Old Timer's Airline Quiz and Discussion.
Mar 22, 2018, 10:36 am
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
Greetings from Geneva where I'm waiting for a delayed Jet2 757 to take me to Leeds. Things I/we do for a crazy day out.
If I recall, isn't Jet2 based out of Leeds? I remember once considering a flight from Portugal back up to the UK with them but ended up going with Monarch instead. Great service - crazy tight seating, though, like our Spirit Airlines. Maybe a 29" pitch. I should imagine Jet2 is not much different if it follows the European ULCC model. Here's hoping you got an exit row seat!
I'm not sure HP flew to SAT then. If they did, I would surely have flown there. I had a much longer road trip, so please try again for my destination.
A much longer road trip, eh? I can't imagine HP flew to too many Texas cities back then, so I'll assume we're talking about either Dallas or Houston. Let's go with Houston. The aircraft might've been a 737-300.
If I recall, isn't Jet2 based out of Leeds? I remember once considering a flight from Portugal back up to the UK with them but ended up going with Monarch instead. Great service - crazy tight seating, though, like our Spirit Airlines. Maybe a 29" pitch. I should imagine Jet2 is not much different if it follows the European ULCC model. Here's hoping you got an exit row seat!
I'm not sure HP flew to SAT then. If they did, I would surely have flown there. I had a much longer road trip, so please try again for my destination.
A much longer road trip, eh? I can't imagine HP flew to too many Texas cities back then, so I'll assume we're talking about either Dallas or Houston. Let's go with Houston. The aircraft might've been a 737-300.
Last edited by Seat 2A; Mar 22, 2018 at 10:46 am
Mar 22, 2018, 4:14 pm
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: LGW
Posts: 547
Back home from my mad day out. Departed 6:35 a.m. from LGW to GVA by easyJet A320, arriving there just before 9 a.m.
Plan was to get the Jet2 757 back to Leeds. The inbound flight to GVA left on time but developed a fault and returned to Leeds.
A replacement 757 was sent arriving at GVA about 2 1/2 hours late.
Luckily I'd left a few hours for contingency and I arrived at Leeds train station 15 minutes before departure of my train using a super cheap no refunds/changes ticket.
It's the first time I'd flown Jet2. The seat pitch was OK for me. I too found Monarch very cramped.
Anyway, back to my 1991 trip.
The nearest city to Laredo that America West served back then was Midland, TX (MAF) which was a good 400 miles each way. I had hoped to go flying with Laredo Air in their Convair 440 freighter but they didn't have any charter work for the whole week I was there!
They used 737-200s on my flights to/from MAF, one of them was an old Britannia Airways machine built in 1968, so already pushing 23 years old.
We flew 737-300s elsewhere with HP.
Return trip JFK-LHR was on BA002, 3 hours 16 mins.
Plan was to get the Jet2 757 back to Leeds. The inbound flight to GVA left on time but developed a fault and returned to Leeds.
A replacement 757 was sent arriving at GVA about 2 1/2 hours late.
Luckily I'd left a few hours for contingency and I arrived at Leeds train station 15 minutes before departure of my train using a super cheap no refunds/changes ticket.
It's the first time I'd flown Jet2. The seat pitch was OK for me. I too found Monarch very cramped.
Anyway, back to my 1991 trip.
The nearest city to Laredo that America West served back then was Midland, TX (MAF) which was a good 400 miles each way. I had hoped to go flying with Laredo Air in their Convair 440 freighter but they didn't have any charter work for the whole week I was there!
They used 737-200s on my flights to/from MAF, one of them was an old Britannia Airways machine built in 1968, so already pushing 23 years old.
We flew 737-300s elsewhere with HP.
Return trip JFK-LHR was on BA002, 3 hours 16 mins.
Last edited by KT550; Mar 22, 2018 at 4:56 pm
Mar 23, 2018, 11:25 am
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 had hoped to go flying with Laredo Air in their Convair 440 freighter but they didn't have any charter work for the whole week I was there!
I recall a question we once had here regarding Convair 580 service on a SAT-LRD-MEX route. I believe it was Laredo Air. Not sure what year it was but I'd've loved to have flown on it.
Return trip JFK-LHR was on BA002, 3 hours 16 mins.
