Friends Photos
Send me an appropriate photo with information and a link to your blog or site (if you have one) and I'll share it here with everyone to enjoy. Insure that the file is large enough to expand when clicked on.
send it to: rand@randpeckaviationphotography.com

Thank-you to Tony Vivenetto for sending these DC-3 shots taken in HYA and BOS at the old Eastern Airlines terminal.

Tony and his twin brother John flew DC-3's at PBA before coming to NWA.

Tony is a 757 captain and John is an A-320 captain at DAL now.

An anonymous captain took this shot of my Dad in 1946 when he was hired at Northeast Airlines. DC-3.

My friend John Brier sent me this photo of a DHC-6-100 in BOS. Air New England was started by the same people who started Executive Airlines and flew the same routes. John retired as a Continental Airlines 747-200 captain.

NEA DC-6B, FLL from AIRWAYS MAGAZINE Editor John Wegg.

NCA CV-240, MSP, from Randy Sohn NCA, REP, NWA ret.

NCA CV-580 from Randy Sohn, NCA, REP, NWA ret.

Executive Airlines DHC-6-100, N203E that also flew at ANE. From H.O. Elkins, Exec, ANE, CAL ret.

I received this Executive Airlines, Beech 99 photo from former dispatcher Kevin O'Sullivan.

Nine photos from my Uncles WWII photo album taken in England, Germany, France & the US. My "Uncle B" served in the Army Air Force from 1942-1946 with the 338th Troop Carrier Group and the 45th Depot Repair Squadron. He served again in the 1960's in Germany during the Berlin Blockade which resulted from the construction of the Berlin Wall. We just celebrated his 90th birthday where I saw these incredible photos for the first time. These pictures are 70 years old. (Click to enlarge) 

C-54 Skymaster, Germany

My Uncle, Francis Sousa in England, 1942

C-47 England

B-26

England

B-29 Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts.

A couple of months after VE Day (Victory in Europe) my uncle and his buddies toured Paris. Here they are at the Arc de Triomphe. 7/30/45. He's in the 2nd row, 4th from the right.

B-17, England

At the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany, 1945.

NEA DC-3 Capt RO Hill. Photo from Capt Norm Houle, NEA/DAL ret.

My Dad took this Convair pic in 1959 on a family vacation. Kona.

ANE FH-227, LGA. Given to me by Hook Hamersley, former ANE and retired CAL pilot and author. 1978.

I just received this wonderful photo from Bob Markin who hails from southern California. He's a retired Fire Captain from a rather large municipality. He took this photo of a C-17 landing at San Clemente NALF during a joint civilian/USAFR training exercise. To learn more about Bob and see more of his spectacular photography, click on Captain Schmoe. Thanks very much for the photo Bob.

Click this LINK to see my friend Paul Mercandetti's beautiful, 1946 Globe Swift. Originally with Piedmont, Paul retired from US Airways and was in my new hire class at ANE in 1974.

NEA DC-3, LEW front Kent Greenough

NEA DC-3's at MPV from Kent Greenough. Kent was MPV Sta Mgr for NEA, EXC & ANE.

I'm sure you remember Jon Proctor as the editor of AIRLINER MAGAZINE, he also enjoyed a long career with TWA. Jon has an extensive photo collection and shared these two Northeast pictures with me. Please visit Jon at JON PROCTOR.NET

NEA Convair 880 at YUL

NEA DC-6B's at BOS, 1966

From DAL Capt. Don Champagne. His last 727 flight before 757/767 school.

From neighbor Robert Kent, his uncle is in line boarding.

NWA DC-9 training support guy, Tom Truax gave me this photo more than 20 years ago.

Gene Peterson in his old Braniff uniform from Bill Schoknecht. Gene did my 747-400 OE at DAL.

My friend Capt. Ward Dunning, former ANE and UAL 747-400 Ret sent this pic when he was an Orion 727 captain and instructor. Ward got me hired there too!

