Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Travel&Dining > TravelBuzz
Reload this Page >

Old Timer's Airline Quiz and Discussion.

Community
Wiki Posts
Search

Old Timer's Airline Quiz and Discussion.

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jul 22, 2012, 12:33 pm
  #1411  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: LFT
Programs: AA Plat, lots of AA, AS, DL, UA miles, former top level CO Elite (sigh...)
Posts: 10,795
Originally Posted by Seat 2A
I would, but it's 120 miles up the road back home outside Fairbanks. I'll publish it as soon as I get home on Tuesday night. Then it's off to Barrow the next morning...
Roger that and thanks! I'm curious if BWIA flew a milk run routing via various points in the Caribbean with the B727 that served GCM.

I'm also looking forward to my upcoming trip LFT-IAH-DEN-FAI in less than two weeks now! Upgrades have been procured and UA Club passes are in hand! This will be my first trip back to Alaska in quite some time.....
jlemon is offline  
Old Jul 22, 2012, 1:08 pm
  #1412  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New Orleans
Programs: UA life gold, UA/CO life Presidents/United Club since 1965; Marriott life titanium, HH diamond
Posts: 597
Originally Posted by Seat 2A
9. You were such a hit at the wine tasting in Valparaiso that you’ve been invited to another wine tasting two days later in South Africa. Only one airline flies from South America to Johannesburg. Name the city must you depart from along with the airline and aircraft you'd be flying to Johannesburg.

10. Things became a bit blurry after that eighth bottle of delicious South African Cabernet Sauvignon – so blurry in fact that you’ve woken up in Dakar, Senegal with no idea how you got there! Well, whatever – you’ve now got to find some headache powders and figure out how to get to New York. Pan American offers three weekly nonstops but despite your hangover, you're feeling a bit adventurous and so look for another more exotic option. Only one other airline – an African airline – offers nonstop service to JFK aboard a leased 707. Which airline is this?
9. Likely to be SA -- although Varig is a possibility. And although at present SA has daily service from GRU to JNB, I'm pretty sure it was GIG-JNB back then, probably DC-8.

10. I finally found an Air Afrique (RK) timetable from about that time which shows a weekly nonstop to New York from Dakar using a Boeing 707.
miniliq is offline  
Old Jul 22, 2012, 10:40 pm
  #1413  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,148
Originally Posted by miniliq
9. Likely to be SA -- although Varig is a possibility. And although at present SA has daily service from GRU to JNB, I'm pretty sure it was GIG-JNB back then, probably DC-8.

South African used to route New York to Johannesburg one day a week via Rio de Janeiro. So far as I know, SAA has never operated a DC-8 - even as a cargo aircraft - but they've definitely operated a few 707-344s which was the aircraft type indicated per the 11/1/1969 schedule.

10. I finally found an Air Afrique (RK) timetable from about that time which shows a weekly nonstop to New York from Dakar using a Boeing 707.

Air Afrique would be correct! They leased a variety of 707s from Air France for this service, even though they already owned and operated a pair of DC-8s which likely were engaged on routes between West Africa and Europe.
Seat 2A is offline  
Old Jul 23, 2012, 9:21 am
  #1414  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: LFT
Programs: AA Plat, lots of AA, AS, DL, UA miles, former top level CO Elite (sigh...)
Posts: 10,795
Seat 2A: The following questions are all based upon schedules published in the November 1st, 1969 International edition of the OAG. The first 747 flight is still two months away, but there are plenty of fine old and not so old aircraft still flying into and out of North America. Here are a few questions to test your memory and/or knowledge of those “good old days”.

1. Pals have called on you to join them scuba diving in British Honduras. It so happens that you're in Miami, just a short flight away. You have a choice of two airlines offering nonstop service to Belize City. One of them operates an Electra, your favorite prop. Which airline would this be
?

