727LOVER From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 5722 posts, RR: 20 Posted (5 years 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 5009 times:
On May 1, 1928, Pitcairn Aviation began operating CAM-19 between New York & Atlanta. This company was sold to a company that would become Eastern Air Transport, and later would have a name change to Eastern Air Lines, Inc.
Tried to have this done by May 1 but have been to busy. Now, some may question whether I should be doing this. There was a heated debate when I did a similar thread on National 3-1/2 years ago. It is the anniversary of the start, and as far as is it the right date, I am going by the date the airline itself celebrated. It has been nearly 20 years and I am still in utter shock at how it ended.
So sit back and enjoy the journey.
WORLD’S FIRST BONDED AIR CARRIER
FIRST AIRLINE IN THE INDUSTRY TO MAKE A NET PROFIT
FIRST AIRLINE TO ESTABLISH AN AERODYNAMICAL RESEARCH LAB & PHYSICAL EXAMINATION CENTER FOR PILOTS
THE GREAT SILVER FLEET
FIRST AIRLINE TO OPERATEWITHOUT GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY
Gatorguy From United States of America, joined Apr 2008, 6 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (5 years 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 4926 times:
Miss what was once a respected airline. I am very partial to the airline as my father is a retired Captain of 28 years with Eastern. My wife is a F/A with Continental. That was a little touchy at first. Anyway, nice post.
Gatorguy
Jfk777 From United States of America, joined Aug 2006, 7348 posts, RR: 7 Reply 3, posted (5 years 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 4935 times:
Sad to see what once was such a proud airline and a huge economic impact on south florida. Flew them many times from PBI to New York and Miami to BAQ. They were the first USA airline in BAQ in 7 years since Pan Am left, AA provided seemless service until 2002 and returned with a 738 in Dec 2007.
MSYtristar From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 6242 posts, RR: 51 Reply 4, posted (5 years 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 4930 times:
Very nice tribute. Well done.
My first flight ever was on EA...MSY to HOU in December, 1979...727-100 I believe. I also had my 8th birthday party on an EA 72S parked at one of the C gates in MSY in 1987. Still not sure how my mom managed to swing that one.
Lets not get too carried, as Eastern indeed were the first airline to fly the L-649, but perhaps that was because they were the only airline to take delivery of new L-649s
ItalianFlyer From United States of America, joined Nov 2007, 948 posts, RR: 2 Reply 8, posted (5 years 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 4801 times:
I know first hand that allot of 727-200s, DC9(30 and 50s) and 757-5500s found their way to Northwest. NWA also purchased the slots at DCA and ran a mini hub there for about 20 minutes in 91/92 but sold them off to US when cash got tight. IIRC they (NW) were courted heavily by the City of Atlanta to take up the leases on the B & C concourses and move their southeastern hub out of MEM to ATL...but the first Gulf war, the billions in debt from Wilson and Checci's reverse LBO and idea of competing with what was then "Do No Wrong Delta" on its home turf nixed that idea. I lived in ATL at the time and remember that C & most of B sat empty for YEARS till some out of work Southern Airways guys decided to pick up used DC9s, paint some creature on the tail and proclaim their Value over Big Bad Monopolistic Delta.
USAir(ways) also picked up some 757s (and DC9s) and allot of DCA slots but if i recall correctly, the big ticket item for them was of course, the Shuttle (after Trump) and the facilities in PHL...which ironically were picked up by Eastern from the garage sale after Midway I collapsed.
American bought the Miami facilities and routes (if I recall, right before the shutdown) and went from being a minor >10 flight a day player in that market to the dominant carrier almost overnight. As for JFK...someone help me out here...didnt they demolish the old EAL terminal to make way for the new International Arrivals building?
FalconBird From United States of America, joined May 2007, 1262 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (5 years 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 4775 times:
My old airline. Nice spread.
Thanks ever so much for posting.
I remember those Hartsfield days so very well. I loved working in C concourse in Departure Services for Eastern. My most famous moment was when I escorted Dick Clark to a privacy room away from the crowd.
ATLTPA From United States of America, joined Nov 2007, 98 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (5 years 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 4742 times:
Bravo-- nice work!
As you so ably set forth, 727LOVER, Eastern was a pioneer and rightly deserves a place of honor in the history books. Nothing controversial about that.
Thank you for posting this wonderful compilation from someone who remembers Eastern's Whisperliners well in both Tampa and Atlanta.