This pic is from Capt Ron Turner, former ANE and USAir ret with FO Dick Bonnoyer in a CV-580. ANE's last flight on 10/31/81, BTV-BOS. Either Hook Hamersley or Linda Angelino photo.

Boeing Stratocruiser

Lockheed Electra

Lockheed Constellation

Douglas DC-6B

I received these four photos from my friends at the NWA History Centre in Bloomington, MN, located nearby MSP. To see their fantastic collection of NWA and REP memorabilia, click here and learn.

I received these photos from my friend, retired Continental Airlines, 747-200 captain John Brier. We're somewhere in Africa where this 737 charter captain took a wrong turn and wound up at the end of a dead-end taxiway at night. No big deal so far, many of us can recall turning onto a wrong taxiway sometime during our careers. But it's how he reacted to this unfortunate mistake that is contrary to all of our training. He pulled his throttles into reverse and tried to turn and back out that resulted in this mess. Buckle up it gets worse. Once off the taxiway and in this "rotated" position, he tried unsuccessfully to power his way out. That's the end of those engines to say nothing of the fuselage. Our training would have had us get on the radio with a red face, confess to our poor chart reading skills and ask for a tug while still on the concrete at the end of the taxiway. And that would have been the end of the story. This older 737 was totaled though, much as I suspect the pilots career is.

I just received a bunch of photos from retired NEA/DAL captain Norm Houle and will post them over several days. Thanks Norm. Norm is the unofficial, official, NEA historian.

DAL 727 pushing at BOS, but with an NEA tug. This was an NEA airplane, DAL didn't fly 727's at the time of the merger.

NEA buys the very first B-727-200. 12/67 in it's brand new Yellowbird livery. NEA promo shot.

NEA FH-227 w/ DAL logo. Again, just at the merger. 8/72

NEA FH-227 with small DAL logo. I flew these Fairchilds at Air New England. Want to see more NEA photos? Click the pic above to find Dave Goodwin's site.

Doug Schenk's bird encounter.

Cmon... just how much damage can a little bird do? Here are a few photos from my friend Doug Schenk, an A-320 FO who found out climbing through 8,000 feet one day. He said the impact was very loud.

And here's the furry little culprit, looks like a hawk that they found inside the radome. To the right is how it appeared inside that radome. Fortunately, this is an unpressurized section of the airplane.

Doug, whom I've flown with many times over the years, in an A-320.

DAL qualifies NWA 757 pilots in their 767's using many midwestern airports. 
This is GRR, 2010
Photo's by Greg Peters.

Here are 4 beautiful pics that I received some time ago from Greg Peters in Grand Rapids, MI

He took these shots in 2010. DAL took NWA 757 qualified pilots out for touch and go's in the 767 for qualifications.

Greg works for the GRR ARFF, (Aircarft Rescue and Firefighting) and is an avid airline photographer.

I happened to be aboard this 767 with 20 other NWA pilots as we did our touch and go's. We had a ball!

A mini Air New England reunion in Florida and a visit with Frank Moss.
You don't know Frank? And you fly airplanes?
Photos from Capt John Brier and Christine Hamersley

Former ANE Captains: Bob Caswell, Roger Charbonneau, Frank Moss, Fred Holdgate, H.O. Elkins, John Brier, HYA Sta Mgr Paul Bryan, Bob Coffey and Franks sons Glen and Charlie.

ANE DC-3, HYA, 1974

After ANE dissolved in Oct '81, most of us scrambled and dispatched resumes to all of the major air carriers, or "trunks" as we called them. Frank would have none of that; he possessed far too much imagination and journeyed northwest to Alaska in search of DC-3 and DC-4 employment. Never distracted by the aroma of burnt kerosene, he pursued a devotion to round engines, round gauges, 100 Low Lead and a romantic history that created a resume far more distinguished than any of us could have imagined. In the pic above, don't fail to notice Frank's original, pre-certification ANE wings on his cap. I've neither seen nor spoken with Frank since 1980, but greatly admire his spirit and his "road less traveled."

ANE captain Freddie Holdgate leaving Frank's storage hangar in Port Charlotte, FL.

