're up and firing off answers long before I'm even awake! Well, good job, everyone, and let's get to those answers, starting from the first question:
1.) Cubana ordered two 707s but was unable to take delivery due to the embargo against Castro’s government. What happened to those 707s and what made them distinct by U.S. standards?
miniliq is correct that the 707-139s originally built for Cubana were taken up by Western. The -39 is a unique number that Boeing used to designate aircraft built for Cubana. Boeing designated each airline with its own unique number such as Western (-47) or Alaska (-90). Years of laboriously listing by hand all of my airline postcards (Over 20000 at one point) has left me with most of the first 100 designations memorized - great for remembering phone numbers or addresses (Her phone number is 683-Eastern-Qantas - i.e. 2538). Anyway, what made those two 707s distinct? They were the first domestic version 707s to feature the extended vertical tail and though I'm not sure on this, they may have also been the first domestic 707s to have the small ventral fin added at the rear underside of the aircraft.
2.) Which U.S. airline operated the Fokker 70?
Kudos to both miniliq and jlemon for providing the correct answer and detail on this question. It was Desert Sun/Mesa dba America West Express. So far as I know, they may well have been the only Fokker 70 operator in North America. Anyone know of any others?
4.) What airline once operated daily 747 nonstop flights between Chicago and Anchorage?
Right on, jlemon!
9.) What South Pacific based airline operated the Caravelle?
I was thinking of Air Caledonie/Air Calin. True, the question was "South Pacific based airline" but a multitude of thanks go out to WHBM for the added information on UTA's Caravelle operation in the region. It's detail like this between us all that makes this thread so entertaining as well as informative. Thanks again to our pal across the pond.
11. Name the major U.S. airline and its aircraft that once served Pendleton, Oregon with jets.
jlemon is correct! United served Pendleton with 727-100s.
12. Back in 1980 I flew aboard this airline on the following routing: DEN-GTF-FCA-GEG-SEA. What airline was it?
Alas, it wasn't Frontier. Here's a hint: The aircraft wasn't a Boeing...
Last edited by Seat 2A; May 8, 2012 at 12:35 am