I'll attempt to answer a few of the latest questions posed by Seat 2A......

7. Mexicana de Aviacion. MX operated the "Cometa" from LAX to MEX during the early and mid 60's, but I'm not sure if they were still flying the Comet on this route in 1966. The nonstop flight between Los Angeles and Mexico City featured "Jet Azteca de Oro" ("Golden Aztec Jet") service. Mexicana also operated Comet service several days a week on a LAX-MZT-GDL-MEX routing at this same time. In addition, MX operated Comet service between San Antonio and Mexico City via an intermediate stop in Guadalajara, so it may be this flight you are referring to.

Mexicana eventually replaced their Comets with B727s, a number of which were equipped with JATO systems for operations from hot and high airfields.....

12. Braniff International. And they did, too.....

14. Air Wisconsin operating as United Express. I flew on a BAe 146-300 round trip between SBA and DEN that was an Air Wis aircraft. I also think that Santa Barbara may have been the only city in California to see BAe 146-300 service, although other 146 models, principally the series 200, were very much in evidence in the Golden State at one point as they were flown by AirCal, Aspen, PSA, Royal West, Tristar and WestAir (operating as United Express). Pacific Express also had BAe 146s on order as a replacement for their BAC One-Eleven aircraft but never took delivery of any of them due to the financial collapse of this air carrier.

20. Hughes Airwest. RW 706, a DC-9-31, had departed LAX on June 6, 1971 on a flight to SLC when just shortly after take off on the climb out from the L.A. basin, a mid air collision occurred with a USMC F-4B Phantom II that was inbound to MCAS El Toro on a VFR flight plan. The accident took place over the San Gabriel Mountains near Duarte, CA. This was a truly terrible accident as no one on board either aircraft survived (I was aware of this mid air but looked up the details). The D9S operating flight RW 706 had an older Air West paint scheme.

Hughes Airwest then subsequently introduced their bright yellow "Top Banana in the West" livery......