Old Timer's Airline Quiz and Discussion.
Dec 29, 2017, 1:38 pm
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12. Continental was granted CAB authority to directly serve Seattle and Portland in 1966. CO then began operating nonstop flights between one U.S. city and SEA and PDX with direct flights also operated via this city to other destinations in its route network. Identify the only U.S. city that had nonstop Continental service to Portland and Seattle at this time.
Ah, it was not Oklahoma City (OKC). However, you are getting closer. And the previous hint mentioned twice above is the word "Boeing".
Alright then - now inundated with clues, I think being close to OKC with an emphasis on Boeing, we're talking about Wichita - strange as that sounds, even were the flight to operate today. Assuming Wichita is correct, do you have any idea behind why this route was granted? Was it a Boeing executive and parts shuttle or some such?
Ah, it was not Oklahoma City (OKC). However, you are getting closer. And the previous hint mentioned twice above is the word "Boeing".
Alright then - now inundated with clues, I think being close to OKC with an emphasis on Boeing, we're talking about Wichita - strange as that sounds, even were the flight to operate today. Assuming Wichita is correct, do you have any idea behind why this route was granted? Was it a Boeing executive and parts shuttle or some such?
Here's what Continental stated in a print ad concerning the new routes and services:
Continental opens its "NW/SE territories"
"A recent route award has made it possible for us to add the states of Washington, Oregon and Louisiana to the Continental States of America. This means the present number of states in our country stands at twelve, instead of the previous nine.....and we are very excited about that. But the real story is even bigger. For the first time, the Pacific Northwest and the Gulf Coast have a direct jet connection.....no more plane changes. Continental Airlines now provides service between Seattle/Tacoma, Portland, Wichita, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Houston and New Orleans."
The CO print ad was accompanied by a route map. It appears new direct routes included SEA-ICT-OKC-MSY, SEA-ICT-TUL-HOU and SEA-PDX-ICT-HOU. Continental had previously served SEA and PDX via interchange flights. And the CO statement concerning "for the first time.... a direct jet connection" between SEA/PDX and the Gulf Coast wasn't completely true as Braniff and United were operating interchange service in 1966 with Boeing 720 equipment HOU-DAL-DEN-SEA and HOU-DAL-DEN-PDX-SEA.
Dec 29, 2017, 1:50 pm
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Crisp and very cool with brilliant sunshine here at the moment so perhaps I should engage in a bit of yard work while the weather holds.
Last edited by jlemon; Dec 29, 2017 at 1:56 pm
Dec 30, 2017, 7:52 am
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Here's a bonus quiz item:
In 1985, People Express was operating a non-hub route (meaning these flights did not originate, stop at or terminate at their Newark hub) between a destination in the northern U.S. and a destination in Florida. A daily round trip nonstop flight was operated on this route. Identify both of the served airports as well as the equipment flown on the service
Dec 30, 2017, 8:01 am
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3. This airline was operating a flight named the "The Irish Mercury" in 1949. The eastbound transatlantic service was flown was flown once a week and two stops were made en route between the originating city and the final destination. Identify the air carrier, the originating city, the two intermediate stops, the final destination and the aircraft. ANSWERED
14. Now it's the spring of 1968 and you are in New York City where you've just completed a project as a consultant. The phone rings and its your old sailing buddy. "Hey man, I'm in Aruba with my new catamaran! Come on down and we'll sail to Martinique!" Well, what the heck.....there's a flight which operates six days a week departing from JFK at 7:30 am arriving at AUA at 2:30 pm. Two stops are made en route. So you attempt to book a seat in first class only to be told the flight features an all coach cabin. No problem! Identify the air carrier, the two stops and the aircraft.
15. You are back in Hawaii in Honolulu in the summer of 1968 once again involved with project work. It's time for a long weekend break with friends at their beach house at Honoka'a on the windward side of the Big Island. You've found round trip service to and from the airport closest to your destination. You'll be on a nonstop from HNL and your return flight back to Honolulu will make one stop en route. Name the airport on the Big Island served by these flights, the airline, the stop on the return and the equipment operated on each flight.
17. Now it's 1969 and you need to travel from Los Angeles to Seattle for a lunch meeting. You've found a daily flight departing LAX at 7:00 am that will get you into SEA at 10:54 am. Two stops will be made en route. Name the airline, the two stops and the equipment. ANSWERED
19. In 1973 this airline was operating a direct flight from New York JFK to New York La Guardia six days a week with two stops being made en route. Identify the air carrier, the two stops in order and the aircraft. And here are some hints: this flight was not operated by a helicopter airline nor by a commuter air carrier.
