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Post by okami on Mar 26, 2010 16:29:59 GMT -5
I probably watched that Brannif Convair 100 times while I grew up in the KMKC rwy 19 pattern. The outer markers were 4 blocks due north of my house. I don't think I watched an uninterupted TV program until I got married and moved away. Then it became wierdly quiet. I now live in the flight pattern of KMCI rw 27, I love the sound of the planes! So glad to hear these screenshots have some happy memories connected to them for you... though I dread to think about all the classic TV-moments you might have missed out on because of those Convairs! ;D I know the feeling, though: I've always lived under the Runway 29 approach for EBAW. Back in the 1980s, we used to have SABENA 737s and Delta Air Transport Fairchild FH.227s daily... and then it stopped. First the 737s were replaced by F.28s; then the FH.227s were replaced by Embraers (my first memory of those, unfortunately, is a mid-air collision ). Since, it's been a coming and going of airlines and airliners - ATRs, BAe 146s, BAC 1-11s,CV-540s, F28s ; Sabena, Delta, British Airways, Cityhopper, Citybird, Maersk, Dan Air and VLM - all of them a thing of the past for our airport now. And those F.50s aren't getting any younger, so I guess they'll be gone in a couple of years as well... However, back to the past, I guess. The next couple of legs take us out of the United States, into South America. The first one is a bit of a special one: Airline: Pan American World Airways Schedule: January 1958 Flight: Clipper 411 Equipment: Douglas DC-6B Super Cloudmaster Frequency: Daily Departs: Miami Intl. (KMIA - USA) Departure:0800 local time (1300 UTC) Arrives: Havana/Jose Marti Intl. (MUHA - Cuba) Arrival: 0900 local time (1400 UTC) Stops: Non-stop Yes, we're off to Cuba, with its sun, cigars, music, mob-run casinos, coups and revolutions. It's probably one of the last years Pan Am had a scheduled flight to Havana; Clippers did stop there later, but usually quite... unscheduled. But that's enough about politics. Our flight is progressing quite well - its route takes it out over the Everglades to the Bay, passing right over Key West before heading out to the Island. The view is a quite nice one, even though it doesn't last very long. Cuba is only a short hop away, and little over an hour after we've left Miami, we're already there...!
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Post by okami on Mar 29, 2010 17:45:19 GMT -5
One day, and a considerable amount of US Dollars in the Casinos later, we're off on our next leg - with quite an unexpected carrier: Airline: KLM / Royal Dutch Airlines Schedule: April 1957 Flight: KLM 678 Equipment: Convair CV-340 Frequency: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays only Departs: Miami Intl. (KMIA - USA) Departure:0945 local time (1445 UTC) Arrives: Willemstad/Dr. Albert Plesman (TNCC - Curaçao) Arrival: 1900 local time (2300 UTC) Stops: 3 stops: - Havana/Jose Marti Intl. (MUHA - Cuba) arrives 1105 local, departs 1145 local - Kingston/Norman Manley Intl. (MKJP - Jamaica) arrives 1410 local, departs 1440 local - Oranjestad/Koningin Beatrix (TNCA - Aruba) arrives 1755 local, departs 1825 local Yes, before it became ALM in 1964, KLM ran its own operations in the Caribbean, based on the Netherlands Antilles (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao). The Caribbean arm of KLM flew DC-3s, CV-340s, DC-6s and DC-6Bs, serving Miami, Middle- and South America, with some of the latter services flown by KLM Constellations, Super Constellations and, later, DC-8s passing through the Netherlands Antilles on their way from the Netherlands to South America. As no specific liveries exist for the KLM Caribbean Convair fleet (which had the same liveries as their Dutch counterparts, but with PJ- instead of PH- registrations), I'm using a Dutch livery instead. We're actually flying two legs aboard the KLM Convair. The first one brings us from Havana to Kingston, Jamaica. While it starts out as a rather hazy and clouded affair over the island itself, some twenty minutes out almost all of that has disappeared. We have a clear view, with just a couple of clouds to break the monotony of a blue sea and a blue sky. After some two hours of flying, we arrive over Jamaica, and are guided into Kingston airport. The Kingston stop is a short one, lasting just half an hour. Except for a British West Indian Viscount arriving, and a BOAC flight taking off for New York, nothing much happens during our time on the ground. And then its off to Aruba... The weather deteriorates a bit during our second leg. While we barely had clouds on the first one, the second one sees us flying among towering cloud decks; by the time we arrive at Aruba, fog is shrouding much of the island. One distinctly unspectacular landing later, we're in Aruba, where we get off the plane. Next flight: onto the South-American mainland and onwards!
