Old Timer's Airline Quiz and Discussion.
Jul 25, 2021, 5:17 pm
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For a fellow who lives across the vast expanse of the Atlantic from North America, your recall of our airlines, their history and routes is beyond impressive - as evidenced by your correct identification of the short-lived if not obscure carrier Access Air.
I see (only because I took a photo of it at Tegel) I was once on G-BKYC on Berlin TXL to London, returning from a business trip in western Poland, visiting with a contact there who had another contact in Russia who came into our corporate orbit, who later got married to someone there who had a sister, who ... and a few of you here know the rest
Jul 26, 2021, 7:50 am
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 782
My library is temporarily inaccessible due to major remodeling work, but I have another "JoeDTW Special" for you to work on this week, in addition to the terrific questions others have posted. I prepared this question before the remodeling crew arrived.
On September 9, 1972, you're relaxing on Playa del Rey beach, watching the steady stream of aircraft departing from LAX while eating takeout food from Pancho's Restaurant in Manhattan Beach, accompanied by a few cans of Tecate.
As a United 720 screams overhead, you suddenly realize that you've always wanted to fly on a UA 720, but have never done so, and time may be running out. You quickly walk back to your Chevrolet Vega, lift the hatchback, and pull out the OAG you keep just for moments like this.
The Sep 1972 OAG shows that UA has 7 720 departures a day from LAX, to 5 cities, but tomorrow will be the final day of UA 720 service; after that, UA's 720s will be replaced with 727-100s or standard DC-8s.
Which 5 cities could you fly a UA 720 to from LAX on the final day of service? Hint: all 5 cities were in the Pacific and Mountain time zones.
For bonus credit, one of UA's final 720 flights from LAX continued from an airport in the Mountain time zone to an airport in the Central time zone, but that airport was not ORD.
On September 9, 1972, you're relaxing on Playa del Rey beach, watching the steady stream of aircraft departing from LAX while eating takeout food from Pancho's Restaurant in Manhattan Beach, accompanied by a few cans of Tecate.
As a United 720 screams overhead, you suddenly realize that you've always wanted to fly on a UA 720, but have never done so, and time may be running out. You quickly walk back to your Chevrolet Vega, lift the hatchback, and pull out the OAG you keep just for moments like this.
The Sep 1972 OAG shows that UA has 7 720 departures a day from LAX, to 5 cities, but tomorrow will be the final day of UA 720 service; after that, UA's 720s will be replaced with 727-100s or standard DC-8s.
Which 5 cities could you fly a UA 720 to from LAX on the final day of service? Hint: all 5 cities were in the Pacific and Mountain time zones.
For bonus credit, one of UA's final 720 flights from LAX continued from an airport in the Mountain time zone to an airport in the Central time zone, but that airport was not ORD.
Jul 26, 2021, 10:23 am
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The Sep 1972 OAG shows that UA has 7 720 departures a day from LAX, to 5 cities … Which 5 cities could you fly a UA 720 to from LAX on the final day of service? Hint: all 5 cities were in the Pacific and Mountain time zones.
For bonus credit, one of UA's final 720 flights from LAX continued from an airport in the Mountain time zone to an airport in the Central time zone, but that airport was not ORD.
For bonus credit, one of UA's final 720 flights from LAX continued from an airport in the Mountain time zone to an airport in the Central time zone, but that airport was not ORD.
MDT: Denver (continuing to Kansas City), Salt Lake City
Jul 26, 2021, 4:58 pm
Join Date: Feb 2006
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we lived in Westchester (just north of LAX) from ~Jan 1961 to ~Oct 1962; I may be misremembering things, but I recall that Pancho’s in Manhattan Beach was one of my dad’s favorites because it was actually a Chinese restaurant
Pancho's is currently a Mexican restaurant, but it may have been a Chinese restaurant in the 1960s.
PDT: Seattle, Portland, San Francisco
MDT: Denver (continuing to Kansas City), Salt Lake City
Pancho's is currently a Mexican restaurant, but it may have been a Chinese restaurant in the 1960s.
PDT: Seattle, Portland, San Francisco
MDT: Denver (continuing to Kansas City), Salt Lake City
SEA, PDX, SFO, and DEN are correct. SLC is incorrect, and the tag city was not Kansas City.
