Got The Word Last Night - After Almost 40 years.....
 

Continental Airlines is no more. It is now UAL United Air Lines.

Two DC-9-15s at Dallas Love Field - Circa 1974
http://www.blogsouthwest.com/files/b...AL co DC-9.JPG

Neat picture!
You sure don’t see many of those stubby series 10s around much any more.

I never did go for that pale-slate-baby-blue-pastel cockpit color. Made me nauseous.

I sure hope the UAL pilots didn’t get shafted by the senior Continental captains like Americans pilots got from the TWA deal.

Thanks for the picture.


Cheers –

Shelby

I have some great memories flying Continental. I always thought they were a class act. they will be missed.

Continental has flown a ?DC-3? on occasion around the airspace above Dallas Love Field and out east where I live.

NO PROBLEMO HERE'S THE WHOLE BLOG: DECEMBER 1973
 

FROM THE SOUTHWEST AIRLINES BLOG:

Author - Brian Lusk

"It probably doesn’t keep you awake at night, but it is of comfort to me that I am not the only person my age who is a total aviation (and railroad) geek. You might find several folks of either persuasion, but finding one with both qualities is exceedingly rare.

Fortunately, George Hamlin is such a person. We are about the same age, and George’s father-n-law worked for an airline. At a young age, we both had an innate sense to know when our surroundings were changing, and when familiar things would become historical rarities.

For example, the new Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) opened on January 13, 1974. If memory serves me right, that was a Sunday. On Friday evening January 11, I took my camera to Love Field’s wonderful observation deck to record the scene for posterity. Unfortunately, I was shooting black and white film and had a camera without a telephoto lens.

Half the country away, George also knew that aviation in North Texas would be forever changed when DFW opened, and he nonreved down here in December 1973 to spend a day at Love Field to record Love’s last few days as the primary airport in the area. George had a nice Nikon and a telephoto lens, and his color shots provide a nice Flashback Friday perspective. George graciously has given us permission to use some of his photos for this post."

http://www.blogsouthwest.com/files/blusk/DAL aa 707.JPG
Back in 1973, Boeing 707s were still common aircraft. The view above features no less than four examples of the four-engine classic Boeing. The 707 on the left is being pushed back from the West Concourse, which is our current concourse at Love. Don’t worry, we will get back to that scene on the North Concourse later.

http://www.blogsouthwest.com/files/b...AL co DC-9.JPG
Over on the East Concourse above, we see two Continental DC-9-15s at the airline’s gates. In the background are some Texas International and Ozark aircraft. My father was Continental’s Station Manager at this time.

http://www.blogsouthwest.com/files/b...AL ti dc-9.JPG
Texas International had built a single-story extension off the East Concourse to house their operation, which featured DC-9-30s and Convair 600 turboprops. Even at this relatively late date, the Convair on the right wears an older livery.

http://www.blogsouthwest.com/files/b...bn 727-200.JPG
Braniff was the largest carrier at Love Field, and their 727-200 above is taxiing past their maintenance base. (The building still stands.)

http://www.blogsouthwest.com/files/blusk/DAL BN 747.JPG
Three airlines operated 747s into Love at this time, American, Delta, and Braniff. Above, we see the Braniff pumpkin heading out for its nonstop trek to Honolulu. Notice that the driver on the bag tug has stopped to watch the view. About a year and a half before this photo, I had taken my first 747 flight in this aircraft.

http://www.blogsouthwest.com/files/b...DL DC-8-61.JPG
Prior to the introduction of the 747, the largest airliner was the “stretch eight.” The airplane pushing back is a Delta DC-8-61, and if my memory serves me correctly, it held about 240 passengers. This aircraft would later be re-engined with the same CFM engines that are on the 737-700. You wouldn't believe the amount of freight, mail, and bags that fit in those long, long cargo bins.

http://www.blogsouthwest.com/files/b...n of N22SW.JPG
And finally, I have saved the best for last. Here is a rare color photo of N22SW, one of the three original Southwest aircraft parked at the far end of the North Concourse next to two American 707s. It is parked at an out of service gate. Note that the cargo bins are closed. The air stairs are extended on the far side of the aircraft, and if you look closely, you can see a Maintenance step ladder next to the air stairs, along with a Company pickup truck. It looks like this is where the fuel hydrant trucks were parked also.

http://www.blogsouthwest.com/files/blusk/DAL demo.JPG
This is the same scene a few months ago as the North Concourse was razed for the terminal modernization, which is currently underway."

OBSERVATION DECKS!
 

The pictures were taken from the observation deck at Love Field. I do not recall if the deck is still open? There was a flight museum near the observation deck door on the second floor of the terminal.

The flight museum is probably moved to the new <pricey> flight museum over on Lemmon Avenue. I dig the full-sized *?real?* SWA Boeing 737 cutaway with flight deck at the new museum!

We had an observation deck at Eppley Airfield, Omaha, NE when I was in my teens and 20s. Again, I have no idea whether it is even open??

I would think that the Police SWAT Team would be called on anyone outside a terminus building - on the interior ramp side of any airport. Ha! Times have changed.....

What makes the picture rare or N22SW special? (Just curious as it sounds like there is some interesting back story here.)

The airline started with just three aircraft. That was one of them.

Great thread !!
Great walk through time !!
Memories too.

The pumpkin was my first 747 ride back when I was a kid.
Honolulu back to Love. I remember watching the sun set as we left, and rise as we touched down at Love.

Thanks for the posting !!
I'll see that Shelby gets a look. She's into the old Love Field history.
I like the look of the Braniff joint. Later to become DalFort Aviation where I did some training years back. Now, it's ???

So SRJ, do you get over to the Frontiers of Flight joint very often?

All of us here will second that.

SWA started service in 1971, as an FYI......

I went about (2) years ago with the MBCA North Texas Section on a Sunday afternoon. We got a group rate. There are fabric-header carports for your car on the south side of the museum, so you can keep your car shaded while you hang out in the museum.

What impressed me about Love Field if still there - is the gold metal set-in terrazzo greenish? tint floor of the globe with aeronautical markings to it as you enter the main level of the terminal. I love SWA, I just don't like riding with a pilot intent on setting down at the very beginning of the runway on landings on the white parallel stripes. Don't they know it takes altitude to make the runway if you lose an engine or power short of the runway?? Not cool. I read that SWA went computer assist just a few months ago too as all the other airlines - instead of making their pilots do final approaches by hand - to keep them sharp. Maybe the plane has more altitude from the marker - runway. It's not like these runways are all that short! Besides, it saves fuel using autopilot, and you don't scare the passengers with severe banks.

That DC-9-15 looks like fun to fly... I bet it was a ball during repo flights.

I miss the outfits the SWA flight attendants wore back in the day. ditto for PSA and if memory serves me, Braniff stews weren't bad either.

enter 'equal rights' for seniors......no more hot babes........where is my Jose Cuervo??....as he quietly hoists a glass of Tequila and weeps, remembering the ULTRA HOT SWA flight attendants........more weeping.............

Well the respective unions job is to protect its members. Te only two options I see are stapled to the bottom or integrated. Either way someone gets screwed. I worked for AA and the FA's from TWA got stapled and are still fighting it.

I dated a formerly hot stew from Braniff a few years back. Also dated the daughter of a 30 year executive of Braniff in the late '90s. Her Dad was a super nice old gentleman.

National Airlines was also on the hot chick outfits for stews in the mid-'70s. I flew National from JAX to STL to take Eastern Airlnes to OMA - when commuting to my sales work in the southeastern U.S. back then.

memories, memories.....