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Post by okami on Apr 4, 2010 17:25:13 GMT -5
Hi all, Before I start the next installment of my 'round the world journey, I first want to issue a correction. In the previous post I had mentioned there were no liveries available for the KLM West Indies Division Convair; in fact there is[/b] one available. How I missed out on this, I don't know, but I do humbly apologise to Spraycan, who made these textures. So here's the aircraft I should have flown the previous leg in: And now, onwards to the next leg: Airline: KLM / Royal Dutch Airlines Schedule: April 1957 Flight: KLM 711 Equipment: Douglas DC-3 Frequency: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays only Departs: Oranjestad/Koningin Beatrix (TNCA - Aruba) Departure:1635 local time (2045 UTC) Arrives: Maracaibo/La Chinita (SVMC - Venezuela) Arrival: 1745 local time (2215 UTC) Stops:non-stop The short distance between Aruba and Maracaibo is bridged by the venerable DC-3 - only the second time so far it has featured in this trip. The views are spectacular, especially those in the Bay of Venezuela... After a good hour's and a half flying, we arrive at Maracaibo:
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Post by okami on Apr 12, 2010 11:11:49 GMT -5
At Maracaibo, we take the next leg of our journey, with a not as well known local carrier, and a reasonably rare aircraft (especially outside the States!): Airline: LAV - Línea Aeropostal Venezolana Schedule: May 1956 Flight: Aeropostal 104 Equipment: Martin 2-O-2A Frequency: Tuesdays and Fridays only Departs: Caracas/Maiquetía Intl. (SVMI - Venezuela) Departure:0900 local time (1330 UTC) Arrives: Panama City/Tocumen Intl. (MPTO - Panama) Arrival: 1340 local time (1840 UTC) Stops: 1 stop: - Maracaibo/La Chinita (SVMC - Venezuela) arrives 1040 local, departs 1110 local Yes, it is a Martin! LAV of Venezuela received 2 new Martins in 1947. They used them intensively untill their replacement by more modern Viscounts in 1956. The route between Maracaibo and Panama City takes 'our' Martin over a redoutable land feature: the Cordilleras. Even this far North on the South American continent, there are some considerable high grounds to take into account. We even have to ascend above our operational ceiling of 12000 ft to level 140, so we can clear the mountain ridge... ... but as soon as this is done, our flight descends back to a more reasonable 10000 ft. However, on the other side of the mountains an unwelcome surprise awaits us: It's not long before we find us in the middle of some rather rough-looking clouds, with turbulence occasionally rocking our plane. The closer we get to Panama, the worse it seems to get: By the time we finally arrive over our destination, the visibility has deteriorated. We get to see a glimpse of the locks of the Panama Canal while on our approach, but moments later, visibility drops even further. It's only thanks to the runway lighting (and the ILS, I admit), that we're able to find the airport... Next leg: Further on South, and an unlikely flight in an unlikely airliner...