When you're restoring DC-3's you need spare parts. But apparently, Frank has a spare aircraft.

Freddie taking inventory in the Parts Department.

Frank's DC-3 is serial # 1499, "American Airlines Flagship Tennessee," a DST, (Douglas Sleeper Transport) the 6th of 10 built for AA in July 1936. This is the sole surviving aircraft from that order and is the oldest known DC-3. And of course, Frank's goal is to restore her to flying condition. Ernie Gann likely flew this airplane.

Frank, a true Renaissance Man, was in my new hire class at ANE in June 1974. Today, among many other projects, he's involved with HISTORICAL FLIGHT FOUNDATION and their perfectly restored, Douglas DC-7C. Click on the pic above to watch Frank share his valuable knowledge with Sully and Jeff in the Foundations DC-7.

To the left: A collection of pre certification memorabilia, which means pre 1975 when ANE was certified as a Regional or Part 121 air carrier. ANE was conceived in 1970 as a Part 135 Commuter Airline and built solid foundations for many future airline pilots. I'm proud of many accomplishments and many people in my life. ANE played a significant role in building my road.

Let me tell you a funny story concerning Captain Freddy Holdgate, pictured to the right. Fred lived on the island of Nantucket (Holdgate is a very old/historic Nantucket name.) and during a Burlington, VT (BTV) layover purchased a Vermont Castings wood burning stove. He had the store deliver it to the ANE, BTV freight dock. Sometime later, during another layover, he taxied over to the dock and with much help loaded it into the forward baggage compartment of his Fairchild, flew ANE 55 to BOS and continued to ACK where his wife awaited with a pickup truck. They off loaded their new wood stove and Freddie continued ANE flight 97 to LGA. Don't leave yet...it gets better!
Nantucket (located 25 miles out to sea off Cape Cod) has few trees and even fewer to burn, so Fred, of course, bought a couple cords of wood in BTV and had them delivered to the ANE freight dock. This is no small pile, a cord of wood is 128 cubic feet. For the next few months, he'd load as much as he could into the Fairchild and fly it to ACK via BOS where his wife, yet again, would be waiting with the pickup. We call this, Yankee Ingenuity!

One of Freddy's Fairchilds at LGA. Photo: Hook Hamersley.

I just received many Air New England, FH-227 pics from Gary Orlando who maintains 
a site called 
WHISTLE PIG.   I'll be adding more from his collection as time passes.
If you're an FH-227 aficionado you'll love this site. I enjoy it because I flew these at ANE and Gary has done a great job preserving its history.

From Gary Orlando's collection, ATL, 1975. 376NE

Photo from Gary Orlando's collection showing an ANE FH-227 in ATL, 1975. DAL restored six Northeast Airlines Fairchilds and sold them to ANE. 374NE. That's a DC-8 in the background.

Tom Hildreth photo, LEB, 1978. Former NEA, C model

Charles Butler collection, 2/79, HYA. Former Ozark Airlines, B model.

Tom Hildreth photo, LEB, 1978. Former NEA, C model. Our FH-227's went to Emerald and Britt Airlines.

I received this pic from retired captain Randy Sohn who spent his career with North Central, Republic and Northwest Airlines. This is a Republic 727 with a tail number that ends with RW, which means it originally came from Hughes Air West as a 727-2M7. This is how Republic's 727's looked when I was hired in 1985 as a flight engineer. Do you know how to read Boeing aircraft/customer designations? This is a -2M7. The 2 means a 200 series and M7 was Boeings identifier for Hughes Air West. DAL's 727-200's were -232's, NWA's were 251's which follow the airplane throughout its life. When Boeing was building the shorter 727, what we now call a 100 series, an NWA -100 was designated as a 727-51.

Just received these shots from Capt. Wes Lundquist while on his latest trip. 
Hot off his iPhone.

At Osaka, preparing to pushback for HNL. B-747-400.

Taxiing past a Dream Lifter.

Flying past Midway en-route to HNL.

Flying past Mt Fuji in a 747-400.