1. I'm going to go with TAN Airlines operating the Lockheed L-188 Electra. I think the routing was MIA-BZE-SAP-TGU.

I believe TAN also operated BAC One-Eleven equipment back then; however, the Electra was used for the BZE service.
jlemon is offline  
Old Jul 23, 2012, 10:32 am
  #1415  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,148
Originally Posted by jlemon
1. Pals have called on you to join them scuba diving in British Honduras. It so happens that you're in Miami, just a short flight away. You have a choice of two airlines offering nonstop service to Belize City. One of them operates an Electra, your favorite prop. Which airline would this be?

1. I'm going to go with TAN Airlines operating the Lockheed L-188 Electra. I think the routing was MIA-BZE-SAP-TGU.

Good call, jlemon! TAN it was!
Seat 2A is offline  
Old Jul 24, 2012, 7:18 am
  #1416  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New Orleans
Programs: UA life gold, UA/CO life Presidents/United Club since 1965; Marriott life titanium, HH diamond
Posts: 597
Originally Posted by Seat 2A
4. You’ve taken a train down to rainy Frankfurt and now need to fly from there to sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico. This airline offers the only direct flight with stops in Paris and Madrid. What airline is it? What kind of airplane will you be flying upon?
I was sure this would be Iberia, but although they did offer nonstop service MAD-SJU I couldn't find any direct flights from FRA. After a bit of digging I found an Avianca timetable from 1964 that showed a direct flight FRA-MAD-LIS-SJU using a Boeing 720 (according to rzjets AV purchased two in 1961) -- so I'll go with that. But I was under the impression that the 720 wasn't really long-haul equipment -- perhaps they switched to 707s by 1969 -- they had two 707s under lease in the mid-60s.
miniliq is offline  
Old Jul 24, 2012, 10:22 am
  #1417  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,148
Originally Posted by miniliq
I was sure this would be Iberia, but although they did offer nonstop service MAD-SJU I couldn't find any direct flights from FRA. After a bit of digging I found an Avianca timetable from 1964 that showed a direct flight FRA-MAD-LIS-SJU using a Boeing 720 (according to rzjets AV purchased two in 1961) -- so I'll go with that. But I was under the impression that the 720 wasn't really long-haul equipment -- perhaps they switched to 707s by 1969 -- they had two 707s under lease in the mid-60s.
Excellent research, miniliq! It was indeed AVIANCA and per the 11/1/1969 OAG the aircraft used was a 707, assumedly the -359B.

As to the 720B being used on the FRA-MAD-LIS-SJU-BOG route, I checked the mileage on the LIS-SJU route and came up with 3660 statute miles. That would be quite a stretch for an aircraft sporting a range with maximum payload of 3680nm or 4230sm, but apparently doable. I don't know how much extra fuel airlines were required to carry on long trans-oceanic flights back then but unlike fellow 720 operator Aer Lingus' 3010 mile run between Shannon and New York that allowed for enroute stops if need be at Reykjavik or Gander, there wouldn't have been many places for AVIANCA's 720B to stop once out past the Canary Islands.

Last edited by Seat 2A; Jul 25, 2012 at 6:15 pm
Seat 2A is offline  
Old Jul 25, 2012, 6:27 pm
  #1418  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,148
3. Your journey from New Orleans to New York is aboard the Southern Railways’ crack streamliner “The Crescent”. Disembarking at New York’s Penn Station, you catch the Carey Transportation bus to Kennedy Airport for your flight to Dusseldorf, Germany. When booking this ticket, you specified that you wanted either a nonstop or a direct flight – no connections. The obvious choice, Lufthansa, offers only connections. Only one airline offers a three times weekly one stop flight. Which airline is it?

This one's gone unanswered long enough that I reckon it's time for me to provide the answer:

The airline and aircraft was a Pan American 707. The flight routing was PA 78: JFK-SNN-DUS-TXL.

By the way jlemon, in response to your request about the complete BWIA flight routing through GCM, here it is:

BW 400: POS-BDI-SJU-KIN-GCM-MIA

BW 402: POS-UVF-SJU-KIN-GCM-MIA
Seat 2A is offline  
Old Jul 25, 2012, 7:15 pm
  #1419  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: LFT
Programs: AA Plat, lots of AA, AS, DL, UA miles, former top level CO Elite (sigh...)
Posts: 10,795
Originally Posted by Seat 2A
3. Your journey from New Orleans to New York is aboard the Southern Railways’ crack streamliner “The Crescent”. Disembarking at New York’s Penn Station, you catch the Carey Transportation bus to Kennedy Airport for your flight to Dusseldorf, Germany. When booking this ticket, you specified that you wanted either a nonstop or a direct flight – no connections. The obvious choice, Lufthansa, offers only connections. Only one airline offers a three times weekly one stop flight. Which airline is it?

