partially on me for reading too quickly, as there is a LOOOOOONG history of questions that ask for identification of the connecting city ... that said, I will stick with a PSA 146 operating BUR-LAS, connecting to an Air LA Jetstream 31 LAS-GCN

54. You’ve just finished spending a month one weekend in Bismarck, North Dakota. It’s high time you got back to Sacramento, California and the sooner, the better. As you dial the local travel agent, you can envision a multitude of connecting flights but hey – whatever it takes to get outta Bismarck sooner than later! Imagine then your surprise and delight when the travel agent informs you that there’s a direct flight from BIS straight on through to Sacramento with just two enroute stops. As an added bonus, it’s even operated with a jet! Identify the airline, the enroute stops and the equipment utilized.

Per jlemon: Well, let's get really wild, guess-wise, here: Republic operating an MD-80 on a routing of BIS - MSP - SFO - SMF.

Wow! That is like - far out, man! Unfortunately, it's a little too far out. We're looking for a different airline operating along a different routing through hitherto unmentioned cities. Please, guess again!

65. What would have been Air California’s longest flight in late 1984?

Per jlemon: Hmmmmmm.....let's try SNA-SEA nonstop.

Surprisingly, there were no nonstop flights between SNA and SEA per my late 1984 OAG. You're getting closer though...

60. You’re in Burbank, CA and you need to fly to the Grand Canyon. You find an alluring connection via Las Vegas, Nevada that allows you to fly upon two British built aircraft with just a single connection. One of the aircraft is a fairly recent model while the other is somewhat older. Identify the airlines and the aircraft to be flown.

Per jrl767: I will stick with a PSA 146 operating BUR-LAS, connecting to an Air LA Jetstream 31 LAS-GCN

You're halfway home, J. PSA's BAe-146 into LAS is correct. However, we're looking for a different airline operating a different aircraft on the LAS-GCN run. Please do carry on...

65- I flew SEA-SJC-ONT on OC in mid-summer 1984, so I'd guess the 696-mile first leg of that trip was still extant as their longest single segment a couple months later

54. I'll take door number three, Monty......Western operating a B737-200 with a routing of BIS - BIL - SLC - SMF.

65. And I concur with jrl767: SEA - SJC

65. What would have been Air Cal’s longest flight in late 1984?

Per jrl767: I flew SEA-SJC-ONT on OC in mid-summer 1984, so I'd guess the 696-mile first leg of that trip was still extant as their longest single segment a couple months later

Right on, J! SJC-SEA is correct!

Given the depth of experience and knowledge amongst our core participants, it's worth noting that with questions like this it's entirely possible that some of the routes presented as answers in prior posts may very well have been correct just a month or two later. Unfortunately, we're limited to schedules reflected in the OAG at hand. I have for the most part just one per year through the eighties.

54. You’ve just finished spending a month one weekend in Bismarck, North Dakota. It’s high time you got back to Sacramento, California and the sooner, the better. As you dial the local travel agent, you can envision a multitude of connecting flights but hey – whatever it takes to get outta Bismarck sooner than later! Imagine then your surprise and delight when the travel agent informs you that there’s a direct flight from BIS straight on through to Sacramento with just two enroute stops. As an added bonus, it’s even operated with a jet! Identify the airline, the enroute stops and the equipment utilized.

Per jlemon I'll take door number three, Monty......Western operating a B737-200 with a routing of BIS - BIL - SLC - SMF.

Good call, Mr. L.! Tell him what he's won, Johnny. (It's a complimentary breakdown of the relevant schedule, Monte!)

WA 453 Bismarck (BIS) 310p – 315p Billings (BIL) 340p – 449p Salt Lake City (SLC) 530p - 600p Sacramento (SMF) 737-200 Op. Daily
A snack is served between SLC and SMF

65. And I concur with jrl767: SEA - SJC

Way to concur! ^

I have noticed these changes concerning schedules as well. Air carriers, especially new start ups that commenced operations following deregulation, would jump into and out of markets and routes rather frequently. Some pre-deregulation carriers also did this with an example being Pacific Air Lines with their Boeing 727-100 equipment. Pacific tried to serve a number of routes with their 727s in an apparent attempt to be commercially successful with this aircraft type within the confines of a regulated environment (I do not believe Pacific was ever allowed to operate nonstop SFO-LAX). Meanwhile, a number of new entrants operating jet aircraft were simply not around too long before running out of money. Witness MSY-based Pride Air, for example.