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Post by okami on Apr 13, 2010 15:05:46 GMT -5
Sorry to've kept you all waiting, but I've spent the past couple of days working out the African legs of my route. Right now, most of the flight has been written up, right into Khartoum. Last time we ended up in Panama, which is where our two legs start today. On our first leg, the carrier is National Airlines in a Thru-Plane service with Pan American and Pan American-Grace. Even though the plane is sporting the US carrier's livery, the crew is a Panagra one which relieved the Pan American crew at Panama and will be flying this part of the journey, all the way into Buenos Aires. Airline: Pan American World Airways /Pan American-Grace/National Airlines Schedule: January 1958 Flight: National 701 Equipment: Douglas DC-7B Frequency: Tuesdays and Fridays only Departs: New York/Idlewild (KJFK - USA) Departure:1530 local time (2030 UTC) Arrives: Buenos Aires/Ezeiza (SAEZ - Argentina) Arrival: 1840 local time (2140 UTC) Stops: 6 stops: - Washington National (KDCA - USA) arrives 1639 local, departs 1710 local - Miami Intl. (KMIA - USA) arrives 2030 local, departs 2145 local - Panama City/Tocumen Intl. (MPTO - Panama) arrives 0140 local, departs 0240 local - Guayaquil/Simon Bolivar Intl. (SEGU - Ecuador) arrives 0530 local, departs 0555 local - Lima/Jorge Chavez Intl. (SPIM - Peru) arrives 0845 local, departs 0920 local - Santiago/Los Cerrillos (SCTI - Chili) arrives 1520 local, departs 1600 local It is the middle of the night as our DC-7B takes off from Tocumen, on its way to Guayaquil. Due to the late hour, there's very little traffic around - actually, the only aircraft I get to see up close (in visual range, that is), is a Beech 18 trailing fire through the sky (bit of a quirk that happens if you combine the D18SVC in AI with J.C. Rollard's Beech 18 exhaust effects). The flight takes a direct route from Panama to Guayaquil, taking it right out over the Pacific for most of its flight. That, combined with the early hour, doesn't make for many great scenery shots; still, one or two are worth showing. About 3 hours after our take-off from Tocumen, our DC-7B's touches down at Guayaquil. At Guayaquil, we wave goodbye to the Panagra crew.
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Post by okami on May 2, 2010 6:16:35 GMT -5
After catching a couple of hours sleep, we begin the next leg of the journey which will take us into Lima. The carrier is the Hondurese airline TAN; their equipment is a C-46. Airline: TAN - Transportes Aereos Nacionales Schedule: August 1956 Flight: TAN 201 Equipment: Curtiss C-46A Commando Frequency: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays only Departs: Miami Intl. (KMIA - USA) Departure:0400 local time (0900 UTC) Arrives: Lima/Jorge Chavez Intl. (SPIM - Peru) Arrival: 1840 local time (2340 UTC) Stops: 3 stops: - Tegucigalpa/Toncontin Intl. (MHTG - Honduras) arrives 0740 local, departs 0810 local - Managua Intl. (MNMG - Nicaragua) arrives 0900 local, departs 0930 local - Guayaquil/Simon Bolivar Intl. (SEGU - Ecuador) arrives 1150 local, departs 1450 local Not long into the flight we have another brush with the Cordillera. Unlike the 2-O-2 we flew on our earlier leg with Aeropostal, though, the Commando's pressurised and supercharged, so it has little problem handling the terrain. Soon we have left the highest grounds behind us, so we can descend back to a more "normal" cruising altitude and disengage those superchargers. By this time, though, the light is starting to fade. Unfortunately for our passengers, we fly right into a band of cloud, robbing them of a beautiful sunset... And by the time we finally make it into the clear skies again, the sun has already set and the moon is out above us. It's well and truly night by the time we finally receive our instructions from ATC to start our descend into Lima. And so, slightly ahead of schedule, we touch down at Lima's International airport, the final stop on our Commando's route, but not our final stop... As our schedule allows us a full day's rest at Lima, we'll start our next leg well rested, but probably also weighed down with a few momentoes. Next flight: crossing the Andes!
