American Airlines will debut its last three heritage jets this “autumn”, says chief integration officer Beverly Goulet.
Three Boeing 737-800s will sport liveries reminiscent of AirCal (merged with American in 1987), Reno Air (merged with American in 1999) and Trans World Airlines (TWA, merged with American in 2001), her presentation at the Boyd International Aviation Forecast Summit in Las Vegas today shows.
The liveries will join Allegheny, America West Airlines, Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA), Piedmont Airlines and US Airways heritage aircraft, as well as an American retrojet, in the Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier’s fleet.
American Airlines' US Airways heritage livery
American Airlines
Widely popular with employees and customers alike, US Airways began the heritage livery programme following its merger with America West in 2005. It has since been expanded to airlines that merged with American following the American-US Airways merger in 2013.
However, the programme only includes airlines that merged directly with American or US Airways – so no Empire Airlines (merged with Piedmont in 1985) and Ozark Air Lines (merged with TWA in 1986) – since the 1980s.
Heritage is a popular theme at American. It debuted a series of eight heritage amenity kits for international premium passengers earlier this year that are widely sought by passengers.
They are overlooking 'Lake Central', 'Mohawk' and 'Trump Shuttle'; carriers that got merged into US Air over the years.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Several years ago, I recall seeing a Mexicana A319 painted in 1960's era colors, which were similar to Pan American from the same period.
CSSHEGEWISCH Several years ago, I recall seeing a Mexicana A319 painted in 1960's era colors, which were similar to Pan American from the same period.
I flew United one time, back when they served silverware with meals. Got a set of Mexicana silverware with the meal.
As long as everyone's getting into "Heritage" maybe Ford'll start making Model A's again.
One of the greatest cars ever made.
Firelock76 As long as everyone's getting into "Heritage" maybe Ford'll start making Model A's again. One of the greatest cars ever made.
Not quite the Model A .....
IMG_0928 by Don Oltmann, on Flickr
Flew on this one from Shannon to Heathrow a couple years ago.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
How can you ever see it, except from the terminal windows ? Any attempt to see it from any other place at or near the airport runs the risk of substandard Federal housing for a few years . . .
I don't know about Model A's, but several of the automakers have turned out recent models loosely based on vintage designs.
I'm not sure a Model A would pass muster with the safety folks...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Paul_D_North_Jr How can you ever see it, except from the terminal windows ? Any attempt to see it from any other place at or near the airport runs the risk of substandard Federal housing for a few years . . .
You obviously do not live in close proximity to Chicago Municipal Airport. I've seen a number of Southwest Airlines special paint jobs (Shamu, various states, etc.) and the Simpsons Jet (Western Pacific Airlines, now defunct) from my back yard.
tree68 I don't know about Model A's, but several of the automakers have turned out recent models loosely based on vintage designs. I'm not sure a Model A would pass muster with the safety folks...
I rode in a 1929 Model A many times, but never when the driver had a 40 foot extension ladder lashed to the passenger side--he used it in his work as a painter as well as the family car for 21 years.
Johnny
The mention of " Heritage" and I immediately thought of (now) Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines. Many do not know that Delta got its start as an agricultural crop dusting operation down in Alabama,in the 1920's. Later moved its HQ to Monroe, La. as Delta Air Service.
As many may know ag flying is pretty seasonal, so the aircraft do experience long periods of inactivity. Delta at one point flew its aircraft to do crop dusting in Peru. They used their planes to be some of the first transporters of International Air Mail and pasengers using their Huff-Daland 18's. The passengers rode in the areas normally used for the products they flew onto the crops. Transportation being the sole reason for a passenger flying from one place to another. The aircraft was a bi-plane type and was composed of a metal body, when many were made using mostly fabric in their construction. see link @ http://www.deltamuseum.org/exhibits/delta-history/aircraft-by-type/crop-duster/Huff-Daland-Duster
They also have a restored DC-3 in their Corporate Museum @ http://www.deltamuseum.org/exhibits/exhibits/aircraft/dc-3-ship-41
The interesting part of their 'Heritage' Fleet and it's story is the aircraft were restored by Delta employees (many retired).
From the post by "wanswheel" [in part] "... RAILROAD AIRWAY SUBSIDIARY
Organization of an airway subsidiary of the Central Vermont Railway, to be known as the Central Vermont Airways, Inc., has been announced by Edmund Deschenes, manager of the railway.The central offices of the new air line will be located in St. Albans, Vt. The new company will join with Boston-Maine Airways, Inc., a subsidiary of the Boston and Maine Railroad, in the operation of an airplane passenger line between Montpelier-Barre, White River Junction, Concord, N.H. and Boston. Tri-motored, 10-passenger cabin planes will be used. Actual flying operations will be conducted by National Airways, Inc. It is planned to extend the service eventually to Montreal and other points..."
