By Ron Suttell

Cards like these are commonly referred to in the collecting hobby as “pilot trading cards” due to their intended use for flight crews to hand them out to passengers, with a signature line on the back. These unique cards were produced over the years by Alaska’s former ad agency, Cohen-Dwyer Advertising, beginning with three sepia-tone cards in 1996. The first issued cards featured three different vintage Alaska Airlines aircraft (Bellanca Skyrocket, Douglas DC-3 and Boeing 727-90C) and were intended as promotional giveaways to celebrate Alaska’s upcoming 65^th anniversary.

In the ensuing years, full-color cards were produced in the late 1990s with stylized wings logo “Alaska’s World” (an ad campaign during that era) in the upper left corner of the card. Only two Alaska cards were issued with this logo, a Boeing 737-400 and McDonnell Douglas MD-80.

Around the same time, subsidiary carrier Horizon issued a card of its Dash 8Q-200 (de Havilland DHC-8-200 turbo-prop) with a similar card format.  This particular card is considered the rarest one.

Alaska and Horizon both continued with this format-gold frame with a polished gold inset for a few more cards but without the “Alaska’s World” wings logo. Among them are two different cards of the Boeing 737-900 with the gold seal “Official Launch Carrier” in the lower right corner. The first of these (below left) was issued in very limited quantities and only distributed to attendees at the May 16, 2001 Boeing delivery roll-out ceremony.  It is also very rare.

Beginning in 2002, Alaska began issuing these cards in a different format with full-color layout on the card front, initially with artist images of its many different special schemes, and later with actual inflight photographs or ground views of each different aircraft type in the fleet. At the time, this was especially important to promote the company’s strong partnership with Disneyland Resort since many of its planes sported Disney schemes.

Unfortunately for the meticulous trading card collector, this is where it starts to get a bit complicated for those desiring to have the complete set. Some of the Disney cards began to show up with variations, not readily caught at first, but seen by the astute eye of true hobbyists. For example, the card with the Boeing 737-400 Magic of Disneyland (better known as the Tinkerbell scheme) was issued with four different variations-even different backs on two of them, while the Alaska Statehood cards have blue/white title variations. This is attributed to the cards being reissued in different years, or in some cases just to produce a better image.

Similarly, the card with Spirit of Make-a-Wish scheme has two different backs of the same card.

Other variations appear on the Boeing 737-400 Salmon Thirty Salmon cards and the 75^th anniversary scheme 737-800 Starliner which includes two different cards. One of the most rarely seen variants of this card collection, issued in 2009, is below on the right.

The 737-400 alaskaair.com Dot Com scheme has an early gold frame card with the same image of the plane as appears later on an updated card in 2005.

Another interesting variant was a card honoring famous Olympic athlete Apolo Ohno, who became a spokesperson for Alaska Airlines for a brief time. One of its planes, a Boeing 737-800 (N596AS), was decorated with a “Follow Apolo” motif in 2010.

The last cards to be issued (see below) were in 2013, and are less common today.

From a purely technical standpoint, the Alaska Airlines cards are in a uniquely separate category from actual hobby collector cards due to their larger size (3-1/4” x 4-1/4” vs. standard baseball card size of 2-1/2” x 3-1/2”) and also of thinner card stock, but are nevertheless highly collectible. Unfortunately, the cards were never numbered, nor is their print run known, making it difficult to appraise their true value other than what may appear on eBay and other auction sites. By comparison, several other airlines have produced more traditional “baseball card size” issues (Delta, FedEx, Hawaiian, Northwest, United, and recently Frontier of wildlife on the tails of their planes), but only Delta has seen fit to number their cards consecutively so their cards are very popular with the hobbyists-especially for several early issue, low production cards that are difficult to find. Alaska did issue a set of more traditionally-sized collector cards in 1997 to celebrate its 65^th anniversary. This 25-card boxed set of colorful cards includes past and present planes in Alaska’s history and comes in both standard blue titles as well as special limited edition gold embossed versions.

From the number of cards in my personal collection, with known variants and re-issued, updated versions of the same aircraft type, I calculate that there are 46 total different cards in Alaska’s odd-size collection as listed below:

• Bellanca “Skyrocket”
• Boeing 727-90C “Golden Nugget Jet”
• Boeing 737-400 “Alaska’s World”
• Boeing 737-400 “Combi”
• Boeing 737-400 “Magic of Disneyland” Tinkerbell (4)
• Boeing 737-400 “Salmon Thirty Salmon” (3)
• Boeing 737-400 “Spirit of Alaska Statehood” (2)
• Boeing 737-400 “Spirit of Disneyland” (2)
• Boeing 737-400 “Spirit of Make-a-Wish” (2)
• Boeing 737-400 alaskaair.com “Dot Com” (3)
• Boeing 737-400 Freighter
• Boeing 737-400 standard livery
• Boeing 737-700 Portland “Timbers Jet”
• Boeing 737-700 standard livery (2)
• Boeing 737-800 “Follow Apolo” (2)
• Boeing 737-800 “Spirit of Seattle”
• Boeing 737-800 “Starliner 75” (2)
• Boeing 737-800 alaskaair.com “Dot Com”
• Boeing 737-800 ETOPS “Adventure of Disneyland Resort” Cars movie characters (2)
• Boeing 737-800 ETOPS “Salmon Thirty Salmon II” 
• Boeing 737-800 ETOPS “Spirit of the Islands”
• Boeing 737-800 ETOPS Hawaiian lei on tail
• Boeing 737-800 standard livery
• Boeing 737-900 “Spirit of Disneyland II”
• Boeing 737-900 standard livery (3)
• Boeing 737-900ER standard livery
• Bombardier Q400
• Douglas DC-3
• McDonnell Douglas MD-80
• McDonnell Douglas MD-80 “Alaska’s World”

There are also 8 total cards issued by Horizon Air:

• Bombardier CRJ-700 vertical card
• Bombardier Q200/Q400 vertical card
• Bombardier Q400 “Celebrating 25 Years”
• De Havilland DHC-8Q-200 Horizon Air wings logo
• De Havilland DHC-8Q-200 “Dash 8” (2)
• Fokker F28-4000 (2) 

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Ron Suttell, an airline historian specializing in Alaska Airlines, can be reached at [email protected].

By James P. (Jamie) Baldwin

Pan American World Airways has always been associated with the sea and things nautical.  Its aircraft were called “Clippers” and many of the Clipper names had references to the sea, particularly with the Boeing 747 aircraft, which were given names such as Pride of the Sea, Champion of the Seas, Spark of the Ocean, Belle of the Sea, Crest of the Wave and Sovereign of the Seas, to name a few.

How Pan American became the “Nautical Airline” is centered on Pan American’s founder, Juan Trippe who dreamed of this idea from the beginning of his venture in establishing an airline. How Pan American was formed is a story of wheeling and dealing, mergers and acquisitions and financial and political maneuvering that is well documented in the Pan American literature, including Robert Daley’s An American Saga – Juan Trippe and His Pan Am Empire (hereinafter “Daley”), Marylin Bender and Selig Altschul’s The Chosen Instrument (hereinafter “Bender and Altschul”) and R.E.G. Davies’ Pan Am, An Airline and Its Aircraft (hereinafter “Davies”).

Suffice it to say, however, it is useful to have a little background.  In the beginning, there were four interested groups, as identified by Davies. The first group, the Montgomery Group, formed Pan American Airways, Inc. (PAA).  It was founded on 14 March 1927 by Air Force Majors “Hap” Arnold, Carl Spaatz, and John H. Jouett, later joined by John K. Montgomery and Richard B. Bevier, as a counterbalance to German-owned carrier “SCADTA” (Colombo-German Aerial Transport Co) that had been operating in Colombia since 1920.

