RetiredWeasel wrote:

EBiafore99 wrote:

So I live in Detroit and remember the Northwest-Republic merger. At first, the word "Republic" was simply covered with "Northwest Orient". Then, as the new livery came out (which was the bowling shoe), "Orient" was dropped.

My memory of your timeline is a little different and I was flying them during the livery changes. "Orient" was dropped well before the 'bowling shoe" livery, may 2 to 3 years. "Orient" on many aircraft was just taken off. The 727's we flew out of Guam (93/94) were all former Republic/Hughes Airwest and had this logo:

Yeah I don't believe the former Republic planes received the Northwest Orient titles, just Northwest titles. The bowling shoe livery debuted in 1989, 3 years after the merger with Republic. On a side note though, I really liked the Northwest Orient/Northwest livery but it seemed as though they never polished up the silver top and bottom of the aircraft. They always just seemed more dull than say American.

NWA sported the smoky-eye look long before it became a fashion statement early in the twenty first century.

I guess soap/water and the labor cost more than jet fuel in the 60's so who needed clean planes!

FX1816 wrote:

RetiredWeasel wrote:

EBiafore99 wrote:

So I live in Detroit and remember the Northwest-Republic merger. At first, the word "Republic" was simply covered with "Northwest Orient". Then, as the new livery came out (which was the bowling shoe), "Orient" was dropped.

My memory of your timeline is a little different and I was flying them during the livery changes. "Orient" was dropped well before the 'bowling shoe" livery, may 2 to 3 years. "Orient" on many aircraft was just taken off. The 727's we flew out of Guam (93/94) were all former Republic/Hughes Airwest and had this logo:

Yeah I don't believe the former Republic planes received the Northwest Orient titles, just Northwest titles. The bowling shoe livery debuted in 1989, 3 years after the merger with Republic. On a side note though, I really liked the Northwest Orient/Northwest livery but it seemed as though they never polished up the silver top and bottom of the aircraft. They always just seemed more dull than say American.

"Orient" was dropped when the merger took place so I doubt any former Republic Aircraft would have ever had "Orient" placed on them.

I have two Northwest timetables from that time.

The timetable dated June 5, 1986 still has "Northwest Orient" on the cover.

The next timetable that was issued was October 1, 1986 (the day Republic's operations officially became part of Northwest) and the word "Orient" is gone.

So it appears that the first day of integrated operations was the first day that "Orient" was dropped.

The next livery and logo change (the bowling shoe) would not be introduced until 1989.

FX1816 wrote:

RetiredWeasel wrote:

EBiafore99 wrote:

So I live in Detroit and remember the Northwest-Republic merger. At first, the word "Republic" was simply covered with "Northwest Orient". Then, as the new livery came out (which was the bowling shoe), "Orient" was dropped.

My memory of your timeline is a little different and I was flying them during the livery changes. "Orient" was dropped well before the 'bowling shoe" livery, may 2 to 3 years. "Orient" on many aircraft was just taken off. The 727's we flew out of Guam (93/94) were all former Republic/Hughes Airwest and had this logo:

Yeah I don't believe the former Republic planes received the Northwest Orient titles, just Northwest titles. The bowling shoe livery debuted in 1989, 3 years after the merger with Republic. On a side note though, I really liked the Northwest Orient/Northwest livery but it seemed as though they never polished up the silver top and bottom of the aircraft. They always just seemed more dull than say American.

I'm talking immediately after the merger, before the bowling shoe came in. But you're right, NW dropped Orient when the merger closed, so no Republic planes ever had "Orient". I'm thinking it may have been original NW aircraft before they were painted in the bowling shoe.

EBiafore99 wrote:

FX1816 wrote:

RetiredWeasel wrote:

My memory of your timeline is a little different and I was flying them during the livery changes. "Orient" was dropped well before the 'bowling shoe" livery, may 2 to 3 years. "Orient" on many aircraft was just taken off. The 727's we flew out of Guam (93/94) were all former Republic/Hughes Airwest and had this logo:

Yeah I don't believe the former Republic planes received the Northwest Orient titles, just Northwest titles. The bowling shoe livery debuted in 1989, 3 years after the merger with Republic. On a side note though, I really liked the Northwest Orient/Northwest livery but it seemed as though they never polished up the silver top and bottom of the aircraft. They always just seemed more dull than say American.

I'm talking immediately after the merger, before the bowling shoe came in. But you're right, NW dropped Orient when the merger closed, so no Republic planes ever had "Orient". I'm thinking it may have been original NW aircraft before they were painted in the bowling shoe.

Yes some of the DC-10's had Orient painted on them well into the merger.

Orient was dropped the day of the merger. Technically it was determined during the approval process to name the combined carrier "Northwest" once approved and rolled out to the public.

Just to confirm - wasn't NWA an all Boeing fleet until the DC-10's showed up and the Republic buyout? IIRC every other major operated a twin jet except NWA. Wonder what their fleet planners were thinking - did they feel that the weather and range needs required 3 engines? And then they were the largest DC-9 operator.

tootallsd wrote:

Cointrin330 wrote:

It was also dropped because the word "Orient" has certain inappropriate connotations and is, among other things, a generic, Colonial era reference to the entire region and by the time NW dropped it, it was no longer a term that should be used to reference Asia.

I definitely agree with your statement and the characterization of the use of the word orient. However it was replaced by the also unfortunate NWA logo -- made me first think of the rap group of the same name.

The NWA logo came 3 years after ''Orient'' was dropped. I only know that because I painted a few DC-9'S at Paine Field in Everett, Wa. that where acquired from Republic Airlines. Along being a painter the
dreaded task of buffing the bare skin and leading edges turns into a work out.

For a period, yes NWA was all Boeing. But they did fly DC-8's for a short time in the 60's.

MohawkWeekend wrote:

Just to confirm - wasn't NWA an all Boeing fleet until the DC-10's showed up and the Republic buyout? IIRC every other major operated a twin jet except NWA. Wonder what their fleet planners were thinking - did they feel that the weather and range needs required 3 engines? And then they were the largest DC-9 operator.

ACPainterNigel wrote:

Along being a painter the dreaded task of buffing the bare skin and leading edges turns into a work out.

Welcome to the forums, Nigel.

n7371f wrote:

For a period, yes NWA was all Boeing. But they did fly DC-8's for a short time in the 60's.

MohawkWeekend wrote:

Just to confirm - wasn't NWA an all Boeing fleet until the DC-10's showed up and the Republic buyout? IIRC every other major operated a twin jet except NWA. Wonder what their fleet planners were thinking - did they feel that the weather and range needs required 3 engines? And then they were the largest DC-9 operator.

It would have been a very short period that NWA would have been all-Boeing, in 1972--NWA kept some Electras in service in the early 70s. I believe they were traded to McDD as part of the deal for the DC-10s.