Ward Dunning ANE/UAL ret. gave me these three pictures several years ago. They're of an FH-227 in nearly the same position at Keene, NH (EEN) in three different liveries. The original NEA Yellowbird, 1967, then DAL after the NEA/DAL merger in 1972 and finally in ANE colors after we purchased them from DAL in 1975. You'll note that the Yellowbird aircraft has a DAL Widget painted on its nose.

NEA CV-880 captain Clark Willard, from Norm Houle.

1961, NEA inaugural, CV-880, IDL-MIA. Norm Houle.

I met Dan, the captain shown below in a 747-400 on one of my last trips. In the left photo we'd just returned from Nagoya and we're waiting on Uniform taxiway in DTW for our gate to open. Dan took these two interesting photos of a DAL 747 landing. I've forgotten the details, but these photos were arranged and appeared in Aviation Week & Space Tech.

747-451, N663US, MSN 23818, mfg 1/89

Thanks once again to retired North Central, Republic and Northwest captain Randy Sohn for sending along these pictures of NCA's first Douglas DC-9's from the late 1960's and this shot of a North Central CV-440. Would you like to read some of Randy's flying stories? Click HERE

North Central Airlines Douglas DC-9-31, ship 901, N951N, MSN 47067, built 6/7/67, delivered new to NCA 7/27/67 and scrapped in 2004. This was NCA's first jet.

North Central Airlines Douglas DC-9-31, ship 904, N954N, MSN 47159, built 11/28/67, delivered new to NCA 1/2/68 and destroyed in a ground accident at ORD 12/20/72.

Airliner art work from Capital/United Airlines 
Captain Ken Perkins.

Capitals 1st Viscount flew in 1955. (745D)

While visiting with retired UAL captain Ken Perkins recently. he shared these airline drawings and paintings with me. Learn more about Ken under the CREW tab.

1950, Capital purchased 5, L-049's from KLM.

UAL purchased their 1st DC-8 in May 1959.

Manny Hanson sent these two pics along recently. He's looking for an outlet to share his photography and is exploring creating a Weebly site. I like his perspective on this AA 737.

Retired NWA/DAL A-320 captain Dale Walsemann sent me this pic of retired USAF Col. Tom Henricks Stearman. Tom also flew four space shuttle missions for NASA from 1991 thru 1996. So what does a former astronaut fly after retirement? A Stearman of course.

Randy Sohn sent along this pic of a Republic Airlines 757-200as it transitioned from REP to NWA, probably 1986.

Randy also sent this pic of an NEA DC-3 by the old Amelia Earhardt hangar at the East Boston Airport, better known today as Logan Airport and jetBlue uses the hangar just visible to the right. Amelia was a VP at Boston-Maine Airways, the predecessor to NEA.

Capt Randy Sohn just emailed these three pics of North Central Convair 340's and an NCA DC-3. Note the different liveries.

Retired NEA/DAL L-1011 captain Norm Houle sent me these two NEA, DC-6B shots. I think both were taken at PWM. My Dad flew "The Six" up and down the eastern seaboard for years and I accompanied him many times as a boy. Ship 685, N6585C, was purchased new from Douglas Aircraft in July 1957. N6580C below was leased from 1963 until 1967 from F.B Ayer.

A photo from retired Boeing engineer Bob Bogash with his RV12 by the worlds only flying DC-2. To visit Bob's fantastic site and learn more about his historical pursuits go to my Link page.

Bob was instrumental in bringing the B-737 prototype to the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

Two from Capt Randy Sohn, an Allegheny Airlines 727-100 or QC. Note the large door in front of the wing. US Air received tha last pax 727 built. North Central and Delta at ORD. The DC-9 is a -50. The Convairs flew at REP and for a while at NWA.

Here's an interesting airplane. Capt Mike Peck (NCA, REP, NWA, DAL) was looking for a friends hangar in New Richmond, WI recently and stumbled across this fully restored, post WWII, 1954, Fairey, Gannet. This Royal Navy, carrier based, anti-submarine (ASW) hunter has a "double" Mamba turbine engine, driving counter-rotating props. Operated by a crew of three, this aircraft was a trainer with dual controls. The Brits came up with some very interesting designs and you can see this airplane at Osh Kosh in 2014.