SCADTA was viewed as a possible German aerial threat to the Panama Canal.  Eventually, Montgomery petitioned the US government to call for bids on a US airmail contract between Key West and Havana (FAM 4) and won the contract.  However, PAA lacked any aircraft to perform the job and did not have landing rights in Cuba.  Under the terms of the contract, PAA had to be flying by 19 October 1927.

On 2 June 1927, Juan Trippe formed the Aviation Corporation of America (ACA) (the Trippe Group) with financially powerful and politically well-connected backing and raised $300,000.  On 1 July Reed Chambers and financier Richard Hoyt (the Chambers-Hoyt Group) formed Southeastern Airlines.

On 8 July Trippe formed Southern Airlines and on 11 October Southeastern was reincorporated as Atlantic, Gulf and Caribbean Airways.  Trippe then proposed a merger between these three groups and in doing so played a trump card:  He and John A. Hambleton, one of his backers, traveled to Cuba and persuaded the Cuban president to grant landing rights to the Aviation Corporation, making Montgomery’s mail contract useless as a bargaining chip.  After much wrangling between the groups, including a meeting on Hoyt’s yacht during which Assistant Postmaster General Irving Grover threatened that if there was no deal he would not be awarding any contract to anyone, the Aviation Corporation of the Americas was formed, operating as Pan American Airways, headed by Juan Trippe. Later the corporation’s name was changed to Pan American Airways.

The deadline of 19 October still loomed, however. A Fokker F-VII aircraft was selected for the operation but could not be used because Meacham’s Field in Key West was not completed and could not accommodate the aircraft. What transpired was an eleventh-hour miracle. Pan American’s representative in Miami learned that a Fairchild FC-2 monoplane was in Key West, sitting out a hurricane threat.  The aircraft was owned by West Indian Aerial Express (the Fairchild Group) and a deal was made to charter the aircraft.  The pilot was offered $145.50 to carry mail to Havana that had just arrived on the Florida East Coast-Atlantic Coast Line railroads.  The hurricane threat disappeared, and the trip was made.  The rest is history.

On 28 October 1927, the Fokker left Key West on Pan American’s inaugural international flight, carrying 772 lb. of mail. On 16 January 1928, the first passenger flight was completed on the same route. And on 28 October 1928, Pan American established its Miami base at Dinner Key.

The First Clipper

In 1931, Pan American acquired the Sikorsky S-40, the first aircraft to be designated “Clipper”. This designation came about as a result of Trippe’s fascination with ships and the sea.  As a child, he had traveled to Europe on Cunard Line ships and this fascination transcended to the idea that Pan American should be a kind of nautical airline.

Along these lines, a maritime culture emerged.  Andre Priester, who Trippe had previously hired as chief engineer, dressed the pilots as naval officers with gold wings pinned to their breast pockets. Gold stripes were on the jacket sleeves to show rank. The pilots also wore peaked hats with white covers and a gold strap. And, according to Daley, Priester “forbade [the pilots] to stuff or twist these caps into the dashing, high-peaked shapes so dear to most aviators’ hearts.” These naval trappings according to Bender and Altschul “served to set distance between the airline and aviation’s all too proximate history symbolized by the khaki breeches, leather puttees, jacket and helmet of the daredevil flyer. [Pan American’s] pilots were invested as engineers to whom flying was a scientific business rather than a thrilling escapade.” Pilots underwent a stringent and comprehensive training program and, according to former flying boat and retired captain Bill Nash, were required to have college degrees prior to hiring and to demonstrate proven proficiency prior to promotion in the flight deck. Nash started as a Fourth Officer before rising to Captain.

When the S-40 made its debut, it was the largest airplane built in the United States. Its maiden voyage on 19 November 1931 was from Miami to the Canal Zone carrying 32 passengers with Charles Lindbergh at the controls and Basil Rowe (formerly with the West Indian Aerial Express) as co-pilot.  Igor Sikorsky, whom Trippe had earlier brought on board to design an aircraft to Pan American’s own specifications (the predecessor to the S-40, the S-38) also had some time at the controls.

Trippe named the aircraft the American Clipper. Perhaps inspired by prints of American Clipper ships hanging in his home or reaching back to his Maryland ancestry from where these swift sailing ships originated in the shipyards of Baltimore, it was, according to Bender and Altschul “appropriate then, to call the first transport ship designed for international air commerce after those magnificent vessels.” Thereafter, all Pan American aircraft were to be designated Clippers.

The operation would be in keeping with maritime lore and custom. The pilot was called “captain” and the co-pilot “first officer”. The title “captain” implied master of the ship or chief executive of the flying boat. Speed was calculated in knots (nautical miles per hour), time in bells, and a crew’s tour of duty was a “watch”. In the cabin, according to Daley, “walls and ceilings would be finished in walnut painted in a dark stain, and the fifty passengers would sit in Queen Anne chairs upholstered in blue and orange. The carpet would be blue, and the windows equipped with rope blinds. As aboard any ship, life rings would hang from the walls of the lounge.” The stewards, according to Bender and Altschul, “were modeled in function and appearance after the personnel of luxury ocean liners. Their uniforms were black trousers and white waist-length jackets over white shirts and black neckties. Stewards distributed remedies for airsickness, served refreshments (and in the S-40, prepared hot meals in the galley of the aircraft), pointed out scenic attractions from the windows of the plane and assisted with the red tape of Customs and landing procedures.”

This nautical approach seemed to carry on through the entire existence of Pan American.  The flight deck – bridge – was always on the top deck, as on an ocean liner.  This was evident in the flying boats, including the Martin M-130, the China Clipper, the Boeing 314, the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser and the Boeing 747, with its flight deck on the upper deck of the aircraft.

The flight deck of the Boeing 314 had the appearance of the bridge of a merchant ship:

Below, the SS United States and the bridge of a large merchant ship (bottom):

A “nautical” ambiance was also prevalent at Clipper departures, particularly from Dinner Key in Miami during the early years and Pan American’s Worldport at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport in the later years. There was an atmosphere like the departure of an ocean liner, with festivity, sense of adventure, and anticipation of a voyage to a distant place. The setting at the Worldport, particularly with the evening departures to distant destinations, included passengers and well-wishers gathered at the gate in sight of the Clipper being readied for the long voyage ahead. There was a sense of drama; the type of drama that Juan Trippe probably envisaged for each Clipper departure. The romance of traveling to faraway places was part and parcel of the Pan American experience.

The nautical element was also featured in many of Pan American’s printed brochures and posters, as well as on the cover of an annual report.

However, as the years passed, the romance of the “nautical airline” began to wear out. Perhaps Pan American tried to preserve it with the Boeing 747, but times had changed.  The grand ocean liners were soon replaced by cruise ships where passengers were more interested in the on-board entertainment rather than the peaceful environment of the sea (although that can still be experienced on cargo ships). Airline passengers became more interested in getting from A to B at the lowest fare, rather than experiencing the ambiance of a flying ocean liner.  Airplanes became more like buses, apart from the premium cabins, rather than airships commanding the airways. And the bridge, both on many cruise ships and on the largest passenger aircraft in the world, would no longer be on the topmost deck. The sense of command of the airways and the sea has seemed to disappear, and the bridge, “formerly sacrosanct navigational preserves”, as eloquently described by John Maxtone-Graham in Liners to the Sun, is now simply a functionary in the process of getting passengers from A to B, or in the case of a cruise ship, from A to A via port visits.

