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Old Timer's Airline Quiz and Discussion.

Old Timer's Airline Quiz and Discussion.

Old Mar 8, 2016, 12:16 am
  #8611  
 
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1. In 1958, this airline was operating nonstop Vickers Viscount turboprop service between Miami and Havana with multiple daily flights. Identify the air carrier. And here's a hint: this same airline was operating Viscount service at this same time in association with BOAC twice a week between Nassau and Havana via an intermediate stop.
I guess this was Cubana. They bought fleets of both Viscount 700, and later Viscount 800, in the 1950s. As their market pretty much disappeared after the revolution, they were all sold off in the early 1960s.

17. In the spring of 1969, how many round trip flights a day was United operating with the Douglas DC-6 in its entire system?
I think the answer is one, operating Reno-Elko-Ely-Salt Lake City and return once a day, and this was the last mainstream piston operation by a US major carrier. One of those intermediate stops had a runway that wasn't suitable for jets, and in the end United subcontracted operation of this route, which in Regulation days they were not allowed to give up, to Frontier using Convair 580s.

Last edited by WHBM; Mar 8, 2016 at 4:18 am
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Old Mar 8, 2016, 7:20 am
  #8612  
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Originally Posted by Seat 2A
Thanks to jlemon for his time and effort in putting together this fresh new set of questions. We're off to a great start!

1. In 1958, this airline was operating nonstop Vickers Viscount turboprop service between Miami and Havana with multiple daily flights. Identify the air carrier. And here's a hint: this same airline was operating Viscount service at this same time in association with BOAC twice a week between Nassau and Havana via an intermediate stop.

Well I know that BWIA flew this route and also operated a Viscount. Unfortunately, I don't believe the Viscount ever wore BWIA's "Sunjet" livery. That would've been a nice looking airplane!

8. Also in 1966, this air carrier claimed it was providing the first scheduled passenger service at the new Grand Canyon National Park Airport. Name the airline.

This is Bonanza country, so let's go with tem operating an F27 propjet.

11. It's the summer of 1968 and you are in Houston. You need to travel to Frankfurt, Germany on business. You ascertain there is a daily flight that makes three intermediate stops en route. Identify the airline you'll be checking in with at Houston Hobby, the aircraft type you'll be flying on in first class and the three stops in the order in which they were made. Also, what was unique about this flight?

I'm thinking this may have been an early Delta/Pan Am interchange. The routing would likely have been IAH-IAD on Delta, then Pan Am IAD-LHR-FRA. As for aircraft, let's stick with the DC-8 across the board.
1. Ah, this was not BWIA ("Bee-wee").....although this same year British West Indian was overflying Cuba with nonstop Viscount propjet service between Miami and Grand Cayman which I believe was the first turboprop service into GCM.

8. Correct! Bonanza ran a print ad at the time which stated:

Something Grand has happened at the GRAND CANYON

NEW SERVICE:

* 2 Nonstops from Las Vegas
* 2 Connecting from LA
* 3 Flights from Phoenix
* 1 Flight from Salt Lake City

Bonanza would be followed by successors Air West, Hughes Airwest and Republic with the last two carriers operating DC9 and D9S service into GCN.

11. Well, you are off to good start! This was an interchange flight, Pan Am was involved and London Heathrow was one of the stops.

However, Delta was not involved, IAD was not one of the stops and the aircraft was not a DC-8.

So please guess again!
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Old Mar 8, 2016, 8:05 am
  #8613  
 
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Originally Posted by jlemon
11. It's the summer of 1968 and you are in Houston. You need to travel to Frankfurt, Germany on business. You ascertain there is a daily flight that makes three intermediate stops en route. Identify the airline you'll be checking in with at Houston Hobby, the aircraft type you'll be flying on in first class and the three stops in the order in which they were made. Also, what was unique about this flight?
11. Well, you are off to good start! This was an interchange flight, Pan Am was involved and London Heathrow was one of the stops.

However, Delta was not involved, IAD was not one of the stops and the aircraft was not a DC-8.
I believe this was the Braniff/Pan Am interchange on a 707 that routed from Houston through Dallas, Chicago and London.

These flights operated different ways, but I believe this was the time when the two operators supplied aircraft in proportion to the mileage that belonged to each, so it must have been about 75% to Pan Am and 25% to Braniff. As two aircraft were required for the operation, there was always a Pan Am one, plus sometimes a Braniff one, in operation. The Delta interchange flight from Atlanta/Washington, and the Northwest one from Minneapolis, worked in the same way, which gave the less-expected sight of aircraft from all three US domestic operators at Heathrow. The aircraft tended to work to the same pattern for weeks if not months at a time, then it might be changed for a while, maybe to both aircraft from Pan Am, to even out the proportion. I recall a photo in a magazine at the time of all three US domestic operators lined up on adjacent stands at Heathrow. The Delta one was the only one to last into the widebody era, and Delta's 747s appeared regularly at London.
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Old Mar 8, 2016, 8:08 am
  #8614  
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Originally Posted by jrl767
2. I'm pretty sure Delta was the first to operate the 880 ... as today, almost everything DL revolved around Atlanta, so I'll just speculate that the first trip operated ATL-->Chicago O'Hare (ORD)

6. I was initially thinking PSA (Pacific Southwest Airlines), but it occurred to me that this might be overkill ... so I'll limit my guess to Pacific Airlines
2. Indeed, this was Delta with the very first scheduled Convair 880 flight. The date was May 15, 1960.