20. How many Boeing 707-123B aircraft were being operated by American in late 1974?
21. In 1976 this airline was operating two aircraft types on shuttle flights between Trinidad (POS) and Tobago (TAB). Name the air carrier and both aircraft. ANSWERED
22. What was the primary purpose concerning a visit by the Concorde SST to Midland/Odessa (MAF) in late 1978? ANSWERED
24. In the summer of 1982 this airline was operating direct service from Grand Cayman (GCM) to Detroit (DTW) six days a week with two stops being made en route. Identify the air carrier, the two stops and the aircraft. ANSWERED
Last edited by jlemon; Jan 2, 2018 at 7:08 pm Reason: "answered" updates
Dec 30, 2017, 12:51 pm
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Good morning from latitude 65N. The thermometer on my porch reads -24F though last night's TV news advises that we're supposed to start warming up to the single digits (on the positive side) by early next week. Funny thing is - during a normal winter temperatures in the -20s would not be considered out of the ordinary but considering how warm this winter's been thus far, -20 is considered a cold snap. At least it's not windy, though a moose and calf have been spotted in the neighborhood. That's definitely something I wouldn't want to surprise should they be parked around the side of my cabin when I step outside.
22. What was the primary purpose concerning a visit by the Concorde SST to Midland/Odessa (MAF) in late 1978?
Braniff commenced interchange operations with AF and BA's Concordes between Washington Dulles and Dallas on January 12, 1979. I know because I was on that flight. Back then it was as simple as reading about it in the paper, calling Braniff and booking a seat, sold at the normal First Class fare. I suspect that given the timeline - late 1978 - BN/AF/BA may have been trying to promote this upcoming service.
24. In the summer of 1982 this airline was operating direct service from Grand Cayman (GCM) to Detroit (DTW) six days a week with two stops being made en route. Identify the air carrier, the two stops and the aircraft. Republic operating a DC-9-50 with a routing of GCM-MIA-___-DTW
There aren't a lot of other options geographically without going considerably out of the way. At this point, I reckon Atlanta makes as much sense as anywhere. ATL. There you go.
22. What was the primary purpose concerning a visit by the Concorde SST to Midland/Odessa (MAF) in late 1978?
Braniff commenced interchange operations with AF and BA's Concordes between Washington Dulles and Dallas on January 12, 1979. I know because I was on that flight. Back then it was as simple as reading about it in the paper, calling Braniff and booking a seat, sold at the normal First Class fare. I suspect that given the timeline - late 1978 - BN/AF/BA may have been trying to promote this upcoming service.
24. In the summer of 1982 this airline was operating direct service from Grand Cayman (GCM) to Detroit (DTW) six days a week with two stops being made en route. Identify the air carrier, the two stops and the aircraft. Republic operating a DC-9-50 with a routing of GCM-MIA-___-DTW
There aren't a lot of other options geographically without going considerably out of the way. At this point, I reckon Atlanta makes as much sense as anywhere. ATL. There you go.
Last edited by Seat 2A; Dec 30, 2017 at 1:06 pm
Dec 30, 2017, 1:48 pm
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Good morning from latitude 65N. The thermometer on my porch reads -24F though last night's TV news advises that we're supposed to start warming up to the single digits (on the positive side) by early next week. Funny thing is - during a normal winter temperatures in the -20s would not be considered out of the ordinary but considering how warm this winter's been thus far, -20 is considered a cold snap. At least it's not windy, though a moose and calf have been spotted in the neighborhood. That's definitely something I wouldn't want to surprise should they be parked around the side of my cabin when I step outside.
22. What was the primary purpose concerning a visit by the Concorde SST to Midland/Odessa (MAF) in late 1978?
Braniff commenced interchange operations with AF and BA's Concordes between Washington Dulles and Dallas on January 12, 1979. I know because I was on that flight. Back then it was as simple as reading about it in the paper, calling Braniff and booking a seat, sold at the normal First Class fare. I suspect that given the timeline - late 1978 - BN/AF/BA may have been trying to promote this upcoming service.
24. In the summer of 1982 this airline was operating direct service from Grand Cayman (GCM) to Detroit (DTW) six days a week with two stops being made en route. Identify the air carrier, the two stops and the aircraft. Republic operating a DC-9-50 with a routing of GCM-MIA-___-DTW
There aren't a lot of other options geographically without going considerably out of the way. At this point, I reckon Atlanta makes as much sense as anywhere. ATL. There you go.