In the picture below of an Emirates Airline A380, note that the flight deck is located between the main and upper decks. Compare the flight deck location on the Boeing 747 and other earlier aircraft pictured above. And, on the newer cruise liners, the bridge is not on the highest deck, as shown here on the Holland America Line’s MS Koningsdam, where it is located four decks below the top deck.

Perhaps Pan American the Nautical Airline was overcome by its own success.  One cannot, however, deny that the idea of a nautical airline was a necessary step in the process of shrinking the globe. Now, with today’s technology, it probably is no longer needed.  Happily, one tradition of the nautical airline continues: The Pilot-in-Command of an airliner is still the “Captain”.

An interesting anecdote:

Like the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser and the Boeing 747 was to Pan American, so is the A380 to Emirates Airline.

In an interview with Emirates CEO Sir Tim Clark, Andreas Spaeth noted that “probably no other airline boss since Pan Am patriarch Juan Trippe in the 1950s and 1960s, who helped shape the all-important Boeing 747, was as influential regarding what aircraft manufacturers were bringing to market than Sir Tim, a role he excels and revels in.”

Clark recalled how his parents “enjoyed the Pan Am Stratocruiser – the lounge downstairs, the dining room at the back…”

In another interview with Sam Chui, Clark explained his fascination with the double-decker airplane:

“I used to fly on the Pan-Am Boeing 377 Stratocruiser as a child; I was looking around saying, yes, you know they’ve got lounges, they’ve got a dining room downstairs etc. So in all the years, we’ve got the A380 to where that was.”

          In the Spaeth interview, he recalled one of his favorite all-time aviation memories, when he set eyes upon his first jumbo jet: “It was on January 22, 1970, when Pan Am brought the 747 to Heathrow for the first time. I was 20 years old and I managed to get access to the roof of a catering building with my girlfriend to watch it land. We were all stunned.”

Little did he know then that, ultimately, he himself would play an essential role in bringing an even bigger airliner to the world stage.

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Follow this link to read the author’s biography.

Follow this link to learn more about the author’s book, Pan American World Airways: Images of a Great Airline, Second Edition.

By Fons Schaefers

Introduction

Which subjects are shown on safety cards? There is a minimum set of mandatory subjects appearing on all safety cards. Additionally, there are subjects many airlines add, and some only a few carriers choose. Particularly the latter appetizes collectors who seek unique samples. This article is a structured examination of the common items, complemented with examples of those one-offs.

The mandatory items can be divided into those that apply to each flight (the routine subjects) and those for emergencies only.

Routine Subjects

The routine subjects often appear first on the cards. They include baggage stowage, seat belt use, and subject to much recent development, the use of electronic devices. Some airlines add regulations about not smoking, specifically in lavatories.

Almost all cards show baggage stowage under seats, and some also show putting it in overhead compartments. The fastening and unfastening of seat belts is a standard item on all cards. Recent restraining developments now found on cards are shoulder harnesses and seatbelt-mounted airbags. They result from stricter safety regulations introduced since the late 1980s, generally known as the “16 g” rules.

Some airlines add instructions to keep the safety belt fastened, or fasten it, during turbulence. Canadian North uses a telling symbol for turbulence.

Another routine subject increasingly shown on safety cards is the restraint method for children and infants. Here, a difference exists between the U.S. and other continents (including Europe). The FAA prohibits the use of infant loop belts, while it is promoted in Europe. In either case, the better option is the use of a “child restraint device,” but this requires a separate seat, which not everyone is willing to buy.

An area in which safety card contents changed significantly over the past few decades is transmitting devices. In the 1980s TVs and remotely-operated toys appeared as prohibited items on safety cards. More devices were prohibited in the 1990s and 2000s, such as illustrated on a 737-400 card from an unidentified Spanish operator (believed to be Air Europa, c. 2000).

Other companies listed them in text format only, such as Cubana.

In those decades there was a specific concern about such devices as Nintendo games as they could affect the airplane’s navigation equipment. The prohibition was extended to mobile telephones when they appeared, and their successor, the smartphone. The mobile phone industry reacted and created the “airplane mode” option that switches off signal transmission. This allowed passengers to use them on board. From 2010 onwards, tablets have been popular. As they also have an “airplane mode” their use onboard was also allowed. The information displayed on safety cards for electronic devices varies from virtually nil to extensive lists of what is allowed. Typically, this is split into taxi/take-off/landing phases and the cruise phase but VLM in 2017 recognized six distinct flight phases.

Emergency Subjects

Emergency subjects on safety cards address four scenarios: (1) the in-flight decompression, (2) the crash landing, (3) escape on the ground and (4) escape and survival on water. Additionally, some cards include other emergency equipment.

Oxygen

For the in-flight decompression emergency, the main concern is the provision of oxygen. Most airplanes have a system that deploys automatically. The card shows how to grab and don the mask, often with an extra panel showing an adult administering a mask to a child, but only after first securing their own mask. Some airlines add a clock to these diagrams explaining the time needed for each step. Typically, the final step – an adult donning the mask of a child – should be concluded within 10 to 15 seconds.

Oxygen masks should be available wherever passengers may be during the flight. Some cards specifically show oxygen masks in lavatories. An airline that grouped the lavatories on the lower deck (below the main cabin) added a page with safety instructions specific to that deck, including the use of oxygen masks in the waiting area.

Airplanes with limited ceilings, typically turboprops, may have a non-drop-out system. Passengers need to plug a mask into an overhead outlet connected to a piping system. The masks are either handed out or need to be retrieved from under the seat.

Yet, other airplanes do not even have that and their cards therefore lack any oxygen instructions. Next to airplanes that stay low, this also applied to some early European jets such as the BAC 1-11 and the Caravelle, in spite of their ceilings of up to 35,000 ft. Even though these airplanes suffered decompressions, the absence of oxygen did not lead to fatalities.

Brace For Impact

The main instruction associated with a crash landing is the “brace for impact” position. Airlines use a range of different positions. This not only varies for the type of person (adult, child, adult with infant, pregnant woman) but also the method of bracing varies. While most agree the body should be flexed forward, instructions on how to hold arms, hands, and feet differ. These reflect the results from various research studies into this area and the absence of internationally agreed standards. This concerns forward-facing seats; for aft-facing seats, there is more consistency.

Evacuation on Land

Instructions for escape on the ground typically address four elements: (1) the path from a passenger seat to the exits, (2) the locations of the exits, (3) the opening and use of the exits, and (4) the use of a slide or other descent device.

Path to the exits

The escape path from a passenger seat to the exit is formed by the aisle, the same as used during normal operations. Many cards show a diagram of the airplane revealing the aisle, or aisles in the case of a wide body. An aisle is typically identified by a red line (rarely, it is green or another color) leading to and through the exits. For twin-aisle airplanes, some airlines identify each aisle, while others do not care and show one line symbolizing both aisles. American Airlines shows something in between. Some airlines go further and show in their diagram the floor-mounted emergency lighting which runs along the aisle, with offsprings in exit rows. Where the airplane diagram does not show the floor lighting, often the card has a separate panel explaining it.

Exit signs help passengers identify where the exits are. The only cards I am aware of showing them are those of the Boeing 787. This airplane type has the symbol of the green running man instead of the traditional red, lettered, EXIT sign which is common in the U.S. To explain the symbol to the American audience, the FAA required the safety card explain it. Other countries, even those where the green symbol is very common, adopted this condition. EU country Poland is an example.