Which brings us to the weather. This past Tuesday afternoon, it was 84 degrees F here in the LFT area. Then a Canadian cold front moved through that evening. Currently, it's 43 degrees F with light rain and even a few sleet pellets. And NWS has now issued a winter weather advisory for our area with snow possible after midnight tonight into the morning hours. Glad I have all that firewood ready to go! :cool:

If it should happen, please consider posting a picture of snow falling off your back patio...

Snowing heavily this morning at the Acadiana Regional Airport (KARA, where my office is located) at 9:39 am CST. It's been snowing since around 3:00 am here in south Louisiana. There's over an inch on the ground and it's still accumulating.

And as soon as I figure out how to post photos, I shall do so....... :confused:

We're off to a good start here. As jlemon enjoys a rare snowstorm down in Cajun Country, up here at latitude 65 we're basking in unseasonably warm temperatures with highs in the mid-20s to even low 30s! :eek: Meanwhile, down in south central Alaska, it's a different story with 76" having fallen on Thompson Pass and another foot or two on the way.


THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ARE SOURCED FROM A 1984 OAG

51. Only one airline could fly you out of Houston aboard a four engine, single aisle jet. Identify the airline and the destination of this distinctive flight.
A N S W E R E D

55. Normally you’d look to TWA for flights between Las Vegas, NV and Columbus, OH. TWA still offers flights via a connection in St. Louis, but the only direct service between these two cities is now offered via a single daily one stop flight with another airline not usually associated with this route. Identify the airline, the intermediate stop and the aircraft used.

56. Remember the good old days when each of the big three offered multiple 747 flights between Los Angeles and New York? Those were the days, alright! These days just two airlines offer nonstop 747 flights between Los Angeles and the New York area. Please identify them.
A N S W E R E D

57. Flights around the U.S. Northeast are fairly short and with multi-stop flights slowly disappearing as a result of the Hub & Spoke system currently in vogue, you’re surprised to discover a two-stop gem between Cleveland and Boston operated by a regional airline with a comfortably sized aircraft that most anyone can stand straight up in. Identify the airline, the aircraft and enroute stops.

58. From Boston it’s on to Detroit, with four airlines offering nonstop flights and one airline operating a two-stop gem. So- this is a two part question. First, identify the four airlines offering nonstop flights and second, identify the separate airline, routing and equipment operating the two stop flight. G’wan, now. You can do this!

59. You’re in Chicago and you need to fly to Los Angeles. These days most of the nonstop flights are operated with wide-bodied equipment. Wide-bodies are all well and good but you’d really like to catch a few more flights aboard DC-8s while they’re still flying. After a bit of research, you find a great connection involving two different airlines - each of them operating the stretched version of the DC-8. The connection is through a city that is geographically convenient and would be a normal connecting point for the ORD-LAX market. So then, can you identify both airlines and the connection point?

60. You’re in Burbank, CA and you need to fly to the Grand Canyon. You find an alluring connection via Las Vegas, Nevada that allows you to fly upon two British built aircraft with just a single connection. One of the aircraft is a fairly recent model while the other is somewhat older. Identify the airlines and respective aircraft involved.
A PSA BAe-146 will get you to Las Vegas. Still looking for the flight to the Grand Canyon

62. A buddy has just called with tickets to Gonzaga’s weekend home game against Pepperdine. Wanna go? What sport is it? Basketball. Pepperdine actually fields a basketball team? Hmm… Well, alright, then. There’s only one nonstop flight a day from Fairbanks to Seattle and it leaves at 7:00am. That’s too early. You’re about to bag it when your travel agent calls back to advise you that there’s a daily direct flight from Fairbanks that departs at a civilized hour but makes three stops before terminating in Spokane. Three stops, eh? Is there a meal? Yes. And, First Class is available. Hmm… Identify the airline, the equipment and the two enroute stops, then get back with me if you still want to go.

