Old Timer's Airline Quiz and Discussion.
May 18, 2022, 10:40 pm
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5. (1993) What a wonderful week you’ve had in Aruba. You might even consider buying a beachfront condo here someday. In the meantime, it’s back to the cold gray skies of the Windy City. On a positive note, you’ll get to fly back into Chicago’s Midway Airport, much closer to your home on da South Side. Your trip will involve two nonstop flights, each on different airlines. Although both airlines will be operating the same model of aircraft, you’ll be transferring to a different variant for the flight into Midway. Please provide the name of the two airlines, the two different aircraft and of course the connection airport.
How about an ALM MD-80 AUA-ATL connecting to a Delta MD-88 ATL-MDW?
You are ever so close with this guess, Herb. Atlanta is indeed the connection point and an ALM MD-80 is the correct airline and aircraft inbound from Aruba. Delta and the MD-88 is not the airline to get us into MDW however. Keep in mind the original name of the MD-80 in thinking about your next response. The plane we're looking for is smaller than an MD-80. And of course Delta is out...
4. (1973) Miami International is a pretty good place for plane spotting. Jets, props from Central America and the Caribbean, even a small aircraft graveyard… it’s all good. There is one jet aircraft however that is extremely rare at MIA, so rare that as of the January 1973 North American OAG it’s limited to just a single daily flight. Please identify the aircraft as well as the airline and airport that it flies into Miami from.
It's not a BAC-111, DC-8-61 or a VC-10
Delta Convair 880 from ATL?
No, no... Delta flew a good number of 880s into MIA each day. Please, guess again!
How about an ALM MD-80 AUA-ATL connecting to a Delta MD-88 ATL-MDW?
You are ever so close with this guess, Herb. Atlanta is indeed the connection point and an ALM MD-80 is the correct airline and aircraft inbound from Aruba. Delta and the MD-88 is not the airline to get us into MDW however. Keep in mind the original name of the MD-80 in thinking about your next response. The plane we're looking for is smaller than an MD-80. And of course Delta is out...
4. (1973) Miami International is a pretty good place for plane spotting. Jets, props from Central America and the Caribbean, even a small aircraft graveyard… it’s all good. There is one jet aircraft however that is extremely rare at MIA, so rare that as of the January 1973 North American OAG it’s limited to just a single daily flight. Please identify the aircraft as well as the airline and airport that it flies into Miami from.
It's not a BAC-111, DC-8-61 or a VC-10
Delta Convair 880 from ATL?
No, no... Delta flew a good number of 880s into MIA each day. Please, guess again!
May 18, 2022, 10:44 pm
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16. (1972) Normally you book Delta to get from Caracas to Los Angeles, but alas, they’ve no seats available on the day you need to travel. Thankfully another airline does, in First Class, on a two stop direct flight no less. Identify the airline, the two enroute stops and the aircraft type.
It's AM DC-8 CCS-MEX-____-LAX
Let's make that second stop in Guadalajara.
You'd think, wouldn't ya? But NO!!!! Es un ciudad differente, Senor!
Please, guess again!
It's AM DC-8 CCS-MEX-____-LAX
Let's make that second stop in Guadalajara.
You'd think, wouldn't ya? But NO!!!! Es un ciudad differente, Senor!
Please, guess again!
May 18, 2022, 10:50 pm
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4. (1973) Miami International is a pretty good place for plane spotting. Jets, props from Central America and the Caribbean, even a small aircraft graveyard… it’s all good. There is one jet aircraft however that is extremely rare at MIA, so rare that as of the January 1973 North American OAG it’s limited to just a single daily flight. Please identify the aircraft as well as the airline and airport that it flies into Miami from.
It's not a BAC-111, DC-8-61 or a VC-10
It’s also not a Convair 880 or a 720/720B … I was briefly entertaining Northeast’s 990 from Boston/BOS (or possibly Philadelphia/PHL), but the DL/NE merger was finalized in Aug 1972. How about Southern, with a DC-9-10 from Orlando/MCO
Nope. Both Eastern and Southern operated multiple DC-9-10s into MIA each day. We're not looking for a DC-9 of any variant.
Please, guess again!
It's not a BAC-111, DC-8-61 or a VC-10
It’s also not a Convair 880 or a 720/720B … I was briefly entertaining Northeast’s 990 from Boston/BOS (or possibly Philadelphia/PHL), but the DL/NE merger was finalized in Aug 1972. How about Southern, with a DC-9-10 from Orlando/MCO
Nope. Both Eastern and Southern operated multiple DC-9-10s into MIA each day. We're not looking for a DC-9 of any variant.
Please, guess again!
