jlemon

Wally Bird is correct with regard to questions 8) and 17)!

Alaska Airlines went on to operate other four engine jetliner types as well, including the Boeing 707-320, Boeing 720 and Convair 990.

And I knew that Wally could be counted on for a comprehensive list of Boeing 737 operators in Canada! I also believe that WestJet is the only operator of the B737-600 in North America. I do have one additional question, though: did Northwest Territorial Airways operate the B737 or was the largest aircraft type in their fleet the L-188 Electra?

jlemon

3) Correct! I believe this had something to do with the fact that West Coast Airlines was based at Boeing Field. After West Coast merged with Bonanza Air Lines and Pacific Air Lines to form Air West, flights continued to be operated from BFI. However, Air West eventually moved all flight operations to SEA.

Wally Bird

NWT Air had 4 737-200s. IIRC.

Which is 'larger' is a matter of debate. The Electra is longer (by 10ft) with a shorter span (3 ft) although the 737 is certainly heavier.

There were also corporate 737s in Canada - Dome Petroleum (later sold to PWA), Pacific Sky (a -500, current) and one other which I forget.

jlemon

Yep, I just saw NWT Air listed in your initial response.....

Interesting info concerning the B737-200 vs. L-188 as well....one would assume the 200 series 737 is larger than the Electra.....but assumptions can be dangerous and it ain't necessarily so!

By larger, I was referring to seating capacity. So here's another question: with regard to total number of seats, what was the seating capacity of Western's B737-200s vs. their L-188 Electras? WA operated both types in an all Y class seating configuration, I believe......

WHBM

Was this not at the time when Western fitted out their cabins with "first class seating in coach", so the seating in the 737s would have been lower than typical. I do remember riding in a Western 720B and being most surprised at the legroom available.

Regarding the Canadian 737s, I'll just point out that, in some years at least, Nordair aircraft were chartered periodically to stand in for the Air France 737s used on local services in the Caribbean. It was presumably cheaper than bringing a replacement over from Paris when the aircraft had to go off on their major checks (which in themself I understand were done by contractors at Miami rather than taking them back to Europe). The checks took place typically in the Autumn, after the peak of summer tourists from Europe and before the winter peak of those coming from the US and Canada (including Nordair's own charters down to the Caribbean).

miniliq

Just realized that FT hasn't been emailing my threads -- I'm happy to see that y'all haven't gone dormant!
I'll try a couple of jlemon's questions before heading off to church:

From PFN-MIA:
Southern, using a DC-9, (originating at Eglin Air Force Base VPS) stopped at Tallahassee (TLH) and Orlando (MCO).
National, using a 727, stopped at TLH, JAX, and MCO.
National, using a 727, stopped at TPA.

Both of the NA flights also originated elsewhere, with other intermediate stops, making them real milk runs:
MSY-MOB-PNS-PFN-TLH-JAX-MCO-MIA
SAN-IAH-MSY-MOB-PNS-PFN-TPA-MIA.
That would be Braniff, with 72S service on all of the flights, which all stopped at DFW. One also stopped at FLL, one at TPA.

jlemon

Well, quite frankly, I'm unsure about the seating arrangements on Western's all coach class B737-200 aircraft which is the reason I asked!

I know that Frontier offered extra legroom on their B737-200 aircraft but I'm not sure about Western.....

Wally Bird

Not certain but I think NWT's 737s were all combis, so probably fewer seats than a dedicated-passenger Electra.

WHBM

http://news.google.com/newspapers?ni...g=2558,6365513

jlemon

The answers from miniliq are both essentially correct!

Although there are few differences here and there which are noted below.....

Here are the actual routings concerning quiz item 14) for Southern Airways and National Airlines......

SO 201: VPS-PFN-TLH-MCO-MIA Equip: DC-9-10 Op: Sundays only

SO 213: VPS-PFN-MCO-MIA Equip: DC-9-10 Op: Daily except Sundays

NA 28: SFO-LAS-IAH-MSY-MOB-PNS-PFN-TLH-JAX-MCO-MIA Equip: B727-200 Op: Daily (Note: Nine (9) intermediate stops between SFO and MIA)

NA 32: MSY-MOB-PNS-PFN-TPA-MIA Equip: B727-200 Op: Daily

And the actual routings for quiz item 15) noting that all flights were indeed operated by Braniff International with B727-200 equipment......

BN 68: MIA-FLL-DFW-DEN Op: Daily

BN 176: MIA-DFW-DEN Op: Daily

BN 72: MIA-DFW-DEN Op: Daily

BN 78: MIA-DFW-DEN Op: Daily

BN 76: MIA-DFW-COS-DEN Op: Daily except Saturdays

BN 76: MIA-DFW-DEN Op: Saturdays only

jlemon

An excellent point as most B737 flights serving the far northern reaches of Canada were indeed combi aircraft as were B727 (72M) services up there back in the day.....

cs57

7) New Bedford air service (1973). This would be on Delta, using Fairchild Hiller FH-227 twin engined propjet (US built version of the Fokker -27). Service was to New York-JFK and Boston.

jlemon

And there we have it, thanks to WHBM!

Although I'm still wondering about the total number of coach seats on the WA 73S all Y aircraft.......

jlemon

Correct! Here are the routings.....

DL 904: LGA-EWB-BOS Op: Daily except Saturdays and Sundays

DL 907: BOS-EWB-JFK Op: Daily except Saturdays and Sundays

These were the only two flights that Delta operated into New Bedford, MA so there was no service flown by DL on the weekends. Also note one could fly nonstop to JFK but one would then have to return nonstop from LGA. And, of course, the FH-227 is the stretched version of the Fairchild F-27 which in turn was the U.S. manufactured version of the Fokker F.27 "Friendship"........

Seat 2A

Through the 1970s, Western did offer First Class legroom fleet wide. They also offered free Champagne to all passengers on all flights, though it was truly horrid stuff (Franzia Brothers, I believe). However, I rode aboard a good number of Western 737s in 1982 onwards that no longer offered First Class legroom. I believe their seating capacity was 124, but don't hold me to that exact number.

I'm a lot more comfortable stating that Frontier had 106 seats in its 737-200s. Like Western, Frontier's 737s were operated in a single class configuration and, like Western, Frontier advertised First Class legroom. There weren't a lot of options with regard to galley placement on those 737-200s. For sure, both airlines had galleys because meal service was a given on both airlines throughout their history. So, when they were operated with First Class legroom, quite possibly Western's 737s were very similar to if not the same as Frontier's with regard to seating, i.e. 106 seats.