tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22030179216778613712024-03-18T02:47:32.093-07:00TWA Museum GuidesTWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-83863214912423859892024-02-13T15:09:00.000-08:002024-02-13T15:09:50.741-08:00<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3yhaKbFe5boNJhFrFNlaQ4oqXPcTKBmctcGDrr0dwckbEXu4WpMTPPZ7QkdFb_WZAXktIwnDeoFNdKX96tLf4TqQ0aJAt2-7Ll_apLpqm3ZgbXAh7UGWG_tecOMRmaeJVB3598Qzj_z6SVixqCQ1cW0uEUBPoU-vNebBqQkz9fdGxV1NZjJmo7wcHiLhx/s793/TWAMuseumLogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="793" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3yhaKbFe5boNJhFrFNlaQ4oqXPcTKBmctcGDrr0dwckbEXu4WpMTPPZ7QkdFb_WZAXktIwnDeoFNdKX96tLf4TqQ0aJAt2-7Ll_apLpqm3ZgbXAh7UGWG_tecOMRmaeJVB3598Qzj_z6SVixqCQ1cW0uEUBPoU-vNebBqQkz9fdGxV1NZjJmo7wcHiLhx/w482-h401/TWAMuseumLogo.jpg" width="482" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">TWA Museum closed </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Wednesday 2/14 and Thursday 2/15!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The TWA Museum will be closed Wednesday 2/14 and Thursday 2/15. We'll re-open Friday 2/16 for our regular hours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.</span></p>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-45506096002939819102024-01-30T14:24:00.000-08:002024-01-30T14:24:36.317-08:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAl-yZbB6i59W-T0JXkdiHdOTkfSv9hDKw7AJf5EZAVa_cGAhPAkI7eK6VKVNEXA2mJOyDDdfPtc7laYazKOGko0DsvIsqshg3MknGV9lneNM_3bRjFj6VyqR_BgcZN13Z-PdMHs35XasUowVwjFL_4QMauAYK_kWL2MAgMcUJ0BX-orGR7IXgSyVKO-PH" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3600" data-original-width="7200" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAl-yZbB6i59W-T0JXkdiHdOTkfSv9hDKw7AJf5EZAVa_cGAhPAkI7eK6VKVNEXA2mJOyDDdfPtc7laYazKOGko0DsvIsqshg3MknGV9lneNM_3bRjFj6VyqR_BgcZN13Z-PdMHs35XasUowVwjFL_4QMauAYK_kWL2MAgMcUJ0BX-orGR7IXgSyVKO-PH=w591-h296" width="591" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-46904606289069633582024-01-11T20:42:00.000-08:002024-01-11T20:42:16.485-08:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYFozosdKculnQ9K2h9QKBKBKnnQfrgKRtOQfe0VQd7jobXozeL9ms_5-wvgEaY1NaFXQ0qdHQnJlEb-TjaU12KRnjZOmtQZikvYhepdVz1coAga6dX7Baut9B40R2hczGU0G7UFx3jBJ1dT2GfxGYb1SKZ0bV2cxV5lidDu-Bzfp8auKmrMtaCWpaczf/s2048/fucme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1555" data-original-width="2048" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYFozosdKculnQ9K2h9QKBKBKnnQfrgKRtOQfe0VQd7jobXozeL9ms_5-wvgEaY1NaFXQ0qdHQnJlEb-TjaU12KRnjZOmtQZikvYhepdVz1coAga6dX7Baut9B40R2hczGU0G7UFx3jBJ1dT2GfxGYb1SKZ0bV2cxV5lidDu-Bzfp8auKmrMtaCWpaczf/w562-h427/fucme.jpg" width="562" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: arial;">The TWA Museum will be closed Friday 1/12 and Saturday 1/13 due to weather.</span></div><p></p>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-89075002595286465962023-11-21T17:57:00.000-08:002023-11-21T17:57:22.731-08:00<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4KI7Bs4XwD4wjs9D6s52wKMFwcugra3b5d43-vd6KT8xpJ159UZxePfgrG7gib-w9HeQjW8oNVfWk8DGLbsN9GJaa6WwBGB_Sg6sL6SYKMLxAuFkmaNOH5nLN5ilTZpXCnI5Up6ZMhCQ-ZODYPceTcdWDVJpq-1SZ-xds3vCdOWUJG4YOFqh_7rYxqxBB/s1468/Santa%20Flight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1468" data-original-width="928" height="956" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4KI7Bs4XwD4wjs9D6s52wKMFwcugra3b5d43-vd6KT8xpJ159UZxePfgrG7gib-w9HeQjW8oNVfWk8DGLbsN9GJaa6WwBGB_Sg6sL6SYKMLxAuFkmaNOH5nLN5ilTZpXCnI5Up6ZMhCQ-ZODYPceTcdWDVJpq-1SZ-xds3vCdOWUJG4YOFqh_7rYxqxBB/w604-h956/Santa%20Flight.jpg" width="604" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-16154395970398527372023-11-21T17:56:00.000-08:002023-11-21T17:56:20.058-08:00<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7uB7TYPsb8_ANOS5ecIoAszq_JtE-jX5JlLeycgUU_URVtaxvrWed9LI_Y6I6LzLanfNxzQsB_2z3WeR7lvfbGkPXZaquvKTknyy1FBENGylynBh-mkyCvvhH_VpKQU5w1Q-LoAbwI3Tj3O5TG7i-2unqSTXVHcUnAB3KazoiyWYJu2FQiZiHkdpVBWC9/s901/Santa%20Electra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="901" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7uB7TYPsb8_ANOS5ecIoAszq_JtE-jX5JlLeycgUU_URVtaxvrWed9LI_Y6I6LzLanfNxzQsB_2z3WeR7lvfbGkPXZaquvKTknyy1FBENGylynBh-mkyCvvhH_VpKQU5w1Q-LoAbwI3Tj3O5TG7i-2unqSTXVHcUnAB3KazoiyWYJu2FQiZiHkdpVBWC9/w620-h357/Santa%20Electra.jpg" width="620" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-34529707348236307042023-11-09T20:19:00.000-08:002023-11-09T20:19:07.901-08:00<p style="text-align: center;"><br /> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjng8qsTKxplxqFYArKx8Nj5BQ8BqigzScw3QBxHdT0NC4w-O-Gp6NdOvmplCbxBnnqdLWZvTv43mE9KL6OH1TRGh4IavnNygKesKvWl-J3TapabrKA9IYcB2LChxlDxhkn7GQz9nUffXBKjMkL5Vl367rH5OTymea2BCvHJV5IBm9YnEceO-i-RyMxnnrO/s1880/TWA%20Santa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1576" data-original-width="1880" height="507" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjng8qsTKxplxqFYArKx8Nj5BQ8BqigzScw3QBxHdT0NC4w-O-Gp6NdOvmplCbxBnnqdLWZvTv43mE9KL6OH1TRGh4IavnNygKesKvWl-J3TapabrKA9IYcB2LChxlDxhkn7GQz9nUffXBKjMkL5Vl367rH5OTymea2BCvHJV5IBm9YnEceO-i-RyMxnnrO/w606-h507/TWA%20Santa.jpg" width="606" /></a></div><p></p>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-87198526277980363292023-11-09T20:16:00.000-08:002023-11-09T20:16:21.388-08:00<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXbtZmQQA6hZk9wAvjBZIrMBzXeY884qfZFQ6a-xbVyVJDcT1n1wnJMnEPZqGOkWuqG80h8yOppcfdqt-N67NMSibQgbeidIWFdolJ1ZbOoT8JTyuzGJgfOLs0bYozHDc2jDGKDrkMiEezcZiT8OD4cjDgQE5uWNNn4BIv13Oj-xfq9r_ErXPhfjGrp60/s636/ArtSpeech.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="636" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXbtZmQQA6hZk9wAvjBZIrMBzXeY884qfZFQ6a-xbVyVJDcT1n1wnJMnEPZqGOkWuqG80h8yOppcfdqt-N67NMSibQgbeidIWFdolJ1ZbOoT8JTyuzGJgfOLs0bYozHDc2jDGKDrkMiEezcZiT8OD4cjDgQE5uWNNn4BIv13Oj-xfq9r_ErXPhfjGrp60/w616-h218/ArtSpeech.jpg" width="616" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Missouri Valley Sundays</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Aviation in KC: TWA’s Impact and Contribution</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sunday, November 12, 2023</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Program: 2 p.m.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Central Library, 14 W. 10th Street, Kansas City, MO</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Helzberg Auditorium (5th Floor)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">RSVP Here:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.kclibrary.org/signature-events/aviation-kc-twa%E2%80%99s-impact-and-contribution?fbclid=IwAR2lEormQlmQZgEqeNZPyYFT4kQm8AxE4wtiCakQj8ABLEODTKeXqGRns1M">https://www.kclibrary.org/.../aviation-kc-twa%E2%80%99s...</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> The first transcontinental passenger flight in 1929 ushered in a new era of air service. When the newly formed Transcontinental & Western Air (TWA) decided to move its base of operations in 1931, the selection committee, swayed by famed aviator Charles Lindberg, chose Kansas City as its new headquarters. The move helped establish the city as a national air hub and TWA as its hometown airline.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> Art Lujin, a former manager of aircraft engineering during a nearly 25-year career with TWA and now a guide at Kansas City’s TWA Museum, recounts the airline’s history, impact on the airline industry, and indelible place in our city’s aviation annals. He further details many aspects of the monumental technological growth of aviation in the 20th century and TWA’s contributions and innovations.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> This presentation is co-presented by the TWA Museum of Kansas City and coincides with the exhibition Nearest by Air to Everywhere on display at the Central Library through January 2024.</span></div>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-13540732435801463792023-11-09T20:10:00.000-08:002023-11-09T20:10:33.250-08:00<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRIm6yj7Nf0CSjbt7Fqd83ZWKV2bHlt1tOsQqLEMyQrGvYioKgKDaLYVcBWsPcdsvCkbBQWPkXb6uvmWA5Xy8M-FkYsoB8uMFJ0db1pf5fuXAjGIkiztnB9CJ5GC5GvsCU2cn311Fy8Dsldawk29XE3fGbTQvhqI6TKu5vnrMdaeSEMbl09KoIRL8HUDW/s1079/TWA%20Museum%20Book%20Signing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1079" height="619" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRIm6yj7Nf0CSjbt7Fqd83ZWKV2bHlt1tOsQqLEMyQrGvYioKgKDaLYVcBWsPcdsvCkbBQWPkXb6uvmWA5Xy8M-FkYsoB8uMFJ0db1pf5fuXAjGIkiztnB9CJ5GC5GvsCU2cn311Fy8Dsldawk29XE3fGbTQvhqI6TKu5vnrMdaeSEMbl09KoIRL8HUDW/w619-h619/TWA%20Museum%20Book%20Signing.jpg" width="619" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-36238398941861753302023-09-11T19:10:00.001-07:002023-09-11T19:10:20.168-07:00<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilxUQxlog2SwXQnHFXzyazb_XFQsrQTEtUMIZd6fDN78oEwiMUKc4ZmdPMxLClFEUy4pQpKMAwuHb9V_IPIwSo5jaGpmbkmpZOpf3ohXLBXgryZ-VYZSggUsBTV1d5CE2yB5XED0jmTF8ab9likWk8qFJWdnTyAToLczBD4owNM3oYBbkfvef9TLVocGqY/s813/E6047516-FDEB-42AA-A9EA-39B78CFA805F.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="813" height="575" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilxUQxlog2SwXQnHFXzyazb_XFQsrQTEtUMIZd6fDN78oEwiMUKc4ZmdPMxLClFEUy4pQpKMAwuHb9V_IPIwSo5jaGpmbkmpZOpf3ohXLBXgryZ-VYZSggUsBTV1d5CE2yB5XED0jmTF8ab9likWk8qFJWdnTyAToLczBD4owNM3oYBbkfvef9TLVocGqY/w600-h575/E6047516-FDEB-42AA-A9EA-39B78CFA805F.jpeg" width="600" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-84674371228568958552023-09-06T09:27:00.000-07:002023-09-06T09:27:02.288-07:00<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;">After a recent visit to the museum from Kansas City ACE campers, we received this wonderful letter!:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGLq5a4AmPPCGFqdYsjvv_Jukgowb4nB1NmTyKohfvgrXcCx5NdMHjoWMX6X29KmIVMH2ZLTNAdJ32xNtDEaSJrIeid2cCYnaIKQ31dxr0E4AOQyhstM5HAbJgoL9z1IoqrJ-ZL6Ak6fu4bmXDjEMeB9_Xooo-9Oaxl2MV3XG4W0C87u6vG74AljXJCvs/s2200/ACE%20Camp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="1700" height="794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGLq5a4AmPPCGFqdYsjvv_Jukgowb4nB1NmTyKohfvgrXcCx5NdMHjoWMX6X29KmIVMH2ZLTNAdJ32xNtDEaSJrIeid2cCYnaIKQ31dxr0E4AOQyhstM5HAbJgoL9z1IoqrJ-ZL6Ak6fu4bmXDjEMeB9_Xooo-9Oaxl2MV3XG4W0C87u6vG74AljXJCvs/w614-h794/ACE%20Camp.jpg" width="614" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-36502731271913409032023-07-21T21:09:00.001-07:002023-07-21T21:09:48.928-07:00<p style="text-align: center;"> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMZlAzelYBywWF6m0Eq-Bdm9uuqRBJi_jM2zVo-Kc1YQi6Sbk61nlhWyv_Aw14ID62eB1HMDApjw4syl4-7ZA05MCU8uoqWyyeY_nimJdqkT8-GYIxwZ9tbU9IzLtbwZOwfpiayuUxI2gsPV04l-hB9E4n_6qXlL8_S9XCIE009meFXzMwPeEYjZe_GNdW" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="811" height="557" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMZlAzelYBywWF6m0Eq-Bdm9uuqRBJi_jM2zVo-Kc1YQi6Sbk61nlhWyv_Aw14ID62eB1HMDApjw4syl4-7ZA05MCU8uoqWyyeY_nimJdqkT8-GYIxwZ9tbU9IzLtbwZOwfpiayuUxI2gsPV04l-hB9E4n_6qXlL8_S9XCIE009meFXzMwPeEYjZe_GNdW=w557-h557" width="557" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgc56G6U5kDLefMGVA1UdUdEa6lZ4NNX1n21wlGXK9ksHow737mM0ISQ1iML7iflGpkYyiua432O4gFKfnlJdE4qXOPQvg1eKfzdFaWFz5gFzsZ4sjxGQCTe2P7HmptUiEJkfN9wtuPIbmZek9DkBFKzq2Mr2H_ZkKVSlzuCEyAhWR-ypJJ-PJbg5KOp6Qf" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1584" data-original-width="1216" height="843" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXkpoWEz_t9RY02LYkU82fgwNhh2o8LRPwwQf4L7t_6N_vfiWinpCwK8RtmNnip8XaqezKIeLU5B_oCbMcRiN7Hks-liiMN7xyQICAKyJ0cm9yfahSXYl_rLJ84A0O8mhEE0mm_E5qfLwqqiA2WOX7gJY-Cutel9sUb48sSHdcxUModb30y7TFDfiN8w=w645-h843" width="645" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-62337665743542417002023-03-17T09:16:00.001-07:002023-03-17T09:24:23.451-07:00Artist of TWA Aircraft to Paint Live at the Museum April 19-22, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgB-65s4TAaSeMAhJScwz6ZzNWqDjIfNIwqRPyBvZR50OECNlshpPqgJqNkV5NYsQhAJA9m-sTYTMYMmGi1Fidc6_LMnSem3iImKXYg9MLjbmNXPkz9QrtMswcOgXK4ZOC8a9AfDzgkhSyzJ7Y4u23h_nalSq2bTtVprVh-mwev49ANr8xyuWd2gsQ6kQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1267" data-original-width="1780" height="455" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgB-65s4TAaSeMAhJScwz6ZzNWqDjIfNIwqRPyBvZR50OECNlshpPqgJqNkV5NYsQhAJA9m-sTYTMYMmGi1Fidc6_LMnSem3iImKXYg9MLjbmNXPkz9QrtMswcOgXK4ZOC8a9AfDzgkhSyzJ7Y4u23h_nalSq2bTtVprVh-mwev49ANr8xyuWd2gsQ6kQ=w639-h455" width="639" /></a></div><br /><p></p>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-91919354350405691572022-12-17T10:05:00.001-08:002022-12-17T10:05:44.472-08:00<p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><h1><span style="font-family: arial;">Was it the Greatest Airplane of its time - or all time? (part II)</span></h1><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Blog editor's note: This article was originally appeared in the August 11, 2022 edition of Flying magazine. It's reprinted here with their permission.</i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFAxCx8tEiJdoUVEPgAHbVRJ49znEX60Qgqn5AiLUJriwmumwWE9GP5hBh2z_Mq-7a-7oCvDi0vt3aP-5P2ilnl9r9N3jZKlHSRR8JwsmeZFPrVtRoBee28UjegLvCSsuISERpLnlgbkGasuD-xkn07kKBG9VcrIsdG_0lR8Rx_d7GHrh7pfTmwBV_w/s470/DC31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="470" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFAxCx8tEiJdoUVEPgAHbVRJ49znEX60Qgqn5AiLUJriwmumwWE9GP5hBh2z_Mq-7a-7oCvDi0vt3aP-5P2ilnl9r9N3jZKlHSRR8JwsmeZFPrVtRoBee28UjegLvCSsuISERpLnlgbkGasuD-xkn07kKBG9VcrIsdG_0lR8Rx_d7GHrh7pfTmwBV_w/w516-h418/DC31.jpg" width="516" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><i>TWA DC-3 being serviced. (Betts Collection, CR Smith Museum)</i></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>By Scott Mall</u></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Douglas Aircraft Company was a pioneer in early aviation and produced a number of different aircraft. However, it is best known for its DC-3, among the most important aircraft ever built. In Part 1 of this two-part series, the genesis of Douglas Aircraft and the DC-1 and DC-2 were profiled. </span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>The DC-2 Started the Revolution</u></span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As recounted in Part 1, the DC-1 and DC-2 were developed after a request by Transcontinental and Western Airlines (TWA). What was then United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL) was TWA’s rival in transcontinental air service, using the Boeing 247. Because Boeing (NYSE: BA) (then named United Aircraft and Transport Corporation) also owned United, TWA sought an aircraft that would allow it to compete. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Douglas and his talented team designed and built the DC-1 in 1932-33, and TWA requested several changes that led to the DC-2. After its introduction in 1934, the DC-2 was quickly considered the best passenger aircraft in the world. Other airlines soon began lining up after TWA to place orders. Douglas was not bound by the same constraints as Boeing and could take those orders freely, assuring a healthy production run. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines was the first non-U.S. carrier to order DC-2s and began operating them in the fall of 1934.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJIunMUkuGm6kJeWFNh1ROfNTtWx63ImwSVqBRa3JVC-DTMK6Bp4v4grqRt5Eljo8Bkcu0_XqERKn2tkqe4qYA1o4ZAFnj2AuoAMCC-CozOdRHRVvP1CshA3nxaXtouJ4-G7A863hnAO0dFInocPrrqy9Q9rQVX_vHt1Q20oJdmKacyr4wdUJ9gcbcQ/s470/DC3andNormandie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="470" height="485" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJIunMUkuGm6kJeWFNh1ROfNTtWx63ImwSVqBRa3JVC-DTMK6Bp4v4grqRt5Eljo8Bkcu0_XqERKn2tkqe4qYA1o4ZAFnj2AuoAMCC-CozOdRHRVvP1CshA3nxaXtouJ4-G7A863hnAO0dFInocPrrqy9Q9rQVX_vHt1Q20oJdmKacyr4wdUJ9gcbcQ/w618-h485/DC3andNormandie.jpg" width="618" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: times;"><i>A TWA DC-3 leaves the Manhattan skyline as it wings its way to LA. TWA was called "The Lindbergh Line" in the 1930's. By 1937, service between NY-LA had increased to three daily round-trips. Can you guess the name of the ocean liner? Hint: It's not the RMS Queen Mary! (TWA Museum print file)</i></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">KLM entered a DC-2 in the 1934 MacRobertson International Air Derby from London, England, to Melbourne, Australia. While it came in second place overall in speed (beaten by a specially- built de Havilland DH.88 Comet), it finished first in the handicap division, ahead of a 247D flown by American pilots Col. Roscoe Turner and Clyde “Upside-Down” Pangborn. Turner and Pangborn were no run-of-the-mill pilots—Turner was a record-breaking aviator and three-time winner of the Thompson Trophy air race, while Pangborn and a copilot flew their airplane on the first non-stop flight across the Pacific Ocean.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Meanwhile, the KLM DC-2 flew the airline’s regular route, which was 12,300 statute miles, in 71 hours and 28 minutes at an average speed of 160 mph. In addition, it had a crew of four, three paying passengers and 420 pounds of cargo—the mail. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The DC-2 also demonstrated that a new era in commercial aviation had begun. While European aircraft manufacturers had been focused on building better military aircraft, U.S. OEMs had improved their aircraft for commercial aviation. By the mid-1930s, hundreds of commercial airliners plied the skies, and they were faster than any aircraft in regular service with the Royal Air Force.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSY0ksEcmduBNeWQz9GMfFlm3mOtR6_veWK1Abjc9mxReP1sEOookyp56zjnzOOBNrhptujzuKc2hmp7X5dvNT_CUtx6NCGMsrwrLruxkq0YIv1aMz2r1mWZVaEZFBYOH0CDGK-NG1maYkc5slaxCVzNQusqEIA3BRXyRv_JYQ44PO1j-Eh5BMK2kjDg/s589/TWAPilotJohnCollins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="470" height="660" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSY0ksEcmduBNeWQz9GMfFlm3mOtR6_veWK1Abjc9mxReP1sEOookyp56zjnzOOBNrhptujzuKc2hmp7X5dvNT_CUtx6NCGMsrwrLruxkq0YIv1aMz2r1mWZVaEZFBYOH0CDGK-NG1maYkc5slaxCVzNQusqEIA3BRXyRv_JYQ44PO1j-Eh5BMK2kjDg/w526-h660/TWAPilotJohnCollins.jpg" width="526" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: times;"><i>TWA Pilot John Collins in uniform at the side of a DC-3, about 1940. He became System Superintendent of Operations in 1939. (TWA Museum print file)</i></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In 1935, Douglas Aircraft was awarded the Collier Trophy for the DC-2. Donald Douglas was congratulated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">READ MORE: <a href="https://twamuseumguides.blogspot.com/2022/10/how-douglas-aircraft-company-created-dc.html" target="_blank">How the Douglas Douglas Aircraft Company Created the DC-3, Part 1</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In 1935, the DC-2 became the first airplane built by Douglas Aircraft to be awarded the well-regarded Collier Trophy for outstanding achievements in flight. Douglas Aircraft built 156 DC-2s at its Santa Monica, California, facility; a total of 193 DC-2s were built. There was no question that the DC-2 was a success—and Douglas wanted to get the most from the company’s investment in R&D and tooling—but there was room for improvement.</span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>The DC-3 Surpasses the DC-2</u></span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The immediate success of the DC-2 led C.R. Smith—the 35-year-old president of the newly formed American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL)—to Douglas Aircraft Company in 1934. The DC-3 was the result of a lengthy telephone call between Smith and Donald Douglas. Smith wanted a new aircraft; and according to the Museum of Flight, what he sought was an airplane that combined the “speed, reliability and profitability of the DC-2 with the comfort of the sleeping berth-equipped Curtiss T-32 Condor biplane.” In fact, Smith wanted two new airplanes—a longer version of the DC-2 that was capable of carrying more passengers on daytime flights, and another for overnight passengers that was outfitted with railroad-type sleeping berths.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Smith persuaded a reluctant Douglas to design a new sleeper aircraft based on the DC-2—the DC-2’s cabin was 66 inches wide, too narrow for side-by-side berths. Douglas took on the project, but only after Smith agreed that American Airlines would purchase at least 20 aircraft. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The engineering team for the new Douglas aircraft was led by chief engineer Arthur E. Raymond; the project took less than two years – an incredibly short timeline by modern standards. Originally envisioned as a relatively simple enlargement of the DC-2, the Douglas engineers soon realized that was not really possible and that the new airplane would need to be significantly redesigned from the DC-2.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Among the many differences between the two aircraft, the DC-3’s fuselage was lengthened and widened with rounded sides; “its wings and tail surfaces were enlarged and strengthened, the nose section and landing gear were modified, and new, more powerful Wright [1820] engines were installed,” according to the Museum of Flight.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Therefore, although the DC-3 was superficially similar to the DC-2, it eventually shared fewer than 10 percent of its parts with the DC-2, according to the Museum of Flight.