Old Timer's Airline Quiz and Discussion.
Jan 21, 2020, 1:48 pm
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Hello from a hotel in DC, arrived here earlier on a BA A380. An impressive aircraft, although being sat right over the main gear, what a noise when it went down and up. Still the class BA service that seems to have changed little over the years. My first experience of the Mobile Lounges at Dulles, which I recall from picking up US timetables in the 1960s and seeing the 15 minute difference shown between aircraft and "mobile lounge time". Despite having the decals that they have been comprehensively rebuilt, they have all the mechanical air of being designed by a tractor manufacturer, awful utilitarian interior layout especially for those standing, entrance arrangements like a 19th century railway car - and so SLOW, both in running and the organisation ! Can you tell I was not impressed ?
This just sounds like TWA, and "the New York City area" seems to imply Newark. Let's think of the "classic" transcontinental TWA route, coming from LAX through Oklahoma, St Louis, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. And lets say it was still a 707.
This just sounds like TWA, and "the New York City area" seems to imply Newark. Let's think of the "classic" transcontinental TWA route, coming from LAX through Oklahoma, St Louis, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. And lets say it was still a 707.
39. Ah, it wasn't TWA and stops were not made at STL, IND or PIT. Plus the equipment wasn't a 707 and the flight did not arrive at Newark. But besides all that, I know your next guess will be much closer to the mark! And let it be said that the routing of the flight in question was a bit circuitous.
Jan 21, 2020, 1:49 pm
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Jan 21, 2020, 2:02 pm
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39. Ah, you still love a good multi-stop flight....and you've found an interesting one. Your location is Oklahoma City in 1982 and you're off to New York City. Your flight will make three stops en route. Identify the airline, all three stops, the equipment and the airport you will arrive into in the New York City area
Jan 21, 2020, 2:20 pm
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55. You're in Chicago in 1991 and it's time to head back to Los Angeles. Now you could catch a nonstop.....but where's the fun in that?! Especially when you've found an interesting direct flight which makes three stops en route and operates six days a week to LAX. Identify the airport you will depart from in Chicago, the airline, all three stops and the aircraft.
It wasn't Southwest, the equipment wasn't a B737-500 and this flight did not stop at BNA, HOU or PHX....but it did depart from ORD.
It wasn't Southwest, the equipment wasn't a B737-500 and this flight did not stop at BNA, HOU or PHX....but it did depart from ORD.
Jan 21, 2020, 3:35 pm
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Incidentally, I wonder was there any TWA offering that year which got close to doing what I suggest ? Once upon a time such a long line linkage would have been one for a Convair 880.
Jan 21, 2020, 5:24 pm
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39. Nope, it wasn't Braniff International and the flight in question did not stop at DFW or MEM nor did it in arrive into LGA....which means it terminated at New York Kennedy (JFK). And it did serve Washington National (DCA) which was the third stop and was operated with a 727. So you are making progress here.
Jan 21, 2020, 5:26 pm
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Jan 21, 2020, 6:00 pm
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39. Nope, it wasn't Braniff International and the flight in question did not stop at DFW or MEM nor did it in arrive into LGA....which means it terminated at New York Kennedy (JFK). And it did serve Washington National (DCA) which was the third stop and was operated with a 727. So you are making progress here.
either American or United might have gone to Chicago O'Hare (ORD) as the logical first stop, but I sure don't remember them having any ORD-XXX-DCA flights since the days of the Electra or Caravelle respectively; DCA-JFK also draws a blank for both of them at this point in time
Eastern over Atlanta (ATL), continuing via a point in one or the other of the Carolinas, also seems a relic of their Electra schedules, as does DCA-JFK
given that I flew Pan Am on that segment a couple times in the 82-83 timeframe, I'm scratching my head for another option, so herewith my official guess that the first two stops were a legacy National operation -- Houston (IAH) and Tampa (TPA)
Jan 21, 2020, 6:06 pm
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Well, we are looking at the sunny side of the equation here! And while I do not have a TWA schedule for 1982, I did find one for 1981. That year, Trans World flight 460 was operating a routing of Los Angeles (LAX) - Oklahoma City (OKC) - Tulsa (TUL) - St. Louis (STL) - New York LaGuardia (LGA). Unfortunately, the equipment is not stated for this flight but I think it's safe to say it was probably a B727-100 or B727-200.