63. Who’d’ve thought that you could fly aboard a pair of stretch DC-8s from Nassau in the Bahamas all the way to Denver, Colorado via a single well-timed connection. Total travel time is just 8 hours. Two airlines are involved and the connection time is an hour and 25 minutes. Identify both airlines and the connecting city.

66. Flying between West Palm Beach and Oklahoma City can be a convoluted and time consuming process at the best of times, so you’re surprised to learn that your upcoming trip between these two cities can actually be accomplished via a daily two stop direct flight. Identify the airline, the two enroute stops and the aircraft type utilized. For an additional cyber pat on the back, identify the city this flight continues on to from OKC.

67. What was the smallest aircraft operating nonstop between Anchorage and Honolulu? Which airline operated it?
A N S W E R E D

68. The most popular flights between New York and San Francisco are the nonstops that operate out of JFK and Newark. However, your home in Jackson Heights is a lot closer to New York’s LaGuardia Airport which has no nonstop flights and a total of just three direct flights. With unpleasant memories of your last connection through Chicago’s O’Hare still lingering, you’d prefer a direct flight, hopefully one that doesn’t make too many stops enroute. You’re in luck! A post-deregulation airline has recently started serving LGA and offers a one-stop direct flight departing LaGuardia at 9:39am and arriving San Francisco at 2:05pm. Better yet, Breakfast and lunch will be served along the way. Book it, please. Which airline will you be flying, where will you stop and what type of aircraft will you be flying upon?

69. For those flying between Minneapolis and Florida, most travelers need look no farther than Northwest or Republic Airlines for the most convenient schedules, including many nonstop and direct flights. The one city that is not well served is Jacksonville – a city of nearly one million people that from Minneapolis has no nonstop flights and only one direct flight. That direct flight makes one intermediate stop and is not with either NW or RC. Identify the relevant carrier, the enroute stop and the aircraft operated.

I believe 1984 was well before ETOPS and looks like ETOPS180 was required for this route. I am going to guess by hint, it wasn't a wide-body so I am going to make a wild guess of Alaska Airlines with a 727-200.

67. What was the smallest aircraft operating nonstop between Anchorage and Honolulu? Which airline operated it?

Per YVR Cockroach: I believe 1984 was well before ETOPS and looks like ETOPS180 was required for this route. I am going to guess by hint, it wasn't a wide-body so I am going to make a wild guess of Alaska Airlines with a 727-200

Ooooo... 727-200s were rare airplanes in Hawaii. The primary issue was range (Can't speak for Canada, but so far as I know in the U.S. only the 727-100 ever flew scheduled trans-con operations). I believe that unless the aircraft were specifically modified with extra fuel tanks, the -200 wouldn't have had the legs for mainland North America to Honolulu flights. Aside from Continental Micronesia, I'm darned if I can come up with any operators of the -200 variant outside of air cargo types. Only two airlines that I'm aware of ever operated the -100 variant into Hawaii.

Per the question above however, we are indeed looking for a non-widebody operator, but one other than Alaska Airlines which did not commence operations to Hawaii until about ten years ago. Please, guess again!

per landings.com, ANC-HNL is 2778 statute miles ... that's well beyond where any airline routinely flew a 727 of any size (we have discussed some of the longest 727-100 flights such as National's LAX-MIA operation; the longest 72S flight that I ever took was Delta, SEA-ATL)

how about Western, with a 707-347C

67. What was the smallest aircraft operating nonstop between Anchorage and Honolulu? Which airline operated it?

Per jrl767: Per landings.com, ANC-HNL is 2778 statute miles ... that's well beyond where any airline routinely flew a 727 of any size (we have discussed some of the longest 727-100 flights such as National's LAX-MIA operation; the longest 72S flight that I ever took was Delta, SEA-ATL). How about Western, with a 707-347C

An excellent guess as Western did indeed operate both the 707 and 720 on the ANC-HNL route. By 1984 however, Western had retired its 707s and was flying a DC-10 on this route. We're looking for a different airline. Please, guess again!

Bonus Question 67B: Only two airlines that I'm aware of have operated scheduled 727-100 flights into Honolulu. One of them was Continental's Air Micronesia. What was the other? Where did it fly into Honolulu from?