22. What was the primary purpose concerning a visit by the Concorde SST to Midland/Odessa (MAF) in late 1978?
Braniff commenced interchange operations with AF and BA's Concordes between Washington Dulles and Dallas on January 12, 1979. I know because I was on that flight. Back then it was as simple as reading about it in the paper, calling Braniff and booking a seat, sold at the normal First Class fare. I suspect that given the timeline - late 1978 - BN/AF/BA may have been trying to promote this upcoming service.
24. In the summer of 1982 this airline was operating direct service from Grand Cayman (GCM) to Detroit (DTW) six days a week with two stops being made en route. Identify the air carrier, the two stops and the aircraft. Republic operating a DC-9-50 with a routing of GCM-MIA-___-DTW
There aren't a lot of other options geographically without going considerably out of the way. At this point, I reckon Atlanta makes as much sense as anywhere. ATL. There you go.
Concorde operations between DFW and IAD were flown by BN at subsonic speed, of course. However, legend has it that on the last Braniff operated flight, being BN 54 from Dallas/Fort Worth to Washington Dulles on May 31, 1980, Concorde was taken to Mach 1.1 with the blessing of an FAA inspector who was riding in the jump seat.
24. Correct! Here's the sched.....
RC 379: Grand Cayman (GCM) 2:20p - 4:34p Miami (MIA) 6:00p - 7:45p Atlanta (ATL) 8:40p - 10:16p Detroit (DTW)
Op: Daily except Saturdays
Equip: DC-9-50
Cabin service: Snack GCM-MIA, Dinner MIA-ATL
Dec 31, 2017, 2:28 pm
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17. Now it's 1969 and you need to travel from Los Angeles to Seattle for a lunch meeting. You've found a daily flight departing LAX at 7:00 am that will get you into SEA at 10:54 am. Two stops will be made en route. Name the airline, the two stops and the equipment.
This could be either United or Western... I reckon I'll go with United on the obvious routing for starters
UA LAX-SFO-PDX-SEA Douglas DC-8
This could be either United or Western... I reckon I'll go with United on the obvious routing for starters
UA LAX-SFO-PDX-SEA Douglas DC-8
Dec 31, 2017, 4:11 pm
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17. Now it's 1969 and you need to travel from Los Angeles to Seattle for a lunch meeting. You've found a daily flight departing LAX at 7:00 am that will get you into SEA at 10:54 am. Two stops will be made en route. Name the airline, the two stops and the equipment.
This could be either United or Western... I reckon I'll go with United on the obvious routing for starters
UA LAX-SFO-PDX-SEA Douglas DC-8
This could be either United or Western... I reckon I'll go with United on the obvious routing for starters
UA LAX-SFO-PDX-SEA Douglas DC-8
And the 11-4 N.O. Saints continue to get a run for their money against the 4-11 Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the third quarter now underway....
Plus, a quick LFT WX report.....an Arctic cold front has now invaded south Louisiana and we may see 19 degrees F by dawn tomorrow on New Years Day.
Dec 31, 2017, 6:50 pm
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17. Now it's 1969 and you need to travel from Los Angeles to Seattle for a lunch meeting. You've found a daily flight departing LAX at 7:00 am that will get you into SEA at 10:54 am. Two stops will be made en route. Name the airline, the two stops and the equipment.
Hmm... so we know it's United and that it's a DC-8 of some type. Well I reckon you might not have differentiated on the DC-8 model unless it was a -61, so lets go with the D8S. We've got 3:54 to get up to Seattle with two stops averaging 35-40 minutes each I should imagine. That leaves 2:44 to 2:54 flying time - not much time for 2 stops if the routing isn't almost a straight line. In 1976 I flew a stretch 8 LAX-FAT-SFO. Let's stick with that continuing on to Seattle, i.e. LAX-FAT-SFO-SEA
BTW, it's warmed up to 4F here. It ought to be a good night to go out an watch the New Year's Sparktacular over below the university.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
Hmm... so we know it's United and that it's a DC-8 of some type. Well I reckon you might not have differentiated on the DC-8 model unless it was a -61, so lets go with the D8S. We've got 3:54 to get up to Seattle with two stops averaging 35-40 minutes each I should imagine. That leaves 2:44 to 2:54 flying time - not much time for 2 stops if the routing isn't almost a straight line. In 1976 I flew a stretch 8 LAX-FAT-SFO. Let's stick with that continuing on to Seattle, i.e. LAX-FAT-SFO-SEA
BTW, it's warmed up to 4F here. It ought to be a good night to go out an watch the New Year's Sparktacular over below the university.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
Dec 31, 2017, 7:08 pm
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17. Now it's 1969 and you need to travel from Los Angeles to Seattle for a lunch meeting. You've found a daily flight departing LAX at 7:00 am that will get you into SEA at 10:54 am. Two stops will be made en route. Name the airline, the two stops and the equipment.