That's about the same flight time as my flight on the Concorde. However, we were cruising at a sedate Mach .88 most of the flight. At one point the captain did put the coals to his quartet of Olympus 593s and took us up to Mach .99. This was a scheduled flight. Any idea what route I was flying?
I recall a question we once had here regarding Convair 580 service on a SAT-LRD-MEX route. I believe it was Laredo Air. Not sure what year it was but I'd've loved to have flown on it.
Return trip JFK-LHR was on BA002, 3 hours 16 mins.
That's about the same flight time as my flight on the Concorde. However, we were cruising at a sedate Mach .88 most of the flight. At one point the captain did put the coals to his quartet of Olympus 593s and took us up to Mach .99. This was a scheduled flight. Any idea what route I was flying?
Mar 23, 2018, 1:39 pm
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
Mar 23, 2018, 4:04 pm
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
8. Correct! So why would Hughes Airwest operate daily nonstop service from Stockton to Twin Falls with a DC-9-30? Were there that many snow skiers in the Stockton area in the early winter of 1976? Well, I kinda doubt it....so perhaps the answer lies in the fact this SCK-TWF flight was part of an interesting RW milk run from Los Angeles to Seattle. Here's the complete sched.....
RW 874: Los Angeles (LAX) 10:35a - 11:06a Santa Barbara (SBA) 11:20a - 12:12p San Francisco (SFO) 12:40p - 1:09p Stockton (SCK) 1:25p - 3:35p Twin Falls (TWF) 3:50p - 4:15p Pocatello (PIH) 4:30p - 4:50p Idaho Falls (IDA) 5:05p - 5:44p Boise (BOI) 6:00p - 6:03p Portland (PDX) 6:25p - 6:59p Seattle (SEA)
Op: LAX-SFO daily except on Sundays, daily SFO-SEA
Equip: D9S
Meal service: a snack here and a snack there....
Of course, this engenders several bonus quiz items.....
Bonus #1 - Besides Hughes Airwest, two other airlines were operating jet service into Stockton in 1976. The first air carrier operated one jet type and the second airline operated two different jet types into SCK. Identify both air carriers and the different jet equipment they respectively served Stockton with. And we are looking for three different jet types here. ANSWERED
Bonus #2 - Now it's 1981 and only one airline is operating jet service into Stockton. And it's a different air carrier than the two we are looking for above in bonus #1 . This airline was operating nonstop jet service to SCK from only one city. Name the air carrier, the jet type and the city that had nonstop jet service to Stockton at this time. ANSWERED
Bonus #3 - Now we are back in early 1976 and are preparing to travel to Sun Valley, Idaho for a skiing vacation. We know Hughes Airwest can fly us into Twin Falls which they are promoting as the "jet gateway for Sun Valley". However, TWF is about 90 miles by car from Sun Valley via two lane highway and you would rather fly directly into Sun Valley (SUN) as the local airport is only about 12 miles down the road. Well, you are in luck....that is, if you do not mind traveling on board an aircraft that is not a jet. There are two airlines serving Sun Valley at this time. The first airline operates nonstop flights into SUN from Boise and Salt Lake City and operates three different aircraft types on these routes. The second airline only operates nonstop from Salt Lake City and only operates one aircraft type on this route. Identify both air carriers and the respective equipment they were operating into Sun Valley at this time.
Last edited by jlemon; Mar 24, 2018 at 10:39 am Reason: "answered" updates
Mar 23, 2018, 4:09 pm
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
In the meantime, here's one to ponder...
Ponder 1: “He promised people a diamond in the sky when we had 21 of some of the oldest, worst maintained aircraft then flying,” said this airline’s marketing director. “He’s giving a press conference promising a diamond in the sky. I’m saying, ‘You may have to settle for cubic zirconium to start.’ ”
Identify the airline and its CEO referenced here.
Ponder 1: “He promised people a diamond in the sky when we had 21 of some of the oldest, worst maintained aircraft then flying,” said this airline’s marketing director. “He’s giving a press conference promising a diamond in the sky. I’m saying, ‘You may have to settle for cubic zirconium to start.’ ”
Identify the airline and its CEO referenced here.