Some other possibly forgotten endeavors into the Airline Business by railroads were Santa Fe Skyways ( 1946-1948) for an equipment Roster see link @ http://www.aerotransport.org/php/go.php?query=operator&where=68038&luck=
Started as an all-cargo airline with HQ in Wichita Ks they flew approx 2 million accident free miles while in operations ( on a Temporary Certificate from the C.A.B.). At one point there was a plan in place by the AT&SFRR to fly passengers to a half-way point on the AT&SF's system meet a passenger train and allow the passengers to sleep at night on the train and finish their trip by train ( That point was supposed to be an airport in North Central Oklahoma)..
Also about the time the CAB was shutting down Santa Fe Skyways; They were also denying an Operational Certificate to Eagle Ailrlines ( An operation of the Missouri Pacific RR)
The Southern Pacific RR also had an airline for a while. They flew from California to Hawaii. Unfortunately, these last three airlines are little reported on, and not a lot of information exists for them)
Then there was the Burlington Air Freight Operations of the Burlington Northern (Corp.?) They flew from midwestern points to New York; their midwestern Hub for a time was at Fort Wayne, Indiana. They flew Boeing 707 aircraft between Ft. Wayne and JFK in New York. Again, there does not seem to be a lot of information available on this Company as well.
I believe the PRR had a similar arrangement of some kind with one the airlines way back then ?
- Paul North.
Along these same lines, NASCAR will be racing with "Throwback Schemes" this weekend at Darlington, S.C. http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/gallery/2015/8/18/darlington-raceway-throwback-paint-schemes-bojangles-southern-500.html#Darlington-main
John Timm
wanswheel Excerpt from Traffic World (1933) RAILROAD AIRWAY SUBSIDIARY Organization of an airway subsidiary of the Central Vermont Railway, to be known as the Central Vermont Airways, Inc., has been announced by Edmund Deschenes, manager of the railway.The central offices of the new air line will be located in St. Albans, Vt. The new company will join with Boston-Maine Airways, Inc., a subsidiary of the Boston and Maine Railroad, in the operation of an airplane passenger line between Montpelier-Barre, White River Junction, Concord, N.H. and Boston. Tri-motored, 10-passenger cabin planes will be used. Actual flying operations will be conducted by National Airways, Inc. It is planned to extend the service eventually to Montreal and other points. The Lewiston Daily Sun, Nov. 20, 1940 Change Name to Northeast Airlines Northeast Airlines will be the name of northern New England’s transport airlines commencing immediately, the new name replacing the present Boston-Maine-Central Vermont designation of the lines now operating between Boston and State of Maine points; and Boston, Montreal and intermediate points, it was announced Tuesday night. The change is being made in order that the name of the airline will be more descriptive of the territory it serves than the present name. There will be no change in the company’s officers, and the Boston and Maine Railroad, the Maine Central Railroad, and the Central Vermont Railroad will continue their interest in the ownership of the lines, according to the announcement by President Paul F. Collins. “Northern New England’s transport airlines,” read President Collins statement, “have grown to such an extent that the original designation Boston-Maine Airways and later Boston-Maine-Central Vermont Airways now fail to properly describe the territory which our airlines serve. In addition, proposed extensions for which we have sought and are seeking certificates will further extend our operations, we hope, to cover the entire northeast section of the United States, and also serve the Maritime Provinces in Canada.” http://www.deltamuseum.org/exhibits/delta-history/family-tree/northeast-airlines http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2007/07/15/a_picture_and_a_thousand_words.html
It's ironic that the remainder of the Boston & Maine is now owned and operated by a company using the name of a defunct airline: http://www.panamrailways.com/
"I Often Dream of Trains"-From the Album of the Same Name by Robyn Hitchcock
I'm of two minds on all this heritage stuff. On the one hand I do appreciate that its more than just about the money for some people. Clearly Wick Moorman is a railfan, and no doubt his interest and abilities got him to where he's at. Thanks largely to his efforts, NS has a nice steam locomotive to show off as well as those lovely heritage diesels. But the bean counter side of me always wants to know what if anything flows to the bottom line. It could be argued that having heritage units is effective marketing, and who knows, maybe it is. Based on my own experience in trucking however, nice paint jobs, chrome, and such often have an adverse effect... sort of like showing up at the unemployment office in Cadillac. It's harder to negotiate a rate increase or a fuel surcharge increase when you're driving around looking fancy. This logic most likely applies to other modes as well. There's much to be said for presenting a more austere image.