May 18, 2022, 10:55 pm
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4. (1973) Miami International is a pretty good place for plane spotting. Jets, props from Central America and the Caribbean, even a small aircraft graveyard… it’s all good. There is one jet aircraft however that is extremely rare at MIA, so rare that as of the January 1973 North American OAG it’s limited to just a single daily flight. Please identify the aircraft as well as the airline and airport that it flies into Miami from.
It's not a BAC-111, DC-8-61 or a VC-10 or 880/990 or DC-9 of any variant
I'm wondering if we have been on the wrong track with mainstream jet airliners, and it's one of those oddball business jets operating a scheduled service. For example, did NASA ever get an operator to schedule a Lockheed Jetstar from Miami to Cape Kennedy ? Or Pan Am, in 1973, had taken on the sales agency for the Dassault Falcon. Dragged for a while until someone brilliant talked C R Smith into buying a Federal Express fleet of them. Did they ever use one just as a bit of a taster, say daily scheduled from Miami to Nassau, their shortest route ?
Not a bad angle to pursue, Mr. M, but no - we're looking for a mainline jet airliner that remains a surprisingly persistent mystery.
Please, guess again!
It's not a BAC-111, DC-8-61 or a VC-10 or 880/990 or DC-9 of any variant
I'm wondering if we have been on the wrong track with mainstream jet airliners, and it's one of those oddball business jets operating a scheduled service. For example, did NASA ever get an operator to schedule a Lockheed Jetstar from Miami to Cape Kennedy ? Or Pan Am, in 1973, had taken on the sales agency for the Dassault Falcon. Dragged for a while until someone brilliant talked C R Smith into buying a Federal Express fleet of them. Did they ever use one just as a bit of a taster, say daily scheduled from Miami to Nassau, their shortest route ?
Not a bad angle to pursue, Mr. M, but no - we're looking for a mainline jet airliner that remains a surprisingly persistent mystery.
Please, guess again!
May 19, 2022, 12:51 am
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4. (1973) Miami International is a pretty good place for plane spotting. Jets, props from Central America and the Caribbean, even a small aircraft graveyard… it’s all good. There is one jet aircraft however that is extremely rare at MIA, so rare that as of the January 1973 North American OAG it’s limited to just a single daily flight. Please identify the aircraft as well as the airline and airport that it flies into Miami from.
None of the mainstream carriers at Miami (Eastern, National, Delta, Pan Am) were early purchasers of the 737. So what about a 737-200 ... by United ... operating in from Tampa, and possibly then from points further north, like Cleveland.
May 19, 2022, 11:04 am
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16. (1972) Normally you book Delta to get from Caracas to Los Angeles, but alas, they’ve no seats available on the day you need to travel. Thankfully another airline does, in First Class, on a two stop direct flight no less. Identify the airline, the two enroute stops and the aircraft type.
It's AM DC-8 CCS-MEX-____-LAX (Not GDL)
May 19, 2022, 11:23 am
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4. (1973) Miami International is a pretty good place for plane spotting. Jets, props from Central America and the Caribbean, even a small aircraft graveyard… it’s all good. There is one jet aircraft however that is extremely rare at MIA, so rare that as of the January 1973 North American OAG it’s limited to just a single daily flight. Please identify the aircraft as well as the airline and airport that it flies into Miami from.
One extreme to the other. None of the mainstream carriers at Miami (Eastern, National, Delta, Pan Am) were early purchasers of the 737. So what about a 737-200 ... by United ... operating in from Tampa, and possibly then from points further north, like Cleveland.
You've nailed it, WHBM!
United operated a single daily 737-200 flight into Miami inbound from Atlanta, having originated from Cleveland. I don't have the full itinerary available at present, but I did transcribe the ATL-MIA flight as part of the question formulation process.
United UA 575 Atlanta (ATL) 1215p-153p L Miami (MIA) 737-200 Daily
One extreme to the other. None of the mainstream carriers at Miami (Eastern, National, Delta, Pan Am) were early purchasers of the 737. So what about a 737-200 ... by United ... operating in from Tampa, and possibly then from points further north, like Cleveland.
You've nailed it, WHBM!
United operated a single daily 737-200 flight into Miami inbound from Atlanta, having originated from Cleveland. I don't have the full itinerary available at present, but I did transcribe the ATL-MIA flight as part of the question formulation process.United UA 575 Atlanta (ATL) 1215p-153p L Miami (MIA) 737-200 Daily
May 19, 2022, 11:32 am
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16. (1972) Normally you book Delta to get from Caracas to Los Angeles, but alas, they’ve no seats available on the day you need to travel. Thankfully another airline does, in First Class, on a two stop direct flight no less. Identify the airline, the two enroute stops and the aircraft type.
It's AM DC-8 CCS-MEX-____-LAX (Not GDL)
Let's make that second stop in a fairly exotic location: La Paz, the capitol of Baja California Sur. And if this is correct, this may have been one of the few times that LAP was served with an aircraft as large as the DC8.