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Post by okami on May 2, 2010 6:24:21 GMT -5
And as promised, this time we cross the Andes! Our first leg comes with a rather colourful carrier: Airline: Pan American-Grace Airways Schedule: August 1957 Flight: Panagra 733 Equipment: Douglas DC-6B Super Cloudmaster Frequency: Thursdays only Departs: New York/Idlewild (KJFK - USA) Departure: 1530 local time (2030 UTC) Arrives: Buenos Aires/Ezeiza Intl. (SAEZ - Argentina) Arrival: 1840 local time (2140 UTC) Stops: 6 stops: - Miami Intl. (KMIA - USA) arrives 1730 local, departs 1830 local - Panama City/Tocumen Intl. (MPTO - Panama) arrives 0900 local, departs 0930 local - Guayaquil/Simon Bolivar Intl. (SEGU - Ecuador) arrives 1150 local, departs 1450 local - Talara (SPYL - Peru) arrives 0435 local, departs 0445 local - Lima/Jorge Chavez Intl. (SPIM - Peru) arrives 0705 local, departs 0745 local - Santiago/Los Cerrillos (SCTI - Chili) arrives 1410 local, departs 1450 local As most of you will know, Pan American-Grace held a quasi-monopoly on the Western routes in South America in the 1940s and 50s. A joint venture between Pan American and Grace Shipping, Panagra flew its routes as a three-way through-plane service, with sectors divided between Panagra (Buenos Aires - Panama), Pan American (Panama - Miami) and National (Miami - New York) Since we're South of Panama, our crew is entirely a Panagra one. After our take-off from Lima, we head out over the Southern Pacific. Unlike the National flight before, we've got daylight and some interesting weather, so our leg is a whole lot more scenic. Several hours later, we hit land - almost literally. At this point of the continent, the Andes are quite close to the sea, which makes the approach a bit more tricky than usual. After a particularly tricky approach into Los Cerillos, we finally manage to land, though it gives us an idea of the things that are waiting for us on our next flight.
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Post by okami on May 2, 2010 6:24:57 GMT -5
The very next day, we take an Aerolineas Argentinas DC-6 for what is possibly the most challenging leg of our flight: Santiago - Buenos Aires. Airline: Aerolineas Argentinas Schedule: June 1957 Flight: Argentina 201 Equipment: Douglas DC-6 Cloudmaster Frequency: Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays only Departs: Santiago/Los Cerrillos (SCTI - Chili) Departure:1400 local time (1800 UTC) Arrives: Buenos Aires/Ezeiza Intl. (SAEZ - Argentina) Arrival: 1750 local time (2050 UTC) Stops: non-stop Los Cerillos location, locked in between high grounds, makes the climb the most challenging part of the flight. Barely 20 miles East of the airport, the grounds already exceed 10000 feet, which leaves little space for a climb. Instead, ignoring the instructions of the automated ATC, I start on a climbing pattern just off the airport, until I reach 14000, before continuing on my course towards Mendoza, Argentina. And before long, we get to see an awe-inspiring sight: The dreaded Cerro Aconcagua, the highest mountain of the Americas. At this point I'm forced to fly my DC-6 near its operational ceiling, as most of the surrounding grounds are at well over 20000 feet altitude. Luckily, once past the Aconcagua, the grounds soon drop away: instead, we're treated to the sight of the vast expanses of the Argentinian Pampas. Needless to say, by this time I've descended to the more reasonable level 170. ;D On our approach into Ezeiza, the visibility drops slightly, though not to such a degree that it's a problem. And about 2 3/4 hours after we've taken off at Santiago, we touch down at Buenos Aires. Next time: Splash 'n dash to Montevideo, and on to Brazil!