Hmm... so we know it's United and that it's a DC-8 of some type. Well I reckon you might not have differentiated on the DC-8 model unless it was a -61, so lets go with the D8S. We've got 3:54 to get up to Seattle with two stops averaging 35-40 minutes each I should imagine. That leaves 2:44 to 2:54 flying time - not much time for 2 stops if the routing isn't almost a straight line. In 1976 I flew a stretch 8 LAX-FAT-SFO. Let's stick with that continuing on to Seattle, i.e. LAX-FAT-SFO-SEA
BTW, it's warmed up to 4F here. It ought to be a good night to go out an watch the New Year's Sparktacular over below the university.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
Hmm... so we know it's United and that it's a DC-8 of some type. Well I reckon you might not have differentiated on the DC-8 model unless it was a -61, so lets go with the D8S. We've got 3:54 to get up to Seattle with two stops averaging 35-40 minutes each I should imagine. That leaves 2:44 to 2:54 flying time - not much time for 2 stops if the routing isn't almost a straight line. In 1976 I flew a stretch 8 LAX-FAT-SFO. Let's stick with that continuing on to Seattle, i.e. LAX-FAT-SFO-SEA
BTW, it's warmed up to 4F here. It ought to be a good night to go out an watch the New Year's Sparktacular over below the university.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
Jan 1, 2018, 1:18 pm
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17. Now it's 1969 and you need to travel from Los Angeles to Seattle for a lunch meeting. You've found a daily flight departing LAX at 7:00 am that will get you into SEA at 10:54 am. Two stops will be made en route. Name the airline, the two stops and the equipment.
Hmm... so we know it's United and that it's a DC-8 of some type. Well I reckon you might not have differentiated on the DC-8 model unless it was a -61, so lets go with the D8S. We've got 3:54 to get up to Seattle with two stops averaging 35-40 minutes each I should imagine. That leaves 2:44 to 2:54 flying time - not much time for 2 stops if the routing isn't almost a straight line. In 1976 I flew a stretch 8 LAX-FAT-SFO. Let's stick with that continuing on to Seattle, i.e. LAX-FAT-SFO-SEA
BTW, it's warmed up to 4F here. It ought to be a good night to go out an watch the New Year's Sparktacular over below the university.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
Hmm... so we know it's United and that it's a DC-8 of some type. Well I reckon you might not have differentiated on the DC-8 model unless it was a -61, so lets go with the D8S. We've got 3:54 to get up to Seattle with two stops averaging 35-40 minutes each I should imagine. That leaves 2:44 to 2:54 flying time - not much time for 2 stops if the routing isn't almost a straight line. In 1976 I flew a stretch 8 LAX-FAT-SFO. Let's stick with that continuing on to Seattle, i.e. LAX-FAT-SFO-SEA
BTW, it's warmed up to 4F here. It ought to be a good night to go out an watch the New Year's Sparktacular over below the university.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
:-: Happy New Year to All! :-:
Jan 1, 2018, 1:43 pm
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3. This airline was operating a flight named the "The Irish Mercury" in 1949. The eastbound transatlantic service was flown was flown once a week and two stops were made en route between the originating city and the final destination. Identify the air carrier, the originating city, the two intermediate stops, the final destination and the aircraft.
I'll get this one started with a total shot in the dark. First off, when I think of the term "Mercury", I think of American Airlines' DC-6 transcon services, but since you say it was a trans-Atlantic flight then ah'mon figure it must've been a service to Ireland. Let's stick with American Airlines' overseas division - American Overseas Airlines - operating a Constellation New York - Boston - Gander - Shannon.
I'll get this one started with a total shot in the dark. First off, when I think of the term "Mercury", I think of American Airlines' DC-6 transcon services, but since you say it was a trans-Atlantic flight then ah'mon figure it must've been a service to Ireland. Let's stick with American Airlines' overseas division - American Overseas Airlines - operating a Constellation New York - Boston - Gander - Shannon.