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhTkpDhLRxAi9_7SKN-i6CACcsmTF-7He3SzhBnQxh-MJCCAv1DDT1F5opIhaFwfUUu17cX5Ry8QOqDdBOhCkznjXC9lhOxW723fDfwqFVW1D2EVlzl3g7MW5xsWwWuWOfJqes-bMwl3MSSsXU6i-1GugH3eRCRPnUte_ardjEiZcaELucVsSYb6MDA/s611/DC3lady.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="470" height="802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhTkpDhLRxAi9_7SKN-i6CACcsmTF-7He3SzhBnQxh-MJCCAv1DDT1F5opIhaFwfUUu17cX5Ry8QOqDdBOhCkznjXC9lhOxW723fDfwqFVW1D2EVlzl3g7MW5xsWwWuWOfJqes-bMwl3MSSsXU6i-1GugH3eRCRPnUte_ardjEiZcaELucVsSYb6MDA/w617-h802/DC3lady.jpg" width="617" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: times;"><i>TWA hostess sitting on boarding stairs. (TWA Museum print file)</i></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The prototype Douglas Sleeper Transport, or DST, first flew on December 17, 1935, (the 32nd anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ flight at Kitty Hawk) on a sunny afternoon in Santa Monica. Its cabin was 92 inches wide. To meet the American Airlines order, Douglas Aircraft manufactured the 14-passenger DST version of the DC-3 first. The first DST was accepted by American on April 29, 1936, and a total of seven DSTs were delivered to American Airlines by mid summer. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The DST (also known as the “Sky Sleeper”) was the height of luxury for that time. Each had 14 plush seats in four main compartments that could be folded in pairs to form seven berths; seven more berths folded down from the cabin ceiling. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The version of the new airplane (with 21 seats instead of the DST’s 14-16 sleeping berths) was given the designation DC-3. No prototype was built, and the first “day plane” DC-3 built for American Airlines followed in August 1936.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hu-zMOy4h88K5-T4SrQ6lO1EM-punMFr2Nd5NoAS30nartQUZaGLuJQO45rhcb5rqK9KhzXL_6TtqLe_zy7PsRA2uDzG4p-4NmJrXQrCyHvuQHZNJCPu56_tiyNuFioHrQsxv265KX5ckR2tfmp_BiEwdcg5n67jvWqw9EiuUtOG_h-HIodKKGrdjQ/s470/hostesseswalking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="470" height="495" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hu-zMOy4h88K5-T4SrQ6lO1EM-punMFr2Nd5NoAS30nartQUZaGLuJQO45rhcb5rqK9KhzXL_6TtqLe_zy7PsRA2uDzG4p-4NmJrXQrCyHvuQHZNJCPu56_tiyNuFioHrQsxv265KX5ckR2tfmp_BiEwdcg5n67jvWqw9EiuUtOG_h-HIodKKGrdjQ/w634-h495/hostesseswalking.jpg" width="634" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>TWA hostesses Frances Ice and Betty Cool enjoy a walk across the ramp at an unknown airport. (TWA Museum print file)</i></span><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>DC-3 Commercial Transport</u></span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Capt. Walter Braznell captained the inaugural flight of the DST Flagship Illinois for American Airlines on June 26, 1936, from Chicago to Newark. The initial flights were very successful, and American built its early reputation around them.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Just a few months after American Airlines’ initial order for DC-3s, United Airlines became the second airline to commission DC-3s (in November 1936). The DC-2 had been proven more economical than the Boeing Model 247 (which United had been flying, as a subsidiary of Boeing); the airline’s executives assumed the DC-3 would continue that lead. Following the initial orders from American and United, more than 30 other airlines placed orders for DC-3s during the next two years.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">KLM received its first DC-3 in 1936; it replaced a DC-2 on what was then the world’s longest scheduled route, Amsterdam via Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia) to Sydney, Australia. KLM purchased more than 20 DC-3s before World War II began in Europe.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The DC-3 quickly established its reputation with the various airlines, and by 1939, more than 90 percent of U.S. airline passengers were flying in either DC-2s or DC-3s. The DC-3 dominated the pre-World War II airline industry; by the mid-1940s all but 25 of the 300 airliners operating in the U.S. were DC-3s, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ybDiQgpZ8r4MaAvo6BDU4o_JfTIXD2heK_RgvbclPGVPhldELdlj-bx8eIpHT-UNHfxoT7EWNbz-3mmPKuaCaox48zJfr5Inf8XPn43ZP-3Ys9yIRRk4PEHP61CSHbtSKDavkQa5YwXhV6nwMNHYqxKNPDfIx0bXRF_7ZdKpWEJ9VHHqqBAspTLumQ/s1107/DC3specs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="1107" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ybDiQgpZ8r4MaAvo6BDU4o_JfTIXD2heK_RgvbclPGVPhldELdlj-bx8eIpHT-UNHfxoT7EWNbz-3mmPKuaCaox48zJfr5Inf8XPn43ZP-3Ys9yIRRk4PEHP61CSHbtSKDavkQa5YwXhV6nwMNHYqxKNPDfIx0bXRF_7ZdKpWEJ9VHHqqBAspTLumQ/w638-h361/DC3specs.jpg" width="638" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Why Was the DC-3 So Successful?</u></span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Douglas DC-3 surpassed its competitors for many reasons. It was capable of taking off and landing on relatively short runways, was fast (a maximum cruising speed of up to 180 knots or 207 mph), had a good range (1,100 nm at 65 percent power and 142 knots), was more reliable, and carried between 14 to 32 passengers in greater comfort or a minimum of 6,000 pounds of cargo. A low-wing metal monoplane that had conventional landing gear, the DC-3 was originally powered by two Wright R-1820 Cyclone radial piston engines of between 1,000-1,200 hp. (Most DC-3s still in operation now use supercharged Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines of up to 1,200 hp.) The airplane crossed the continental U.S. from New York to Los Angeles in 18 hours with only three stops. Before the outbreak of World War II, the DC-3 pioneered many air travel routes. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Along with its other qualities, the DC-3 was an efficient airplane; as noted by the Museum of Flight, most DC-3s were operated by two-pilot crews, and joined by a flight attendant, if operated in passenger service. Different versions and engine choices were introduced by Douglas Aircraft. The airplane’s efficiency led to airline profitability, as well as to the significant growth of civil air transport in the U.S. and worldwide prior to World War II. </span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>The DC-3 in World War II</u></span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Production of DSTs ended in mid-1941, while civilian DC-3 production ended in early 1943. By that time, more than 600 DC-3s had been built. However, dozens of the DSTs and DC-3s ordered by airlines that were built between 1941 and 1943 were designated for U.S. military service while they were still on the production line. In addition, many existing civilian DC-3s were converted to military use. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">But this was only the beginning. Like other manufacturers of aircraft, automobiles, and a myriad of civilian staples, Douglas Aircraft shifted to production for the U.S. and Allies’ war effort. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> The DC-3 was designated as the C-47 by the U.S. Army Air Forces, the R4D by the U.S. Navy, and the Dakota by the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom. Whatever it was called, the world’s first successful commercial airliner readily adapted to military use—it was the most widely used transport aircraft of the war. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Roughly 10,147 C-47s, C-53s, and other variants were manufactured by Douglas for use by the Allies at its facilities in Santa Monica and Long Beach, California, and in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and encompassing models built under license to Russia (as the Li-2) and Japan (as the L2D). The C-53 version of the DC-3 was a troop carrier. Peak production of the C-47 occurred in 1944, when roughly 4,853 were delivered to the armed forces. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">For both airline and military use, the DC-3 was easy to operate and maintain, and flexible enough to use in various flight conditions and for a variety of missions. The DC-3’s wartime adaptations were both simple and effective. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the airplanes were used to “transport passengers (28), fully armed paratroopers (28), wounded troops (18 stretchers and a medical crew of three), military cargo (e.g., two light trucks), and anything else that could fit through its cargo doors and weighed not much more than three tons.” </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">C-47s were modified from the original DC-3 model; among other mods, they had strengthened floors to carry cargo and they were fitted with stronger landing gear. Another key difference was the C-47’s two-part doors, designed to facilitate cargo loading. You could push a ramp up to the door and drive a jeep inside.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">C-47s were also used to tow gliders and some were also converted to an efficient, high-speed glider. Those aircrafts’ engines were removed, the empty cowls were faired over, and other nonessential weight was jettisoned. As a glider, a converted C-47 could carry 40 fully armed troops at a top towing speed of 290 mph, which was 90 mph faster than any other transport glider—and 26 percent faster than its top speed as a transport airplane. Though the converted C-47 gliders saw limited use in wartime, the stock C-47s themselves were used to great effect to tow WACO CG-4A gliders to drop behind enemy lines in Europe.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Military versions of the DC-3 were known colloquially as “Skytrains” and “Skytroopers.” DC-3s were used in all of the theaters of war, including notably during Operation Overlord and other missions collectively known as “D-Day” in Normandy, France, and subsequent assaults by Allied airborne forces. In addition, DC-3s/C-47s were used to ferry provisions during the Berlin Airlift of 1948-49.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In addition to converting the DC-3 to military use, Douglas Aircraft manufactured another 20,000 warplanes (primarily the SBD Dauntless and the A-26 Invader). Military versions of the DC-3 were manufactured until the end of the war. Moreover, approximately one-sixth of the U.S. airborne fleet was built by Douglas.