I remember taking trips to Tampa when I was a small boy visiting my aunt and uncle who lived in west Hillsborough near the airport and watching Eastern DC-8's, some stretched, landing runway 18R and thought what a beautiful aircraft and airline.
AAJFKSJUBKLYN From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 837 posts, RR: 2 Reply 13, posted (5 years 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 4648 times:
Quoting ItalianFlyer (Reply 8): American bought the Miami facilities and routes (if I recall, right before the shutdown) and went from being a minor >10 flight a day player in that market to the dominant carrier almost overnight. As for JFK...someone help me out here...didnt they demolish the old EAL terminal to make way for the new International Arrivals building?
They did indeed knock it down, although it's not the international arrivals building, it plays home to Air France, Royal Air Morac and few others. Back in early 90's America West had used it for a few years as well, then it was a pile of rubble, and is now a decent terminal for one off International flights.
CMHfreqflyer From United States of America, joined Apr 2008, 61 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (5 years 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 4512 times:
Very nice job! My mother-in-law retired from Eastern in reservations in Tampa about two years before they closed up for good. Great people worked there - we still stay in touch with some of her friends. My best flight ever was my wife and my honeymoon - MIA - St. Croix in 1984. First class on a brand new 757. All of her mom's friends made arrangements with the flight attendants that we would have a very nice champagne party in first class during the whole flight. The captain even announced us as special guests during the flight! I'm sure that in today's world that could never happen again.
Daryll
Cactus742 From United States of America, joined Nov 2006, 226 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (5 years 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 4390 times:
What a great post with such a comprehensive sampling of Eastern shots. Like so many others who have already posted, I also took my first flight on Eastern: MIA-MCI-PHX in 1984. I wish I could remember more about the flight besides getting a pair of wings (wish I could find those!) and walking around outside MCI during my layover with my parents... ah, the joys of changing planes at MCI!
Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.
B6MoneyGuyJFK From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 226 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (5 years 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 4343 times:
I still have the boarding pass from my first flight. Flight #151 My grandparents took me to Disney the year it opened. After they moved to Florida I spent many summers there, and always flew down on Eastern. Still remember the "if you had wings" ride...
Great post
Opinions are like @ssholes. Everyone has one, and everyone thinks everyone elses stinks!
Jfk777 From United States of America, joined Aug 2006, 7348 posts, RR: 7 Reply 20, posted (5 years 4 days 11 hours ago) and read 4236 times:
Quoting ItalianFlyer (Reply 8): As for JFK...someone help me out here...didnt they demolish the old EAL terminal to make way for the new International Arrivals building
The Eastern site became Terminal One, achor airlines are Lufthansa, Air France, Korean & JAL. Other Star airlines use the Terminal as well as several foreign flag airlines.
PRAirbus From Puerto Rico, joined Apr 2005, 1017 posts, RR: 1 Reply 22, posted (5 years 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 4161 times:
3 questions for EAL experts:
1- Did the 757s have inflight entertainment? Just wondering since they also flew trans-con's.
2- When did EAL re-engine its 757's. The older pictures show EAL 757s sporting RR RB engines slightly different than those on the 1990's; same thing w/BA 757's.
3- Was EAL refurbishing its fleet interiors towards their final years? First Class leather gray seats vs. tones of brown stripes 1980's.
PRAirbus From Puerto Rico, joined Apr 2005, 1017 posts, RR: 1 Reply 23, posted (5 years 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 4154 times:
EAL was a big player in SJU for decades. They opened a hub in SJU around the same time their "fight" for Puerto Rico started with AA. EAL offered plenty of wide-body flights to/from SJU...they are still missed.
FalconBird From United States of America, joined May 2007, 1262 posts, RR: 1 Reply 24, posted (5 years 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 4154 times:
Quoting Xaphan (Reply 17): In my youth, I was fortunate to fly Eastern's DC 4, M 404, L1049, L 1049C, L 1049G, L 188, DC 7B, 720, and 727-25.
WOW!
Quoting PRAirbus (Reply 22): 1- Did the 757s have inflight entertainment? Just wondering since they also flew trans-con's.
2- When did EAL re-engine its 757's. The older pictures show EAL 757s sporting RR RB engines slightly different than those on the 1990's; same thing w/BA 757's.
3- Was EAL refurbishing its fleet interiors towards their final years? First Class leather gray seats vs. tones of brown stripes 1980's.
1. No, not that I remember.
2. I only remember the early on engines and it seemed to me they were all RR's. Perhaps some later models were something else.