Jan 1, 2018, 1:45 pm
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UA 144: Los Angeles (LAX) 7:00a - 8:01a Oakland (OAK) 8:30a - 9:51a Portland (PDX) 10:20a - 10:54a Seattle (SEA)
Op: Daily
Service classes: F/K LAX-OAK, F/Y OAK-SEA
Meal: Breakfast OAK-PDX
Equip: Super DC-8
Jan 1, 2018, 7:19 pm
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This inspires a little bonus question. That's a fair span of points along the way on that 1949 trip [Santiago, Chile to London]. So, in 1949, who was the principal carrier you would see, in terms of number of flights per week, at each of those points along the way.
Originally Posted by jlemon
I'll kick this one off....
* Santiago - Linea Aeria Nacional (LAN) Chile
* Buenos Aires - Flota Aerea Mercante Argentina (FAMA)
* Montevideo - Aviacion Del Litoral Fluvial (ALFA)
* Sao Paulo - Viacao Aerea Sao Paulo (VASP)
* Natal - Panair do Brasil S.A. (PAB)
* Santiago - Linea Aeria Nacional (LAN) Chile
* Buenos Aires - Flota Aerea Mercante Argentina (FAMA)
* Montevideo - Aviacion Del Litoral Fluvial (ALFA)
* Sao Paulo - Viacao Aerea Sao Paulo (VASP)
* Natal - Panair do Brasil S.A. (PAB)
I promised (I think) some commentary on this, so here’s a first bit.
* Santiago -
Linea Aeria Nacional (LAN) Chile
LAN Chile was indeed the principal operator in 1949, although local flights only with DC3s and pre-war Lockheeds. Chile is a thin and (very) long country with poor land communications, well suited to domestic air services. Beyond this, US airline Panagra was the main international carrier, one or two flights a day by DC-6 to Buenos Aires, and the same in the opposite direction right up the west coast of South America to Panama and Miami. Quite an amount of Panagra’s business came from journeys within South America. There were, in 1949, just a small scattering of other operators. BSAA had two separate routes to London, one over to Buenos Aires and then across the South Atlantic, as described, the other up the west coast to the Caribbean, and on from there, or sometimes just connecting onto BOAC.
BSAA had one of aviation’s big mysteries in 1947 on the Buenos Aires to Santiago sector, where an Avro York completely disappeared, after repeatedly sending a bizarre Morse message. Look up “Stendec” for more. The quite short route is not at all suitable for an unpressurised aircraft like the York, needing to climb to at least 20,000 feet to clear the mountains. Flying it all the way to London must have been a huge challenge. The wreckage of the York was finally discovered embedded in an Andes glacier in 2000, quite a lot was preserved, the bodies were identifiable, and a tyre was even still inflated. Good old British tyre valves !
BSAA was an extraordinary operation, led by the former head or the RAF Pathfinder bombers, DCT Bennett, who brought his “press on” style, and indeed his old aircraft, marginally converted, with him. Neither were suited to airline operation at all. For a carrier who only ever had a handful of flights a week, BSAA had no less than three which completely vanished without trace, the York and two newer Avro Tudors somehow lost mid-Atlantic. Bennett (inevitably) managed to make the news with the first ever flight out of Heathrow, January 1 1946, on a proving flight all the way to Santiago, which as ever he commanded personally, just as he did the separate sets of search flights that went to look for their vanished aircraft. BSAA was merged into BOAC by the UK government, who owned both airlines, later in 1949. Best known of their crews nowadays is Richard Branson’s mother, who was a stewardess with them. On the first ever Virgin Atlantic 747 to New York, she dug out her old BSAA uniform from the back of the cupboard.
* Buenos Aires - Flota Aerea Mercante Argentina (FAMA)
Through the first half of the 20th century Argentina was quite a significant emigration point from the UK. If you didn’t fancy Australia or South Africa, Argentina was often next choice. The various communities have since then slowly merged in over time into the rest of the country.Argentina had a series of independent airlines in 1949, which were compulsorily nationalised mid-year into one by autocratic president Juan Peron. Real pioneer Aeroposta Argentina from the 1920s had been once managed by classic aviation author Antoine de Saint Expury and features in his classic aviation books https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_de_Saint-Exup%C3%A9ry but their long-line routes right down to Cape Horn , only left a couple of times a day, government subsidised via post office contracts. They were however the favourite of Peron, who renamed them Aerolineas Argentinas, and then merged the others into it.