You Da Man, Sr. Lemon! That sounds much better than Tu Eres El Hombre, Sr. Lemon. La Paz is correct! Here's the full itinerary...
AeroMexico AM 780 Caracas (MIQ) 900a-1150a Mexico City (MEX) 1250p-145p La Paz (LAP) 230p-325p Los Angeles (LAX) DC-8-50 Mo We Sa
It's AM DC-8 CCS-MEX-____-LAX (Not GDL)
Let's make that second stop in a fairly exotic location: La Paz, the capitol of Baja California Sur. And if this is correct, this may have been one of the few times that LAP was served with an aircraft as large as the DC8.
You Da Man, Sr. Lemon! That sounds much better than Tu Eres El Hombre, Sr. Lemon. La Paz is correct! Here's the full itinerary...
AeroMexico AM 780 Caracas (MIQ) 900a-1150a Mexico City (MEX) 1250p-145p La Paz (LAP) 230p-325p Los Angeles (LAX) DC-8-50 Mo We Sa
May 19, 2022, 11:40 am
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4. (1973) Miami International is a pretty good place for plane spotting. Jets, props from Central America and the Caribbean, even a small aircraft graveyard… it’s all good. There is one jet aircraft however that is extremely rare at MIA, so rare that as of the January 1973 North American OAG it’s limited to just a single daily flight. Please identify the aircraft as well as the airline and airport that it flies into Miami from.
A N S W E R E D
5. (1993) What a wonderful week you’ve had in Aruba. You might even consider buying a beachfront condo here someday. In the meantime, it’s back to the cold gray skies of the Windy City. On a positive note, you’ll get to fly back into Chicago’s Midway Airport, much closer to your home on da South Side. Your trip will involve two nonstop flights, each on different airlines. Although both airlines will be operating the same model of aircraft, you’ll be transferring to a different variant for the flight into Midway. Please provide the name of the two airlines, the two different aircraft and of course the connection airport.
A N S W E R E D
11. (1993) From one side of the country to the other - You’re traveling from Vancouver, BC to Halifax, NS. Your first flight will be nonstop, after which you’ll connect to a one-stopper to Halifax. Two small twinjets of different manufacture will be employed and you’ll be fed breakfast, lunch and dinner along the way. Please identify the two airlines, the two enroute stops and the two equipment types.
See post 25805
15. (1973) You’re traveling from Montego Bay to Tampa. You’ll be making an overnight connection in Miami where you’ll visit with your cousins before continuing on to Tampa the next day. Two things: One - You’ll be flying aboard the only flight in each market (MBJ-MIA and MIA-TPA) operated with single class aircraft and two - your flight from Miami up to Tampa will have a single enroute stop. Please identify the two airlines, the aircraft each operates on this trip and the enroute stop between Miami and Tampa
16. (1972) Normally you book Delta to get from Caracas to Los Angeles, but alas, they’ve no seats available on the day you need to travel. Thankfully another airline does, in First Class, on a two stop direct flight no less. Identify the airline, the two enroute stops and the aircraft type.
A N S W E R E D
A N S W E R E D
5. (1993) What a wonderful week you’ve had in Aruba. You might even consider buying a beachfront condo here someday. In the meantime, it’s back to the cold gray skies of the Windy City. On a positive note, you’ll get to fly back into Chicago’s Midway Airport, much closer to your home on da South Side. Your trip will involve two nonstop flights, each on different airlines. Although both airlines will be operating the same model of aircraft, you’ll be transferring to a different variant for the flight into Midway. Please provide the name of the two airlines, the two different aircraft and of course the connection airport.
A N S W E R E D
11. (1993) From one side of the country to the other - You’re traveling from Vancouver, BC to Halifax, NS. Your first flight will be nonstop, after which you’ll connect to a one-stopper to Halifax. Two small twinjets of different manufacture will be employed and you’ll be fed breakfast, lunch and dinner along the way. Please identify the two airlines, the two enroute stops and the two equipment types.
See post 25805
15. (1973) You’re traveling from Montego Bay to Tampa. You’ll be making an overnight connection in Miami where you’ll visit with your cousins before continuing on to Tampa the next day. Two things: One - You’ll be flying aboard the only flight in each market (MBJ-MIA and MIA-TPA) operated with single class aircraft and two - your flight from Miami up to Tampa will have a single enroute stop. Please identify the two airlines, the aircraft each operates on this trip and the enroute stop between Miami and Tampa
16. (1972) Normally you book Delta to get from Caracas to Los Angeles, but alas, they’ve no seats available on the day you need to travel. Thankfully another airline does, in First Class, on a two stop direct flight no less. Identify the airline, the two enroute stops and the aircraft type.