However, the departure airport was not ATL and the arrival airport was not ORD. So please guess again!

And here's a bonus quiz item:


19. Delta named their first Convair 880. What was the name of this aircraft?



6. Pacific Air Lines is correct!

And here's another bonus quiz item:

20. At this time in 1966, Pacific Air Lines was operating Boeing 727-100 service into eight (8) destinations in California and one (1) destination in another state. Name all nine destinations.
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Old Mar 8, 2016, 8:43 am
  #8615  
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Originally Posted by WHBM
1. I guess this was Cubana. They bought fleets of both Viscount 700, and later Viscount 800, in the 1950s. As their market pretty much disappeared after the revolution, they were all sold off in the early 1960s.

17. I think the answer is one, operating Reno-Elko-Ely-Salt Lake City and return once a day, and this was the last mainstream piston operation by a US major carrier. One of those intermediate stops had a runway that wasn't suitable for jets, and in the end United subcontracted operation of this route, which in Regulation days they were not allowed to give up, to Frontier using Convair 580s.
1. Correct! The cover of the U.S. edition of the 1958 Cubana de Aviacion timetable proclaimed:

CUBANA: Fly the VISCOUNT to HAVANA and VARADERO BEACH

CUBANA de AVIACION: Over a Quarter of a Century of Air Service


Cubana was operating four daily round trip nonstops with the Viscount between Havana and Miami at this time and was also operating a daily Havana-Varadero Beach-Miami round trip as well with the Viscount. The twice weekly Viscount flight operated in association with BOAC flew a Havana-Varadero Beach-Nassau round trip routing. And Cubana was also operating a daily round trip nonstop between Havana and New York Idlewild with a Lockheed Super G Constellation at this time as well.

17. Correct! The routings were just a bit different. UA 816 departed SFO daily at 7:05am and then made stops in Oakland, Reno, Elko and Ely before arriving at SLC at 1:16pm. The DC-6 then flew back west as UA 837 departing SLC at 3:45pm with stops in Ely, Elko and Reno before arriving at SFO at 7:44pm.

One of the runways you mention must have been eventually lengthened as United subsequently ended the subcontract with Frontier for the CV-580 service. UA then began operating a daily round trip routing of SFO-RNO-EKO-ELY-SLC with a Boeing 737-200 before discontinuing jet service to Elko and Ely by the early 1980's.

Last edited by jlemon; Mar 8, 2016 at 9:52 am
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Old Mar 8, 2016, 9:08 am
  #8616  
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Originally Posted by WHBM
11. I believe this was the Braniff/Pan Am interchange on a 707 that routed from Houston through Dallas, Chicago and London.

These flights operated different ways, but I believe this was the time when the two operators supplied aircraft in proportion to the mileage that belonged to each, so it must have been about 75% to Pan Am and 25% to Braniff. As two aircraft were required for the operation, there was always a Pan Am one, plus sometimes a Braniff one, in operation......
11. Correct! Here's the sched.....

BN/PA 58: Houston Hobby (HOU) 12:00 - 12:52 Dallas Love (DAL) 13:30 - 15:29 Chicago O'Hare (ORD) 17:00 - 06:35 London Heathrow (LHR) 08:00 - 09:15 Frankfurt (FRA)
Op: Daily
Equip: 707
Meal service: Lunch DAL-ORD, Dinner ORD-LHR, Breakfast LHR-FRA
Interchange point: ORD
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Old Mar 8, 2016, 10:06 am
  #8617  
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1. In 1958, this airline was operating nonstop Vickers Viscount turboprop service between Miami and Havana with multiple daily flights. Identify the air carrier. And here's a hint: this same airline was operating Viscount service at this same time in association with BOAC twice a week between Nassau and Havana via an intermediate stop.

What was I thinking?!! I saw Viscount and immediately thought BWIA and its flights to Kingston - totally forgetting Havana in the process. Honestly, some days its a wonder I can even turn the computer on.

In any event I was unaware of Cubana's Viscount use, so kudos to WHBM for straightening this one out.

Last edited by Seat 2A; Mar 8, 2016 at 10:21 am
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Old Mar 8, 2016, 10:20 am
  #8618  
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2. In 1960, this air carrier operated the world's first Convair 880 service. Identify the airline as well as the departure and arrival airports for this inaugural scheduled passenger flight. Partially answered. Still looking for the departure and arrival airports.

Let's try New Orleans to New York...