This one's gone unanswered long enough that I reckon it's time for me to provide the answer:

The airline and aircraft was a Pan American 707. The flight routing was PA 78: JFK-SNN-DUS-TXL.

By the way jlemon, in response to your request about the complete BWIA flight routing through GCM, here it is:

BW 400: POS-BDI-SJU-KIN-GCM-MIA

BW 402: POS-UVF-SJU-KIN-GCM-MIA
Many thanks, Seat 2A! Although I think you really meant BGI for Barbados rather than BDI!

I would have loved to have boarded BWIA's B727 in F in Port of Spain on a beautiful day and then traveled to Miami via either routing. The islands of the Caribbean are lovely sight to see, especially when viewed from the air.....or from a sailboat, too! :-:

Meantime, I'm working on a whole new set questions and shall submit them this weekend......
jlemon is offline  
Old Jul 25, 2012, 11:38 pm
  #1420  
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: London, England.
Programs: BA
Posts: 8,476
Just back from hols (but for the return flight !)

Originally Posted by Seat 2A
It was indeed AVIANCA and per the 11/1/1969 OAG the aircraft used was a 707, assumedly the -359B.

As to the 720B being used on the FRA-MAD-LIS-SJU-BOG route, I checked the mileage on the LIS-SJU route and came up with 3660 statute miles. That would be quite a stretch for an aircraft sporting a range with maximum payload of 3680nm or 4230sm, but apparently doable........ I don't know how much extra fuel airlines were required to carry on long trans-oceanic flights back then but unlike fellow 720 operator Aer Lingus' 3010 mile run between Shannon and New York that allowed for enroute stops if need be at Reykjavik or Gander, there wouldn't have been many places for AVIANCA's 720B to stop once out past the Canary Islands.
Avianca did use their 720Bs extensively to Europe, here's a shot of one in Paris at the time.

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Avian...cd0b8e077c7aa9

The route from Lisbon to San Juan is well north of the Canaries, but passes pretty much directly over the Azores, where there are multiple airports providing trans-oceanic facilities, if you need them, as indeed they have done way back to WW2 times. It's just 2,416 nm from Santa Maria in the Azores to San Juan (only 1,961 nm transoceanic if you then route via Bermuda), and 3,184 nm from Lisbon nonstop through to Puerto Rico. The 720B was way more capable than Aer Lingus' original 720 aircraft.

http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=LIS-SMA-SJU&MS=wls&DU=nm
WHBM is offline  
Old Jul 26, 2012, 2:52 am
  #1421  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,148
Originally Posted by WHBM
The route from Lisbon to San Juan is well north of the Canaries, but passes pretty much directly over the Azores, where there are multiple airports providing trans-oceanic facilities, if you need them, as indeed they have done way back to WW2 times. It's just 2,416 nm from Santa Maria in the Azores to San Juan (only 1,961 nm transoceanic if you then route via Bermuda), and 3,184 nm from Lisbon nonstop through to Puerto Rico. The 720B was way more capable than Aer Lingus' original 720 aircraft.

http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=LIS-SMA-SJU&MS=wls&DU=nm
Welcome home, WHBM, and thank you for the excellent information posted above. I had mistakenly thought that the Azores were a bit closer to the Iberian peninsula. Thanks for the correction via the map link. Any idea whether or not Aer Lingus had to pull into Gander or Reykjavik very often when using those pure jet 720-048s on westbound flights?