The largest airplane without an aisle is the Trislander, a development of the ubiquitous Islander. In its absence, it has as many as five emergency exits for 16 passengers. Each exit serves one or two rows, as Aurigny (the Guernsey airline) correctly displays. Other Islander users such as OFD, which serves the Frisian islands of Germany, incorrectly suggest there is an aisle.

The overall airplane diagram often is a bird’s eye-view rendering from the left front. Another way to show the aisle and exit location is a top view, either displayed horizontal or vertical. In 1984, Transavia rarely rendered an elevated view from behind.

Exits

The next step in the escape journey to outside safety is the exit, where the main challenge is how to open it. Airliners typically have two kinds of emergency exits: non-floor level exits which are located in passenger seat rows, and floor level exits, where cabin crew sit adjacently. The non-floor level exits are always located over the wing and have a hatch that comes free from the fuselage. It is to be opened by a passenger and is therefore also known as a “self-help exit.” The exits with cabin crew next to them consist of a door, often of the hinged type.

Particularly for the first category, the hatch-type exits, instructions vary significantly. Until the mid-1980s, these exits were underrated on safety cards. But an accident on a Boeing 737-200 in Manchester, UK, in August 1985 revealed these exits are vulnerable to passengers not knowing how to open them. This highlighted the importance of properly instructing passengers seated adjacently. Some airlines, mainly in the UK where the accident had happened, ordered cabin crew to verbally brief those passengers before the flight. Other airlines, in Europe and beyond, introduced separate cards with detailed instructions, only given to passengers in those rows. They form an interesting find for collectors.

In yet other cases the all-airplane cards are enhanced with detailed overwing exit opening instructions. In the U.S., as discussed in Part 6, the cards display criteria for who may sit in those rows. Where in most cases the cards explain how the exits are opened, U.S. cards focus on who may open them.

The hatch-type self-help exits that come completely free are not ideal, especially when they are heavy. They can weigh as much as 30 kg/66.14 lbs (on a 767). This important information is rarely mentioned on the card. Gradually, airplane manufacturers applied designs where the weight of the hatch no longer needed to be negotiated by the passenger. They hinge open and thus require less of an effort. The first airplane type so equipped was the Boeing 737 New Generation in the late 1990s. More recently, new types such as the Airbus A220, Embraer E2 and A321neo are also so equipped. More often than not, the hinge feature is not well shown on cards, but Panamanian carrier Copa does this well.

While the self-help exits are in view of the passengers, the door exits often are not. They are meant to be opened by cabin crew. However, safety cards still show how to open them. This is to cover the remote case that cabin crew are unable to do so. Some airlines do this in an abbreviated form, but companies that make cards for a living take pride in explaining every step. For older airplanes, this amounted to up to six or seven steps, such as shown on a Falcon Express 727 card.

Slides and Other Descent Means

On all airplanes where the exit sill is higher than 6 feet (1.8 m), there is a slide or an alternative descent means such as a set of steps. Similarly, where the escape route over the wing exceeds this distance, off-wing slides are provided. Cards show these slides twice: on the airplane diagram and in a close-up meant to emphasize their proper use: jump into the slide rather than sit on the sill and then move forward. Few airlines manage to convey this clearly, but Singapore Airlines’ attempt is a good one. The most dominant color of the slide on cards is yellow. However, since the mid-1980s, when it was found that an aluminium coating would make the slide more fire resistant, they are actually silver or grey. Some cards correctly represent this, but many still show yellow.

A good post-sliding practice for evacuees is to move away from the airplane. Very few airlines show this. I found one where the text instructs passengers to move away at least 300 meters. On propeller-equipped airplanes, a warning to stay away from the propellers is common.

Evacuation and Survival on Water

Much of what is described above, also applies to the emergency scenario where an airplane has come down in water. But there are differences: some exits cannot be used as they would be below the (theoretical) water line, life vests are provided for individual flotation and for collective flotation the slides can be used. On twin aisle airplanes the slides are formally certified for that use and then called slide-rafts. Some airlines still use separate rafts.

Many cards dedicate a separate section for the water scenario, displaying an airplane diagram similar to that for the land scenario, but now with a blue background instead of green or blank (see Czech Airlines above). Typically the same exits are shown. The slides now float, serving as rafts. For some aircraft types, the diagram shows blocked exits as they will not be above the waterline. This applies to most high-wing airplanes such as the Antonovs, ATR 42 and 72, Fokker 50, Dash 6 (Twin Otter), Dash 7, and some Dash 8 series. The high-wing BAe 146 has a different flotation pattern, as its cards show both aft exits as unusable as opposed to the forward pair, although one airline admits that the airplane may alternatively float nose low so that the forward exits may not be usable.

As high-wing airplanes would list to one side, with one wing tip down in the water and the other up, they render exits on the low side unusable. On their Antonov-24 card, Air Moldova International shows this nicely with a cross section of the fuselage, but they forgot to add whether the view is looking forward or aft. In the seating diagram they added dotted lines, the meaning of which I do not understand. Any ideas?

On the Fokker 50 and Dash 8 series, even the exits on the high side may be below the waterline. Their manufacturers improvised dams or sill raisers in an attempt to prevent massive water influx during the evacuation. Some of these operate automatically, but the Fokker 50 has loose boards that need to be secured in place before opening the doors. Some Fokker 50 users show them, others do not. The right forward exit of the Q400 has a split hatch. In case of a water landing, the passenger next to it needs to secure its lower part so that it stays in place and forms a sill above the water line. This is shown on the safety card, but I doubt whether naïve passengers will obey.

To my knowledge, these water barriers have never been put to practice as there were no water landings where they could have been put to use.

Interestingly, quite a few cards of airplanes regularly flying over water have no escape instructions specific to the water landing scenario at all. An example are Winair’s Twin Otters that commute between the Dutch Caribbean islands of Sint Maarten and Saba, both prone to an emergency landing on water.

Many cards use a lot of space for explaining how to don the life vest and occasionally that of children and infants. An alternative to life vests are flotation cushions. They are particularly popular in the United States.

They are inferior to life vests as they do not passively support the wearer but require the passenger to actively hold on to it, which in cold water is a challenge. The U.S. fondness for flotation cushions can be traced back to a ditching accident in 1956 near Seattle when a stewardess impromptu advised passengers to use their seat cushions for flotation. It prompted a U.S. requirement for seat cushions to be equipped for such use. On many domestic flights in the U.S., they are the only flotation devices on board. Few airlines have any flotation devices at all. An example is Ethiopian Airlines which does not carry them on airplanes flying only domestically. Ethiopia is landlocked and only has a few lakes.

Emergency Equipment

Airlines rarely display other emergency equipment than those described above. When they do, it is for smaller airplanes (where no cabin crew is required) or VIP airplanes. The location of fire extinguishers, first-aid kits, and portable oxygen bottles is then indicated. Russian-made aircraft form an exception. They often have a diagram showing all emergency equipment on board, including axes, ropes, ladders, megaphones, emergency beacons, and transmitters. Although dated, Balkan’s Tupolev Tu-154 1980s card is an interesting example.

Unusual Features

Some airlines add items that are unique or rare, making them special finds for collectors. This includes unusual language scripts. The Latin script is not the only script that is widely used. Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic, Indic, and Japanese scripts are used by many people and thus frequently found. Rarer scripts include those from Arctic Canada, Georgia, and Laos. They only appear on a few cards.

Examples of safety-related unusual subjects spotted on cards are how to use a slide with a child or infant, the prohibition to sleep on the floor, the prohibition to wear nylon stockings (for which the card is too late, as the passenger is already on board and will not change), or what to do if a smartphone is lost in a seat, or damaged.

