jlemon

Folks, I was initially going to provide an answer for quiz item #15 concerning DC-3 ops out of MIA in 1981....

However, I'm going to do something else instead: I'm going to ask that everyone send their thoughts, good wishes and prayers this evening to the Good People of Bermuda.

As I write this, Hurricane Gonzalo is now directly impacting the island of Bermuda. The most recent satellite imagery I've seen from NOAA and other sources appears to indicate that the absolutely worst part of the northern eyewall of Gonzalo is now affecting Bermuda in a very large and major way.

Living in southern Louisiana, I am acutely aware of the power of major hurricanes and the loss of life and absolute destruction they can cause. Indeed, I personally oversaw helicopter recovery operations in the New Orleans area on behalf of a civilian operator under contract to the U.S. federal government in the aftermath of Katrina. The destruction I witnessed from my low level vantage point on board an Aerospatiale AS-315B "Lama", Bell 212, Bell 412 or Eurocopter AS-350B2 "AStar" was far worse than anything I saw on television. And BTW, many of the missions we worked were in two ship elements operated in conjunction with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) which had graciously sent several of the their "AStar" rotorcraft from the Golden State to Louisiana in order to lend a hand to another state that was very much in need at the time. To put it simply, they had the guns and our ships were not armed. And yep, we initially got shot at while landing at unsecured LZs which promptly resulted in an urgent request for law enforcement support. The CHP then supported our rotorcraft air ops in the New Orleans area.

BTW, the U.S. has three aircraft operating in Gonzalo this evening gathering weather data: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has two aircraft tasked to the hurricane: a heavily instrumented Gulfstream IV business jet and a Lockheed WP-3D "Orion", also heavily instrumented for WX obs. And yes, this "Orion" is a descendant of our old friend the Electra. The third aircraft is a Lockheed WC-130J "Hurricane Hunter" operated by the U.S. Air Force Reserve out of Keesler AFB in Mississippi. A good friend flies this aircraft type as a "Hurricane Hunter" pilot in command. The WC-130J is a fairly new aircraft type. Indeed, my friend, the USAF PIC, described the aircraft this way: "Well, it ain't your daddy's Herc!". And also BTW, he is in command of a WC-130J inside of Hurricane Gonzalo as I write this.

So please send your best wishes, thoughts and prayers to the Good Folks on Bermuda. They are going to need it in the hours and days ahead. :-:

WHBM

Bermuda :

I've never been there, but overflew it a few years ago on a BA 747 London to Miami and had a perfect view of the whole island from altitude. It is of course British, head of state is The Queen, with a Governor, rather like Guam to the USA. The route from Bermuda to London is regarded as domestic, although back in prop aircraft days several transatlantic operators used it as a refuelling point.

It seems that the strength died down a bit and the greatest loss has been of the public electricity supply. However two Royal Navy warships from The Caribbean and The Atlantic are making full speed for Bermuda, one of them seemingly passing right through the epicentre, so we can only send our best regards to the crews on board. Meanwhile, the storm is now heading straight for London !

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/29672480

So, Question : What was the first UK airline scheduled route to the USA ?

ANSWERED

Seat 2A

Right on! ^ If only I'd been born twenty years earlier...

miniliq

I've only visited BDA for a day, way back in 1971 on a trip to London, but as someone who has evacuated for several hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, I really was concerned for the Bermudans who cannot just jump in a car as we do and drive to a safer spot for a few days. I certainly can identify with the aftermath -- power outages, trees down, homes flooded and/or damaged, and I did say prayers for the residents yesterday.

In answer to your question, I would venture BOAC in 1949 using a Boeing Strato Cruiser -- nonstop New York to London, but with fuel stops in Prestwick or Shannon on the westbound flight.

Seat 2A

Please send your best wishes, thoughts and prayers to the Good Folks on Bermuda. They are going to need it in the hours and days ahead. ^^

jrl767

seems to me that we were discussing this a couple months ago ... I want to say that Delta introduced their Convair 880s in an all-F configuration ~1960

jlemon

Well, I think United operated the Caravelle in an all first class configuration.....

jlemon

15. I think one of these air carriers was most likely Provincetown-Boston Airlines. PBA was known for "migrating" portions of their fleet from the northeastern U.S. to Florida during the winter months in order to provide increased seasonal service in the Sunshine State. Let's go with Miami-Naples as a PBA DC-3 route.

The other airline was a bit more obscure: Pro Air Services (not to be confused with new start up Pro Air which operated Boeing 737-400 service out of Detroit City Airport some years later). Route was probably Miami-Key West. Air Florida was operating Boeing 737-200 service Miami-Key West as well at this time. Back in the late 1980's, I flew into and out of EYW on board a Fokker F28 Fellowship twin jet operated by Piedmont.....

miniliq

I agree with jlemon on Pro Air Services (SZ),which had DC-3 nonstops to FLL and West Palm Beach (PBI). But I believe the other operator, according to my research, was another obscure (to me at least) commuter carrier -- Aerosun International (MF), with serice to Key West and Tampa.

WHBM

Ah, I was feeling there was a bit of a clue there as we were discussing Bermuda. It was earlier than 1949.

miniliq

One I knew -- Muse Air (MC) DC-9 service between Houston Hobby and Dallas Love.
The other I found after some digging: Jet America (SI) DC-9 service between Chicago and Long Beach.

After almost 3 weeks with spotty internet service in the Canadian Rockies (made more challenging by dropping my laptop and breaking the screen), it's good to be back! A great set of questions Seat 2A, and I'm still wrestling with #14 -- every time I think I have a candidate route, it turns out to be direct but not non-stop -- still looking.

miniliq

Well yes, I overlooked the flying clipper boats -- the Boeing 314. I believe in 1945 BOAC had flights from London (Poole) to Baltimore via Ireland and Newfoundland, and then changed to London-Bermuda-Baltimore in late 1945 or 1946. (You'll have to correct me on this). I had a seat-mate on a flight that had actually flown on one of the Pan Am Clippers to Lisbon -- that's something I wish I'd experienced.

WHBM

Ah, well before this.

miniliq

Now I'm getting frustrated. I have a 1938 OAG that shows Imperial Airways flying boat service between Bermuda and New York, but does not show Bermuda/London. I thought WWII interrupted the early attempts at commercial transatlantic passenger service, so I eagerly await the correct answer.

jlemon

I'll guess this first passenger service was operated by Imperial Airways in 1936 with a Shorts S.23 Empire seaplane which made an intermediate stop in Bermuda.