Old Timer's Airline Quiz and Discussion.
Apr 2, 2020, 9:17 am
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Please limit your response to two (2) quiz items per day so that all may participate. As always, we are looking for complete answers. Thanks! 
1. It's 1956 and you are in Pittsburgh (PIT). You need to travel to Miami (MIA) and have found a direct flight that makes two stops. This service is also an interchange flight operated jointly by two different air carriers. The flight operated by the first airline from PIT operates nonstop to the interchange point while the continuing flight operated by the second airline makes one intermediate stop before arriving into MIA. Identify both air carriers, the airport which is the interchange point, the intermediate stop before MIA and the equipment. ANSWERED - Capital and National operating a Lockheed Constellation via DCA (interchange point) and TPA.
2. What year did Continental Airlines begin operating its Vickers Viscount 812 aircraft and how many of this type was CO operating by the following year? PARTIALLY ANSWERED - CO began operations with the Viscount in 1958. We are still looking for the specific number of aircraft operated by mid 1959 and it was less than 24.
3B. National Airlines operated its new Electra aircraft in two class configuration. How many seats were there in first class and how many seats were there in coach on these airplanes? There were more than 28 seats in first class and less than 48 seats in coach. And in fact, initially there were more seats in F than in Y on board National's Electras.
7. Name the airline that ran this print ad in 1959:
SOON.......___(air carrier)___ JET POWER ELECTRA. Electra flight is the ultimate in travel comfort! You'll enjoy the utmost in relaxing quiet, panoramic views, and complete freedom from vibration. Cruising at almost 7 miles a minute, ___(air carrier's)___ELECTRA takes you farther faster....and gets you there "flight fresh". The airline in question was based in the U.S.
23. It's 1970 and you are back in New Orleans. Now you are heading down to Panama and have found a flight which operates twice a week and makes three stops en route. Identify the air carrier, all three stops and the aircraft. ANSWERED - Pan Am 727 with stops at Merida, San Pedro Sula and Managua
1. It's 1956 and you are in Pittsburgh (PIT). You need to travel to Miami (MIA) and have found a direct flight that makes two stops. This service is also an interchange flight operated jointly by two different air carriers. The flight operated by the first airline from PIT operates nonstop to the interchange point while the continuing flight operated by the second airline makes one intermediate stop before arriving into MIA. Identify both air carriers, the airport which is the interchange point, the intermediate stop before MIA and the equipment. ANSWERED - Capital and National operating a Lockheed Constellation via DCA (interchange point) and TPA.
2. What year did Continental Airlines begin operating its Vickers Viscount 812 aircraft and how many of this type was CO operating by the following year? PARTIALLY ANSWERED - CO began operations with the Viscount in 1958. We are still looking for the specific number of aircraft operated by mid 1959 and it was less than 24.
3B. National Airlines operated its new Electra aircraft in two class configuration. How many seats were there in first class and how many seats were there in coach on these airplanes? There were more than 28 seats in first class and less than 48 seats in coach. And in fact, initially there were more seats in F than in Y on board National's Electras.
7. Name the airline that ran this print ad in 1959:
SOON.......___(air carrier)___ JET POWER ELECTRA. Electra flight is the ultimate in travel comfort! You'll enjoy the utmost in relaxing quiet, panoramic views, and complete freedom from vibration. Cruising at almost 7 miles a minute, ___(air carrier's)___ELECTRA takes you farther faster....and gets you there "flight fresh". The airline in question was based in the U.S.
23. It's 1970 and you are back in New Orleans. Now you are heading down to Panama and have found a flight which operates twice a week and makes three stops en route. Identify the air carrier, all three stops and the aircraft. ANSWERED - Pan Am 727 with stops at Merida, San Pedro Sula and Managua
Last edited by jlemon; Apr 2, 2020 at 5:56 pm Reason: answer updates
Apr 2, 2020, 9:57 am
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23. It's 1970 and you are back in New Orleans. Now you are heading down to Panama and have found a flight which operates twice a week and makes three stops en route. Identify the air carrier, all three stops and the aircraft. Pan Am with a 727. The first stop was Merida and the third stop was Managua. Still looking for the second stop which wasn't Guatemala City.