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgam2LsZi-uzND2kVUEspyGyXmTmbFHxzON_1AafI7KXxI9WnSA5fwjBZpjqVRYKRUuQxHYz8EofJB0ZZV7MaB_pr-jfI0PAXzZWxzj7d9MBfEbPWXN1fCyhqS59wBdNtfVJrgBvkFYGgiIe7OuPbhTU1zJpHpdni35GXrZGWlEgxc7GzUylDIx5SRPNQ/s470/fatherandsonspilots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="470" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgam2LsZi-uzND2kVUEspyGyXmTmbFHxzON_1AafI7KXxI9WnSA5fwjBZpjqVRYKRUuQxHYz8EofJB0ZZV7MaB_pr-jfI0PAXzZWxzj7d9MBfEbPWXN1fCyhqS59wBdNtfVJrgBvkFYGgiIe7OuPbhTU1zJpHpdni35GXrZGWlEgxc7GzUylDIx5SRPNQ/w628-h504/fatherandsonspilots.jpg" width="628" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: times;"><i>The nation's first father-and-two-son all pilot team on one airline is claimed by TWA. The elder Stanton, Capt. Stan, 45, (center)TWA pilot with more than 16,000 hours, walks with sons, Capt. Jim (left) and Bud (right) all fly with TWA. (TWA Museum print file)</i></span><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>After the War</u></span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The global civilian market swarmed with surplus aircraft of all types following the close of World War II. Many C-47s were converted to passenger and cargo versions. Although the DC-3/C-47 models were no longer competitive with new larger and faster turboprop transports, the type still made for a dependable workhorse worldwide. All the positive traits of the DC-3 proved adaptable and useful on less glamorous routes for both passengers and cargo.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As just one of many examples, Cubana de Aviación was the first Latin American airline to offer scheduled service from Havana to Miami with a DC-3, shortly after the war ended. In addition, the airline used DC-3s on several of its domestic routes well into the 1960s.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In 1949, a larger, more powerful Super DC-3 was launched by Douglas Aircraft and garnered positive reviews. The airplane also had greater cargo capacity, and an improved wing, but with thousands of surplus aircraft available at cheap prices, the Super DC-3 failed to sell well in the civilian aviation market. Only five Super DC-3s were delivered, three of them to Capital Airlines. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Super DC-3 prototype was purchased by the U.S. Navy (designated as YC-129); the Navy also had 100 R4Ds upgraded to the Super DC-3 specifications during the early 1950s. Their designation was altered to R4D-8/C-117D. Like the DC-3/C-47, the R4D-8/C-117D was incredibly durable and dependable; the last U.S. Navy C-117 was retired on July 12, 1976. The last U.S. Marine Corps C-117 lasted even longer; it was retired from active service in June 1982. Perhaps even more of a testament to the DC-3, the U.S. Forest Service utilized the aircraft for smoke jumping and general transportation; the agency’s last DC-3 was retired in December 2015.</span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>The DC-3’s Legacy</u></span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;">First flown in 1935, the Douglas DC-3 became the most successful airliner in the formative years of air transportation. The DC-3 and DST made air travel in the U.S. popular because of their speed, comfort, and reliability. Eastbound transcontinental flights crossed the nation in about 15 hours with three refueling stops; westbound trips (against the prevailing winds) took about 17.5 hours. Before the DC-3, such a trip entailed numerous short hops in slower and shorter-range aircraft during the day, with train travel overnight.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Early U.S. airlines—American, United, TWA, Eastern and Delta (NYSE: DAL)—purchased more than 400 DC-3s from Douglas Aircraft. These airlines’ fleets began the modern U.S. air travel industry, and by the 1950s and 1960s had replaced trains as the preferred way to travel across the U.S. (and then the world). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The DC-3 was very comfortable by the standards of its time. It was also very safe because of its strong, multiple-spar wing and all-metal construction. Bottom line: airlines that purchased DC-3s favored it because it was profitable. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The DC-3 took off easily, cruised comfortably at 145 knots at 10,000 feet, had a cruising range of 1,100 nm or more, depending on the power settings used, had a service ceiling of 26,500 feet and a clean stall speed of 68 kias. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">A common saying among pilots and aviation enthusiasts is “the only replacement for a DC-3 is another DC-3.” Several aircraft companies attempted to design and build a replacement for the DC-3 for over 30 years after its introduction. However, no single airplane could match the versatility, rugged reliability, and economy of the DC-3. It remained a significant part of air transport systems well into the 1970s.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Airlines liked the DC-3 for its easy maintenance, its ability to take off and land on short runways, and its remarkable reliability. These factors combined to keep DC-3s flying in many regions of the world into the 21st century. There are still small operators using DC-3s in revenue service or as cargo aircraft. Current uses of the DC-3 include passenger service, aerial spraying, freight transport, military transport, missionary flying, skydiver shuttling, and sightseeing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The oldest surviving DST is the sixth Douglas Sleeper Transport built, which was manufactured in 1936. The aircraft was delivered to American Airlines on July 12, 1936. Its most recent flight was on April 25, 2021. The oldest DC-3 still flying is the original American Airlines Flagship Detroit (the 43rd aircraft off the Santa Monica production line, which was delivered on March 2, 1937). It appears at air shows around the country and is owned and operated by the Flagship Detroit Foundation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It’s very likely that neither Donald Douglas nor any of the employees at Douglas Aircraft Company could have imagined that the DC-3 would be as successful as it was, much less that a number of DC-3s would still be in service more than 85 years after the airplane was first introduced. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Author’s note: Among the sources of information for this article were Boeing, the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Flight, Encyclopedia Britannica, aviation.history.com, museumofflying.com, pearlharboraviationmuseum.org, and Honest Vision: The Donald Douglas Story, by Julie Boatman Filucci.</span></p>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-43359010608756572492022-12-13T19:35:00.000-08:002022-12-13T19:35:09.664-08:00<p> </p><div class="widget widget-content widget-content-content-4" id="685b48cd-32d4-458f-a1af-8ef1b88a6896" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="x-el x-el-div x-el c1-1 c1-2 c1-3 c1-b c1-c c1-d c1-e c1-f c1-g c1-1 c1-2 c1-b c1-c c1-d c1-e c1-f c1-g" data-ux="Widget" id="685b48cd-32d4-458f-a1af-8ef1b88a6896" role="region" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div style="box-sizing: inherit;"><section class="x-el x-el-section c1-1 c1-2 c1-3 c1-h c1-i c1-b c1-c c1-l c1-m c1-d c1-e c1-f c1-g" data-ux="Section" style="box-sizing: inherit; 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margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-left: 24px; padding-right: 24px; width: 1280px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: helvetica;">John Mays</span></div><div class="x-el x-el-div c1-1 c1-2 c1-3c c1-3d c1-u c1-v c1-1k c1-b c1-c c1-3e c1-d c1-3f c1-e c1-3g c1-f c1-3h c1-g" data-ux="Container" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-left: 24px; padding-right: 24px; width: 1280px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: helvetica;">twajohnmays@gmail.com</span></div><div class="x-el x-el-div c1-1 c1-2 c1-3c c1-3d c1-u c1-v c1-1k c1-b c1-c c1-3e c1-d c1-3f c1-e c1-3g c1-f c1-3h c1-g" data-ux="Container" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-left: 24px; padding-right: 24px; width: 1280px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="x-el x-el-div c1-1 c1-2 c1-3c c1-3d c1-u c1-v c1-1k c1-b c1-c c1-3e c1-d c1-3f c1-e c1-3g c1-f c1-3h c1-g" data-ux="Container" style="box-sizing: inherit; 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display: flex; flex-direction: column; width: 805.323px;"><div alignment="center" class="x-el c1-1 c1-2 c1-1r c1-1d c1-4w c1-14 c1-16 c1-7o c1-7p c1-7q c1-7r c1-7s c1-7t c1-7u c1-7v c1-7w c1-7x c1-7y c1-7z c1-80 c1-81 c1-82 c1-83 c1-84 c1-85 c1-86 c1-87 c1-88 c1-89 c1-8a c1-8b c1-8c c1-8d c1-8e c1-8f c1-73 c1-b c1-3z c1-8z c1-25 c1-90 c1-91 c1-92 c1-93 x-rt" data-aid="CONTENT_WELCOME_DESCRIPTION_RENDERED" data-font-scaled="true" data-typography="BodyAlpha" data-ux="FeaturedText" fontscalemultiplier="1.26" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #5e5e5e; flex-grow: 1; font-size: 23px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; overflow-wrap: break-word;"></div></div></div></div></div></section></div></div></div>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-55746435889709275442022-11-15T08:54:00.000-08:002022-11-15T08:54:18.145-08:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_TXgiTwi6_TOyFz3Ajxze9TVle56XiQcbrxp_FTMl2mrJ8NBHXhpC9qi4zurMfwn2vq2U9c4aXv6EHoqGXGv0jcnawgjEg32fzOaAVtvZAJKx5_hohKYrLEUwrd8ImzVkEuBjy9nicsJPln5zDlvpCxKz4tGB6SFuDGKnpKs-kKDzK7HMeEKK6LnbA/s1416/Santa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="891" data-original-width="1416" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_TXgiTwi6_TOyFz3Ajxze9TVle56XiQcbrxp_FTMl2mrJ8NBHXhpC9qi4zurMfwn2vq2U9c4aXv6EHoqGXGv0jcnawgjEg32fzOaAVtvZAJKx5_hohKYrLEUwrd8ImzVkEuBjy9nicsJPln5zDlvpCxKz4tGB6SFuDGKnpKs-kKDzK7HMeEKK6LnbA/w604-h380/Santa.jpg" width="604" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-64939227913796344112022-10-14T10:00:00.001-07:002022-10-14T10:00:00.256-07:00How the Douglas Aircraft Company Created the DC-3, Part I<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Was it the Greatest Airplane of its time - or all time?</span></h1><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgs15lmLCLHzwmp_1K3ycSmxiM6W7kunU0AIM4B3AMonp069UdkvgbOCk7LgXUnvERoR8V_FIGwpknvlKOv0mVFfSO_W-fW43u9w8qMpl7JUinwGGpcmDkooYJxM0t7lHRJUuBgatokH_U0LJm9QPGUtHZ-uTq3YaXnY1PVa27dkL7HSnF1sbqa1JUxmw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="470" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgs15lmLCLHzwmp_1K3ycSmxiM6W7kunU0AIM4B3AMonp069UdkvgbOCk7LgXUnvERoR8V_FIGwpknvlKOv0mVFfSO_W-fW43u9w8qMpl7JUinwGGpcmDkooYJxM0t7lHRJUuBgatokH_U0LJm9QPGUtHZ-uTq3YaXnY1PVa27dkL7HSnF1sbqa1JUxmw" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">TWA DC-2 NC19340 - Betts Collection, CR Smith Museum</span></span></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Blog editor's note: This article was originally appeared in the August 11, 2022 edition of Flying magazine. It's reprinted here with their permission.