Seat 2A

Good Morning All!

And a fine morning it is while cruising high above West Virginia enroute to Los Angeles with onward connections to Las Vegas. Here in seat 2D I’m working on my second cup of coffee while awaiting breakfast that today will include a fruit plate and a Denver Omelet. What better time than to post some new questions for the OTAQ&D. Indeed, this may be the very first time questions have ever been posted from the troposphere.

I chatted recently with jlemon and the immediate future looks good for more questions as we both have put together enough to get us through Thanksgiving – albeit at a somewhat more leisurely pace than has been the case in the past. I’ve been on the road since late September traveling through every corner of the continental United States as well as many points in the middle. I am posting my questions now as jlemon has a busy schedule over the next couple of weeks including a concert with Mark Knopfler up in Atlanta. I just finished three straight nights in three different locales with the Dark Star Orchestra and am now headed for the wilds of the Mojave National Preserve. I will however be back in Alaska by tomorrow night and so there shouldn’t be too much lag time in responding to your answers.

Though most all of you are smart enough to answer or at least give an educated guess to all of these questions in one fell swoop, please limit your responses to just two – at most three - questions at a time so that others may also have a reasonable chance of participating. Relying upon memory as opposed to a quick and easy internet search will very likely prolong this set of questions and may even enhance subsequent discussions. Thank You!


1. This North American airline was a popular clothier's failed attempt at a discount airline. It was pitched at the outset by a well known comedian but ultimately flew for only three months. Identify the airline and - if you're up to it - the comedian who pitched the airline.

2. This airline was the world’s largest operator of Convair 990s

3. What was the first non-British airline to buy the VC10?

4. It’s the spring of 2003 and you’re taxiing out to the runway at Orlando International Airport when you look out your window and spy an MD80 wearing the old National Airlines “Sun King” logo on its tail. Which airline would have been operating this MD80?

5. What is the oldest, continuously operating airline in the Americas?

6. What was the first local service airline in the U.S. to operate turboprops?

7. What airline became the world’s first to offer regularly scheduled routes around the world?

8. What was the first airline to operate trans-Atlantic services between England and New York from a city other than London? Identify the airline and the English city flown from.

9. In 1953, this airline commenced the first non-stop eastbound scheduled transcontinental service in the US between Los Angeles and New York. Identify the airline and the aircraft.

10. What was the first African airline to offer commercial service to China?

11. What the first US airline to order and operate a British built airliner?

12. What was the world’s first airline to operate a passenger jet with a flight deck designed for just two crew?

13. This British airline renamed itself after the aircraft type it acquired in 1964. Name the airline and - by extension – the aircraft.

14. This airline launched the first ever scheduled jet flight to take place entirely within the Arctic Circle. Identify the airline, aircraft and route.

15. What was the first airline to operate a 747 on a US domestic flight? What route was it?

16. What was the first airline in England to operate the 727? What was unique about this airline’s 727-100?

17. What was the first airline to challenge the Eastern Air Shuttle with inexpensive hourly flights connecting New York’s LaGuardia airport with Boston and Washington-Reagan National?

18. Can you name an airline named after its founder that also operated 747s? IN PLAY jrl767 has identified Braniff, Wardair and cargo operator Kalitta. Any more out there?

19. So far, Hawaii hasn’t seen many flights utilizing narrow bodied Airbus aircraft. What is the first airline to fly the Airbus A321 to Honolulu?

20. In 1969, Mexico’s largest airline claimed to fly from more US gateways to Mexico than any other airline. Can you identify the airline and all of its US gateways? (More than 5 – less than 10)

21. If you wanted to fly out of New York JFK aboard this airline’s “Sunjet” in January of 1970, it could have been one of two different types of aircraft. Identify the airline and the two aircraft types.

22. In a 1969 ad, this U.S. airline claimed “In Economy Class we give you:

• Steak broiled right on the plane instead of airline steak pre-cooked on the ground
• Travel slippers to slip your tired feet into
• A soft furry lap robe to stay cozy under, instead of a rough blanket
• A big fluffy pillow to rest your head on instead of the usual mini-airline pillow
• And a special compartment built right into our aircraft for ladies to hang their furs and store their wig boxes

Name the airline!

23. In 1968, if you were enjoying “Royal Canadian” service to Vancouver, which airline would you be flying upon?

24. In early 1968 this airline inaugurated service from Tucson to La Paz, Mexico. The flight continued on to Mazatlan. Identify the airline and the aircraft used.

25. So far as I know (now there’s a qualifier for you!) this was the only airline to operate Boeing 727-100 and 727-200 combi aircraft designed for passengers and freight. Can you identify it? (And any others - if you can…)