3. Think so. It seemed we did have some birds with the leather, but I can't be 100% positive on that.
25 Prinair: Best airline I ever worked for! Still have all of my flight attendant manuals and uniforms. They are of better quality than the junk we get now. The 7
26 FLFlyer: Great Post. EA also was first with the 757. Boeing began building the first 757-200 in 1981 and the finished jet was rolled out on January 13, 1982. N
27 727LOVER: Look above at the final timetable cover. Is that the F seat? Rats! I knew that, forgot to add it though.
28 Prinair: Yes that was the F class seat being introduced at the time. Coach cabins were going thru a deep cleaning (including steam cleaning the carpets and si
29 Gr8SlvrFlt: 1- Did the 757s have inflight entertainment? Just wondering since they also flew trans-con's. Nope. People read books and engaged in conversation back
30 TISTPAA727: Fantastic!! Really enjoyed the stroll down memory lane. Flew on their 757s out of St. Thomas three times a year to Miami. Great takeoffs and the landi
31 Nycbjr: wow 50 seats? did they really fill that many on a domestic flight?
32 Nomadic: What great memories! I was abarod an Eastern flight, MIA/JFK, just one day before the shutdown. I was taking advantage of the 'First Class for the pri
33 DocLightning: I remember being a little kid and getting the Eastern pilot's wings when I flew with them. It's interesting to note that of their entire fleet, the on
34 Viscount724: At one time NW had over 30 ex-EA DC-9s. I expect some of those are still with NW.
35 727LOVER: EA quit JFK after the BK filing in March '89
36 Prinair: It was actually 48 F seats on the reconfigured A300. It was not hard to fill up the cabin using the YNOT fares. YNOT was the fare basis code used for
37 Falstaff: They are. I flew on one DTW-STL a few months ago.
38 Stratosphere: Great post!! Boy brings back memories of a better time....Eastern was my first time on an airplane Nov 1975 EWR-DCA on a 727-100 I was a young lad of
39 NIKV69: My dad worked for EAL, great presentation, did you forget EAL was the launch customer for the 757?
40 Dispatchguy: First Flight EAL693/25MAR 1978 IND-ATL Ship 908 - N8908E, a DC9-10 May EAL rest in peace- great airline.
41 Rick: My most fond memory of Eastern was back in 1978 when my mom and I were flying out of then Washington National Airport direct to JAX. Back the, Eastern
42 TymnBalewne: Speaking of EAL's terminal...I've never been able to find any good quality or number of pics of the JFK EAL terminal...either the interior or exterio
43 727LOVER: There is an overhead shot of the EA terminal in a book called "GREAT AIRPORTS-KENNEDY" There is a seperate one in George Cearley Jr's book on EA. Bot
44 ItalianFlyer: Quoting TymnBalewne (Reply 42): Speaking of EAL's terminal...I've never been able to find any good quality or number of pics of the JFK EAL terminal..
45 Teneriffe77: This "GREAT AIRPORTS-KENNEDY" book , I've never heard of it. Is it part of a series?
46 Gr8SlvrFlt: Here are a couple from the database with the Eastern Terminal in the background:
47 Jfk777: The JFK Eastern terminal worked well in a Prop era but going down two flights of stairs after a flight on an L-1011 was a bad way to experience Jetway
48 727LOVER: Quoting myself: That is: the pics are from the early '60s, not the books. Yes, I know they have at least Newark, LaGuardia, and Miami. I actually held
49 GALLEYSTEW: Thank you for sharing!!! I fly for another carrier and have for 22 years. I was hired by EASTERN in 1985 and not going with them was one of the hardes
50 FalconBird: I remember those hot summer days on Lexington, Ky, KLEX with a fully loaded DC9-50 to KDCA and every inch of the runway was needed and then some. Capt
51 Miafll: My first EA flight was supposed to be EA 976 from MIA to JFK in 1987. Flights was cancelled at later rebooked on a night flight that evening that was
52 WDBRR: I am glad I worked for Eastern, I have many of the timetables shown above. thanks for the memories.
53 DUALRATED: Well done!!!!! My first flight age 6, L-1011 EWR-MIA..... A flight I would take hundreds more times until 1991. Then it was CO from then until today.
54 ABQopsHP: You GUYS!!!??? Dont you know youre tearing me apart? I grew up around Eastern, Braniff, Continental, and Texas International ! Reading this thread abo
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