Time Capsule

United leading the way

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:54:00 +0000

Shortly after the historic Pasco, Washington-Boise, Idaho-Elko, Nevada flight of Varney Air Lines on April 6, 1926, this group posed before a Laird Swallow biplane at Boise. Shown (from left) are pilot Joe Taff, pilot Franklin Rose, Hal Bruntach, Mrs. Walter T. Varney, Walter T. Varney, his father Thomas Varney, chief pilot Leon Cuddeback, the senior Varney’s chauffeur, and a representative of the US Post Office.

Time Capsule

British United Airways has busy decade

Tue, 07 May 2013 14:29:00 +0000

British United was the largest privately owned airline in the 1960s in the UK. It began as a merger between Airwork Services and Hunting-Clan Air Transport. Its main shareholder was British & Commonwealth Shipping (B&C) and it began as a charter airline flying 90 assorted fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.

Time Capsule

Lindbergh flies Mexicana Trimotor

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:33:00 +0000

In February 1929, after eight years of operation, Pan Am owner Juan Trippe took over Mexicana and opened the carrier’s first international route from its base in Mexico City to Brownsville, Texas via Tuxpan and Tampico.

Time Capsule

Braniff Ultra Space Interior

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:21:00 +0000

Caption, November 29, 1978: Additions to Braniff International’s fleet of intercontinental McDonnell Douglas DC-8-62s will be equipped with Atlantic Aviation’s “wide-body look” interior system, as seen here on one of their eight -62s already outfitted.

Time Capsule

Safety Beginnings

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:51:00 +0000

In the Dec. 18, 1972 edition of TWA’s Today employee newspaper, an article announced a new security device being deployed at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The X-ray equipment was called “Saferay” and it was used to view carry-on luggage and parcels.

Time Capsule

Olympic Trials

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 17:29:00 +0000

Olympic Airways began flying in 1957 under the ownership of shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. He offered free DC-3 flights to travelers to ease their fear of flying. Olympic began flying its first jet aircraft service in 1960 with de Havilland Comets, and soon after began codesharing with British European Airways.

Time Capsule

Fokker F.32 living large, fast

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:53:00 +0000

I had to look at this photo twice to make sure it was an aircraft cabin—it looks more like a busy coffeehouse. This is a Western Air Express inaugural F.32 flight from New York to Los Angeles on April 7 and 8, 1930. It flew a maximum speed of 225 km/h.

Time Capsule

Big Babies

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:45:00 +0000

I know I have a “thing” for the cargo airliners as my last Time Capsule showed an Alaska International Hercules. The more I dug into the history of the Super Guppy, the more I like it. Not only for its size and shape and the ability to fly with a body like that, but for its birth and lineage.

The first Guppy was called the Pregnant Guppy. It was built by Aero Spacelines in the 1960s and was built directly from the fuselage of the Boeing Turbo Stratrocruiser, the military version of the Boeing 377.

Time Capsule

Alaska International Hercules

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 19:44:00 +0000

Alaska International Air serviced construction of the Alaska Pipeline using Lockheed Hercules aircraft in the late 1960s. It was then called Interior Airways, a cargo carrier that launched in 1946. Shortly after changing its name, the carrier took delivery of this Lockheed L-100-20 Hercules, N105AK, in 1973. The aircraft was first delivered to Delta Air Lines in October 1966.

Time Capsule

Short-lived Air Siam gave it a shot

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 18:43:00 +0000

Thailand's Air Siam was the first private carrier to compete with Thai Airways International and it only did so for a short time. Pictured is its one and only McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30.

Time Capsule

747SP Not Forgotten

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:40:00 +0000

Time Capsule

The Beatles Arrive in Tokyo

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 18:37:00 +0000

We found this famous shot in our archives of The Beatles arriving on a Japan Airlines DC-8-55 for a five-concert event in Tokyo. It was June 30, 1966, and it was the one and only Beatles tour in Japan. The band arrived as shown in Happi jackets given to them on their JAL flight.

Time Capsule

TWA L1011 First Class

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 18:28:00 +0000

ATWOnline will offer the art and history of air transport through our large photo archives. We will take you back to what was, a touch of what might have been, and how we landed where we are today through our sharing of historical aviation photography.

Caption:
June 15, 1972
First-class seating on Trans World Airlines’ new widebody Lockheed L-1011 jetliner offers traditional twin window seats and new center-line swivel seats. The swivel seats may be turned to form a foursome for conversation and cards.

Time Capsule