USA 1980s - PROPLINER FLIGHTS

A selection of my flights on propeller-driven airliners during USA visits in the 1980s


Japanese NAMC YS-11 airliners were operated by Mid Pacific Air between the Hawaiian islands in the 1980s.
We were waiting to board N113MP at Honolulu in August 1981 for a scheduled service to Kauai.


Oahu coastline slips away as N113MP heads for the island of Kauai


Boarding YS-11 N114MP at Kauai for the 40 minute flight back to Honolulu.


Rows of Beech 18 trigears from the daily All Islands in a Day air tour of Hawaiian islands parked at Hilo in August 1981.
Rather than individual flights, charter companies combined to form "Aloha Formation" of up to 15 aircraft, which ATC
handled as a single VFR flight. At each stop the tourists carried joined for group bus and boat scenic excursions.


"Aloha Formation" on the move, with a stream takeoff from Maui


N162SP rolling just ahead of us was another Beech E18S in Panorama Air Tour's fleet of varous Beech 18 models.


Our happy band of tourists allocated to Beech E18S N4303Y with pilot Billy Adams. Spot the Beech 18 enthusiast.


The spare copilot seat was the best seat on board


A low run over volcano lava fields on the Big Island Hilo


Tour boats, each with a swaying hip Hawaiian singing group, carry the Beech 18 passengers to a scenic highlight


The formation crossed Honolulu at 8,000 feet enroute Maui to Kaui. Pearl Harbor in foreground and Honolulu Airport at top right.


A scenic highlight was overflying NAS Barbers Point, Honolulu with rows of P-3 Orions.



Air New England at Boston MA routinely leased Convair 580s to add to its own fleet of turboprops. Our flight from Boston to
Lebanon, New Hampshire in October 1981 was operated by leased Canadian Convair 580 C-GJRP.


San Juan, Puerto Rico later in October 1981, boarding an Aero Virgin Island DC-3 flight to St Thomas, US Virgin Islands.
The daily afternoon tropical rain storm was approaching from behind.


Other local passenger DC-3s fire up at the San Juan terminal building, with a freighter Super Constellation behind.


DC-3 departure from San Juan in the tropical downpour, giving a good view of some of the maintenance ramps.
 

A pleasant 30 minute flight to Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas


St Thomas was the hub of Aero Virgin Islands services. N100SD taxies to the company hangar with its airstair down.


Puerto Rico International Airlines - PRINAIR had the world's largest fleet of DH.114 Herons for its inter-isand services.
All had been modified to Riley Herons with Lycoming IO-540s. We flew in N577PR from St Thomas to St Croix.


Departing St Thomas, passing the American Inter-Island Convair 440 parking ramp.


Another pleasant low-level flight to St Croix in the comfortable Heron

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Arrival at St Croix Airport October 1981


Another Prinair Heron arrives at St Croix on the airline's high-frequeny services


This Fairchild F-27 N20HE of Oceanair carried us from St Croix back to San Juan with full cabin service


N20HE departing St Croix on a previous service


Interstate Airlines Convair 580 N582PL Eileen on contract to Emery Air Freight, at the Oklahoma City Airport freight ramp
in November 1981.  That night its hospitable crew invited me to ride along on a typical return small parcel delivery run to
Dayton Ohio, via freight stops at Tulsa OK and Smyrna TN in both directions.  We returned to Oklahoma City at 4am.


Among emarkable aircraft at Oshkosh July 1989 was this restored 1932 Stinson SM-6000B ten passenger airliner NC11170


A joyride on the Stinson was too good to miss


A corner of the 1989 Oshkosh EAA convention seen from the Stinson SM-6000B as it flew a lazy circuit


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