The facilities aren't that bad (if you don't mind the aesthetics of razor wire), but your fellow "residents" leave a lot to be desired. A liking for institutional food would be a distinct advantage
SALfan Paul_D_North_Jr How can you ever see it, except from the terminal windows ? Any attempt to see it from any other place at or near the airport runs the risk of substandard Federal housing for a few years . . . The facilities aren't that bad (if you don't mind the aesthetics of razor wire), but your fellow "residents" leave a lot to be desired. A liking for institutional food would be a distinct advantage
The days of airports having viewing areas for the general public passed into history a long time ago .... when all the heritage identities were actual going concerns.
I remember when you could get a meal on most flights in coach.
And of course back them you could smoke.
Some airports still do have spotting locations for aviation enthusiasts, though fewer than before 9/11. Though there was a greater initial crackdown, aviation authorities were quicker to enlist fans to help maintain security by employing their extra sets of eyes than railroads were.
081552 American to debut new heritage jets this fall 01 September, 2015 BY: Edward Russell Las Vegas American Airlines will debut its last three heritage jets this “autumn”, says chief integration officer Beverly Goulet. Three Boeing 737-800s will sport liveries reminiscent of AirCal (merged with American in 1987), Reno Air (merged with American in 1999) and Trans World Airlines (TWA, merged with American in 2001), her presentation at the Boyd International Aviation Forecast Summit in Las Vegas today shows. The liveries will join Allegheny, America West Airlines, Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA), Piedmont Airlines and US Airways heritage aircraft, as well as an American retrojet, in the Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier’s fleet. American Airlines' US Airways heritage livery American Airlines Widely popular with employees and customers alike, US Airways began the heritage livery programme following its merger with America West in 2005. It has since been expanded to airlines that merged with American following the American-US Airways merger in 2013. However, the programme only includes airlines that merged directly with American or US Airways – so no Empire Airlines (merged with Piedmont in 1985) and Ozark Air Lines (merged with TWA in 1986) – since the 1980s. Heritage is a popular theme at American. It debuted a series of eight heritage amenity kits for international premium passengers earlier this year that are widely sought by passengers.
Pacific Southwest?!
To carry the "retro" theme further, will the PSA-marked plane be staffed only by flashy young women wearing bright multi-colored hotpants outfits and handing out nothing but little bags of mints?
Oh, the 1970s.
Ulrich It could be argued that having heritage units is effective marketing, and who knows, maybe it is. Based on my own experience in trucking however, nice paint jobs, chrome, and such often have an adverse effect... sort of like showing up at the unemployment office in Cadillac. It's harder to negotiate a rate increase or a fuel surcharge increase when you're driving around looking fancy. This logic most likely applies to other modes as well. There's much to be said for presenting a more austere image.
So by that logic why not have a Penn Central 'heritage' unit in dirty black, utilizing trompe l'oeil paint and model-railroading techniques from Gene Deimling so it looks on its last legs and its cab like a sty, and then put in a sound chip and speakers to sound like the stray five injectors or power packs are bad, and inject harmless smoke fluid into the exhaust to simulate the 'whole experience'.
Then do a marketing campaign to make the public aware that when they see it, they should remember that large chunks of railroading would look like this "heritage" if not for common sense. And put magnetic signs on the adjacent units in a consist to reinforce the message...
Heritage fleets, steam locomotive programs, etc. may well be excellent public relations devices but they do cost money. NS and UP have chosen to maintain such programs and they do have some appeal beyond the community of rail enthusiasts. CSX has chosen to do otherwise through its public service programs in the various communities along its lines. The programs are low-key and may also generate favorable public relations with the public at large. The lack of a heritage program similar to NS and UP should not be held against CSX, they have just chosen a different approach.
Does not BNSF trot a middle course: "We will host steam if others pay the costs?"
CSSHEGEWISCHThe lack of a heritage program similar to NS and UP should not be held against CSX, they have just chosen a different approach.
True enough - and with today's run-through power, folks along CSX routes do get to see heritage equipment running.
I get the steam issue - even UP usually has back-up power (even the Centennial at times).
But I can't imagine that the cost of painting up a few heritage units is so much greater than painting a locomotive in "standard" colors that it would be cost prohibitive.
One of the things CSX does do in host the Massachussetts Call Firemen's safety train - but considering that many people don't even know their fire department exists (until they need them), the public relations value is limited.
Just to bring things around full circle from Steel Wheels to Wings;former CSX President Oscar Munoz is the new CEO of United Airlines:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/new-united-ceo-oscar-munoz-is-unusual-choice-for-airline-industry-1441846302
Of course if he shares CSX's philosophy regarding heritage paint schemes I don't expect to look up and see a Boeing or Airbus painted for Continental or People's Express anytime soon..
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