</i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>By Scott Mall</u></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">According to Boeing (NYSE: BA), which through acquisitions owns what began as the Douglas Aircraft Company, “The Douglas DC-3, which made air travel popular and airline profits possible, is universally recognized as the greatest airplane of its time. Some would argue that it is the greatest of all time.” While it might sound biased, many would agree. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The DC-3 was not only comfortable and reliable, it also made air transportation profitable. C.R. Smith—who is considered one of the giants of U.S. airline history—became the president of American Airlines following the reorganization of American Airways into the new company. Smith was significantly involved in the airplane’s evolution from the beginnings of the Douglas Commercial series. According to simpleflying.com, Smith said the DC-3 was the first airplane that could make money just by hauling passengers, without relying on government mail subsidies. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">To understand the true impact of the DC-3, one must first understand the state of the U.S. aircraft and airline industries in the early 1930s.</span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Background</u></span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Donald W. Douglas (1892-1981) became interested in aviation as a youth; he saw the Wright brothers demonstrate their 1908 Flyer for the U.S. Signal Corps at Ft. Myer, Virginia. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In 1912, Douglas left the U.S. Naval Academy and took a position in the civil engineering program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as the university’s aeronautical engineering program was still under development. Under Jerome Hunsaker’s tutelage, he took on a graduate assistant role within the nascent department following his initial graduation in 1914, and helped with the construction of a new wind tunnel based at the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington, England. After a series of short-term positions at other aircraft manufacturers—and with the Signal Corps, he formed the Davis-Douglas Company in California and designed the Cloudster in 1920—the first aerodynamically streamlined airplane. With the financial backing of several California businessmen, Douglas founded The Douglas Company in Santa Monica, California in 1921. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">A pair of Douglas World Cruisers—out of an original flight of four aircraft, with one spare—completed the first circumnavigation of the globe by air in 1924, just a little more than 20 years after the Wright brothers first flight. This achievement confirmed the Douglas Company’s early success and presaged it well for the future.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Contracts from the U.S. Army Air Service and the U.S. Navy generated ongoing revenue, and the company grew significantly during the 1920s. However, Douglas realized that his company needed to adapt in order to continue to grow, which led to the company’s reorganization. On November 30, 1928, a new company, Douglas Aircraft Company Inc. (DAC), bought all the shares of The Douglas Company. It also moved to new facilities at Clover Field in Santa Monica (the current site of KSMO).</span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>The Airline Industry in 1930</u></b></span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Curtiss T-32 Condor biplane, the Fokker F VII, and Ford Tri-motor dominated the early airline industry. However, the airlines using these and similar models could not make money, given limited space for passengers—their primary sources of revenue were contracts to carry U.S. mail. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">New designs of all-metal airliners entered the market, but the crash of a Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA) Fokker F-10A on March 31, 1931, effectively ended the era of wooden spar-and-rib aircraft. Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne and seven others were killed in the accident, which led to public calls for greater federal oversight of aviation safety. The Bureau of Air Commerce (a predecessor of the FAA) subsequently compelled all airline operators to perform periodic internal safety inspections of their aircraft—which had not been required previously. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Because of the cost and the length of time for those inspections, TWA needed to update its fleet. The airline sought to buy several new Boeing 247s; however, Boeing had already guaranteed delivery to United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL) (of which Boeing was a part owner) of the first 60 airplanes. The 247 was a transformational airplane that catalyzed the commercial air transport revolution.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsm2jda3guCU44Nu9bWGTg9-q7YU7qUmQf1GIaFHnUGYd5rKWvjfRCMXlGkzJuVskVREQSrlVkJ1gjE5vwX3cwZ_ZR0auCyHkpQ1fu42e_IjucD5sN2aPy-y7F_GHddotwrlAjsQLPY3kFZQea-gK6E8xsRgYebOfXqdCOHdqJGkcwAnVCl0wwr7GOkw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="470" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsm2jda3guCU44Nu9bWGTg9-q7YU7qUmQf1GIaFHnUGYd5rKWvjfRCMXlGkzJuVskVREQSrlVkJ1gjE5vwX3cwZ_ZR0auCyHkpQ1fu42e_IjucD5sN2aPy-y7F_GHddotwrlAjsQLPY3kFZQea-gK6E8xsRgYebOfXqdCOHdqJGkcwAnVCl0wwr7GOkw" width="320" /></a></div><br />Penn Central Airlines Boeing 247, Betts Collection, CR Smith Museum<p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The 247 gave United a major market advantage; TWA had to look elsewhere for replacement aircraft. TWA contacted Consolidated, Curtiss, General Aviation, Martin, and DAC and asked for an aircraft with a design similar to the 247. TWA’s requirements for a new airplane—outlined in a famous letter from then-TWA vice president of operations Jack Frye—were very specific and also would be difficult to meet:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">All-metal, tri-motor monoplane powered by 500 to 550 hp supercharged engines</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Ability to carry a crew of two pilots and at least 12 passengers</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Range of 1,080 sm</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Cruising speed of 150 mph</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Top speed of 185 mph</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Landing speed not to exceed 65 mph</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Rate of climb of at least 1,200 feet per minute</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Service ceiling of at least 21,000 feet</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Maximum gross weight of at least 14,200 pounds</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In addition, TWA had a last (and perhaps the most difficult) requirement to meet. The new airplane had to be able to maintain control during takeoff on a single engine, and at any airport in TWA’s network. The single-engine takeoff requirement, considered so critical to multiengine aircraft design today, didn’t exist until this time. At the time, one of TWA’s stations was located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which has an elevation of 4,954 feet, while temperatures there often exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit—and this added an extra layer of difficulty to the new requirement.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Despite the first years of the Great Depression, Douglas Aircraft Company was doing well enough that Donald Douglas had planned to expand beyond military aircraft into the passenger transport market. The opportunity presented by the TWA letter was too good to pass up.</span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>The DC Series of Aircraft</u></span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Accepting TWA’s challenge, Douglas and his senior designers—including chief engineer Arthur Raymond—developed preliminary plans for the Douglas Commercial Model No. 1. They convinced TWA that instead of a tri-motor airplane, two 710 hp Wright Cyclone engines were capable of meeting TWA’s requirements (though, famously, DAC held a side-by-side competition within its walls between teams from Wright and Pratt & Whitney to develop potential engines in parallel, and the resulting models would use powerplants from both entities). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In addition, the Douglas design included NACA cowlings—aerodynamic fairings from the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics that streamlined the airplane’s radial engines, reducing aerodynamic drag reduction and improving fuel efficiency—plus retractable landing gear and, according to aviation-history.com, a “multi-spar wing, inspired by Jack Northrop that would give the airplane exceptional strength with a long fatigue-free life.” </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Douglas Commercial Model No. 1 (better known as the DC-1) was a more refined aircraft than the Boeing 247. It was also larger, faster, and could carry 12 passengers (while the 247 could only hold 10 passengers). In addition, the DC-1’s mid-wing section was integral to the fuselage; this eliminated the spar running through the cabin as it did on the 247, creating an easier experience for passengers and crew alike. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">TWA agreed to pay $125,000 to help defray the developmental costs of the DC-1, and Douglas paid the balance for design and engineering. The total cost for development was at least $200,000 more than TWA’s initial investment, bringing it close to $300,000, or about $6 million today.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The DC-1’s inaugural flight was on July 1, 1933. However, it was nearly the DC-1’s last flight, as the airplane’s left engine stumbled during the initial climbout. The test pilot and copilot were able to maintain control of the airplane by pitching forward and leveling off, but each time they resumed climbing, the engines sputtered. A design flaw had placed the fuel lines at the rear of the carburetor; the carburetor floats were also hinged at the rear. Because the fuel was gravity-fed and the fuel system was not pressurized, the fuel lines emptied and starved the engines during climb. The problem was corrected by reversing the carburetor floats and fuel lines.