One reason we like to fly earlier generation aircraft is because such aircraft open windows back into the yesteryears of aviation...about airlines that no longer exist and aircraft that longer fly...all their memories been dissolved into history and mostly forgotten from memory. But whether the smallest biplane or the largest jet plane that served an airline (existing or defunct) surely have a most fascinating story to tell. How did the airline come about providing vital services to their communities and what kinds of aircraft it deployed...and eventually what happened to these airlines and these aircraft. Maybe some lucky aircraft (in the rarest scenario) got preserved in a museum but most likely it got scrapped and broken up for parts, and its once-flying-high aluminum content sold to be made into the soda cans we pick up at the local grocery store today...🙂...?

This post is not about the B727, but, for example, in the local Chicago Museum, there is one of the earliest (United) B727s preserved as an exhibit...not outside on the grounds...in the cold and snow, but pristinely (and rather dramatically) perched high above the main floor...as if it is still flying...🙂...whenever I visit, I like to stand right next to that "PRATT & WHITNEY" (Soaring Eagle) logo on the engine...the (RW) logo seems much larger than in our SIMs and think about those noisy (but trusty) JT8D powerplants within... (we surely need a 727 in our hobby). When Avianca first introduced EFB into their planes, I recall reading their press releases talking so excitedly how it could help their Pilots (btw, in our own (virtual) hobby, the excitement for EFB is certainly no less here...🙂...). Now, we must note that this is the same airline that had flown the very first official flight by any airline in the Western hemisphere...its pilots using Junkers F.13 (floats) tracking inland, a Columbian river, for guidance, that often required multiple emergency landings on water. So, these folks may be flying the latest 787 Dreamliners now, but one could tell they love to cherish their history and talk about their roots. We can also do the same trying to fly, here, the 727-100, 737-100, 707-100, 747-100 (note the variants, surely no FMC/GPS/EFB there), that they actually flew...or at least we fly whatever we can get our hands on...just a skin will do in the interim...🙂...Anyway, such airlines as Avianca have seen the full spectrum of evolution of airplanes first-hand...no doubt about that...

Please find below two sets of images of two airlines, that went by the same name, but different colors, that caught my attention today, in my hangar. I knew about one but not the other. One was an American airline, seen flying here (an A310-300) symbolically above the shorelines and blue waters of Lake Michigan...the airline was operating out of Milwaukee International Airport (KMKE). The other was once roaming the skies above the deserts and oases of Egypt...taking travelers from Cairo International Airport (HECA), across the Mediterranean, to the holiday destinations in Europe. It had just one 737-600 variant (SU-MWC), seen below. Curiously, I find some evidence that, as of 2011, this B736 airframe has been preserved in Ryanair's Hangar 10 facility, being used as a Trainer for Ryanair cabin crew, engineers, and pilots - in full Ryanair livery. What a glorious way to end the career, for this lucky 736, once plying high above the hot deserts of Africa and Middle East... (an aviation lover (and especially a 737 lover) must feel good about it...🙂...) ...

Hope you enjoy this mix of Midwest's...Thanks for viewing...!

Edited February 25, 20242 yr by P_7878

Great pictures of an unlikely livery combo. Didn't know that first airline even existed!

Nice photos as usual...and a nice history lesson as well...appreciate your research!

Your customary excellence. P! (maybe we should make that your offical salutation <grin>)

Particularly like that first livery. Mmmmm, shiiiny, reeedddd. Plus your splendidly evocative intro.

And another nice set P_7878 !

cheers 😉

Very nice shots! 😉 

Folks:

Thanks for the kind words...🙂...!

Interesting bit of history, thank you for that P! 

Great shots as well!

Thanks, and welcome, Adam...!

Frankly, I too just knew that there was a Midwest airline around here somewhere...🙂...but I wasn't sure of its livery...

As always, our knowledgeable repainters are always a step ahead of us in this business ...🙂...

Really nice set of shots and interesting story too!  Thanks for sharing.  Cheers,

Calum

On 2/25/2024 at 9:50 AM, P_7878 said:

One was an American airline, seen flying here (an A310-300) symbolically above the shorelines and blue waters of Lake Michigan...the airline was operating out of Milwaukee International Airport (KMKE)

I am sorry to be picky here.  Maybe your intent was not to match actual aircraft that the airline operated.  If so, please ignore this.  But, I used to work for Midwest (Express) Airlines in KMKE.  To the best of my knowledge, we never operated any Airbus aircraft.  You could maybe argue that after with the merger with Frontier, but I think that's a stretch too.

Anyway, again, I'm not trying to be rude here.  They are great pics and seeing the colors of my former airline always brings back great memories of a wonderful airline and place to work!  We were once "The Best Care in the Air"!

Great set P_7878! 🙂

Terrific shots!

On 9/9/2024 at 9:24 AM, CBass said:

Really nice set of shots and interesting story too!  Thanks for sharing.  Cheers,

Calum

Thanks, Calum, for the comment. Glad you liked...🙂...!

 

On 9/9/2024 at 11:07 AM, klamal said:

I am sorry to be picky here.  Maybe your intent was not to match actual aircraft that the airline operated.  If so, please ignore this.  But, I used to work for Midwest (Express) Airlines in KMKE.  To the best of my knowledge, we never operated any Airbus aircraft.  You could maybe argue that after with the merger with Frontier, but I think that's a stretch too.

Anyway, again, I'm not trying to be rude here.  They are great pics and seeing the colors of my former airline always brings back great memories of a wonderful airline and place to work!  We were once "The Best Care in the Air"!

Hello Kevin: Wonderful to hear from someone actually from the airline...🙂... I am a big fan of such less-known airlines (living or defunct) ...world-over...besides only the marquee ones....🙂...NP at all, and you're correct that in spite of my best intentions in the SIM, to match all 4 identifies (airline, a/c, livery, and registration ID) for my historical episodes, sometimes that's not possible (especially in MSFS when things are still in-progress, unlike e.g., in FSX where it would have been always possible to find an exact match, at least based on freeware contributions. So, here, I take what I get, so to speak...🙂...I am still grateful to the (unknown) repainter who decided to bring Midwest to us, albeit on an Airbus...an airline with a great bit of aviation history, if you ask me...

Thanks for the comemnt...KMKE/Milwaukee is a nice city, not too far from KORD...been there...

Finally, you may like this (below) post of mine...though an A320neo is symbolizing the classic B737-200...in my virtual world...🙂... Cheers...!

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/648212-737-first-us-flight-1968-chicago-to-grand-rapids/

 

On 9/9/2024 at 3:20 PM, andiflyit said:

Great set P_7878! 🙂

Thank you, Andreas ...!

 

On 9/10/2024 at 8:06 PM, Jack_Sawyer said:

Terrific shots!

Appreciated the kind words of compliment, Jack...from someone who knows the innards of these (beautiful) machines...🙂...