Other finds include a person reading the safety card, information about service initiation and termination times, and a warning not to take away life vests.

Following a 2003 federal law, U.S. safety cards must mention the airplane’s country of assembly. The aim is protectionist: discourage imports from outside the U.S. (and specifically Airbus aircraft from Europe). But the world is not black-and-white. The rule backfired when, in 2016, Airbus started an assembly line in Mobile, Alabama, negating its original intent. As more and more aircraft are built there, safety cards saying the final assembly of an Airbus was in the USA become less unusual.

On a final note, I invite collectors to examine their safety cards and report which unusual features their collections hide.

---

Fons Schaefers / November 2024

e-mail: [email protected]

By Fons Schaefers

This part is the final chronological edition of the history of safety cards, which, as we will see below, is now a century old. The next and last part will examine in-depth the subjects shown on the cards. The previous part ended around 1990. This part gives an overview of how safety cards evolved since then. It reviews developments in their general appearance, layout, artwork, and the special cards that emerged.

General Appearance

Under general appearance, I sort such characteristics as size and weight, orientation, folds, and paper quality. I’ll start with the latter – paper quality. Until the 1960s, safety leaflets were part of a package of documents that included menus, stickers, maps, postcards, and advertisement brochures. They were collectively held in a folder, called a flight kit, which was handed out to passengers. The safety leaflets were made of thin paper. As they were not subject to repetitive consultation by many passengers, this worked well. But when they became more common, and even mandated (see Part 4), they were no longer issued in the folder but stowed in seatbacks for repeated consultation by multiple passengers. This exposed them to wear and tear, so they needed to be more sturdy. Initially, this was done by using heavier paper. Later, cards were wrapped in plastic to provide durability, but were more commonly laminated, and eventually, printed on synthetic paper.

Size and weight – there is no standard for the size of safety cards. Many different sizes are in use, as long as they fit the seatback pocket. One of the largest was those by Ethiopian Airlines, measuring 22.5 cm by 33 cm (8.9 by 13 inches). Air France probably tops the smallest cards, at only 10 cm by 21 cm (4 by 8.3 inches). To ensure they do not disappear in the large seat pocket, Air France specifies a separate holder on seatbacks that uniquely fits their card.

Consistent with size and choice of material, the weight of cards varies. Most weigh between 20 to 40 grams (0.71 to 1.41 ounces), with outliers as light as 5 grams (0.18 ounces) as is the case with Aerogaviota’s An-26) or as heavy as 88 grams (3.1 ounces) with the Qantas 747-400.

Orientation – as none of the cards are square, they have a long side and a short side. This presents a choice between displaying the contents ‘portrait’ or ‘landscape’. The former is by far the most popular; few airlines use a landscape orientation. In some cases, a combination is used, with the front being portrait and the back (or the inside in the case of folded cards), landscape.

Folds – the multi-fold leaflets of the 1960s were replaced by cards with a double or a single fold or, more frequently, no fold at all. Some airlines use a folding method resembling French doors. In the Western world, where one reads from left to right, the fold is on the left side. In countries that read from right to left, such as some Arabic countries and China, cards may be folded on the right.

Layout

Layout is a generic term including the choice of text and illustrations, the type of illustrations (photographs, drawings, etc.), color, order of presentation, headings, use of space, etc. The trend of illustrations replacing text continued in the 1990s. All cards use illustrations, most with a minimum of text and some with text in support of illustrations.

Text-only cards have disappeared. However, all U.S. airlines use a large amount of text to explain who may sit next to overwing exits. This is a direct result of a regulation that was introduced in 1990. Although many believe this regulation was aimed at instructing passengers how to open these self-help exits, its origin was different. That was a federal law that prohibited discrimination in air transportation based on handicap. There was an exception, though, and that was safety. The FAA defined the agility criteria exit row occupants must have to open the exit.

The airlines copy-pasted these written criteria on their safety cards. Some other countries adopted this practice and now such criteria are found on cards from Singapore Airlines, Brazilian, and Chinese airlines. Few of these airlines realize that the rule was aimed at hatches that come loose and are difficult to handle rather than easy-to-operate, powered doors such as on the A380. The text “awkward to lift, push, pull and manoeuvre,” used by Singapore Airlines, does not apply to such doors.

The use of photographs, which was quite popular in the 1970s through 1990s, particularly with U.S. airlines, has subsided. Among the last airlines to use them were American Airlines and China Eastern, but they also stopped using them. Cards using only black and white illustrations were still in limited use in the 1990s but have since disappeared. Color is the norm for the illustrations, with the card’s background normally white. In some cases, colors are used to link exit operation instructions to the exit locations on the airplane diagram.

The front page carries the name of the airline (or other organization, as the case may be), typically at the top, together with a description of the purpose of the card (safety information/for your safety/safety card/passenger briefing card/safety on board/safety instructions/important passenger safety information, etc).

Some airlines do not print their name. This challenges the collector to look for clues to identify the airline. This may be a code (e.g. ATL for Air Atlanta) or even a language script. Normally, the front page has safety information, but in a few cases, it is decorative only, such as by Canadian North, which uses photographs reflecting the Canadian North.

The most common form of illustrations are still drawings made by graphical designers. A new trend is computer-generated animations. An example of a computer baby is on the Xiamen 737-700 card.

Artwork

Artwork is about the style of the illustrations. One would think that the number of ways to show how to open a door or grab an oxygen mask is limited, but a study of safety cards proves the opposite. Each graphic artist has his or her way of rendering reality. This allows the collector to gather a nice collection of styles and fashions.

The most distinctive feature is how they portray humans. Overall, there is a slight preference for females over males. This may have to do with the dominant gender of cabin crew. The majority of persons being portrayed are white. While this makes sense for the Western world, even airlines in many other countries follow this, notably in Africa. Conversely, Japanese, Indian, and Iranian airlines are among the airlines representing local ethnicities and dress habits. In the U.S. and the UK, there is a tendency to portray persons of color. Most artists use photographs to make their drawings. As a result, some draw well-recognizable humans. The “Southwest woman” might be familiar to those who know her.

Other airlines apply more generic humans or even what some call “humanoids,” figures resembling humans. In the early 1990s British Aerospace sketched humans in black with a perfect ball as head. EasyJet copied this style 35 years later. Some airlines have managed to reduce humans to just a few lines.

Other artwork expressions consist of grouping the drawings over the cards. Most use a grid pattern which allows an orderly presentation of subjects. Air Baltic on its Avro RJ 70 card uniquely uses a different, relational ordering.

Artists also set their signature through the use of color. A nice example is the 2019 generation of Aer Lingus cards, designed by an Irish graphic designer.

Special cards

New Equipment

In the early 1960s airplanes were introduced with drop-out oxygen masks, and some airlines issued separate cards to explain these (see Part 3, TCA). Twenty years later, Delta printed a unique card to explain the floor lighting system, which they called “emergency exit indication.”

Categories of Operator

The use of safety cards is not restricted to regular airlines but extends to other cases where persons are transported by air. As with other collectibles with a vast range of samples, some collectors focus on subsets. This may be certain airplane types, operators from specific countries only, certain periods, or categories of operators. As to the latter, there are safety cards for government operators, business and VIP operators, military transport operators, and nostalgic operators, flying such classic airplanes as the Constellation, Catalina, or even a converted B-25 bomber. Additionally, there are cards for special operations such as zero gravity flights, research flights (e.g. the SOFIA 747SP), and the flying hospital (Orbis DC-10). Airplane manufacturers make safety cards for use during demonstration flights or as an example for their clients. They even make dedicated cards for evacuation certification tests, which are a one-off.