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">After the fuel system was modified, Douglas put the DC-1 through extensive testing. On one test flight, it was loaded to 18,000 pounds by using sandbags and lead weights to simulate the conditions of full fuel, passengers, crew, and mail. The airplane climbed above 22,000 feet, comfortably above the TWA requirement. Moreover, with a full load, the DC-1 was able to take off in less than 1,000 feet. With full flaps, it was also capable of landing at less than 65 mph. In addition, it achieved a maximum speed of 227 mph during one test run.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Only one test remained—the airplane had to prove it could take off and land on one engine with a full load. A test flight from Winslow, Arizona, to Albuquerque, New Mexico, took place on September 1, 1933. During the first takeoff with TWA’s Tommy Tomlinson and DAC’s Frank Collbohm on board, Tomlinson shut down one of the engines with no warning to Collbohm that they would do so at that point in the test program. Fortunately for all involved, the DC-1 climbed successfully (if slowly) from 4,941 feet msl to its cruising altitude of 8,000 feet. It then flew 280 sm to Albuquerque, meeting all of TWA’s requirements. A few tweaks were made at TWA’s request to the first DC-1, and it was accepted on September 15, 1933.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Based on the results of the tests, TWA placed an order for 25 Douglas airliners; however, the airline sought several refinements, so only one DC-1 was ever produced. The list of refinements led to the DC-2.</span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>The DC-2</u></span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Douglas Aircraft developed the DC-2 through several substantial changes. The airplane’s overall volume was increased—its fuselage was widened and lengthened by 2 feet to allow for an extra row of seats (increasing total passenger seating to 14). Other improvements were also incorporated into the new airplane: its payload, service ceiling, and speed were all increased. By the time it made its first commercial flight, the DC-2 was the most luxurious airliner in the world.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwTc_gFV24ij3iB7HisDR6uJAYbW7meQPGD5aAq0fECxniBsDGpwGXJhHSqcsdwmEh7ZZeUdILzQmh3Qy3nYm0FSBLW_ILI3vAet-LVB5inhF2R74bzdH9yZMfkKZAp-n-dK_Cw3dEPxePj_oNgSDQaS63BDEv8OOBHr1ebTT09bFkwR7sPRsZoIGC5g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="470" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwTc_gFV24ij3iB7HisDR6uJAYbW7meQPGD5aAq0fECxniBsDGpwGXJhHSqcsdwmEh7ZZeUdILzQmh3Qy3nYm0FSBLW_ILI3vAet-LVB5inhF2R74bzdH9yZMfkKZAp-n-dK_Cw3dEPxePj_oNgSDQaS63BDEv8OOBHr1ebTT09bFkwR7sPRsZoIGC5g" width="291" /></a></div><div>Douglas DC-2, Betts Collection - CR Smith Museum</div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Incredibly, only four months after the Boeing 247 entered service, Douglas delivered its first DC-2 to TWA, and the airplane flew in record time between Los Angeles and New York. TWA began advertising coast-to-coast service in a 200-mph luxury airliner it dubbed “the Sky Chief.” TWA’s transcontinental flights made four hops—from New York (Newark) to Chicago, Kansas City, Albuquerque, and Los Angeles. Sky Chief flights left Newark at 4 p.m. and arrived in Los Angeles at 7 a.m. the next day, setting a new precedent in transcontinental air travel.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibFR1rAfGW21KYvxb1DLgtRFjxmaqtklK1wCEtxSJTi6IUXmgAEsI74a9m8Ry8QYRPMw_-su55_DZALBILaB-zTLdjvT0ligKZbuOW9E1WSht2jaOWNKPwk4_6YFPs0AwTf6SA4yp6QcWVlsLCHH-4fUZMKnPRpl51dgaYGxjV8ubkedGMGi8F8HF_cg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="470" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibFR1rAfGW21KYvxb1DLgtRFjxmaqtklK1wCEtxSJTi6IUXmgAEsI74a9m8Ry8QYRPMw_-su55_DZALBILaB-zTLdjvT0ligKZbuOW9E1WSht2jaOWNKPwk4_6YFPs0AwTf6SA4yp6QcWVlsLCHH-4fUZMKnPRpl51dgaYGxjV8ubkedGMGi8F8HF_cg" width="307" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Douglas DC-2 interior, Betts Collection - CR Smith Museum</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">United Airlines’ Boeing 247 was eclipsed by the DC-2 before it ever fully established itself in the airline industry. Part 2 of this two-part series will continue the story on the DC-3. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Author’s note: Among the sources of information for this article were Boeing, the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Flight, Encyclopedia Britannica, aviation.history.com, and Honest Vision: The Donald Douglas Story, by Julie Boatman Filucci.</span></p>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-46057292847439038982022-08-30T08:56:00.000-07:002022-08-30T08:56:03.520-07:00<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">FLASHBACK 1968!</span></span></span></p><div class="yiv5675790116" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span class="yiv5675790116"></span><br class="yiv5675790116" clear="none" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIMk0nfZXVLhovRiU1mvHx_HUsjj9OH9CNt6gNOyhePXhXzkK73wYnVr4j35Rd0wJcDs1DIyd5vvQMsw5fokb_UNci7KNxxz6XM8kNJxEoHcRg5jsFYTK9E_shq23OlovLbWRcHs4KqSH_5luBjBnkUuxHddyvtbx2-vPk8j6Qgu3dw7yp4RKKkQBVg/s2880/paper%20dresses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="2880" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIMk0nfZXVLhovRiU1mvHx_HUsjj9OH9CNt6gNOyhePXhXzkK73wYnVr4j35Rd0wJcDs1DIyd5vvQMsw5fokb_UNci7KNxxz6XM8kNJxEoHcRg5jsFYTK9E_shq23OlovLbWRcHs4KqSH_5luBjBnkUuxHddyvtbx2-vPk8j6Qgu3dw7yp4RKKkQBVg/w501-h376/paper%20dresses.jpg" width="501" /></a></div><br /><div class="yiv5675790116" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="yiv5675790116">The problem: TWA’s advertising agency wanted something new and different for Inflight Services. What might that be?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="yiv5675790116"><br /></span><span class="yiv5675790116">Their solution: the paper dress! </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="yiv5675790116"><br /></span><span class="yiv5675790116">Noted designer Elsa Daggs came up with four paper dress concepts for TWA. She hoped to match hostess uniforms to our major overseas routes. Wearing one of four paper dress outfits, hostesses would offer meal services matched to the uniform theme. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="yiv5675790116"><br /></span><span class="yiv5675790116">“Italian Accent” flight attendants wore white and gold togas. Food service included Italian veal dishes. On “British Accent” flights, they wore grey flannel “serving wench” uniforms while serving steak and kidney pie. “French Accent” flights featured a gold lame cocktail “mini-skirt,” while Manhattan Penthouse flights featured crews wearing black-sashed lounging pajamas. <br /></span><span class="yiv5675790116">While the uniforms were supposedly constructed of heavy fireproof paper, the ink used to decorate them apparently wasn't. There were complaints of flight attendants suffering mild burns, perhaps from careless cigarette smokers. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="yiv5675790116"><br /></span><span class="yiv5675790116">Other evolving issues: uniform inventory carried at domicile frequently did not match the “foreign accent” flight scheduled. French Accent flight attendants found themselves wearing Manhattan Penthouse dresses. The manufacturer ran out of the heavy paper stock initially used. A lighter, flimsier substitute was found. And, while flight attendants typically came in different sizes, oftentimes the uniforms did not. “One size fits all” became the order of the day. <br /></span><span class="yiv5675790116">Scissors, a stapler, and masking tape became must carry items. Built-in velcro strips often did not match the wearer, making the uniform extremely uncomfortable. Additionally, flight attendants scheduled for foreign accent turnarounds sometimes found themselves reassigned by crew schedule to six-day trips.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="yiv5675790116"> <br /></span><span class="yiv5675790116">While the uniforms looked great on paper (pardon the pun), the execution left much to be desired. One flight attendant recalled wearing the black lounging pajamas on a particularly hot day. Mid-cabin, she noticed streams of black ink running down both arms. Occasional galley mishaps sometimes ripped off the front of the dress. Also, cutting the dress too short often resulted in undignified positions when bending over in the aisle. Uniforms expected to last for several wearings lasted one to two legs. Increasing numbers of flight attendants simply refused to wear them at all.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="yiv5675790116"><br /></span><span class="yiv5675790116">The program lasted a mere seven months, ending in the fall of 1968. Few flight attendants lamented its end.</span></p><div class="yiv5675790116" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span class="yiv5675790116"></span></div><div class="yiv5675790116" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span class="yiv5675790116"></span></div><div class="yiv5675790116" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span class="yiv5675790116"></span></div><div class="yiv5675790116" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span class="yiv5675790116"></span></div><div class="yiv5675790116" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span class="yiv5675790116"></span></div><div class="yiv5675790116" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span class="yiv5675790116"></span></div><div class="yiv5675790116" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span class="yiv5675790116"></span></div><div class="yiv5675790116" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span class="yiv5675790116"></span></div>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-91406319280538553502022-07-17T10:00:00.001-07:002022-07-17T10:00:00.210-07:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: red; font-family: arial;">TWA Flight 800 Remembered</span></h1><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Today, July 17, marks the 26<sup>th</sup>
anniversary of the loss of TWA Flight 800. All 230 passengers and crew onboard
perished. Included were 18 active working crew, 20 other TWA employees
(including deadheading cockpit and cabin crew), and passengers from 14 countries.
We take a moment today to remember them all.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-indent: 22.5pt;">We do not intend to re-litigate
the cause of the accident. Despite countless news articles, documentaries, magazine stories, and books, many believe there is no definitive cause.
The National Transportation Safety Board took four years and one month to issue
their official report. That report remains controversial. In 2013, the NTSB
admitted they had received a petition to reopen the investigation. In 2014,
they declined.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Over 96% of the aircraft was
recovered, then carefully pieced back together in Ashburn, VA.