Jan 21, 2020, 6:09 pm
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39- 1982, a 727 on DCA-JFK, operated by an airline that also served OKC
either American or United might have gone to Chicago O'Hare (ORD) as the logical first stop, but I sure don't remember them having any ORD-XXX-DCA flights since the days of the Electra or Caravelle respectively; DCA-JFK also draws a blank for both of them at this point in time
Eastern over Atlanta (ATL), continuing via a point in one or the other of the Carolinas, also seems a relic of their Electra schedules, as does DCA-JFK
given that I flew Pan Am on that segment a couple times in the 82-83 timeframe, I'm scratching my head for another option, so herewith my official guess that the first two stops were a legacy National operation -- Houston (IAH) and Tampa (TPA)
either American or United might have gone to Chicago O'Hare (ORD) as the logical first stop, but I sure don't remember them having any ORD-XXX-DCA flights since the days of the Electra or Caravelle respectively; DCA-JFK also draws a blank for both of them at this point in time
Eastern over Atlanta (ATL), continuing via a point in one or the other of the Carolinas, also seems a relic of their Electra schedules, as does DCA-JFK
given that I flew Pan Am on that segment a couple times in the 82-83 timeframe, I'm scratching my head for another option, so herewith my official guess that the first two stops were a legacy National operation -- Houston (IAH) and Tampa (TPA)
Jan 22, 2020, 1:04 am
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a memorable day ...
speaking of Pan Am ...
22 Jan marks the 50th anniversary of the (actual departure of the) first commercial Boeing 747 flight ... PA2, JFK-LHR
22 Jan marks the 50th anniversary of the (actual departure of the) first commercial Boeing 747 flight ... PA2, JFK-LHR
Jan 22, 2020, 1:05 am
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58. (1996) Time to head back to Los Angeles one more time....and you are in Colorado Springs. Of course, you're in no hurry....and you've found a direct flight which operates six days a week that makes three stops en route. Identify the airline, all three stops and the aircraft. It wasn't Reno Air, the equipment wasn't an MD-80 and stops were not made at RNO or TUS. The second stop was LAS.
58- totally off-the-wall guess here: wasn’t this around the time that Western Pacific was transitioning their COS hub to Denver (DEN)? how about DEN first, then LAS, then San Diego (SAN) ... the jet, of course, being a 737-300
Last edited by jrl767; Jan 22, 2020 at 5:33 pm
Jan 22, 2020, 4:26 am
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speaking of Pan Am ...
22 Jan marks the 50th anniversary of the (actual departure of the) first commercial Boeing 747 flight ... PA2, JFK-LHR
22 Jan marks the 50th anniversary of the (actual departure of the) first commercial Boeing 747 flight ... PA2, JFK-LHR
Jan 22, 2020, 8:32 am
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58. Yet another great guess....but nope, it wasn't Western Pacific, stop #1 wasn't Denver, stop # 3 wasn't San Diego and the jet equipment in question wasn't a B737-300.
Jan 22, 2020, 8:55 am
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I remember its arrival being shown on the BBC TV news when I came home from school. Of course, that was on the 23rd. I wonder if they will commemorate it tomorrow. In those days television only started at 5pm, so the late arrival was not much of an issue, the film (their news crews were still using it then) was motor-biked back to the BBC studios only a few miles away and processed. I believe they also brought, on board, newsreel footage of the departure from JFK, filmed, given to the crew, and then processed in London.