Often, non-airline cards display unique cabin elements. The VIP airplanes display luxury
arrangements, including bedrooms with showers. One military card mentions bailout instructions.

User Group

Initially, airlines only used one card per airplane type which was good for all passengers.
Gradually, cards came about aimed at specific passenger groups. These groups include cockpit
riders, non-cockpit jumpseat riders (with a warning that unauthorized access to the cockpit may be
met with deadly force!), passengers in exit rows, 747 upper deck passengers, passengers in seats
with seat belt mounted airbags, the sight impaired (with the card, or a book, in braille), physically handicapped, and children and infants. In the latter case, the cards are specific to life vests and handed out to the accompanying adult.

Kind of Operation

Few cards are specific to the kind of operation. In the 1950s there were leaflets specific for overwater operations explaining the ditching and life rafts. In the early 1960s extra cards appeared to explain the new oxygen drop-out systems were needed for high altitude operations. These are no longer in use. A more recent area of operation-related example is the Arctic survival card as used by Greenlandair.

First safety leaflet?

Finally, I recently obtained a safety leaflet I believe is among the oldest ever. It was made in 1924 by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, but it does not say so explicitly. How do I know it was from that year? The leaflet gives several clues. It describes a method of communication using ground signals that pre-dated the use of onboard radios, which KLM introduced later that year. The leaflet, which is in English, is a literal translation of an earlier Dutch version which claims KLM never had a fatal accident. But by the time it had been translated into English, this was no longer true and thus now omitted. The first KLM fatal accident was in April 1924. This confirms the first safety card was issued a century ago.

Fons Schaefers / November 2024

e-mail: [email protected]

By Gary C. Orlando

All photos by the author.

As promised and thanks to Ms. Penny Sandahl, Douglas P. Fulton (Mesaba Public Relations) contacted me in early September 1995 with an invitation to take part in the two final revenue flights of Mesaba’s Fokker F.27, N278MA.

Mesaba would provide a free space-available ticket from Moline, IL to Minneapolis/St. Paul and then once again, over to Wausau/Central Wisconsin where I would overnight. I’d fly on the final flight back to Minneapolis/St. Paul the next morning and then back to Moline. I was also invited to take part in the festivities afterward.

The flights were to take place September 14-15, 1995. I drove down to Moline the morning of the 14^th and waited to board a Mesaba Dash 8-100, N824MA, for my ride to Minneapolis/St. Paul. The Dash 8s were replacing the Fokkers which had been providing dependable service with Mesaba since late 1984.

Soon we would land in MSP around 650pm and I would sit and wait for the flight over to Central Wisconsin which was scheduled to depart on flight NW3260 at 9:30pm.

Upon arrival in MSP, and as I walked across the ramp, there it was: my 30-year-old ride over to the C-WAY that night.

With my boarding pass in hand, I anxiously waited to walk out and get settled in. Once aboard, I took a seat 5C which was an aisle seat. It was night time so nothing could really be seen outside.

Once we were settled in and with the passenger door still open, the pilots started up the number two engine.

From outside the door I could hear some whistles and cheers and applause as these ground agents would be saying goodbye to the plane for the last time on their shift.  I’m not sure if it was because they were happy or sad about it being retired. I chose to take it as a fond farewell gesture on their part.

We had maybe a third to a half of the seats taken on this flight. Our flight attendant, I would later find out was Miss Nancy Bingham, the number one seniority flight attendant who purposely bid this trip to fly the last Fokker.

Oddly enough, the galley on this F.27 was in the front rather than in the rear of the passenger compartment like later-built Fokkers.

Since it was the second-to-last flight for this F.27, Nancy gave out free drinks to the passengers who wanted them.

I eventually did get up and take pictures of all of the passengers looking front to back and then a shot from back to front. Some of the passengers were characters and having a good time. I’m not sure they realized the significance of this flight. If I recall, I think Miss Nancy or one of our pilots mentioned it to everyone before our departure.

All too soon we were making our approach to Central Wisconsin Airport. One leg down, with the last one to go in the morning. We blocked in at 10:29pm.

Ironically, I ended up booking myself into the same hotel that the flight crew was staying at. I had a nice conversation with them. I explained to our pilots the purpose of my trip. Needless to say, both thought it was neat that I took such an interest in the airplane. On the flight from the Twin Cities, I had explained the purpose of my trip to Miss Nancy.

Bright and early the next morning we would be back out to the airport for the first flight back to Minneapolis/St. Paul. We were scheduled to depart at 600am on NW3261. I rode back to the airport with the flight crew. Our pilots were Captain John Schmoll and Captain Will Waldo, the two highest seniority pilots at Mesaba. Both had purposely bid the trip as Miss Nancy did.

Since I was considered a VIP guest of Mesaba, I was ushered into the back office of Mesaba’s C-WAY operations and I was given the okay to board early with the crew on the plane even skipping the security checkpoint! Remember, this was 1995 and security rules back then were very different than they are today.

I settled into seat 3C and once all the remaining passengers were aboard, I looked around and actually felt very sad on two accounts. First, this would be the last revenue passenger flight for Mesba or ANY Fokker or Fairchild F27 in the upper Midwest, and secondly, because there were so few passengers on this flight to the Twin Cities.

I thought to myself, “Where are all of the Fokker F.27 fanatics?” Was I the only one?

We were shortly underway with engines screaming and blocked out five minutes early. The flight back to the Twin Cities was over way too soon. I was kind of teary-eyed because I knew this might be the very last F.27 I would ever fly on.

We touched down and were soon back where we had started the night before, blocking in at 6:55am. I lingered on the aircraft wanting to take in the sights I might never see again as I made my way up to the flight deck to get a few pictures of the control panel and talk to the pilots and thank them.

Before getting off the airplane, I had Captains John and Will and Flight Attendant Nancy all sign my log book, and Captain John gave me the total time and landings as of our block-in.

Total Time (Hours): 53,371 hours and 3 minutes.

Total Landings (Cycles): 54,058 landings.

Well, that’s it; the end of an era at Mesaba. I was very blessed having been given the chance to take part in this little bit of airline history. Unfortunately, I had to miss the festivities afterward and had to bust a move to get back home as my part-time job at Great Lakes Airlines at the Rock Falls Airport had a shift waiting for me.

It was sad to think that no longer would any F27/FH227 Rolls Royce Dart turboprop engines be piercing through the air or on the ramp at Minneapolis/St. Paul or any other Midwest airport. This was the very last!

As for N278MA, this was not the end for this aircraft as it and a few of the other Mesaba Fokkers that were retired earlier were sold to Las Vegas, Nevada-based Eagle Canyon Airlines. They would fly for a few more years taking tourists to and from the Grand Canyon and operating casino charter flights.

Unexpectedly, I would run into N278MA one final time in 2005 at the Opa Locka Airport in South Florida. The aircraft was parked without engines but, still wore its Eagle Canyon colors. The last I knew it is now a fire trainer at a central Florida location.

Well, that’s all. I hope you enjoyed my little two-part tale in this edition of Tail Chasers.

By Gary C. Orlando

All photos by the author.

In 1994 I sadly learned Mesaba Aviation, dba Northwest Airlink, had shrunk its Fokker F.27 fleet down to just one aircraft. Their once proud fleet of 15 Fokkers had been slowly replaced with DeHaviland Dash 8-100s. Their last F.27 in the fleet was N278MA, a vintage 1965 series 200 model originally built for Ansett Australia. It flew for Ansett, Airlines of South Australia, Air Niugini, back to Ansett, and then to Luxair. Mesaba took ownership of the aircraft in November 1989. With that in mind, I aimed to fly on their last Fokker F.27.

