Mahalo daviator and Dantravels for your sharing of AQ history.

I think I was around for the first of the proposed mergers. I remember one of the local newspapers in 1970 showing a photomontage of a DC-9-30 with the name "Hawaiian-Aloha" on it. From that time on, whenever one of the two carriers were in financial trouble, the locals would say, "Okay, here we go again-they're gonna merge..."

My memory lane is challenging the Star Bulletin right now by noting that in 1958 (approximately) AQ bought Dutch designed/American licensed Fairchild F-27s, making AQ the first interisland carrier to launch "jet-powered" turboprop services. Trivia continues with around 1964, when AQ operates four-engined Vickers Viscount turboprops, along with F-27s, thus retiring the DC-3 Vistaliners, making AQ, "Hawaii's all Jet-Powered airline". Then in 1965, AQ operates the British Aircraft Corporation One-Eleven 200s. This was the first T-tailed short haul jet service in the Hawaiian islands, months before HA started DC-9-10 service in 1966. The F-27s were then retired. In 1969, AQ's Boeing era started with 737-200 operations, where the BAC One-Elevens were retired first. Then the Viscounts were retired, making AQ, Hawaii's first all jet airline, flying all Boeings - this is somewhere in the early 1970s.

I stand to be corrected that continuous Mainland-Hawaii service occured at the turn of the 20th century. Those ETOPS 737-700s were something, however, this era still pales by comparison IMO, compared to AQs fleet expansion years in the 1960s and 1970s. I even remembered some film where there was a roll-out ceremony of AQ's first BAC One-Eleven at the BAC plant in England, where the plane was accompanied in front with a Scottisch bagpipe marching band. Perhaps some historian should really capture that in AQs colorful, international yet exclusively interisland flying history in the 60s/70s.