MSYtristar From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 6242 posts, RR: 51 Posted (8 years 10 months 2 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 1896 times:
Well I just got a few old timetables so I thought I'd share this with you guys. Perhaps some of you don't know, but Delta always had a very large operation in New Orleans...until recent years. Concourse D was basically built for them, and for decades, they operated upwards of 30 flights per day. At its pinnacle, Delta had about 60 daily departures from here. L1011 service was operated through 1988, although thankfully 767 service still exists today, which, for me, symbolizes the bond that Delta has always had with MSY, regardless of how small its operation has become here. Anyhoo, here's a look at DL's October 31,1982 schedule from the Crescent City. By this time, the nonstop service to SJU and MAR has come to an end, although as you will see, Delta still meant business in New Orleans. Enjoy this glimpse into aviation's past.
City Time Aircraft
Atlanta 3:10a 72S
Atlanta 8:05a L10
Atlanta 11:30a 72S
Atlanta 12:50p L10
Atlanta 2:40p 72S
Atlanta 5:50p 72S
Atlanta 9:10p L10
Cactus739 From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 2380 posts, RR: 34 Reply 2, posted (8 years 10 months 2 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 1860 times:
MSYtristar From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 6242 posts, RR: 51 Reply 3, posted (8 years 10 months 2 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 1835 times:
Cactus739, if you can believe it, the 3:10am to ATL was flown with a DC8 Stretch in the October 1978 timetable. I guess it was a popular time. It looks like other cities had similar flights.
GSPSPOT From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 2745 posts, RR: 2 Reply 4, posted (8 years 10 months 2 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 1831 times:
I can still smell the jet exhaust from the old observation deck above the "middle" concourse (don't know the actual name of it now--used to have the old control tower on it). There was nothing like waiting for DL Tristars and NA DC-10's and the Flying Colors BN jets on that deck!
MSYtristar From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 6242 posts, RR: 51 Reply 5, posted (8 years 10 months 2 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 1817 times:
GSPSPOT, that was Concourse C, which in its heyday also saw the BA Tristar 500 from LGW thrice weekly (albeit for a short time) as well as the classic colors of "The Wings of Man". Alas, the golden era of New Orleans aviation is well behind us, but at least some of us still remember what it was like. Man those were the days.
WidgetBoi From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 1432 posts, RR: 21 Reply 6, posted (8 years 10 months 2 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 1781 times:
Besides ATL, CVG and DFW, what other cities have nonstop (DL) service from MSY?
American 767 From United States of America, joined May 1999, 3320 posts, RR: 14 Reply 7, posted (8 years 10 months 2 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 1690 times:
Didn't Delta start operations in Louisiana back in the 1920's when the airline was founded? I believe it did. It is called Delta because it started flying near the Delta of the Mississipi River. It doesn't surprise me that Delta always had many flights out of MSY.
Ben Soriano
Brussels Belgium
"Aimer jusqu'a l'impossible, c'est possible". Tina Arena.
GSPSPOT From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 2745 posts, RR: 2 Reply 8, posted (8 years 10 months 2 weeks 13 hours ago) and read 1651 times:
Believe it or not, they also used to have 30 +- flights/day from Shreveport, LA at one time.
MSYtristar From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 6242 posts, RR: 51 Reply 9, posted (8 years 10 months 2 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 1628 times:
Delta was actually founded/sarted in Monroe,LA (KMLU). Up until just a couple of years ago, Delta still flew MD-88/727 service to MLU several times daily. They were the only airline to do so of course, probably due to historical ties.
Jfklganyc From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 2650 posts, RR: 5 Reply 10, posted (8 years 10 months 2 weeks 10 hours ago) and read 1570 times:
It's not only MSY's golden age demise--but aviation as a whole. I'm only 22 and I remember travelling to MCO and MIA on Eastern, TWA, and Delta. Always an L1011, always a movie, always a meal. I still remember seeing Teenage Mutant Ninga Turtles on an L1011 from LGA to MCO. That was one of the best flights of my life!
Replacing that is an RJ!
Look at that schedule. Even if DL still flew it, do you think ORD, DFW, Memphis, STL would get mainline service?
Those were the days!
NWA Man From United States of America, joined Jun 1999, 1828 posts, RR: 13 Reply 11, posted (8 years 10 months 2 weeks 9 hours ago) and read 1547 times:
Cactus739, if you can believe it, the 3:10am to ATL was flown with a DC8 Stretch in the October 1978 timetable. I guess it was a popular time. It looks like other cities had similar flights
Makes plenty of sense - with the time change, the 3:10am flight would probably arrive ATL around 5:30am, a perfect time to connect with the earliest flights to the largest Northeastern cities.
Of course, I don't envy the people in Kenner that got an early wakeup call with a 727 shortly after 3:10 in the morning every day, but I guess you win some, you lose some...
Coronado990 From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 1590 posts, RR: 2 Reply 14, posted (8 years 10 months 2 weeks 5 hours ago) and read 1390 times:
Delta did have some odd flight times back in the 60s and 70s. Growing up, I will always remember that Delta DC-8 a 1000 feet above my house at 3:30am turning short finals into SAN. It departed ATL at mid-nite, made a stop at LAX and flew on down to San Diego (talk about a red-eye going the wrong way!). Delta had another DC-8 that arrived here every afternoon at 3:30pm originating from SJU and making stops at MSY and LAX (everything stopped at LAX back then!). That was always my favorite flight. Delta and National coming into little ol' SAN in the 1960s was like a visitor from another land.
My 25APR71 Delta sked shows about 57 flights a day at MSY. SAN had a much appreciated 4.
Texdravid From United States of America, joined May 2004, 1266 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (8 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 1291 times:
Dc863 From Denmark, joined Jun 1999, 1554 posts, RR: 2 Reply 16, posted (8 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 1241 times:
Coronado do you remember the training accident in '66 involving a Delta DC-8-50. The aircraft ended up crashing into a hotel in New Orleans. It was a late night exercise as i recall which ended in disaster during an engine out procedure.
Jsnww81 From United States of America, joined Jan 2002, 1856 posts, RR: 17 Reply 17, posted (8 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 1168 times:
I have seen some pretty grisly photos showing the aftermath of the Delta DC8 crash in 1966. The plane clipped some houses and flew straight into a Hilton Inn while on approach to runway 19.
Quite a few people in the hotel died as well. The accident report said that many of the bodies were found in a hotel bathroom, where they had turned on a shower in an attempt to beat back the flames from the crash. Not pretty stuff to think about.
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From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 6242 posts, 
Alas, the golden era of New Orleans aviation is well behind us, but at least some of us still remember what it was like. Man those were the days.
From Denmark, joined Jun 1999, 1554 posts, 
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