Only victim’s families were permitted to view the wreckage. In July of 2021,
the reconstruction was decommissioned. By agreement with victim’s families,
no wreckage could be used further. Instead, it was melted down
or shredded.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What does remain is the TWA
Flight 800 Memorial. There, on a landscaped two-acre plot adjacent to Smith
Point County Park, Fire Island, New York, sits a curved black granite memorial
with 230 engraved names. The site flies the flags of all 14 countries of the
victims.</span><o:p></o:p></p>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-83706300237024391832022-06-28T09:22:00.001-07:002022-06-28T09:22:35.980-07:00<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9CUhhXLi1xWl6e9EF5LgVLsC6lRnmISpGqPbQF_vdJDQAy_OBjxT1bu6y40cveekuyvQF7sKQ6o_a0UlEaYomHWJfL--hiUC_AY4mChpB9N79KQtEt4UslaRCA1hC7p9QwcVCrvtcSTiXx87XoYn73V0gXk0YYD6VnZrb9CdJYnFQ4eBGhhyvFIWGJw/s1920/TWA%20History.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="1920" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9CUhhXLi1xWl6e9EF5LgVLsC6lRnmISpGqPbQF_vdJDQAy_OBjxT1bu6y40cveekuyvQF7sKQ6o_a0UlEaYomHWJfL--hiUC_AY4mChpB9N79KQtEt4UslaRCA1hC7p9QwcVCrvtcSTiXx87XoYn73V0gXk0YYD6VnZrb9CdJYnFQ4eBGhhyvFIWGJw/s320/TWA%20History.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://youtu.be/ruoVjAx1W9s">https://youtu.be/ruoVjAx1W9s</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Back in 2001, PBS station KETC channel 9 in St. Louis produced this wonderful program on the history of TWA. The link is provided with their permission, and our thanks!</span></p>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-88726551808774853682022-06-17T09:14:00.002-07:002022-06-18T10:09:25.814-07:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Looking Back: First Flight</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQoptzhhGCZVlCSuFPinqHeQn_lUWddCFSuV57EeEprERyerqoOR50RuYprsThRAsLt_0vG5XFEaJwBQmdBuvfLnT6ZQvs6nAjvOZVyRYDgeWE9cLND91neZBr9XOwivB5kcMjlPgznQxKDNZbW_Oj56UoNG2N0hyQ_J5_gH_hri_0lT7J2yIY37bCQ/s320/Larry.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQoptzhhGCZVlCSuFPinqHeQn_lUWddCFSuV57EeEprERyerqoOR50RuYprsThRAsLt_0vG5XFEaJwBQmdBuvfLnT6ZQvs6nAjvOZVyRYDgeWE9cLND91neZBr9XOwivB5kcMjlPgznQxKDNZbW_Oj56UoNG2N0hyQ_J5_gH_hri_0lT7J2yIY37bCQ/s1600/Larry.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Author Larry Dingman with a flying partner. Do you know who she is? Drop us a line at twamuseumguides@gmail.com.</span></div><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.01in;"><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.01in;"><span style="color: red;">April
11, 1973</span></u></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">A
hundred of us had just completed six weeks of flight attendant
training at Breach Academy in Kansas City (minus two unfortunates who
failed the final weight check by a pound or two). We'd clambered into
and out of the life rafts in the swimming pool, jumped the 747 escape
slide from the second floor to the ground, and completed mock first
class meal services in the cabin trainers. The women attended
mandatory hair appointments and the few men with mustaches (myself
included) had them carefully measured with a ruler. Not a single hair
could touch the upper lip.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">We
were given 72 hours to travel to New York. While we'd all bid for
preferred domiciles, everyone was assigned JFK International. TWA
booked rooms for us (at our expense, but with a discount) at the San
Carlos Hotel on E. 50<sup>th</sup> St. in Manhattan. Accommodations
were three to a room: two double beds and a roll-a-way. On Tuesday,
we were officially released to crew schedule at Hangar 12.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Twice
a day, at 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., schedulers updated a taped message
with numbers and names. The lower your number, the more likely you'd
be assigned a flight. Mandated report time? No more than two hours
(later we learned to our chagrin that scheduling kept track of who
lived closest to the airport. The closer you lived to the airport,
the less notice for a flight you got).</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">The
tape sometimes droned through over 150 names, usually far fewer.
Dialing out from the hotel was expensive, so we'd call scheduling
from the pay phone on the corner. With a high number one night, I
didn't expect to go anywhere soon (we'd heard it was VERY unusual to
get called anytime but late morning through afternoon, as all
international flights but one – flight 702 – JFK-LHR – departed
at night).</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">The
phone rang just past 3 a.m. The scheduler said, “Report 6:30 a.m.
Hangar 12, limo to McGuire Air Force Base, disposition later.” That
last phrase meant “everything's subject to change, we're not sure
where you're going, or when you'll be back.”</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Fortunately
the first CAREY bus from Grand Central to JFK left around 4 a.m. With
crew kit packed and new uniform freshly pressed, I grabbed a cab to
Grand Central.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Hangar
12 was completely deserted. Here I met my crew. Our cabin team
consisted of five brand-new-first-trip flight attendants, and a new
purser (also making her first trip as purser). Our aircraft was to be
one of several TWA 707s assigned soley to military charters. It
differed from the standard high density/all coach charter
configuration in that the forward aux bar (a supplemental galley area
just inside the forward left door) had been removed. In its place was
an additional row of coach seats for a total of 188 seats. Nothing
but a galley curtain (open for takeoff and landing) kept us from
rubbing knees with front row passengers.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Our
captain seemed annoyed as he talked further with operations.
Apparently our “limo to McGuire” (16 miles west of Trenton, NJ)
was not to support the 10 a.m. departure he'd been told, but rather
10 p.m. that same night. Apparently we were all dressed up in new
uniforms with nowhere to go.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">We
all piled into the van and headed for New Jersey. The captain,
apparently recovered from his annoyance with crew schedule and
operations, jovially asked “anybody hungry?!” We all were. Within
minutes (and with 14 hours to spare), we pulled into a rest stop on
the New Jersey Turnpike. Apparently not a common sight, this fully
decked-out airline crew created quite a buzz at Howard Johnson's.
Parents took pictures while their kids asked for autographs.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">We
arrived at McGuire mid-morning and were assigned rooms at the
Wrightstown Inn. Definitely NOT a glamorous European hotel – think
instead more Motel 6.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Enroute
to the motel, the captain noticed the base bowling alley. While
checking in at the hotel, he asked “Anyone up for bowling?” Why
not? Our first layover activity: bowling a few games. Naps followed.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">The
base commander apparently felt badly about the departure delay, or he
was just a really nice guy. In any case, he invited us to join him
for dinner in the officer's club. Our uniforms couldn't compete with
the dress military uniforms everywhere in the club, but we enjoyed an
enormous prime rib dinner courtesy of the USAF. A heavy meal –
perfect to start working an all nighter.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">More
bad news: our aircraft, inbound from Europe, was even more hours
late. Instead of a 10 p.m. departure, it now appeared we'd leave
about 1 a.m. From that initial 3 a.m. Crew call, we finally climbed
aboard after 2 a.m.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></p>
<p style="break-before: auto; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0.01in;">
<span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: red;"><u>A Few Words About Our Itinerary and
USAF Charters In General</u></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">We
were scheduled to depart McGuire AFB and ferry empty to Quonset
Point, RI. From the naval station there, we'd pick up a Polaris
submarine crew destined for 90 days underwater after arrival in
Prestwick, Scotland.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Another
ferry flight: this time from Prestwick to the USAF base in Frankfurt.
After a (now much shortened layover) in the town of Mainz, we would
again ferry to Torremolinos outside of Madrid. There, we'd pick up
military dependents (wives and kids). We'd fly them back to McGuire,
then limo to Hangar 12. End of trip.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Air
Force charters went by the book. Inspectors threatened fines for
infractions. Rules included a limited beverage choice of coffee, tea,
water, or milk. Absolutely no liquor, definitely no soft drinks
(sometime later, the USAF relented and allowed soft drinks).</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">All
food was USAF issue, nothing was from TWA caterers. The remaining aux
bar at the left aft door, normally loaded with mix kits of soft
drinks, was instead provisioned with individual cartons of milk,
apples, and bananas. A serving of fruit and a carton of milk was
mandatory on every tray. No TWA-issue china entre plates either. Food
was boarded in USAF-supplied individual foil plates with matching
tops (their lobster thermador was pretty tasty). Under no
circumstances could trash bags be used. Veterans of 707 charters
remember that trash management was problematic. Typically, we'd fill
trash bags floor to ceiling in one of the aft lavs for landing. Not
so with the USAF. Air force personnel often raced straight to the
lavs after arrival to ensure they were trash bag-free.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Still
another problem...upon landing at McGuire, the #2 engine reverser
stuck in reverse and refused to re-stow. As a newbie, I was curious
how highly-trained maintenance personnel dealt with a stuck reverser.
