st1575

6A. 16
6B. 135
6C. 184
6D. Super Coach

Seat 2A

14. What U.S. based airline operated "Red, White & Blue" service? Also explain what each color referred to in order to provide a complete answer.

I'm going to go with United. I was flying UA back in those days and as I recall red was First Class, white was like an enhanced Economy Class with 2-3 seating and blue was regular Economy. Of course I could be wrong but I believe this configuration/service was limited to United's DC-8 flights.

4. How many Boeing 747 aircraft was Continental operating in 1972?

I'm thinking it was four - unless they hadn't taken delivery of them all yet. My first 747 flight came aboard a CO bird almost 46 years ago - CO 615 on 6/15/71 ORD-DEN

jlemon

18. Correct!

19. It was more than five.

20. This from the 1970 United annual report: "During the nine years of service on eastern and southeastern route segments, these French-built aircraft established an impressive record of safety and dependability."

jlemon

2. I was actually looking for just one airline here and Alia Royal Jordanian (RJ) is correct! Alia was flying Caravelle 10R service twice a week nonstop between Amman and Jeddah at this time with the aircraft being operated in an all coach configuration.

13. I do not believe Cayman Airways ever served New Orleans, at least on a scheduled basis, although they did operate the series 500 One-Eleven into Houston Intercontinental at one point (and I believe Seat 2A may have taken this flight back in the day). As for Lacsa, we are actually looking for another airline here. So please guess again, sir!

jlemon

6. Correct on all counts! BTW, the seating config on TWA's Boeing 707-131 aircraft at this time was 16 in first and 125 in coach.

jlemon

4. Correct!

14. Ah, Seat 2A.....and, of course, you could also be correct! On the DC-8, there were 20 Red Carpet First Class (Red) seats in 2-2 config, 35 Standard (White) seats in 2-3 config and 57 Coach (Blue) seats in 3-3 config. At this time in 1964, United was operating Red, White and Blue transcon service nonstop between New York and Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle, between Baltimore and Los Angeles and San Francisco, and between Philadelphia and Los Angeles and San Francisco. Six course meals were served in Red Carpet First Class and four course meals were served in Standard. Sample one way fares from New York to Los Angeles were $160.90 plus tax for First/Red, $150.40 plus tax for Standard/White and $145.10 plus tax for Coach/Blue.

jrl767

how about TACA?

and wrt 6C/6D -- I flew on N28728 in "Super Coach" configuration, SFO-ORD redeye, in Sep 1981; I remember a very impressive light show off to the north as we flew over Wyoming

jlemon

13. An excellent guess and I remember seeing TACA operated BAC One-Eleven aircraft at New Orleans back in the day. However, they were shorter fuselage series 400 aircraft. So please guess again!

WHBM

Last guess - Aviateca, from Guatemala City.

jlemon

13. And your last guess is......correct!

In 1974, Aviateca was operated the stretched BAC One-Eleven series 500 on nonstop service from New Orleans to Merida three days a week with these flights then continuing on to Guatemala City. Aviateca (GU) was also operating "Equipo JET BAC 1-11 500" service between Guatemala City and Miami, Mexico City, San Pedro Sula, San Salvador and San Jose, Costa Rica at this time.

WHBM

BAC had some good success with the One-Eleven across the Caribbean and Latin America, most of the small carriers from Central America took it, and there was an amount of sharing of aircraft, dual titles, and secondhand transactions between them. During the UK winter Court Line, the colourful holiday flight operator, even used to hire an aircraft for a few months while the resident fleet went back for major overhauls. Aviateca had one of Court's orange ones in winter 1971-72. I wonder if it ever made it to New Orleans.

The BAC Americas chief salesman, he was one of their former and quite prominent test pilots, moved the BAC sales office from New York City to Miami about 1969. I suppose we could make a Bonus Question from that. What is the shortest way from New York to Miami for him, using ONLY scheduled BAC-built aircraft ?

Seat 2A

7. It's 1981 and you are in Stamford, Connecticut. Your friends have invited you to a big sailboat party on Friday evening in Freeport, Bahamas and you are planning to attend. You've ascertained that a nearby airport has a direct flight departing on Friday morning at 7:45 am that will get you into Freeport at 1:20 pm - plenty of time to make the party. This flight makes two intermediate stops en route. Identify the airport you'll be departing from, the airline, the two stops in the order in which they will be made and the equipment.

Wild guess here, because I'm thinking their service into this Connecticut airport might have been in the 60s and 70s, but let's go with Eastern Airlines operating a DC-9-30 routing New Haven-Washington DCA-Miami-Freeport.

By the way, a tip of the cap to jlemon for the fine batch of new questions he just submitted. Thanks, JL! ^

jlemon

7. A great guess! However, the originating airport was not New Haven, the airline was not Eastern and the equipment wasn't a DC-9-30. On the plus side, you have correctly guessed the two intermediate stops in order: DCA and MIA. Care to have another go, sir?

jlemon

Ah, I think you may be referring to TG-AZA which I believe was a series 527 model. I do not know if it ever made it to New Orleans but there is a photo of this aircraft which was taken at Miami on airliners.net and the Court Line paint scheme appears to be very much in evidence.

GateHold

Too many questions, man. Cull this list to 25 or so, and it'd be fun.