I accomplished that feat with a flight on February 2, 1995. I flew from Rockford, IL (RFD) to Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) on an Express I/NW Airlink Jetstream J31. I used my travel agent pass privileges for both Express I and to fly on the Mesaba Fokker, which had a mid-afternoon flight between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Wausau/Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA).

The flight would be a quick trip over and back to “C-WAY” as the Mesaba agents called it. This would not be my last time flying ole N278MA, as later in 1995 I would be invited as a guest on its final revenue flights. I’ll share more about that trip in Part Two.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my photos of the roundtrip to C-WAY.

Stay tuned for Part Two.

By Jim “Jet” Thompson

All Photos by the Author

I traveled to Geneseo, Illinois on Saturday, September 21, 2024, to represent the TWA Museum at the dedication of the TWA Captain Harold Neumann Mural in downtown Geneseo. 

This mural represents Captain Neumann’s flying career with biplanes and air show performances and his career as an air racer. Neumann flew “Ike & Mike,” twin racing planes, in the early 1930’s. He also flew “Mr. Mulligan” the passenger racing plane. All three aircraft were owned by Benny Howard, a former TAT pilot.

Captain Neumann’s career with TWA spanned from 1936 to 1966 and he flew many aircraft from the Douglas DC-1 to the Boeing 707. It’s possible he even flew the Ford Tri-Motor but, that’s not yet confirmed. 

He was hired in October 1936 when Transcontinental & Western Air brought five retired Ford Tri-Motors to fly cargo. However, that venture only lasted a few months as they lost a bunch of money doing that.  He then went on to fly the DC-2, DC-3, Boeing 307, all models of the Lockheed Constellation (“Connie”), and finally the Boeing 707. 

There is an interesting story behind one of the photos. Supposedly, Captain Neumann is standing beside the biplane on the lefthand side of the mural. It isn’t him. Actually, it is Jimmy Doolittle, one of his best friends! This wasn’t discovered until after the artist had painted the mural. Someone looked closely at the photo they used and found a note from Jimmy Doolittle on the back. The note was a wise-cracking remark about him “beating Neumann to something” and proof he (Doolittle) was there!

On a side note, another interesting fact for those who knew the late TWA Capt. Don Peters, he later owned the racing plane “Mike” after it had been retired from air racing.  Don purchased it as his first airplane. By chance, he came across it at the Plain City, Ohio airport. He and two other friends bought it before he went into the military. When he returned from his military service, he learned his two friends had sold it. Don and I came across the aircraft in 2019, in a hangar at the airport in Wadsworth, Ohio. It was hanging from the rafters, just the frame, along with “Ike!” The current owner plans on restoring at least one of them.

Back to Mr. Neumann. 

On one occasion, Captain Neumann made an emergency landing in a TWA L-049 Constellation. Just after departing Amarillo, Texas, and while circling back to the airport, he lost an engine.  As he made his approach, he had to fly UNDER a powerline and the number four engine’s props snagged the powerline causing him to land short of the runway into the mud. The passengers trudged through a muddy cornfield to get back to the terminal. 

Later, Captain Neumann would fly the inaugural TWA Constellation flight from Paris-Orly (ORY) to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) in 1955, officially making Chicago O’Hare an International Airport. He brought home a 3-foot-tall metal replica of the Eiffel Tower from the Mayor of Paris to Richard J. Daley, the Mayor of Chicago.

Two years later he flew the first TWA passengers over the North Pole in a Lockheed L-1649A Constellation on the London Heathrow-San Francisco-Los Angeles route, a total of 23 hours and 55 minutes block time.  

I wore a collection of lapel pins representing the aircraft Neumann flew for TWA. I would have included my Boeing 307 pin, but I didn’t learn until that day he had also flown that aircraft and I didn’t have it with me.

I hope I represented the TWA Museum honorably. Everyone seemed to appreciate what I had to say about Captain Neumann and the history of Transcontinental Air Transport and Trans World Airlines.

The event attendees also wanted to hear some stories about the illustrious Howard Hughes, so I told them stories my father had told me, as well as others I’d read about in a book and some stories from a number of TWA retirees from the Overhaul bases at FFX & Kansas City from over the years. Everyone greatly enjoyed the stories. I really appreciated being asked to represent the TWA Museum at this event; it was an honor.

I set up a table at the event to display artifacts from his career with TWA. I didn’t realize until that day that the TWA Ambassador plaque came out after Neumann retired.

By Thomas Hilditch

The Farnborough International Airshow is a biannual event alternating with the Paris Air Show each year. This famous event started in 1948 with Farnborough site chosen because of its place in British aviation history – in 1908 the first sustained, heavier-than-air, powered and controlled sustained flight in the United Kingdom (their version of our Kitty Hawk, NC). The show was initially intended to display and promote the diverse facets of British aviation manufacturing. Many highlights include the world’s first commercial jet airliner and the debut of Concorde.

The show has evolved to exhibit information on advances in six key industry themes: Defense, Future Flight, Space, Sustainability, and Innovation. It was live-streamed to the world and attended by more than 100,000 visitors from 60 countries. Ninety civil and military aircraft were on display – some static and some flying. Boeing and Airbus announced commercial orders totaling $1.9 billion from Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and Flydubai. 

I was able to attend this year’s show and can offer some insight to others who may want to attend this event in the future. Keep in mind these comments are made through the eyes of an aviation enthusiast/photographer and not a practitioner in the aerospace industry. Only one day of the event is open to the public with the other four days reserved for those employed in the industry. Obtain a list of the exhibitors from the show’s website and contact them to see if they can provide you with a pass. It is necessary to register with www.farnboroughairshow.com if you intend to get a ticket for the public admittance day. The website posts useful information before the show (including a list of exhibitors) and suddenly provides a link to purchase your ticket – they are limited and sell out fast.

Despite limited public participation, there are plenty of photo opportunities exploring the surrounding airfield and plenty of time to speak with other wandering enthusiasts from the excluded public. The website publishes each day’s aircraft and flight times. Photo opportunities of these flight demonstrations abound. The controlled airspace is wide around the airfield allowing good perimeter observations. Flights are generally in the afternoon after 1:00 pm. 

The best place to position yourself is on the outdoor balcony of the multi-story Aviator Hotel immediately adjacent to the airfield. Hotel management allows non-guests to take a seat as long as you continue to purchase drinks. It’s helpful to dress professionally and become friendly with your server – sometimes they will give you a break and won’t make you continue ordering drinks and become inebriated. An alternative good observation point is to skulk around the hotel parking lot.

Planning is crucial if you intend to undertake a pilgrimage to the show. Suitable lodging can be difficult to find – “suitable” meaning a fair price at a close location. There are many surrounding hotels but transportation to and from the event is difficult and chaotic. Something within walking distance is best. Closer to the show date rooms get filled up and prices increase dramatically. I booked a room one year in advance at the Bed & Breakfast Colebrook Guest House (www.colebrookbandb.co.uk). This was about a five-minute walk to the airfield.

Next year will be the Paris Air Show, June 16-22, 2025. We will be back at Farnborough July 20-24, 2026, so you’ll have to wait until 2026 if you plan to attend this UK show. My insight will hopefully still be valid.

All photos courtesy of the author.

By Phil Brooks

My wife Pam and I were planning a trip to the Traverse City, MI area to visit friends and enjoy the beautiful scenery. On our second day there, since she was going to the town of Charlevoix to go shopping with her friend, I decided to sample the two airlines that fly from Charlevoix Municipal Airport (KCVX) to nearby Beaver Island. The plan was to ride on Fresh Air Aviation to Beaver Island Airport (KSJX), find my way to Welke Airport (6Y8), and fly back to Charlevoix on Island Airways.  