The principal operator was an airline probably few will have heard of, called Zonda, who had quite a large DC3 fleet and more departures from BA than all the rest added together. Local flights only. They had quite a parade of early morning departures fanning out across the country. Longer haul flights were by the aforementioned FAMA, but they had just a few flights a week, and a handful of DC-6 and DC-4 to run them. They did get as far as Madrid once a week. FAMA had a liking for British Avro aircraft, they had run immediate postwar Lancastrians, they had Yorks, and had ordered the Tudor, which were never delivered.
Separately to the airport, over in the River Plate estuary in 1949 was the most substantial big flying boat operation outside what BOAC and its partners were still doing, using the same British-built Short Sandringham aircraft. These had originally been bought by a carrier called Dodero, who soon changed their name to Alfa, and eventually got rolled up into Aerolineas Argentinas. The flying boats carried on through all these name changes, and into the 1960s, they even bough secondhand ones from other operations which had come to an end. There was a high frequency shuttle across to Montevideo in Uruguay (see below), about 100 miles, and lengthy all-day runs up the River Plate right into Paraguay.
If you want to know just how I know all this detail, a substantial bit of research from a while ago was shamelessly plagiarised and scanned in by an Argentinian website. Well, now we can all read it.
http://www.histarmar.com.ar/AVIACION/SundringhamsAA/LadiesoftheRiverPlate.htm
I’m always reminded, on hearing about this operation, about Graham Greene’s novel (and a movie, Michael Caine, Richard Gere) “The Honorary Consul”, set in Corrientes, one of the upriver city flying boat stops. It has the usual Greene collection of seedy has-been British overseas expats, only the arms dealer seems to be missing. The old flying boats would have fitted perfectly into the atmosphere.
on to Montevideo, capital of Uruguay
* Montevideo
- Aviacion Del Litoral Fluvial (ALFA)
Regarded as a minor point nowadays, it is noteworthy that all of the European airlines from Buenos Aires in 1949 stopped there. Uruguay had prospered in WW2 and after, sending vast quantities of food, particularly chilled meat, to Europe. It was a significant UK commercial point. Main national operator here was, as for years afterwards, Causa, but I’m afraid you wouldn’t see them at the airport. They also had the big Short Sandringham flying boats, and shared the route to Buenos Aires with Alfa from Argentina. There appears no landplane airline based in Uruguay at the time. At the airport, principal operator was actually Pan Am, it was the final stop heading south to Argentina, and they did twice daily runs south to BA and north to New York (not Miami, they went via San Juan). A couple of Brazilian carriers came through a few times a week, but Pan Am seems to have scooped most of the traffic.
Jan 2, 2018, 3:28 am
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... and a Happy New Year to both contributors and readers here. It was good to see on New Year's Day that at London City airport Cityjet's BAe 146/RJs continue to roll in and out among the damp, greyness and low cloud here, Another year for them, hopefully. In passing, the brand new Bombardier C-series that Swiss now run into here are the quietest at the airport. They have a notable low howl on departure which means I can, just, identify them, even from inside the house.
I think this refers to Trinidad & Tobago Air Service (TTAS), government-owned despite the Trinidad government already owning BWIA. They set out to connect the two namesake islands of the territory, but extended elsewhere as well. I think 1976 was their first year, in which case they had a hotch-potch of a leased Finnair DC9-50, and a couple of DC-6Bs, no less, taken from the Miami charter pool. Must have been one of the last passenger services that a DC-6 started. They then ordered no less than 7 brand new Hawker 748s, delivered a year or two later, which while a more appropriate aircraft for the short shuttle flight were surely beyond the capacity required. A further short while, some of the 748s leased out elsewhere, and within a year or two the operation was folded into BWIA, who carried on with the 748 fleet for quite some time.
I think this refers to Trinidad & Tobago Air Service (TTAS), government-owned despite the Trinidad government already owning BWIA. They set out to connect the two namesake islands of the territory, but extended elsewhere as well. I think 1976 was their first year, in which case they had a hotch-potch of a leased Finnair DC9-50, and a couple of DC-6Bs, no less, taken from the Miami charter pool. Must have been one of the last passenger services that a DC-6 started. They then ordered no less than 7 brand new Hawker 748s, delivered a year or two later, which while a more appropriate aircraft for the short shuttle flight were surely beyond the capacity required. A further short while, some of the 748s leased out elsewhere, and within a year or two the operation was folded into BWIA, who carried on with the 748 fleet for quite some time.