Airways Magazine - November 2006
(Volume 13 No 9) (Issue No 129)
On sale on US and Canada newsstands from Tuesday, October 3 (19 October in UK)…subscribers will receive their copies up to two weeks earlier.
FEATURES
PHOTO: BOB SHANE
Supertankers Make the Big Drop
by Bob Shane
A new page has been turned in the history of aerial firefighting as the industry enters the era of the ‘Supertanker’, with conversions of the Boeing 747-200 and McDonnell Douglas DC-10 now available.
PHOTO: ED DAVIES
The Next-Generation 737-900ER
by Ed Davies
In a novel twist on the usual rollout ceremony format, the huge hangar door opened slowly, giving the assembled crowd of Boeing employees and guests, who were on the inside, their first glimpse of the newest member of the Next-Generation 737 family, on the outside.
PHOTO: IVAN NISHIMURA
Aloha’s 60th Birthday Party
by Ivan Nishimura
At a 60th anniversary celebration held at the Makai Pier of the Inter-island Terminal at Honolulu International Airport, Aloha Airlines held a fashion show of flight attendant uniforms from its first design in 1946 to the present uniform adopted in 2005.
PHOTO: SAS/CHRISTIAN PERSIA
SAS Joins the Retro Club
by Hans Norman
To mark the 60th anniversary of the tri-national Scandinavian consortium—which was established in Oslo, Norway, on August 1, 1946—SAS decided to celebrate the milestone by painting an aircraft in a retrospective color scheme. With SAS’s first Airbus A319 scheduled for delivery in August 2006, the opportunity was taken to use this aircraft as the ‘canvas’ for a striking retro design.
PHOTO: MANUEL NEGRERIE
Monster Guppy
photography by Manuel Negrerie
The first of three Boeing 747-400 LCFs (Large Commercial Freighters) has appeared following conversion by Evergreen Aviation Technologies (EGAT), a joint venture between EVA Air and General Electric, at Taipei-Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport, Taiwan.
PHOTO: CONTINENTAL AIRLINES
Continental: Working Hard, Flying Right
by Stan Solomon
Continental Airlines is a tough and scrappy survivor with the ability to remake itself, and has addressed its erstwhile bad reputation. Load factors have increased, the airline is a true international player, and the awards keep rolling in. It is almost as if CO proves that its ‘Work Hard, Fly Right’ motto is more than mere words.
PHOTO: STEPHEN L GRIFFIN
Air Hollywood—Safest Airline in the World
by Stephen L Griffin & Michael J Carter
The safest way to operate an airline is never have your airplanes leave the ground. Air Hollywood is one outfit which could lay claim to being the safest ‘airline’ in the world. That’s because any tragedy or conflict—even comedy—associated with this company’s operations only occur in a mock-up airport terminal or airplane cockpit or cabin, all of which are ‘grounded’ in a film studio. Air Hollywood is the place where all those actions and emotions can be acted out, and filmed, without arousing the suspicions of actual cabin crew, or the nosiness of curious passengers—or being greeted at the gate by stern-faced local authorities.
PHOTO: BOEING
Ethiopian Airlines—Celebrating 60 Years
by Keith Mwanalushi
Although Ethiopia has for decades been haunted by negative images, its flag carrier on the other hand has been a proud symbol of prestige and pride. The history of Ethiopian Airlines is closely interlinked with the pioneering of air transport in Africa, and this year marks the company’s 60th anniversary. With an order for up to ten Boeing 787 Dreamliners, valued at $1.3 billion, Ethiopian is investing to secure its place amongst Africa’s top class airlines.
PHOTO: MICHAEL J CHEW
The Eastern Estate
by Michael Manning
Eastern Air Lines, the oldest of the four original US trunk carriers, ceased operations at 0001 on January 18, 1991. Even more drawn out than that tragedy has been the liquidation process of the Eastern estate, which saw completion only earlier this year.
PLUS
Frontier Rollercoaster
by Mac af Uhr
Kismayu Quickstep
by Hugh Pryor
DEPARTMENTS
Both Sides
Clayton Taylor follows the route of the Pan Am ‘Clippers’ to Manila.
Coach Flyer
Michael Manning checks out USA3000 Airlines.
Debrief
Stan Solomon offers a varied selection of anecdotes from the Airways.
Mailbag
The global forum for our readers’ opinions, feedback, and contributions.
News from the Airways
Colorfully illustrated highlights of the major news developments from North America and around the world, including fleet changes, new airlines, and new paint schemes.
Veteran & Vintage
David Stringer remembers TAG: The World’s Busiest Airline.
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