Apr 2, 2020, 10:02 am
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1. It's 1956 and you are in Pittsburgh (PIT). You need to travel to Miami (MIA) and have found a direct flight that makes two stops. This service is also an interchange flight operated jointly by two different air carriers. The flight operated by the first airline from PIT operates nonstop to the interchange point while the continuing flight operated by the second airline makes one intermediate stop before arriving into MIA. Identify both air carriers, the airport which is the interchange point, the intermediate stop before MIA and the equipment. The aircraft type was a Lockheed Constellation.
Apr 2, 2020, 10:27 am
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Apr 2, 2020, 10:31 am
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1- let's start by talking about Connie operators in 1956: we can eliminate TWA from the mix since they didn't start their Florida service for another couple years; I don't think Delta is a candidate either, because their Connies mainly served the midwest and mid-south portions of their system (and may well have been retired by this point as the DC-7 fleet was growing) ... that leaves Capital and National, which suggests that the interchange point was either a New York area airport or -- far more likely, based on the routes I remember for each, and principally that NA didn't serve PIT -- Washington National (DCA) ... as for the intermediate stop, Jacksonville (JAX) is a reasonable first guess
Please guess again....and we await the tap-in.
Last edited by jlemon; Apr 2, 2020 at 8:07 pm Reason: airport code correction
Apr 2, 2020, 11:34 am
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Geographicaly-speaking there's not a lot else. Assuming it was a larger airport basically leaves us with Honduras and Belize remaining between Merida and Managua. I'll continue my guessing with San Pedro Sula (SAP).
Apr 2, 2020, 11:56 am
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CA/NA 606: Pittsburgh (PIT) 4:10p - 5:10p Washington National (DCA) 5:40p - 9:00p Tampa (TPA) 9:30p - 10:30p Miami (MIA)
Freq: Daily
Service class: A (First class)
Meal service: Dinner DCA-TPA
Equip: Constellation
Note: Interchange point - DCA
Capital would subsequently be awarded route authority to Miami, Tampa and other destinations in Florida with its interchange service with National then being discontinued.
Last edited by jlemon; Apr 2, 2020 at 12:02 pm
Apr 2, 2020, 12:28 pm
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PA 505: New Orleans (MSY) 14:00 - 14:30 Merida (MID) 15:00 - 16:10 San Pedro Sula (SAP) 16:45 - 17:30 Managua (MGA) 18:00 - 20:15 Panama City (PTY)
Freq: Wednesdays and Sundays only
Service classes: F/Y ("President Special" in F and "Rainbow Service" in Y)
Equip: 727 Jet Clipper
And here's the sched for Pan Am 505 for the other three days of the week....
PA 505: New Orleans (MSY) 14:00 - 14:30 Merida (MID) 14:55 - 16:00 Guatemala City (GUA) 16:40 - 17:10 San Salvador (SAL)
Freq: Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays only
Service classes: F/Y ("President Special" in F and "Rainbow Service" in Y)
Equip: 727 Jet Clipper
BTW, another aircraft in Pan Am livery could be seen on occasion in New Orleans at this time as well being a Douglas DC-8 operated in conjunction with Delta on interchange service to London Heathrow via ATL and IAD.
Apr 2, 2020, 1:03 pm
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here's another WWII Navy plane that shared a nickname with an American car -- Avenger (Grumman and Dodge)
I'm still at a loss as to a common name between a car and a ~100-seat jet; an auto brand symbol comes to mind, however ... Maserati's trident
I'm still at a loss as to a common name between a car and a ~100-seat jet; an auto brand symbol comes to mind, however ... Maserati's trident
Apr 2, 2020, 1:20 pm
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The Peel Trident car from the 1960s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peel_Trident
There's one in California:
Apr 2, 2020, 1:42 pm
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ok. that's definitely in the realm of "esoterica" 
interestingly enough, Wikipedia searches for KT550's first two examples (Chevrolet Greyhound and Cessna Greyhound) come up with a customized 1963 Nova and a Model 421 used to transport rescue dogs (and, of course, the inter-city bus company)
interestingly enough, Wikipedia searches for KT550's first two examples (Chevrolet Greyhound and Cessna Greyhound) come up with a customized 1963 Nova and a Model 421 used to transport rescue dogs (and, of course, the inter-city bus company)
Apr 2, 2020, 2:13 pm
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2- I think Capital (the first U.S. operator) started Viscount service in 1956, but they had the 700-series planes ... I'll guess Continental introduced the larger type in 1958, and eventually operated 24
Apr 2, 2020, 3:13 pm
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Apr 2, 2020, 5:06 pm
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The Peel Trident car from the 1960s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peel_Trident
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peel_Trident