A N S W E R E D
Last edited by Seat 2A; May 20, 2022 at 11:04 pm
May 19, 2022, 11:52 am
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5. (1993) What a wonderful week you’ve had in Aruba. You might even consider buying a beachfront condo here someday. In the meantime, it’s back to the cold gray skies of the Windy City. On a positive note, you’ll get to fly back into Chicago’s Midway Airport, much closer to your home on da South Side. Your trip will involve two nonstop flights, each on different airlines. Although both airlines will be operating the same model of aircraft, you’ll be transferring to a different variant for the flight into Midway. Please provide the name of the two airlines, the two different aircraft and of course the connection airport.
ALM MD-80 AUA-ATL identified. Looking for smaller a/c ATL-MDW
May 19, 2022, 12:18 pm
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5. (1993) What a wonderful week you’ve had in Aruba. You might even consider buying a beachfront condo here someday. In the meantime, it’s back to the cold gray skies of the Windy City. On a positive note, you’ll get to fly back into Chicago’s Midway Airport, much closer to your home on da South Side. Your trip will involve two nonstop flights, each on different airlines. Although both airlines will be operating the same model of aircraft, you’ll be transferring to a different variant for the flight into Midway. Please provide the name of the two airlines, the two different aircraft and of course the connection airport.
ALM MD-80 AUA-ATL identified. Looking for smaller a/c ATL-MDW
Wild guess time.....and this air carrier has shown up here on the OTAQ&D several times with regard to quiz questions: Private Jet Expeditions, which also used the National Airlines name at one point, operating a DC-9-50 between Atlanta and Chicago Midway.
All of Private Jet Expeditions (5P) flights between ATL and MDW are shown to be operating with "M80" equipment. While this could mean a DC-9-50 with an airline like 5P, I did not consider them eligible per the parameters of this question due to the ambiguity associated with their aircraft assignments. Suffice it to say however that the airline we're looking for did not operate a DC-9-50...
ALM MD-80 AUA-ATL identified. Looking for smaller a/c ATL-MDW
Wild guess time.....and this air carrier has shown up here on the OTAQ&D several times with regard to quiz questions: Private Jet Expeditions, which also used the National Airlines name at one point, operating a DC-9-50 between Atlanta and Chicago Midway.
All of Private Jet Expeditions (5P) flights between ATL and MDW are shown to be operating with "M80" equipment. While this could mean a DC-9-50 with an airline like 5P, I did not consider them eligible per the parameters of this question due to the ambiguity associated with their aircraft assignments. Suffice it to say however that the airline we're looking for did not operate a DC-9-50...
Last edited by Seat 2A; May 19, 2022 at 12:30 pm
May 20, 2022, 2:38 am
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5. (1993) What a wonderful week you’ve had in Aruba. You might even consider buying a beachfront condo here someday. In the meantime, it’s back to the cold gray skies of the Windy City. On a positive note, you’ll get to fly back into Chicago’s Midway Airport, much closer to your home on da South Side. Your trip will involve two nonstop flights, each on different airlines. Although both airlines will be operating the same model of aircraft, you’ll be transferring to a different variant for the flight into Midway. Please provide the name of the two airlines, the two different aircraft and of course the connection airport.
ALM MD-80 AUA-ATL identified. Looking for smaller a/c ATL-MDW.
ALM MD-80 AUA-ATL identified. Looking for smaller a/c ATL-MDW.
May 20, 2022, 3:17 am
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4. (1973) Miami International is a pretty good place for plane spotting. Jets, props from Central America and the Caribbean, even a small aircraft graveyard… it’s all good. There is one jet aircraft however that is extremely rare at MIA, so rare that as of the January 1973 North American OAG it’s limited to just a single daily flight. Please identify the aircraft as well as the airline and airport that it flies into Miami from.
United operated a single daily 737-200 flight into Miami inbound from Atlanta, having originated from Cleveland. I don't have the full itinerary available at present, but I did transcribe the ATL-MIA flight as part of the question formulation process.
United operated a single daily 737-200 flight into Miami inbound from Atlanta, having originated from Cleveland. I don't have the full itinerary available at present, but I did transcribe the ATL-MIA flight as part of the question formulation process.
P.S. - I can't think of any foreign airlines that in early 1973 operated the aircraft we're looking for into MIA. Once the answer is revealed, we'll see what you think...
May 20, 2022, 3:27 am
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yep, one of my Flight Test colleagues in Propulsion Analysis (1979-80) had been a 737 Flight Engineer for a year or so after separating from the Navy; when those issues were finally resolved, he had just been promoted to First Officer but didn't have enough seniority to escape a furlough ... iirc he got called back about a year later for a 727 billet