Jul 26, 2021, 5:17 pm
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ok, let's try these:
- UA didn't have many (any?) other destinations in the Mountain time zone, so the 5th destination was perhaps Las Vegas
- the DEN flight may have continued to Milwaukee
Jul 26, 2021, 9:51 pm
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B008. (1989) As a well sought after free-lance travel writer, yours is an envious lot indeed. You’ve just finished writing an article for Conde Nast Traveler magazine about Varadero, Cuba - one of the largest and most popular resort areas in the Caribbean. Now you’re on your way to Honolulu for a reunion with your old college roommates. Nobody said it would be easy traveling from Cuba to Hawaii in 1989, but you’ve found a workable itinerary involving three flights aboard three different airlines, each operating a different aircraft type. One of the aircraft has two engines, another has three engines and the other has four engines – though they are not necessarily flown in that order. None of the airlines are from the U.S. So then, please identify the three airlines, the route to be flown and the three different aircraft. ¡Apúrate pues!
I'll start with Cubana flying VRA-YYZ with a TU-154, connecting to an Air Canada 767-200 to YVR and then a Canadian Airlines 747-200 to HNL.
You're off to a fairly decent start here, YVR. The routing you've submitted is correct, as are Air Canada (though not between YYZ and YVR) and the 747-200. However, Cubana and Canadian Airlines were not part of the routing. This should be fairly easy to clean up. ¡Adelante, entonces!
I'll start with Cubana flying VRA-YYZ with a TU-154, connecting to an Air Canada 767-200 to YVR and then a Canadian Airlines 747-200 to HNL.
You're off to a fairly decent start here, YVR. The routing you've submitted is correct, as are Air Canada (though not between YYZ and YVR) and the 747-200. However, Cubana and Canadian Airlines were not part of the routing. This should be fairly easy to clean up. ¡Adelante, entonces!
I was actulally thinking the route could have been VRA-MEX-YVR-HNL but I doubt there were VRA-MEX flights then (or now).
Jul 27, 2021, 3:33 am
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UA did fly a 720 DEN-MKE on the last day, but it originated in SFO, not LAX.
Jul 27, 2021, 9:57 am
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The Sep 1972 OAG shows that UA has 7 720 departures a day from LAX, to 5 cities, but tomorrow will be the final day of UA 720 service; after that, UA's 720s will be replaced with 727-100s or standard DC-8s.
Which 5 cities could you fly a UA 720 to from LAX on the final day of service? Hint: all 5 cities were in the Pacific and Mountain time zones.
For bonus credit, one of UA's final 720 flights from LAX continued from an airport in the Mountain time zone to an airport in the Central time zone, but that airport was not ORD.
Jul 27, 2021, 10:22 am
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And BTW, back in the mid 1990s, Cubana was operating Tupolev Tu-154 service nonstop between Havana and Cancun several days a week.
Jul 28, 2021, 2:04 am
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Wasn't there a short-lived prairie carrier called Access Air that ran 737-200s across the continent at this time ? New York to Peoria, Moline, Des Moines and then LAX ? I presume they aimed at traffic to their homeland ports from both ends rather than the throughout trip. Their 737s came from Lufthansa, so if we want the aircraft type more than that given, it would be a 737-230.
The airline wasn't around very long, probably less than a year though it did resume service again briefly but not to LGA or LAX.
Jul 28, 2021, 4:06 am
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B008. (1989) As a well sought after free-lance travel writer, yours is an envious lot indeed. You’ve just finished writing an article for Conde Nast Traveler magazine about Varadero, Cuba - one of the largest and most popular resort areas in the Caribbean. Now you’re on your way to Honolulu for a reunion with your old college roommates. Nobody said it would be easy traveling from Cuba to Hawaii in 1989, but you’ve found a workable itinerary involving three flights aboard three different airlines, each operating a different aircraft type. One of the aircraft has two engines, another has three engines and the other has four engines – though they are not necessarily flown in that order. None of the airlines are from the U.S. So then, please identify the three airlines, the route to be flown and the three different aircraft. ¡Apúrate pues!
If Air Canada was not on the YYZ-YVR leg, then I assume it was on the VRA-YYZ leg with a 727-200. Canada 3000 with a A-310 YYZ-YVR and WardAir YVR-HNL 747-200.
Moving right along here... Herb Alpert's Greatest Hits is playing in the background as I make my way through a fifth of Bulleit Bourbon here at 2:06am ADT. Air Canada between VRA and YYZ with a 727-200 is correct!. Canada 3000 has no place in this itinerary. However, Wardair does. Additionally, the A310 also plays a role. Neither flew the YVR-HNL leg though.... You're almost there, YVR.
I was actulally thinking the route could have been VRA-MEX-YVR-HNL but I doubt there were VRA-MEX flights then (or now).
Have you also been up late drinking to excess? Probably not, since you recognized the improbability of VRA-MEX flights then and now. Truth be told, had there been a flight from VRA to MEX, I suspect the better routing to HNL would have been through LAX.