Mar 23, 2018, 4:28 pm
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
The CAB awarded Frontier DAL-ABQ-LAS in 1969. However, Frontier was not able to compete against CO and Texas International between DAL and ABQ, or TWA between ABQ and LAS. Frontier suspended the route in 1971, and operated it only intermittently afterward.
1. In 1973, Frontier agreed to give this route to another airline. Which airline did they agree to give it to?
CO is incorrect.
The route exchange was not approved by the CAB, and the route disappeared from Frontier's route maps by 1978.
Mar 23, 2018, 4:37 pm
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
And so, here we go again with a new batch of quiz items.....as always, please limit your response to two or three quiz items per day. Thanks!
3. Speaking of the Vickers Viscount, in 1961 this European-based airline was offering nonstop flights between Lourdes, France (LDE) and four destinations in Europe outside of France. The Viscount was operated on all of these flights. Identify the airline and all four destinations which were located in four different countries. And here's a hint: this airline was not based in France.
4. In 1962, what was the name for the nonstop service operated by Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) between Toronto (YYZ) and Vancouver (YVR)? Also name the aircraft type operated on this service. ANSWERED
5. It's the spring of 1968 and you are in Spokane visiting with old friends. The party turned into a poker game which has lasted all night and it's now 3:00 am. The good news is you're ahead of the game with regard to your winnings. The bad news is you now have to travel to San Francisco on short notice on business. Ah, what's this? There's a flight departing GEG at 4:55 am which will get you into SFO at 10:16 am. A total of six stops will be made en route. Book it! Identify the air carrier, the aircraft and all six stops in the order in which they will be made.
11. In 1983, this air carrier was operating nonstop service with a wide body aircraft once a week between Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (POM) and Auckland (AKL). Identify the airline and the aircraft.
Last edited by jlemon; Mar 24, 2018 at 10:37 am Reason: "answered" update
Mar 23, 2018, 4:45 pm
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
Ponder 1: “He promised people a diamond in the sky when we had 21 of some of the oldest, worst maintained aircraft then flying,” said this airline’s marketing director. “He’s giving a press conference promising a diamond in the sky. I’m saying, ‘You may have to settle for cubic zirconium to start.’ ”
Identify the airline and its CEO referenced here.
Ah, I think this former airline CEO has been very much in the news lately: Donald Trump and Trump Air, which operated Boeing 727 equipment.
Correct! Our dear leader has developed quite a reputation for outlandish promises. Unfortunately, this was one that did not come to fruition.
Identify the airline and its CEO referenced here.
Ah, I think this former airline CEO has been very much in the news lately: Donald Trump and Trump Air, which operated Boeing 727 equipment.
Correct! Our dear leader has developed quite a reputation for outlandish promises. Unfortunately, this was one that did not come to fruition.
Mar 23, 2018, 4:53 pm
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
RW 874: Los Angeles (LAX) 10:35a - 11:06a Santa Barbara (SBA) 11:20a - 12:12p San Francisco (SFO) 12:40p - 1:09p Stockton (SCK) 1:25p - 3:35p Twin Falls (TWF) 3:50p - 4:15p Pocatello (PIH) 4:30p - 4:50p Idaho Falls (IDA) 5:05p - 5:44p Boise (BOI) 6:00p - 6:03p Portland (PDX) 6:25p - 6:59p Seattle (SEA)
Op: LAX-SFO daily except on Sundays, daily SFO-SEA
Equip: D9S
Meal service: a snack here and a snack there....
Wow! That is one flight I would love to have taken. As it were my first flight with RW was a five stop milk run between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles routing SLC-PDX-LMF-SMF-SFO-MRY-LAX, flown as part of a joint fare on the DEN-LAX market using UA to SLC and then RW on to LAX - all for about the same price as a nonstop. .
Bonus #1 - Besides Hughes Airwest, two other airlines were operating jet service into Stockton in 1976. The first air carrier operated one jet type and the second airline operated two different jet types into SCK. Identify both air carriers and the different jet equipment they respectively served Stockton with. And we are looking for three different jet types here.
Well, I speak from some experience here as on January 2, 1977 I flew aboard a United 737-200 SFO-SCK-MCE-VIS-LAX. In answer to your question, I would say United with a 737-200 and PSA with 727-200 and 737-200 equipment.