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Post by okami on May 2, 2010 6:25:42 GMT -5
So... slightly shorter post today, with two rather... well, odd choices of flights. The first one is, in fact, unscheduled, as it only serves to bridge a small distance. I could just as well have taken a taxi, but that wouldn't have made for good screenshots... ;D Airline: Armada de la República Argentina Schedule: unscheduled Flight: no flight number allocated Equipment: Beechcraft C-45 Frequency: Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays only Departs: Buenos Aires/Ezeiza Intl. (SAEZ - Argentina) Departure:n/a Arrives: Buenos Aires/Aeroparque (SABE - Argentina) Arrival: n/a Stops: non-stop After our short lift from Ezeiza to Aeroparque, we head for the Hidropuerto (Hydroport) next to Aeroparque, where we take our next flight: Airline: Aerolineas Argentinas Schedule: June 1957 Flight: Argentina 206 Equipment: Short S.25 Sandringham 2 Frequency: Daily except Sunday Departs: Buenos Aires/Hidropuerto (n/a - Argentina) Departure:0900 local time (1200 UTC) Arrives: Montevideo/Hidropuerto (n/a - Uruguay) Arrival: 1000 local time (1300 UTC) Stops: non-stop Back at the end of the 1950s, Aerolineas Argentinas was one of the few flag-carrier airlines left with scheduled seaplane flights. Also noteworthy was the fact, that two of its seaplane routes linked capital cities: namely the Buenos Aires - Montevideo route (which it exploited together with CAUSA); and the Buenos Aires - Asuncion route. The seaplane connection between Buenos Aires and Montevideo was a bit of an anachronism, especially considering that at the same time an additional connection existed between the Aeroparque airport (adjacent to the Buenos Aires Hidropuerto) and Montevideo's Carrasco airport, which was run by both Aerolineas Argentinas and PLUNA. Both airlines used DC-3s for this connection. The seaplane service between the two capitals appears to have run right up to 1962. At this date, CAUSA withdrew its Sandringhams and started using landbased aircraft (Constellations); it is likely Aerolineas Argentinas withdrew their aircraft around the same time. Soon after, Aerolineas Argentinas also replaced its DC-3s by Avro 748s. So, after this short bit of history and an equally short, 40-minute flight (plus ten minutes at either side spent manoeuvring and mooring the aircraft),we've arrived in Montevideo. Next time: Brazil!
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Post by okami on May 2, 2010 6:25:59 GMT -5
Hi all, It's been a while again, but here's the next leg in the round-the-world flight. I've decided to post the legs one by one from now, by the way. Anyway, last time we landed in Uruguay, which can only mean this leg sees us flying into Brazil: Airline: REAL Aerovias Schedule: June 1959 Flight: REAL 802 Equipment: Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation Frequency: Sundays only Departs: Buenos Aires/Ezeiza Intl. (SAEZ - Argentina) Departure: 1000 local time (1300 UTC) Arrives: Miami Intl. (KMIA - USA) Arrival:1345 local time (1845 UTC) Stops: 7 stops: - Monte Video/Carrasco Intl. (SUMU - Uruguay) arrives 1035 local, departs 1120 local - Porto Alegre/Salgado Filho Intl. (SBPA - Brazil) arrives 1300 local, departs 1345 local - Sao Paulo/Congonhas Intl. (SBSP - Brazil) arrives 1550 local, departs 1715 local - Rio de Janeiro/Galeao Intl. (SBGL - Brazil) arrives 1815 local, departs 1945 local - Manaus/Eduardo Gomez Intl. (SBEG - Brazil) arrives 0115 local, departs 0215 local - Port of Spain/Piarco Intl. (TTPP - Trinidad) arrives 0535 local, departs 0630 local - Caracas/Maiquetía Intl. (SVMI - Venezuela) arrives 0730 local, departs 0900 local REAL - Redes Estaduais Aéreas Limitadas was founded in 1945 by two former pilots of TACA. Starting out on DC-3s, it was probably one of the first low-fare airlines around. Like many of the airlines of the region at the time, it started small; unfortunately also like many airlines of that region and that time, it had a bit of a dubious reputation, as it fell short in maintenance standards, and was involved in a number of accidents. However, unlike those other airlines etc..., REAL had a plan. Through acquisition of other small airlines, it managed to expand its Brazilian domestic network. In 1951, REAL started international flights to Paraguay, at the same time obtaining the rights to fly Paraguayan domestic flights. REAL's biggest coup came in 1954, when it purchased Aerovias Brazil. While up to then REAL had always lacked prestige and experience, this purchase finally gave both to REAL. In 1956, REAL/Aerovias Brazil also purchased Transportes Aereos Nacional, which led to the establishment of a consortium. Between the three airlines, they effectively dominated Brazilian domestic aviation. However, they had one major competitor: Varig. In order to compete with Varig on the international scene, REAL purchased the Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation, which enabled it to establish international routes to Miami and Los Angeles. In 1960, they expanded on this: Honolulu and Tokyo also became destinations. Unfortunately, in trying to compete with Varig, REAL had bitten off more than it could chew. The purchase of the Super Constellations, together with the drastic expansion of its network cost REAL more than they would earn out of it. And so in 1961, the airline which had taken over several other airlines in the 16 years of its existence ended up being taken over itself by Varig. Next time: night flight to Rio...
