Originally Posted by dliesse

34. (2001) Your journey today from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon will involve three nonstop flights – each of them operated by aircraft built by different manufacturers and all of them operated by the same airline. Identify that airline, the complete routing and the three aircraft types involved.

NOTE: A number of airlines could have potentially qualified for this answer, so research required checking possible routings on each airline to fine the one that met the parameters as detailed above.

So who else flew to both PWM and PDX in 2001? The obvious answers are AA and DL. Of the two, DL has the more likely possibility of flying aircraft from three different manufacturers, so here's my next attempt:

PWM-CVG DL CRJ
CVG-SLC DL 757
SLC-PDX DL M80

An excellent option, and the very first one I checked.

One thing I neglected to add to the question is that we're working with mainline metal here - not contract carriers working under the main airline banner.

In Delta's case, it had MD80s from PWM to ATL and CVG, but then it was all Boeing from CVG/ATL to SLC, thence all Boeing again from SLC on to PDX.

And, just to check Delta Connection flights - there was a PWM-LGA. flight with an FRJ, that connected nicely with an MD80 to either ATL or CVG, but then the layover in both CVG and ATL were over 4 hours.

As always, in this case or any situation, I am always happy to provide photographic evidence of schedules. It's a simple as snapping the photo and PMing to you or posting the skeds here 30 seconds later. Just ask.