Also jlemon, regarding the airport code BDI, that is indeed what was listed in the 1969 OAG as the airport code for Seawell International Airport in Barbados. The current Grantley Adams International Airport is indeed BGI while BDI is now used for the airport on Bird Island, Seychelles.
Seat 2A is offline  
Old Jul 26, 2012, 3:59 am
  #1422  
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: London, England.
Programs: BA
Posts: 8,476
Originally Posted by Seat 2A
Any idea whether or not Aer Lingus had to pull into Gander or Reykjavik very often when using those pure jet 720-048s on westbound flights?.
I never heard of this happening at all. If they did have to pull in on the way to New York they would more likely use Boston, where Aer Lingus had a service right from the start of their jet operations. Such restrictions generally arise on departures from hot-and-high places. I can assure you that Shannon never falls into either category !

I only ever saw an Aer Lingus 720 once, in the most unlikely location of Bristol airport, in the south-west of England. Now the Aer Lingus service from Dublin to Bristol in the 1960s was a very thin route, often not even daily in winter, and the inbound Viscount was about two hours late (I was waiting for something else but was interested to see what was happening), and in came a 720 with perhaps a half-Viscount load of passengers, maybe about 30 in all, easily counted as they disembarked down open stairs. Bristol's runway was not the longest (still isn't), but such a featherweight passenger and fuel load was no problem - although it doubtless was a problem for the commercial team calculating how much money was lost on such an equipment substitution.

Meanwhile, regarding our recent holiday, where on the Mediterranean, just two days ago, can you lie on a pleasant beach, complete with great restaurant and bar, hop into the sea once in a while, snooze in the sun in the afternoon breeze under the parasol, and fall into a dream about DC3s passing in front of you, when the noise became somewhat loud, woke me up, and that IS a DC3, departing from an airfield a few miles to my left and climbing out over the bay right in front of me. Mrs WHBM is still laughing at how I just woke up instantly at the sound of it ! Anyone like to guess where this happened, and which airline (no longer in business) it has the colours of ?
WHBM is offline  
Old Jul 26, 2012, 3:54 pm
  #1423  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: LFT
Programs: AA Plat, lots of AA, AS, DL, UA miles, former top level CO Elite (sigh...)
Posts: 10,795
Also jlemon, regarding the airport code BDI, that is indeed what was listed in the 1969 OAG as the airport code for Seawell International Airport in Barbados. The current Grantley Adams International Airport is indeed BGI while BDI is now used for the airport on Bird Island, Seychelles.

One learns something new every day!

And that engenders a couple of questions: what was three letter code for Idlewild Airport before it became JFK and how did Idlewild Airport get its name in the first place?
jlemon is offline  
Old Jul 26, 2012, 4:26 pm
  #1424  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,148
I seem to remember once reading something about the airport being built on land that once belonged to an Idlewild golf course. Even so, I used to have a postcard where the airport is shown as New York International Airport. Strictly a guess here as to the code, but how about IDL? It makes as much sense as anything to me...
Seat 2A is offline  
Old Jul 26, 2012, 6:53 pm
  #1425  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New Orleans
Programs: UA life gold, UA/CO life Presidents/United Club since 1965; Marriott life titanium, HH diamond
Posts: 597
Originally Posted by WHBM
Meanwhile, regarding our recent holiday, where on the Mediterranean, just two days ago, can you lie on a pleasant beach, complete with great restaurant and bar, hop into the sea once in a while, snooze in the sun in the afternoon breeze under the parasol, and fall into a dream about DC3s passing in front of you, when the noise became somewhat loud, woke me up, and that IS a DC3, departing from an airfield a few miles to my left and climbing out over the bay right in front of me. Mrs WHBM is still laughing at how I just woke up instantly at the sound of it ! Anyone like to guess where this happened, and which airline (no longer in business) it has the colours of ?
OK, I really had to dig to try even a partial answer -- I think it's HB-ISC http://http://www.sr692.com/fleet/12_dc3/isc3.jpgwith Swissair livery -- operated by either Classic Air or JU-Air on a charter. But where were you? Wild guess Majorca, a good charter destination -- but then so is most of southern Spain and Portugal, so I'm probably way off base.

Last edited by miniliq; Jul 26, 2012 at 6:56 pm Reason: add link to photo
miniliq is offline  


Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.