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Post by okami on May 2, 2010 13:08:14 GMT -5
The next leg was slightly less glamorous, but none the less fun: Airline: Varig Schedule: October 1958 Flight: Varig 810 Equipment: Convair CV-240 Frequency: Thursdays and Sundays only Departs: Buenos Aires/Ezeiza Intl. (SAEZ - Argentina) Departure: 1545 local time (1745 UTC) Arrives: Rio de Janeiro/Santos Dumont (SBRJ - Brazil) Arrival:2250 local time (0150 UTC) Stops: 2 stops: - Porto Alegre/Salgado Filho Intl. (SBPA - Brazil) arrives 1810 local, departs 1900 local - Sao Paulo/Congonhas Intl. (SBSP - Brazil) arrives 2110 local, departs 2150 local After the glamour of the REAL Super H, the thrill of a night-ride on a Varig Convairliner. Varig, short for Viação Aérea Rio Grandense, was founded in 1927, just days after Pan American. Despite her age, she wasn't the flag carrier of Brazil - that role belonged to Syndicato Condor. Varig initially only flew domestic traffic, with Condor flying the more prestigious international routes. It gradually grew, establishing its first international route to Uruguay in 1942. After the War, Condor, now renamed into Cruzeiro do Sul, turned out to be unable to fly into the US, so that route was granted to Varig instead. Later on, in 1961, they also took over REAL/Aerovias/TAN, becoming the largest airline in Brazil, and one of the larger ones in South America. Later on, in 1965, they would also take over Panair do Brazil's assets. Unfortunately, like REAL and Panair before it, Varig no longer flies under its own flag. The company folded a couple of years ago, having accumulated several millions of debt. Like it took over REAL and Panair, it has now been taken over by GOL. Like history repeating itself over and over again, isn't it? Next leg: a true golden classic, both in real life aviation as in the Flight Sim world...
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Post by okami on May 2, 2010 17:48:13 GMT -5
And for our last leg on South American soil, we encounter a true classic: Airline: Panair do Brasil Schedule: October 1957 Flight: Panair 294/296 Equipment: Lockheed L-049A Constellation Frequency: Daily Departs: Porto Alegre/Salgado Filho Intl. (SBPA - Brazil) Departure: 0800 local time (1100 UTC) Arrives: Rio de Janeiro/Santos Dumont (SBRJ - Brazil) Arrival:1215 local time (1515 UTC) Stops: 1 stop: - Sao Paulo/Congonhas Intl. (SBSP - Brazil) arrives 1015 local, departs 1055 local The FSDZL L-049 Constellation was probably the first propliner classic (except for the default Dakota, that is) which I flew in FS9, what now seems like ages ago. At the time it seemed so much more complex than it does now. Also at the time, it kept crashing - half and half I expected it to do so again, but in the end it didn't... :3 Ahem... back to the flight. Panair do Brasil was one of the many airlines, though perhaps one of the more dominant ones in Brazilian civil aviation of the '50s and '60s. Originally founded in 1929, they became partly-owned by Pan American in 1930. From very early on, Panair flew international services as far as Miami. From very early on, Panair specialised itself in seaplane services, something that it would do well into the 1960s. In fact, Panair would only receive its first landplanes late in the 1930s. World War II saw an expansion of Panair, as they were involved in much of the building of Brazil's airport system. Also during the War, Pan American sold parts of its Panair shares to Brazilian capital. As a direct result, the Brazilian government allowed Panair to fly international services to Europe, the only Brazilian airline to do so. For this, Panair bought Lockheed Constellations - the first foreign operator to do so; and with them they operated the very first international flight into the newly-build Heathrow airport. These Constellations were still serving in the 1960s. Panair also very nearly became a de Havilland Comet operator; in fact, it was the second company to order the type after BOAC. Unfortunately, Comets started to fall apart in mid-air, so with the funds allocated for the Comets they bought DC-7Cs instead. Eventually, Panair started operating jets in 1961, first with the DC-8s for international services, a year later with Caravelles for domestic and short-distance international traffic. However, also in 1961, Varig absorbed the REAL/Aerovias/TAN operations, becoming a mighty competitor on the Brazilian market. In order to shield itself, Panair formed a pool with Aerolineas Argentinas, Alitalia and Lufthansa. Unfortunately, Panair came to an abrupt end in February 1965. Though endebted, their debts were not the crippling blow; instead a dubious governmental action was. Without any prior warning, the Brazilian government suspended Panair's certification, effectively grounding the airline. Several political factors lay behind this (feuds between the new military goverment and Panair's financial backers; Varig and Cruzeiro being state-run while Panair was a private company; etc...) Varig and Cruzeiro were in on the conspiracy, as they could "conveniently" fill in for Panair's services on a moment's notice, the moment the airline was grounded. In fact, the company technically still "existed", the consessions for its routes and schedules not being revoked by the Brazilian Air Ministry until 2009! The forced closure was judged illegal by Brazilian courts in 1984, but the heirs of the former owners are still in a legal battle with the Brazilian government over compensation. This intriguing story brings an end to the South-American part of my round-the-world journey. Next time, we're off across the Atlantic...
