#airline history

[unbfacts]

There were once supersonic passenger planes that could reach speeds of up to 1,354 mph. In comparison, today’s commercial airliners typically cruise at around 560 mph.

[hairtusk]

the recent ballerina farm article is useful in proving a point about the truth behind 'willing' and celebrated tradwives... but god, it's a fucking bleak read.

[i-was-today-years-old-when]

i learned that in 1987 —A guy bought a life time unlimited first class American Airlines for $250,000. He flew over 10,000 flights costing the company $21,000,000. They terminated his ticket in 2008.

It was 1981— and American Airlines were in deep shit needing some quick cash flow but interest rates were too damn high.

The new director of the company thought of what was a brilliant idea to sell a life time unlimited first class seat tickets that came with a companion ticket to who ever you want to bring along with for an extra $150,000 bringing the total to $400,000, with inflation in today’s money that’s would’ve been $1.2m— it was a bad idea*

The airline assumed that the buyers would use the ticket pass excessively but they failed to consider the super-travelers.

Steven Rothstein was one on the buyers of the ticket and boy did he use it so much that he would fly out to Paris for breakfast and lunch to dinner.

[captain-flanders]

American Airlines Boeing 727.

[vintagecamping]

Yukon travel poster for Alsaka Airlines

Canada

1960

[heavenleev]

The aircraft that arrives in Frankfurt at 1:45pm on 30 march 1945: one of the 22 brand-new jet fighters that would be taken to a safe place in Neuburg an der Donau. Instead, the Messerschmitt test pilot, Hans Fay, flew northwest where defected with the Me-262A1 (WNr.111711) to the Allies.

sources:

[nocternalrandomness]

Concorde's last landing - Bristol. UK - Nov 26 2003

[sonyaheaneyauthor]

russian fighters celebrate in the wreckage of civilian passenger flight Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. The rubble was looted of the victims' possessions.

MH17 was shot down over occupied Donbas, Ukraine on the 17th of July 2014, using a russian-made Buk ground-to-air missile. 298 people were killed.

The victims were from:

Australia (27)

Belgium (4)

Canada (1)

Germany (4)

Indonesia (12)

Malaysia (43)

Netherlands (193 including one dual Dutch/US citizen)

New Zealand (1)

Philippines (3)

United Kingdom (10)

[melbourneaviationspotter]

Dash 8

[dcthreepainter]

MSN 12327 was a Douglas C-47A-5-DK but was quickly redesignated a "Dakota III" upon receipt by the Royal Air Force in 1944. Just two years later, the RAF transferred over to the Royal Canadian Air Force, where she continued to be identified as KG330. She flew on and on, until 1970, when the RCAF renumbered her as 12913. At some time in the mid 1970's, she was released from military service and registered as C-GWZS by her new owner, Can-Air Services. They employed her for three years, when Contact Airways acquired her but quickly resold the sturdy bird to Buffalo Airways. Like some others, Buffalo probably leased GWZS to Northwest Territorial for a few years before she became part of the active fleet and one of the stars of the cable television series "Ice Pilots". She flew one of the last commercial airline routes into the late 2010's and continues to fly ad hoc flights.

[chaplinlegend]

In the early 1920s, commercial aviation became very popular.

Charlie Chaplin's older brother, Sydney, was a great enthusiast of aviation, as a new innovative field. So he decided to establish his own airline network. Sydney's biggest competitor in this industry was the famous director Cecil B. DeMille, who in 1918 founded the Mercury Aviation Company and built his first airport.

In 1919, Sydney Chaplin, together with pilot Emery Rogers, founded their own airport under the name Syd Chaplin Aircraft Corporation.

"Chaplin Airfield was located on leased land that is now bordered by Wilshire Boulevard, Fairfax Avenue, and San Vincente Boulevard. Syd Chaplin Aircraft Corporation advertised that it "maintains a fleet of the latest single and double-passenger Curtis airplanes, large workshops with complete equipment, and hangars for our own aircraft, as well as those of companies and individuals." The company offered observation flights for $10 and round-trip flights to San Diego for $150 (at a time when the average wage was $1,200 per year). Of course, air travel costs were prohibitive, and Chaplin's enterprise was short-lived. Around 1920, Chaplin sold it to Emory H. Rogers, a business associate, who changed the name to Rogers Field."

Stage artist and silent film actor (brother of Charles Chaplin) Sydney Chaplin and famed film director Cecil B. DeMille pioneered what would become the modern aviation industry by offering the world's first scheduled commercial flights.

I have included an interesting, more detailed account of the history of commercial aviation and the fate of the Chaplin Aircraft Corporation in the added link.(X)

In the photo: Charlie Chaplin and his friend Douglas Fairbanks pose for a photo in one of the planes of Charlie's older brother, Sydney, who in 1919, together with pilot Emery Rogers, founded Syd Chaplin Airline Co.

Charlie will soon take his first flight in one of his brother's planes!

Photos: Chaplin Archive.

[shaniacsboogara]

justice for ricky

[dronescapesvideos]

United Airlines Boeing B-377 Stratocruiser over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. 1956 ➤U.S. AIRCRAFT VIDEOS: https://dronescapes.video/US ➤HD IMAGE: https://dronescapes.video/377 ➤VIDEO: https://youtu.be/HUd-dD3QPxI

[scotianostra]

16th May 1933 saw Midland Scottish Air Ferries begin Islay’s first scheduled passenger service.

Midland & Scottish Air Ferries was the country’s first airline, operating from 1933 to 1934. It is particularly noted for pioneering flights to the Inner Hebrides.

Islay received its first recorded flight in July 1928. Midland Scottish Air Ferries operated the islands first scheduled flight on 16th May 1933, arriving from Renfrew via Campbeltown. Two days earlier, on 14th May 1933, the islands first air ambulance flight, using a De Havilland Dragon aircraft, landed on the beach at the head of Lochindaal to collect a local fisherman suffering from abdominal pains.

The airport at Glenegedale opened for business in 1935 and was taken over by the RAF during World War Two. The hard runways that exist today at Islay originally date from 1940. The Avro Ansons of 48 Squadron, and Beaufighter and Beaufort aircraft of 304 Ferry Training Unit used the new runways while flying boats of 119 Squadron landed in nearby Laggan Bay and Loch Indaal. By 1944 the airfield was under the control of Coastal Command and included three runways and six hangars. Personnel stationed there included 266 WAAF and 1,113 RAF servicemen.

Many different aircraft have used Islay Airport over the decades, ranging from a Hercules and a BAE 146 jet of the Royal Flight to the smallest microlights. Loganair now uses Saab 340s for scheduled flights to Glasgow and many charter aircraft from the UK and overseas land at the airport. Scottish Air Ambulance Service planes and helicopters are regular visitors along with a variety of military and private aircraft.

[captain-flanders]

National Airlines Boeing 747-100.

[grimvagary]