Captain Jack Kastien (Air West, Hughes Air West, Republic and Northwest retired) sent me the following photographs. Taken probably in 1978 by Boeing Chief photographer Vern Manion when he and fellow Hughes Airwest captain Doug Waddell toured the Boeing facility near Seattle to inspect their first B-727-200. HAW 727-200's would be designated as 727-2M7's. I flew regularly with both Jack and Doug when I was a new hire Republic Airlines 727 Flight Engineer in 1985. Wonderful guys and excellent mentors to new pilots like myself learning the complexities of 727 systems.

Jack and Doug on the hangar floor in Renton with their first 727-2M7.

Renton delivery ceremony for HAW's first 727-2M7. N727RW, MSN 21656, # 1452 off the 727 assembly line, mfg 1979.

Now in the cockpit of the same 727.

The "Top Banana" in flight.

During their '78 visit they toured the 727 delivery facility. Little did they know that only eight years later they'd be flying for Northwest via the NWA/REP merger in 1986. Come to think of it, they wouldn't have known yet about the 1979 North Central and Southern Airways merger that would create Republic Airlines and absorb Hughes Airwest a year later. Life holds many surprises. Both Doug and Jack retired as NWA DC-10 captains. N461US, 727-21, MSN 18797, mfg 1964.

Another Northwest 727-100 passed along by Captain Randy Sohn. The -100 designation for the shorter or original 727 didn't come about until the larger (by 20 feet) -200 model was introduced in 1967. NWA's Boeing designation was the number 21, so this would have been a 727-21.

This is Jon Proctor's 2012 Christmas card. Many of you know Jon as a former editor of AIRLINER Magazine. His historical photo collection is extensive and if you'd like to experience it, go to my link page and scroll down until you see a picture of JON PROCTOR.

N537US, MSN 26484, mfg 2/96

Captain Sohn sent along these two pics of a REP and NWA 757. He also included the CV-580 below. We acquired six 757-200's at REP late in 1985 and into 1986, but when we merged with NWA in '86 they sold all six to America West. If I remember we had different engines on ours which is why NWA disposed of them. Or so they said. The aircraft below, N7517U, was built in 1953 by Convair or "Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation" as a CV-340 in 1953 for Texaco. Upgraded as a CV-440 it was acquired by North Central Airlines and upgraded yet again with Allison Engines to become the very muscular CV-580. It, along with 12 other 580's survived to fly at Republic and Northwest until 1988. 
The CV-580
This very roomy, comfortable aircraft, was highly popular with repeat customers on short flights to/from MSP and DTW with 48 spacious seats, a flight attendant, a galley and a usable lavatory. It was replaced with an uncomfortable, tiny, 50 passenger jet with iddy bitty, unpadded seats, a lavatory so small you couldn't turn around inside it and stand up headroom only in the middle of the aisle with claustrophobic overhead bins surrounding your head. Where the Convairs flew 30 minute commuter legs, the uncomfortable jet was agonizingly stretched out to one-hour plus legs. Frazzled passengers couldn't wait to get off of the thing. The reliable old Convairs enjoyed a 35 year airline career where their replacement jets were phased out of service within 10 years as economically unviable. 

N7517U, previously 519RC, fleet number 8519, model number -34, serial number 13, manufactured 9/20/52 and converted to a 580 on 8/4/67.

The good old days!! Look how happy everyone is. They're not even rubbing shoulders and there are pillows in the overhead racks. Jackets and ties!!! Where are the sweat pants, muscle shirts and ear buds that leak thru and annoy your seat partner?

N4822C, serial # 377, built 11/5/56, converted 1/7/68. The North Central Convair 580's survived through Republic Airlines until being retired by Northwest Airlines in 1989. NWA operated a fleet of 13 Convairs and they were the airlines last propeller driven aircraft. NWA created these "fact sheets" for every aircraft that they flew. I acquired the CV-580 and others, from the flight planning room in Narita.