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Post by okami on Jun 11, 2010 18:49:24 GMT -5
Man, it's been ages since I last posted anything in this thread... Anyway, last time I had landed at Rio de Janeiro's Santos Dumont airport - so a quick taxiride later, I'm at the city's other airport: Galeao. There we'll take Lufthansa 503, which will bring us across the Atlantic. Airline: Lufthansa Schedule: April 1957 Flight: Lufthansa 503 Equipment: Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation Frequency: Mondays only Departs: Buenos Aires/Ezeiza Intl. (SAEZ - Argentina) Departure: 0945 local time (1245 UTC) Arrives: Hamburg/Fuhlsbüttel (EDDH - West Germany) Arrival: Wednesday 0140 local time (0040 UTC) Stops: 7 stops: - Monte Video/Carrasco Intl. (SUMU - Uruguay) arrives 1040 local, departs 1110 local - Porto Alegre/Salgado Filho Intl. (SBPA - Brazil) arrives 1255 local, departs 1325 local - Sao Paulo/Congonhas Intl. (SBSP - Brazil) arrives 1545 local, departs 1630 local - Rio de Janeiro/Galeao Intl. (SBGL - Brazil) arrives 1745 local, departs 1845 local - Dakar/Yoff (GOOY - French West Africa) arrives Tuesday 0915 local, departs 1015 local - Paris/Orly (LFPO - France) arrives 2055 local, departs 2145 local - Frankfurt/Rhein-Main (EDDF - West Germany) arrives 2330 local, departs Wednesday 0015 local As our flight departs, the weather isn't very good: it's raining slightly. While this slightly deteriorates visibility, it isn't half as bad as the other problem: low clouds. One problem with clouds is, that they sometimes are laden with rather unpleasant stuff: luckily our Connie hits a break in the cloud deck just in time to avoid it hitting something more... solid. I'll have to file an incident report about this with ATC as soon as I'm in Dakar - they nearly steered me into a mountain! After this fright, we continue to climb - slowly - to our cruising altitude, before steering out over the Atlantic. Darkness has fallen by now, which makes for some pretty uninteresting shots - so I'll save you those. Many hours and several hundreds of miles later, day finally breaks over the Atlantic. At this point we're still a fair distance from our destination... ... but about an hour later, as ATC directs us to descent, we finally spot land. And about half an hour later, we touch down at Dakar's Yoff airport. Next time: into Africa!
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Post by chris_c on Jun 11, 2010 19:22:59 GMT -5
I for one, am thoroughly enjoying this and very glad you decided to continue posting your round-the-world adventure. Thanks.
Chris
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Post by raymengel on Jun 12, 2010 0:10:56 GMT -5
Hi Okami,
I too am so glad that you are continuing your "Around the World" tour and sharing it with us. I have really enjoyed following your journey and your narrative of it along with the aircraft you use for this endeavor. Really appreciate it and cannot wait until the next leg is revealed!
Again, thanks,
Ray Mengel Spokane Valley, WA
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