Seat 2A

13) In the spring of 1983, two airlines were operating nonstop service between Honolulu (HNL) and Anchorage (ANC). One air carrier flew three times a week and the other airline operated once a week. Name both airlines and the respective equipment types they flew on the route.

United used to serve HNL-ANC with DC-8-71s but I don't think that service started until 1984 with United's expansion of service to all 50 states. As such, I reckon I'll have to go with SPIA - South Pacific Island Airways operating an ex-Kuwait 707-369. I am still kicking myself for having chosen a shiny new 747-200 on UTA between Papeete and Los Angeles back in 1981 when I could have flown an SPIA 707 from Papeete to Pago Pago to Honolulu and then connected to Braniff's big orange 747 to DFW and on to Denver aboard whatever (a 727). For some reason at that time, I'd gotten this idea that UTA's First Class Galaxy Service would be really special. Alas, it was only... okay... but nowhere near as elaborate as Air New Zealand's, upon which I'd flown in First Class from LA to Papeete two weeks earlier. (On a DC-10-30)

16) In the spring of 1984, this air carrier was operating two Douglas DC-9-10 jet flights a day between Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and Corpus Christi (CRP). Identify the airline

It seems I always get a bit confused between Royale Airlines and Emerald Air, both of which operated DC-9-10s around Texas. I seem to recall it being mentioned in an earlier Q&A here that Royale operated on behalf of Continental on some routes, but I doubt any of those would have been out of Dallas. So - I'm gonna have to go with Emerald Air!

jlemon

13) South Pacific Island Airways (SPIA) is correct! Here's a sched example....

HK 210: Dep. ANC 12:30am, Arr. HNL 5:10am
Op: Fridays only
Equip: Boeing 707

16) You got it! Emerald Air (OD) was independently operating flights between several different city pairs within Texas at this time. Besides DFW-CRP nonstop service, the carrier was also flying nonstop DFW-MFE, IAH-AUS, IAH-CRP, IAH-MFE, IAH-SAT and SAT-MFE.

Most flights were operated with DC-9-10s (series -14s, I believe) but other flights were operated with Fairchild Hiller FH-227 turboprops as well. Emerald Air then opened a new route from DFW to ICT with continuing service to OMA before ceasing all scheduled services on an independent basis.

The airline also operated the "Houston Proud Express" crosstown service between IAH and HOU with DC-9s on behalf of Continental. In addition, I think they had a feeder arrangement with Pan Am at one point into IAH.....

Seat 2A

Thanks for all the detail, jlemon! I'd always thought Royale was the operator of those HPE DC-9 flights and had no idea Emerald once extended north to Omaha. ^^

jlemon

The Emerald Air Sept. 15, 1984 route map depicts the DFW-ICT-OMA route along with a number of changes to the aforementioned service between various Texas city pairs.

For example, by Sept. of 1984, the airline had moved their service in Houston from IAH to HOU, was no longer flying between Houston and Austin but was flying HOU-DFW and was also no longer serving SAT. The carrier then declared bankruptcy in 1985....

And by the way, the Old Timer's Quiz has now passed yet another milestone with over 3000 replies!

WHBM

I never even noticed, and mine was the 3,000 th.

I think we can all thank the key guys who have kept this all going and still maintain the flow; S2A for kicking the whole thing off and coming up with loads of questions, JL for being an ever-genial moderator who also provides a constant fresh flow of questions, and indeed Wally, who was the first ever to answer and still polishes off all the hard ones !

It seems that for each one of the 3,000 posts there have been an average of 35 other viewers, so I hope the information is interesting to those who come here just to see what is being prattled about here this time, throwing back to the days of Avgas, R-2800s, meeting family at the gate, Stapleton, VC10s, little carbonised tickets, more mentions of the Caravelle than Sud actually built ..... and the odd lawn mower thrown in

jlemon

Not to mention wild weather observations, references to home made, Cajun-style Bloody Marys and reminiscences concerning NRSA airline industry passes back in the day when one might actually get boarded in the high fidelity, first class traveling section!

miniliq

AA and BN competed in this market, but I'll guess it was Braniff, with a 727, EWR-DIA-DAL-SAT-MEX (and on to ACA).

miniliq

Let's try BIL-MIA, with these stops: BIL-BIS-JMS-FAR-MSP-RST-MKE-ORD-ATL-TPA-FLL-MIA. Whew! reminds me of some of the milk runs we discussed upthread!

jlemon

4) Excellent guesses, sir! However, it was not American or Braniff! And the aircraft type was different as well!