10. In 1968, two Canadian-based airlines were operating Vickers Viscount turboprop aircraft. One was Air Canada. Name the other air carrier.

For some reason I'm getting a mental image of Quebecair and its flights to Hava - er, Montreal...
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Old Mar 8, 2016, 10:25 am
  #8619  
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Originally Posted by Seat 2A
2. In 1960, this air carrier operated the world's first Convair 880 service. Identify the airline as well as the departure and arrival airports for this inaugural scheduled passenger flight. Mostly answered. Still looking for the arrival airport.

Let's try New Orleans to New York...

10. In 1968, two Canadian-based airlines were operating Vickers Viscount turboprop aircraft. One was Air Canada. Name the other air carrier.

For some reason I'm getting a mental image of Quebecair and its flights to Hava - er, Montreal...
2. New York Idlewild is correct; however, this flight did not depart from New Orleans.

10. Ah, the airline was not Quebecair (although QB was operating the Fairchild F-27 at this time). Please guess again!

Last edited by jlemon; Mar 8, 2016 at 10:39 am Reason: additional info - #10
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Old Mar 8, 2016, 10:55 am
  #8620  
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2. In 1960, this air carrier operated the world's first Convair 880 service. Identify the airline as well as the departure and arrival airports for this inaugural scheduled passenger flight. Mostly answered. Still looking for the arrival airport.

New York Idlewild is correct; however, this flight did not depart from New Orleans.

Hmm... let's try Houston then.
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Old Mar 8, 2016, 12:11 pm
  #8621  
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Originally Posted by Seat 2A
2. In 1960, this air carrier operated the world's first Convair 880 service. Identify the airline as well as the departure and arrival airports for this inaugural scheduled passenger flight. Mostly answered. Still looking for the departure airport.

New York Idlewild is correct; however, this flight did not depart from New Orleans.

Hmm... let's try Houston then.
2. Correct! The honors go to Houston Hobby Airport.

By the fall of 1960, Delta was operating six Convair 880 departures a day from HOU. Besides the Hobby - New York Idlewild (IDL) nonstop, DL was also flying HOU-MSY-IDL, HOU-MSY-BAL-PHL, HOU-ORD and HOU-STL-ORD.

Delta had begun serving HOU seven years earlier when it acquired Chicago and Southern Air Lines (C&S) in 1953 thus giving DL access to the Houston market for the first time. For the next two years, the combined air carriers operated as "Delta C&S".

And here's yet another bonus quiz item:

21. What was the initial seating configuration in the Convair 880 operated by Delta? Also include the total number of passenger seats in the aircraft with your answer. ANSWERED

Last edited by jlemon; Mar 8, 2016 at 6:08 pm Reason: answer update
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Old Mar 8, 2016, 1:21 pm
  #8622  
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21. What was the initial seating configuration in the Convair 880 operated by Delta? Also include the total number of passenger seats in the aircraft with your answer.

It wasn't very many. Delta's original configuration on the 880 was all First Class, and as I recall this didn't last very long. Initially though the plane had a lounge and I'm going to say about 60 seats.
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Old Mar 8, 2016, 2:10 pm
  #8623  
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Originally Posted by Seat 2A
21. What was the initial seating configuration in the Convair 880 operated by Delta? Also include the total number of passenger seats in the aircraft with your answer.

It wasn't very many. Delta's original configuration on the 880 was all First Class, and as I recall this didn't last very long. Initially though the plane had a lounge and I'm going to say about 60 seats.
21. Well, it was more than 60 seats. So here's a hint:

Seating configuration was 2-2 throughout the cabin except at the front of the airplane behind the flight deck and galley where the lounge you have mentioned was located. So we are looking for the total number of seats in the airplane to include the main cabin and the lounge.

And here's another hint: it was less than 100 seats.

Last edited by jlemon; Mar 10, 2016 at 5:43 pm
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Old Mar 8, 2016, 3:59 pm
  #8624  
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Originally Posted by jlemon
22. Well, it was more than 60 seats. So here's a hint: Seating configuration was 2-2 throughout the cabin except at the front of the airplane behind the flight deck and galley where the lounge you have mentioned was located. So we are looking for the total number of seats in the airplane to include the main cabin and the lounge.

And here's another hint: it was less than 100 seats.
Hmm... more than 60 but less than 100. Well now, assuming nobody steps up with the correct number of seats, that means I've got up to 39 chances to provide the correct answer. Trial and error will eventually pay off, so here goes with my first submission:

78 seats!
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Old Mar 8, 2016, 4:55 pm
  #8625  
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Originally Posted by jlemon
13. In 1968, Western Airlines operated a greater number of this aircraft type than any other in its fleet at the time. Name the airplane. And for bonus points, guess the total number of this jet type in the WA fleet at the end of 1968.
the 727-200 and 737-200 were just coming into the fleet in this time frame, so I'd suspect this was the 720B ... quantity perhaps 30
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