NASCARAirforce From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 3081 posts, RR: 5 Posted (3 years 4 months 4 weeks 6 hours ago) and read 3937 times:
I remember as a little kid going with my Grandfather to DTW to watch planes and I remember seeing Sabena DC-10s and occassional 747s at DTW, but one day I was there I saw a Sabena 737-200. I thought it was weird knowing that Sabena couldn't fly a 737-200 between Brussels and Detroit. I was thinking about it again lately and thought that maybe some other carrier was leasing the plane still in Sabena colors - but then I stumbled across this site and saw that a Sabena 737 operated 3 days a week between DTW and Montreal Mirabel as SN 555.
What kind of flight was this? Was this a continuation flight where Sabena had a 737 based at Montreal sort of like Pan Am did in Europe? I wouldn't think that Sabena could fly paying customers between DTW and Montreal alone.
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21464 posts, RR: 24 Reply 1, posted (3 years 4 months 4 weeks 5 hours ago) and read 3885 times:
Quoting NASCARAirforce (Thread starter): What kind of flight was this? Was this a continuation flight where Sabena had a 737 based at Montreal sort of like Pan Am did in Europe? I wouldn't think that Sabena could fly paying customers between DTW and Montreal alone.
Sabena leased the 737 to YUL-based Canadian regional carrier Nordair. It was used to operate Sabena's tag-on sectors from Montreal to DTW and one or two other US points. It was flown by Nordair crews. When not needed for the few SN tag-on flights it was used on Nordair's own routes. In the photo below you can see a small Nordair decal behind the forward door. It probably said "Operated by Nordair".
Nordair also operated tag-on flights for El Al between Montreal and 2 or 3 U.S. points. Miami was one. Those flights used Nordair's own 737-200s. Nordair was later acquired by CP Air.
NASCARAirforce From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 3081 posts, RR: 5 Reply 2, posted (3 years 4 months 4 weeks 5 hours ago) and read 3876 times:
Cool, thanks for the info - I thought I was nuts thinking back to a Sabena 737 - but I figured it was something like you said,.
I remember Nordair's bright yellow and blue 737s, I got a picture of one at the Windsor Ont Airshow in around 1985 or so.
Sabena about that time was operating 747s and DC-10s to DTW, but I think they went somewhere else in the US too - I would recall seeing a Sabena 747 depart DTW in the morning, then return in the evening.
Dtw9 From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 1044 posts, RR: 2 Reply 3, posted (3 years 4 months 4 weeks 5 hours ago) and read 3859 times:
Viscount724 is entirely correct. Just an added note. Sabena leased the same 737 to Nordair every year from Oct -May starting in 1983 and ending in 1985 at which time OO-SDE was transferred to Canadian registry and would go on to Canadian Airlines after the take over of Nordair
Expatmatt From Liechtenstein, joined Oct 2004, 113 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (3 years 4 months 4 weeks 4 hours ago) and read 3767 times:
Quoting NASCARAirforce (Reply 2): Sabena about that time was operating 747s and DC-10s to DTW, but I think they went somewhere else in the US too - I would recall seeing a Sabena 747 depart DTW in the morning, then return in the evening.
In the early 90s, Sabena operated a DC10-Combi on the BRU - Montreal - Chicago ORD route. I remember as a kid getting on that plane thinking how cool a Combi was.
NASCARAirforce From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 3081 posts, RR: 5 Reply 5, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 3517 times:
Quoting Expatmatt (Reply 4): In the early 90s, Sabena operated a DC10-Combi on the BRU - Montreal - Chicago ORD route. I remember as a kid getting on that plane thinking how cool a Combi was.
The DC-10s and 747s came to DTW in the 1980s, I don't recall seeing Sabena at DTW in the 1990s. I'm thinking there was a BRU-DTW-ORD-DTW-BRU route or something. I remember seeing the 747s leaving DTW in early afternoon, but then return to DTW early evening. I lived northwest of the airport and I would see the Sabena planes do a down wind over my house coming from the south before turning to final.
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21464 posts, RR: 24 Reply 6, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 3322 times:
Quoting Dtw9 (Reply 3): Just an added note. Sabena leased the same 737 to Nordair every year from Oct -May starting in 1983 and ending in 1985 at which time OO-SDE was transferred to Canadian registry and would go on to Canadian Airlines after the take over of Nordair
After the leases to ND (later CP), it went back to Sabena. In 1999 it went to a British charter carrier called European Aircharter but operated under the Palmair name. That aircraft had a long career, 35 years since it was delivered to Sabena in 1974. It was still carrying passenges for Australian carrier Ozjet until earlier this year. It operated under the name Norfolkair to remote Norfolk Island, an Australian territority about half way between Australia and New Zealand. That service was taken over by another carrier in May or June this year and the Ozjet 737-200s were retired.
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