So please guess again!

jlemon

2) Absolutely correct! And, of course, the U.S. national park referred to is Yellowstone.

NW 718 departed Billings (BIL) at 7:10am six days a week and then became a daily operation from Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP). The Electra II was configured with two classes of service, first class "Imperial Service" and "Coronation" coach. Imperial Service featured "complimentary champagne or imported wine" served with meals. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all served during the journey from Billings to Miami with a scheduled arrival time in MIA of 10:40pm.

Northwest would later operate a version of this routing with a B727......

miniliq

I really thought I had it nailed because my info was from a 4/15/67 OAG -- shows how quickly things changed. So --- in July '67 Eastern was flying EWR-PHL-BAL-MSY-MEX with a DC-8.

BTW, in April AA flew EWR-DTW-ORD-DAL-MEX three days per week with a 707.

jlemon

4) Eastern is correct with service six days a week as this particular flight was operated daily except on Saturdays. Obviously, some short segments were flown on this route between EWR, PHL and BAL.

There was a version of this service operated by EA on Saturdays as well although the routing was a bit different: EWR-ATL-MSY-MEX, also flown with a DC-8. This resulted in the flight being operated daily from New Orleans with the same departure time seven days a week from MSY (and, of course, the same arrival time in MEX).

And BTW, good old Eastern flew nonstop between MSY and MEX for many years.....plus, excellent catch on the AA B707 service three days a week!

GRALISTAIR

Skippeee- skippee, skippeee the bush kangaroo -showing my age - I used to watch it!!!!

Seat 2A

6) At Christmas time in 1979, there were two airlines competing between Long Beach (LGB) and San Jose (SJC). Both flew jets on the route. From LGB to SJC, one airline operated three flights a day and the other air carrier flew one flight a day. Identify both airlines and the respective aircraft types operated on the route.

I'm going to have to go with what seem to be the obvious - and hopefully correct - choices: PSA and Air California

PSA operating 727-200s
Air California operating 737-200s

7) In the spring of 1979, this airline was operating direct, no change of plane service from New Orleans (MSY) to Frankfurt (FRA) three days a week. One intermediate stop was made en route. Identify the air carrier, the wide body aircraft type flown on the route and the intermediate stop.

I certainly don't put this out there with any great degree of conviction, but I feel there's a pretty reasonable chance this could be National, operating with a DC-10-30 via Miami. The weird part is I just don't see a DC-10-30 out of MSY but NA's the only thing that makes sense to me at present, so there you go.

jlemon

6) Whoops! The year concerning this question is incorrect and should have read "At Christmas time in 1989....."

My apologies and please guess again!

7) Correct....I think! Read on....and here's the sched from the National timetable....

NA 10: Dep. MSY 1:40pm, Arr. FRA 7:10am
Op: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays only
Equip: DC-10 (note that DC-10-30 is not explicitly stated in the timetable, just "DC-10").
Note: onestop service (via MIA)

That's what the New Orleans to Frankfurt schedule says in the National timetable. However, with your comment in mind, I went back and took a look at the listing for the New Orleans to Miami flights in the same timetable. And yes, NA 10 is listed as operating on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays nonstop from MSY to MIA. However, the sched does not state this specific segment was operated with a DC-10 while the MSY to FRA sched in the timetable does state the flight is operated with a DC-10. So perhaps there was actually a change of gauge with regard to the actual aircraft type at MIA and National was being a bit disingenuous by listing DC-10 service from MSY to FRA in their timetable.....

It is also reported that National briefly attempted to operate nonstop service between MSY and AMS in 1978 with a DC-10. However, I have been unable to verify this.