I had called ahead to both companies to find out how things operated. The two airlines don’t have a published schedule. They operate “on demand” but a couple of weeks out,  I found that Fresh Air had an 11 am departure planned, which would work well with our hosts and the shopping trip, so I made a reservation. The cost was $68.50, and I would be charged on the day of departure.

When making my reservation, the planned aircraft type would be a Partenavia P-68. Not a traditional airliner, but a new type for me, which is my yearly goal, along with at least one new airport. If all went well, I would get three of those that day! The only uncertain things were the weather, and getting myself between the two Beaver Island Airports, which are 4.7 miles apart. I could walk, but I didn’t want to keep Pam waiting as we had plans for later.

The weather dawned cloudy on July 16, 2024, but, was forecast to improve at 11 am. It actually cleared out at 10 am – perfect. After a quick look at Charlevoix, the ladies dropped me off at Fresh Air’s office, just down the road from the main terminal at CVX.  I arrived an hour before departure (even though they want passengers to arrive 30 minutes before departure. I was greeted by Lori, who weighed my carry-on bag (I brought my laptop to get some work done in case I got stuck somewhere) and charged my credit card.  I took advantage of the extra time and went back outside to call Island Airways and see how things looked for a return flight later that day. I was advised there was space on the 1 pm departure and that I should be able to get a taxi between airports. If not, they would send someone to pick me up!

There was good news: we had seven passengers so they would be operating a Beechcraft Queen Air on the route – also a new airplane type for me! And since the Partenavia is a much newer aircraft, I figured I would have other opportunities to fly on one. I had tried to get a Queen Air ride in the 1990s on Bemidji Airlines, but the flight was canceled and I never had the time to try it again. 

This Fresh Air Queen Air was powered by Twin Lycoming IO-720 eight-cylinder engines (An Excalibur 800 conversion from the original design). The plane has a very distinct and wonderful sound!

We were transported on a van from their office to their hangar, just south of RW09-27, about halfway down the runway. Their Queen Air in an ex-US Army paint scheme was jacked up in the hangar, so we were assigned to N5078G, painted white with brown trim, and small Fresh Air Aviation titles. We stood by while the cargo was loaded (Fresh Air and Island Airways do a large freight business) and then we boarded through the aft airstairs. I was assigned the right seat, next to pilot Jackson. I think Lori
knew I would enjoy that, and I did!

We departed one minute early and were airborne in two minutes from Runway 27. In addition to the six adults, there was a baby girl (on her first flight!) and a small dog in the row behind me. Cruising altitude was 1,500 feet, and the flight time was 13 minutes. We landed on Runway 27 at Beaver Island Airport (SJX) and were in the blocks three minutes later. I deplaned, took some pictures, and waited in the terminal for one of the agents to return after the aircraft departed for Charlevoix. 

I asked if anyone was going to town or the other airport, and was told no. I was referred to several taxi service phone numbers on the wall. I was calling one of them when a man (he had seen off some passengers for the outbound) walked by and asked if I needed a ride into town. Welke Airport was on the way, so I accepted his kind offer.  I learned his name is also Phil, so we got a kick out of that! He’s a longtime (since 1979) resident of the area and a former private pilot, so we had a nice talk. The 2.6 mile ride took less than ten minutes. I wouldn’t have minded walking, but had to catch the 1 pm departure.

Island Airways was departing for Charlevoix when I arrived, but I didn’t inquire about getting on it. I wanted to look around during the one-hour wait. There was another Islander in the hangar, and some cool 1970s cars in the long-term parking lot to photograph! I recorded the departure, which was good and loud! I checked in and paid the $72 fare. As with the Fresh Air flight, there was no ticket. A steady stream of customers were dropping off and picking up their freight shipments.

Soon the Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander (N80KM, former LIAT- Leeward Islands Air Transport Services) returned from Charlevoix with more passengers, and after it was unloaded, we boarded for my return to CVX.  I was assigned the right rear seat (1B) by pilot Brian upon boarding. 

The man next to me was a business traveler- a healthcare worker from the mainland, returning from one of his visits to care for residents. A couple ahead of us was using this service for the first time, versus taking the ferry. The ferry costs $32.50 per passenger, one way, and takes two hours – that would be an easy decision for me!

We had five passengers and departed seven minutes early, taking off from Runway 27 one minute later. Flight time was 16 minutes and I couldn’t view our altitude. We passed one of the ferries on the way! We made a left downwind arrival to Runway 27, and blocked in at the modern terminal after a two-minute taxi.

I noted that the right seat’s occupant was walking toward another Islander on the ramp – it was Paul Welke, the airport and airline’s owner, who had deadheaded there to pick up an aircraft for another mission!

I was told about this operation by the owner of New England Airlines, another Islander operator, flying from Block Island, NY to Westerly, RI in 2019. I was glad to have finally experienced this operation and highly recommend this excursion if you find yourself in Northern Michigan. I plan to return to Beaver Island to check out the non-aviation sights!

All photographs courtesy of the author.

By Thomas O. Hilditch

When wandering through the streets of Salt Lake City, UT you will inevitably run across the Family Search Library, a genealogical research facility located in downtown on the southwest side of Temple Square. It’s the largest genealogical library in the world with over 2.4 million searchable records on file.

I entered the facility with great curiosity and was interested in what I might find. Working with a volunteer research assistant, I discovered a remarkable trove of documents. Many years of my family history was spread before me in the form of marriage certificates, birth and death documents, visa forms, and more.

In disbelief, I also found a BOAC flight manifest dated December 26, 1953  – a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, tail number G-ALSD “Cassiopeia” for a flight from London, UK to New York, NY. Prominent on this document, I found myself listed as a four-year-old passenger! My first of many transatlantic crossings. Wow, what a find!!

The Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, developed in the late 1940s, was a luxurious commercial airliner based on the World War II B-29 bomber. Although it offered passengers a comfortable and spacious flying experience, it ultimately faced challenges with operating costs which led to limited production and eventual retirement from commercial service.

Transatlantic flying in those days was an arduous 15 to 20-hour journey with many stopovers.  The first leg would be from London, UK to Shannon, Ireland for one and a half hours. Stopover ground time at Shannon would be an additional one or two hours. The stopovers at each landing were a crucial part of the trip ensuring the aircraft could safely complete the journey across the Atlantic. 

The complexity of the B-377 engines made maintenance and repairs challenging and time-consuming. Specialized training and tools were required, and even minor issues could result in significant downtime for the aircraft. Before take-off, the aircraft would be maneuvered to a holding apron where engines would run at full power for several minutes.  If no problem surfaced the journey could continue. Otherwise, it would return to the terminal, passengers disembarked, and maintenance would resolve the issue.

The next leg of the journey would be the actual ocean crossing This would be an eight-hour flight to Gander, Newfoundland  – part of the London to New York “Great Circle Route” since 1936. A Stratocruiser arriving in Gander would generally have a one to two-hour stopover to refuel and remedy any mechanical issues.  The final flight to New York’s Idlewild airport was an additional four to five hours.

I would like to note that my father, as an RAF pilot, completed a similar journey in 1942 as a youthful 24-year-old. A Lockheed Hudson was a much smaller aircraft than the Stratocruiser and required many more stops. Starting in Prestwick UK he would fly Reykjavik, Iceland – Goose Bay, Labrador – Montreal-Dorval, Quebec – and finally on to New York.  Total flying time was 28 hours.