Originally Posted by
artvandalay
OT, but...Please share your source. I flew this route on UA right after it started, and at that time, the 747SP--which UA acquired from PanAm as part of their ambitious Pacific route purchase (along with SEA-NRT)--was the only AC that could span such a distance NS.
Originally Posted by
Bear96
This is my recollection too. But my recollection is not so good.
This is true. Prior to the Pacific route purchase from Pan Am, UA had a small TPAC network, and SEA-HKG (nonstop) was one such route, launching in 1983 with high-gross-weight DC-10-30ERs leased from CP Air. The -30ER also had an aux tank. SEA/PDX-NRT prior to 1985 operated with 747-100s, 6x weekly to SEA, 1x weekly to PDX. These routes comprised the first "Royal Pacific Service" on United.
After the Pan Am purchase in 1985, United acquired 747SPs (along with more 747-100s, DC-10s and L-1011s) and those replaced DC-10s on HKG service to SEA/SFO. SEA-HKG was gone by the early 90s.