Here's what we know so far...
If Air Canada was not on the YYZ-YVR leg, then I assume it was on the VRA-YYZ leg with a 727-200. Canada 3000 with a A-310 YYZ-YVR and WardAir YVR-HNL 747-200.
Moving right along here... Herb Alpert's Greatest Hits is playing in the background as I make my way through a fifth of Bulleit Bourbon here at 2:06am ADT. Air Canada between VRA and YYZ with a 727-200 is correct!. Canada 3000 has no place in this itinerary. However, Wardair does. Additionally, the A310 also plays a role. Neither flew the YVR-HNL leg though.... You're almost there, YVR.
I was actulally thinking the route could have been VRA-MEX-YVR-HNL but I doubt there were VRA-MEX flights then (or now).
Have you also been up late drinking to excess? Probably not, since you recognized the improbability of VRA-MEX flights then and now. Truth be told, had there been a flight from VRA to MEX, I suspect the better routing to HNL would have been through LAX.
Here's what we know so far...
- The routing is VRA-YYZ-YVR-HNL
- The other two aircraft are an A310 and a 747-200
- The first leg VRA-YYZ was flown by an Air Canada 727-200
- Wardair is one of the airlines involved
Last edited by Seat 2A; Jul 28, 2021 at 12:22 pm
Jul 28, 2021, 1:16 pm
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Varadero is essentially the tourist airport of Cuba, where you will find Canadian (particularly) and European holiday flights, as opposed to normal commercial operations. It's not too far from Havana, and on that side of the resorts, but a different experience. Notably flights inbound from Europe work Miami Center before transferring to the Cuban tower.
Jul 28, 2021, 1:31 pm
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B009. (1993) As the buyer for Denver’s leading supplier of Mexican artisanal housewares, you’re off to Veracruz, Mexico next week to inspect and possibly purchase a large supply of Mexican Talavera tiles. Your travel agent has come up with an intriguing three flight itinerary utilizing three different airlines, each of them operating a different aircraft built by the same manufacturer. Can you identify the three airlines, the routing and the three different aircraft types? Por supuesto!
- DEN-Houston/IAH, Continental, 737-324
- IAH-Mexico City/MEX, Air France, 747-228B (perhaps even a Combi, depending on day of the week)
- MEX-VER, Mexicana, 727-264
Jul 28, 2021, 1:58 pm
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I don't think Varadero ever had service to Mexico City as well as I believe one would have to depart from Havana instead with Cancun and Merida also being served from Havana.
And BTW, back in the mid 1990s, Cubana was operating Tupolev Tu-154 service nonstop between Havana and Cancun several days a week.
And BTW, back in the mid 1990s, Cubana was operating Tupolev Tu-154 service nonstop between Havana and Cancun several days a week.
Varadero is essentially the tourist airport of Cuba, where you will find Canadian (particularly) and European holiday flights, as opposed to normal commercial operations. It's not too far from Havana, and on that side of the resorts, but a different experience. Notably flights inbound from Europe work Miami Center before transferring to the Cuban tower.
Most of the provincial Cuban airports can accommodate surprisingly-large a/c. On our departure out of HOG, there was a A330 belonging to, IIRC, LTU.
Jul 28, 2021, 2:08 pm
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B008.
(was trying to make the JAL MEX-YVR tag work for the 4-engine flight but that would probably only have worked out of HAV if at all)
From the clues it is pretty obvious WardAir with an A310 for the YYZ-YVR leg.
If it isn't WardAir, Air Canada or Canadian for the YVR-HNL leg operated by a 747, I think that eliminates all Canadian carriers? Doubt if it was an European carrier in that era, and don't think any Asian carrier would have gone off the great circle that much to go via HNL. Have no idea if QANTAS operated 747s between HNL and YVR (just 763s ~10-12 years later) but it certainly did out of SFO but I will guess QANTAS anyway for YVR-HNL, with the 747-200...
(was trying to make the JAL MEX-YVR tag work for the 4-engine flight but that would probably only have worked out of HAV if at all)
From the clues it is pretty obvious WardAir with an A310 for the YYZ-YVR leg.
If it isn't WardAir, Air Canada or Canadian for the YVR-HNL leg operated by a 747, I think that eliminates all Canadian carriers? Doubt if it was an European carrier in that era, and don't think any Asian carrier would have gone off the great circle that much to go via HNL. Have no idea if QANTAS operated 747s between HNL and YVR (just 763s ~10-12 years later) but it certainly did out of SFO but I will guess QANTAS anyway for YVR-HNL, with the 747-200...