If you scroll up you'll find two similar shots to this. Capt Dan just sent this along, part of his Victorville landing collection.

James Carvalho, who works "operations" for MassPort in BOS sent this along of the old Northeast Airlines hangar as it's being refurbished for jetBlue. (2012) The photo below is the same hangar to the right when it was built in the 1950's.

This hangar, to the left of the hangar in the pic to the right, was built in the 1940's and dedicated to Amelia Earhart, a former NEA VP, on 27 Feb 1949. Boston Logan was referred to as the East Boston Airport at this time and NEA flew a fleet of DC-3's and Convair 240's.

The red painted NE above is the same area as the wall below the NE in this photo.

Mike Lesser, QANTAS 737-800 FO
To read Mike's BLOG and enjoy his experiences, click HERE.

So what does a little boy, in 1991, who visits a UAL 727 cockpit on a flight from ORD to MCO grow up to be? An airline pilot of course! From the left seat of this Seven-Two to the right seat of a QANTAS 737-800 in 2014.

Mike and his Dad on a flight from Auckland to Sydney in a B-737 on 1/8/14.

Mike also included this picture of a 767 that he took from within a 737-800. Note the Heads Up Display (HUD) I've read about these!

I received these ANE photos, taken by BTV Agent Linda Angelino, from Chris Hamersley. One of our CV-580's on the ground in BTV. To the right, captain Sean McCarthy heading for the CV-580. Sean retired from NWA as a DC-9 captain.

One of our FH-227's on the ground in BTV, taken by BTV Agent Linda Angelino.

As often happens, friends send me photos with no info such as these NWA 747-200 freighters at ANC. I'm guessing that these were taken in the late 1990's.

A cold day in ANC

Ship 6740, N640US is a 747-251F, MSN23888, mfg July 1987 for NWA with JT9D-7R4G2 engines.

If anyone has info regarding these photos, please send me an email.

A LITTLE HISTORY: 70 years worth in just five clipped sentences.

Randy Sohn just sent these along. Above is a Wisconsin Central Airlines DC-3. WCA started business in Clintonville, Wisc in 1944, moved to Madison Wisc in 1947 then moved again in 1952 to MSP and changed their name to North Central Airlines.

North Central Airlines DC-3. NCA merged with Southern and Hughes Airwest in 1979 to form Republic, Republic merged with Northwest in 1986 and then Northwest merged with Delta in 2008.

Air West, Hughes Air West, Republic and NWA captain Jack Kastien sent this info along recently. He knows I love airline history and this certainly fits the bill. These are photos of Air West taking delivery of  Three DC-9's at once, departing Long Beach Airport, forming up over Catalina Island off LA and flying in formation to PHX in 1969.

Top to Bottom: DC-9-31, N9343, MSN 47439, NWA ship # 9979, mfg 5/12/69
DC-9-31, N9344, MSN 47440, NWA ship # 9980, mfg 5/14/69
DC-9-31, N9345, MSN 47441, mfg 1969 was involved in an airborne collision with an F-4B (Phantom) on 6/6/71 as Hughes Airwest flight 706 departed LAX to SLC. Only the F4 RIO survived.

I suspect that this was an Air West employee publication.

Air West was created on 4/17/68 by the three-way merger of SFO based Pacific Air Lines, formed in 1941, PHX based Bonanza Air Lines formed in 1945 and SEA based West Coast Airlines formed in 1941. In 1970 Air West was purchased by Summa Corporation and became Hughes Air West, operating a fleet of 98 airplanes. DC-9's, 727's, F-27's and one Twin Otter. In 1980 Hughes was purchased by MSP based Republic Airlines and became the nations largest airline by airports served and possessed the largest fleet of Douglas DC-9's. Republic merged with NWA in 1986 and the DC-9 fleet grew to number 175 aircraft. NWA merged with DAL in 2008 and in 2014 DAL retired it's last DC-9; a -50 model from North Central Airlines. The only pilot I knew in the photo above was captain Jerry Felts, 3rd from the left. He was a "bear" of a man, a great guy and I flew as his FO on the DC-10 at NWA.