I was disappointed to find a lone mechanic beating on the reverser
with a rubber mallet. It worked!</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">The
empty ferry flight was uneventful, landing just before 3 a.m. As we
taxied in, our entire passenger compliment lined up at attention to
greet us. In mid-April, it's still quite cold in New England and
those poor guys were plainly uncomfortable. We boarded them as
quickly as possible and departed for Scotland.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Considering
it was a first flight for all of us, it went pretty well. The biggest
issues? Predictably, all that fruit and trash management. NOBODY
touched the fruit or the milk. Picking up meal trays in turbulence
with apples rolling everywhere, milk spilling everywhere, was an
experience. We'd carefully unpack the apples, bananas, and milk for
dinner, now we repacked it just as we'd found it. There was no other
place to put it.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></p>
<p style="break-before: auto; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0.01in;">
<span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: red;"><u>Trash Management</u></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Our
aircraft had four galley cans (red plastic trash tubs) in the front
galley and six more in the back. They quickly filled up, with plenty
more trash to follow. Absent trash bags, we removed meal carriers
from the galley to access the galley cans. Then, the preferred method was
to roll up your pant legs and stomp on the trash. Yes, we were human
trash compactors. We were careful to pull the galley curtains so no
one would see us.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">So
much for my first sight of Europe. We landed in a dense fog at
Prestwick, unloaded our passengers, and took off for Frankfurt. Our
planned mid-morning arrival there was now late afternoon. A shower, a
change of clothes, a quick dinner, and off to bed.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">A
reprieve: Instead of our early crew call and scheduled late morning
ferry to Spain, late inbound equipment changed the plan to a
mid-afternoon arrival. In Spain, we quickly boarded our load of
dependents – 188 wives and an almost equal number of screaming
infants – and left the gate. Unfortunately, it was just in time for
evening thunderstorms.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Most
airlines offered an infant bassinet which attached to the bulkheads
in coach and first class. While some of our mainline aircraft offered
the same option, our military configuration 707 had no bulkheads. Thus, the
TWA 'sky cradle,' a cardboard box with a pillow and blanket. Baby,
sky cradle and all, was placed on the floor underneath the seat. Each
cradle was provisioned flat and had to be carefully assembled, with
multiple cardboard flaps, folds, and tucks. During our ground delay,
I assembled 27 of them. My flying partners did the same.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">It
was now late, the infants finally fell asleep, and again, nobody
touched the fruit. We trash can stomped our way across the North
Atlantic.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">I
can't remember anything about the trip from McGuire back to Hangar
12. All of us instantly fell asleep. End of trip.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">After
a guaranteed number of hours of crew rest, it was back to the pay
phone on the corner to start the whole process again. Welcome to the
line!</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">My
next trip? Domestic crew schedule (a completely different operation
in those days), 'borrowed' me for a 5-day, multi-leg tour of the Ohio
Valley on a DC-9 – a story for another time.</span></p><br />TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-64465540780383227822021-03-11T19:08:00.023-08:002021-03-14T13:41:29.621-07:00<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSPAjGs8T7r70lpa7VdO_maUmSQ10qXcmBevL48oQa58pCPoeJHtpqpM5GpLdc6tmzDJvuw7cHyAim8pl9YAgPt0jOWD1pWHPFo9P0hfTmYH0eGVTNQqiNNxdgdivTCF0UiAVWu-3NO_S/s1280/LIS+Article+Slide+1b.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSPAjGs8T7r70lpa7VdO_maUmSQ10qXcmBevL48oQa58pCPoeJHtpqpM5GpLdc6tmzDJvuw7cHyAim8pl9YAgPt0jOWD1pWHPFo9P0hfTmYH0eGVTNQqiNNxdgdivTCF0UiAVWu-3NO_S/w640-h360/LIS+Article+Slide+1b.png" width="640" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>Welcome to the first video essay in our Short-Hauls section, </span><u>TWA's Final Departure From Lisbon</u></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On January 14, 2001, TWA operated its last flight from Portugal as flight 901 departed Lisbon, bound for New York's Kennedy International Airport. This brought an end to TWA's presence in Portugal which had begun almost 55 years earlier. The video was taken by a TWA employee and has been edited for this article. You'll see TWA's Lisbon staff bidding the flight farewell at the gate, followed by pushback, taxi, and takeoff. After takeoff, you'll see something we think is pretty special. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: arial;"><u>TWA and Portugal </u></b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lisbon, Portugal was among the earliest of TWA's international destinations, first served in May 1946. TWA also served the Azores, a region of Portugal consisting of nine islands in the Atlantic Ocean, roughly 900 miles west of Lisbon. In the pre-jet era, the Azores proved the ideal location for a needed fuel stop between the U.S. and Lisbon. Once TWA's jets made non-stop flights possible, Azores service was significantly reduced. TWA did continue to periodically schedule Boeing 707 jet flights with a stop in the Azores; however, that came to an end in 1979. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Throughout the 1990s, TWA's service to cities in Europe decreased substantially. By 2000, Lisbon remained as one of only a few European cities still served. Unfortunately that was not to last much longer as TWA ended service to Lisbon, effective January 14, 2001.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>About the video</u></b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">The video was taken by TWA Lisbon employee José João Inácio who was among many employees there to witness TWA's final departure. We received the video from Carlos Carreiro, a former TWA flight attendant, purser and flight service manager. In addition to providing the video, he was a great source of information about TWA's history in Portugal. A native of the Azores, Carlos emigrated to the U.S. in 1976 and flew for TWA from 1978 until 2001, continuing his career with American Airlines until 2003. He is also the author of three books about Portuguese cultural and aviation history. Carlos currently resides on the island of São Miguel, in the Azores. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">As you watch the video, keep in mind it was taken with a hand-held video camcorder, so you'll notice some shaking, especially on close-up shots. Also note this was the era of videotape, so images are not as sharp as we see with today's digital video technology. With that said, we think the subject and meaning of the video are what you'll notice most. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUvrfl2nET-Kn4hyphenhyphenhmtx_bQj6ePtfPmGIcRNTnnBvc8F-yoFT-wrxhiv2upxNw2Sk1-PC_-BXcOCbj3zXVQO_ElRbcVfRHDOb5VF-F3_SLcubls3XnAWxPtsC0pVrw7Cmpao7awE83U4/s1366/LIS+Still+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUvrfl2nET-Kn4hyphenhyphenhmtx_bQj6ePtfPmGIcRNTnnBvc8F-yoFT-wrxhiv2upxNw2Sk1-PC_-BXcOCbj3zXVQO_ElRbcVfRHDOb5VF-F3_SLcubls3XnAWxPtsC0pVrw7Cmpao7awE83U4/w640-h360/LIS+Still+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Thanks to the TWA employees you'll see in the video as well as their predecessors who worked for TWA in Portugal. While it was a sad day for TWA's Lisbon employees, they made sure TWA's last departure from Lisbon was given an honorable and heartfelt farewell.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="https://youtu.be/iLShSXwqmSA"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>CLICK OR TAP HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO</b></span></a><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Article written by: Wayne Hammer</span></span></span><br /><span><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Edited by: Larry Dingman</span></span></span><br /><span><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Copy editor: Pam Tucker</span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Videographer: </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">José João Inácio</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 25.68px;">Have a comment about this article?<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="color: red;"><b><a href="https://twamuseumguides.blogspot.com/2019/07/wed-like-to-hear-from-you-have-comment.html">Click here to get in touch with us.</a> </b></span></span></span></span><br /><span><span style="line-height: 25.68px;"><br /></span></span><span></span><b><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://twamuseumguides.blogspot.com/2020/08/blog-post.html">Click or tap here to go to the Short-Haul table of contents</a></span><br /><br /><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://twamuseumguides.blogspot.com/2017/02/our-latest-article-january-12-2017-our.html">Click or tap here to go to our blog's home page</a></span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.twamuseum.com/"><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Click or tap here to go to our museum's website</span></a><br /></b></span></span></span></span></p>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-33174933570315834732020-12-07T17:56:00.009-08:002020-12-08T08:58:08.123-08:00<p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQ_1VvySNyHPL0-el6JIavWm81-FM8ffPjpoTgKhFU5DYT91FecaCqAnAmSsRHdK6r5dUFebdmKhwsLFI33F3haSbJbh0IOibq9frtdjKBOAeyAdeeLGpzhB3iBwSoVpxjj_gT50pijir/s1280/Volunteer+Resource+Page.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQ_1VvySNyHPL0-el6JIavWm81-FM8ffPjpoTgKhFU5DYT91FecaCqAnAmSsRHdK6r5dUFebdmKhwsLFI33F3haSbJbh0IOibq9frtdjKBOAeyAdeeLGpzhB3iBwSoVpxjj_gT50pijir/w640-h360/Volunteer+Resource+Page.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><b>WELCOME TO OUR MUSEUM'S VOLUNTEER RESOURCE PAGE.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">Here, you'll find information that we think will help those volunteers who interface with our guests or who just want to know more about how things work at the museum.</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>______________________________________________________________</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>FLIGHT SIMULATOR TUTORIAL</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Q1poU9dho-2qGRE-awKPKPKoEtNv6sn7R9GwVm15FoM0sBibSB_1mOACYci9O4MDskwiGebW41hNFLLKRL7qoqQFvf0E3MrC7Jt9dOrWo8pCkPyQPbxqwythMYzkL5hm0imN8gVim-4f/s1280/download+%25284%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Q1poU9dho-2qGRE-awKPKPKoEtNv6sn7R9GwVm15FoM0sBibSB_1mOACYci9O4MDskwiGebW41hNFLLKRL7qoqQFvf0E3MrC7Jt9dOrWo8pCkPyQPbxqwythMYzkL5hm0imN8gVim-4f/s320/download+%25284%2529.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /><b>Tour guide Art Lujin gives a 20-minute tutorial on the basics of flying our popular Constellation flight simulator. Helpful information for tour guides assisting guests or for those volunteers interested in taking the Connie up for a spin. <a href="https://youtu.be/IBTXh7a7VJE">Click here to see the video.</a></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203017921677861371.post-45849788617592919622020-11-14T20:02:00.014-08:002020-11-15T17:59:08.929-08:00<p> </p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: red; font-size: xx-large;">MUSEUM PHOTO OF THE WEEK</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Historical post from the week of 5/28/18</span></div></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFumE4sDzTgqJ9ygbuUUjiLYcglsOSSIo8ls6aiVq_yim69MyI-oI6Y7g8KuBmE5pUsmyeKh4Rrn2qYxH-1Pr3tsXDVZALyiOKmAynteYnOkTo-izPUlCpeu3STLBFSRo2tQXBBLh4mdRe/s2048/IMG_7581.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1318" data-original-width="2048" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFumE4sDzTgqJ9ygbuUUjiLYcglsOSSIo8ls6aiVq_yim69MyI-oI6Y7g8KuBmE5pUsmyeKh4Rrn2qYxH-1Pr3tsXDVZALyiOKmAynteYnOkTo-izPUlCpeu3STLBFSRo2tQXBBLh4mdRe/w640-h412/IMG_7581.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: arial; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: arial; font-size: large; text-align: left;"></span></p><div><span style="color: blue; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">While the photo is clearly troubling to look at, the story accompanying it is a testament to the bravery, professionalism and ultimately the ingenuity of employees of TWA and Boeing, the airplane's manufacturer. On August 29, 1969, TWA flight 840, a Boeing 707-331B was hijacked after leaving Rome. It was scheduled to fly onto Athens and then Tel Aviv. It was the final destination that attracted the interest of the hijackers, who identified themselves as members of the Palestinian Liberation Movement. After leaving Rome, the hijackers demanded the plane be diverted to Damascus, Syria. Upon its arrival in Damascus, the plane was completely evacuated and moments later, an explosion was set off, resulting in the complete destruction of the front end of the aircraft. No one was hurt.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span face="" style="color: blue;">There are many aspects to this event, however, we'll put those aside for now, concentrating instead on what happened afterward to the airplane itself. Amazingly, technicians from Boeing and TWA were able to engineer a repair to the aircraft and it was eventually put back into service, flying the line for TWA until its retirement in 1983. To fix it, a completely new forward section (extending from the nose to just beyond the forward cabin door) was manufactured by Boeing in Seattle and then flown to Damascus, where the work was completed. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span face="" style="color: blue;"></span><span face="" style="color: blue;">As an historic footnote, the repaired airplane was re-registered (from N776TW to N28714), as there was concern that the aircraft would receive unwanted further "attention" if it retained its original registration number.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="" style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""><a href="https://twamuseumguides.blogspot.com/2017/02/weekly-museum-photo-each-monday-well.html"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">Click or tap here to return to the current Photo of The Week page.</span></b></a><br /></span></span></div>TWA Museum Guideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16691005230806858540noreply@blogger.com