I'll go ahead and answer #2 if no one figures it out by tonight.
Op: LAX-SFO daily except on Sundays, daily SFO-SEA
Equip: D9S
Meal service: a snack here and a snack there....
Wow! That is one flight I would love to have taken. As it were my first flight with RW was a five stop milk run between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles routing SLC-PDX-LMF-SMF-SFO-MRY-LAX, flown as part of a joint fare on the DEN-LAX market using UA to SLC and then RW on to LAX - all for about the same price as a nonstop. .
Bonus #1 - Besides Hughes Airwest, two other airlines were operating jet service into Stockton in 1976. The first air carrier operated one jet type and the second airline operated two different jet types into SCK. Identify both air carriers and the different jet equipment they respectively served Stockton with. And we are looking for three different jet types here.
Well, I speak from some experience here as on January 2, 1977 I flew aboard a United 737-200 SFO-SCK-MCE-VIS-LAX. In answer to your question, I would say United with a 737-200 and PSA with 727-200 and 737-200 equipment.
I'll go ahead and answer #2 if no one figures it out by tonight.
Mar 23, 2018, 6:38 pm
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
As it were my first flight with RW was a five stop milk run between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles routing SLC-PDX-LMF-SMF-SFO-MRY-LAX, flown as part of a joint fare on the DEN-LAX market using UA to SLC and then RW on to LAX - all for about the same price as a nonstop. .
Curious to know if the above flight was operated with a DC-9-10 or DC-9-30.......
Bonus #1 - Besides Hughes Airwest, two other airlines were operating jet service into Stockton in 1976. The first air carrier operated one jet type and the second airline operated two different jet types into SCK. Identify both air carriers and the different jet equipment they respectively served Stockton with. And we are looking for three different jet types here.
Well, I speak from some experience here as on January 2, 1977 I flew aboard a United 737-200 SFO-SCK-MCE-VIS-LAX. In answer to your question, I would say United with a 737-200 and PSA with 727-200 and 737-200 equipment.
Of course, you nailed United as well operating Boeing 737-200 service into Stockton at this time. UA was operating one flight a day to SCK from LAX via an intermediate stop in Visalia (VIS) with a 73S as well as two nonstops a day with 73S equipment from SFO.
And besides the above mentioned Hughes Airwest DC-9-30 milk run flight, RW was also operating a daily DC-9-10 flight into Stockton with a routing of SEA - GEG - LWS - BOI - IDA - PIH - TWF - SCK - SFO.
Mar 24, 2018, 1:41 am
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
"As it were my first flight with RW was a five stop milk run between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles routing SLC-PDX-LMF-SMF-SFO-MRY-LAX, flown as part of a joint fare on the DEN-LAX market using UA to SLC and then RW on to LAX - all for about the same price as a nonstop."
Curious to know if the above flight was operated with a DC-9-10 or DC-9-30.......
It was a DC-9-30. Per the posted itinerary, that flight was supposed to also stop at Bend/Redmond but due to some kind of construction project there, we skipped it and flew PDX-LMF and beyond.
As for your second question regarding later service (1981) to Stockton, I believe we're talking about Frontier operating a 737-200. The flight originated in Denver and I seem to recall an intermediate stop in there somewhere, but darned if I can think of it at present. For now, let's go with... Reno.
Curious to know if the above flight was operated with a DC-9-10 or DC-9-30.......
It was a DC-9-30. Per the posted itinerary, that flight was supposed to also stop at Bend/Redmond but due to some kind of construction project there, we skipped it and flew PDX-LMF and beyond.
As for your second question regarding later service (1981) to Stockton, I believe we're talking about Frontier operating a 737-200. The flight originated in Denver and I seem to recall an intermediate stop in there somewhere, but darned if I can think of it at present. For now, let's go with... Reno.
Mar 24, 2018, 4:12 am
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: MAN
Programs: FB Platinum
Posts: 500
4. In 1962, what was the name for the nonstop service operated by Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) between Toronto (YYZ) and Vancouver (YVR)? Also name the aircraft type operated on this service. Aircraft was a DC8
Silver Dart
Silver Dart