Meet Captain Jack here in the left seat of this B-727, along with FO Kent Zimmerman and myself as we return to DTW from an SFO red-eye in 1985. Jack was a great guy to fly with and a wonderful mentor who got me off on the right foot at REP. I scoured my DC-9 pictures in search of one of the airplanes mentioned in this posting. I couldn't find one, but this aircraft is ship # 9978, N9342, MSN 47391 mfg 4/21/69 and was taken during the summer of 1998. This airplane was delivered to Air West in 1969 just before the three aircraft described in Jack's contribution.

These are just a few of the Hughes Airwest artifacts that have been given to me by retired Hughes Airwest, Republic and NWA captain Dick Mott.

I flew a lot with Dick in the DC-9 and saw him on his final day in DTW as he flew off to Paris.

In fact here's a picture of Captain Mott in the right seat aboard this A-330 navigating his way from Paris to DTW with his friend Kramer.

Sorry, can't remember who sent this to me but it's of a small Air West/Hughes Airwest reunion in 2010. I flew with many of these fellows at REP and NWA, had a ball and learned much.

I flew with some pretty interesting characters, Marc here owned a MIG.

Marc, en route from SFO to HNL, 757-351, 4/20/07.

Marc bought this MIG in eastern Europe, dismantled, crated and shipped it home where he rebuilt it and flew it for several years in air shows. He and his wife also bought, refurbished and flipped real estate. I'm always amazed at the enterprises that my fellow pilots are involved with. LEFT: Marc doing a walk around inspection, 757-300, SFO.

I don't have much info about these pictures taken by James,  a USAF Lt Col and DAL 767 FO but they're certainly neat! 

De-icing in DTW, B-767-300ER destined for ATL.

James, deployed in his F-16.

Spectacular air to air refueling shot.

Squadron mates

I could tell you where this is, but then James would have to kill me.

Captain Randy Sohn sent this picture of a Pacific Air Lines Martin 404. Pacific Air Lines was founded as Southwest Airways in 1946, became Pacific in 1959 and merged with Bonanza and West Coast to form Air West in 1968. At the time of the merger, Pacific was flying both F-27's and B-727-100's. This aircraft was delivered new to TWA on 6/52 and sold with seven others to Pacific in 1960. They purchased two more 404's from Eastern Airlines for a fleet of 10 aircraft. N40422, s/n 14128 was one of 104 airframes and went on to fly at Fiesta Air and Kodiak Western Airlines.

Captain Howard O. Elkins 
When I hear someone mention the name "Howard O. Elkins," or HO as we call him, a smile spreads across my face. I've encountered a lot of characters along my career path, but HO is certainly unique. I wish you could have known him, he's a pilots pilot.

FO Elkins by an Executive Airlines B-99A, SRQ, 1970.

HO flew for PBA, Executive Airlines and Air New England before retiring from Continental Airlines. When furloughed from ANE one winter they enticed him to become the ACK Station Manager. He's an insightful man whose views I continue to value.

Flight School, St. Petersburg, FL (PIE) 1965-66. See the arrow? That's HO.

HO with Ted Williams, 1970, SRQ

When hired at ANE in 1974, this is the Twin Otter that I checked out in. 385 Easy X.

HO with Executive and ANE founder Joseph Whitney at an ANE reunion.

In 2001 while on a TPA layover I met HO here at Albert Whitted Field and strolled amongst the airplanes.

I spent a lot of time with HO. He taught me to love life. I'm grateful.

Executive Airlines and ANE Twin Otters in BOS.

BOS, 1974

1976, over the ENE VOR enroute to AUG from BOS in a Twin Otter. There was never a shortage of enjoyable conversation with Howard.

BTV, 1978, photo from former BTV agent Linda Angelino. To watch Air New England fly again, click on this picture. You'll enjoy it!! Who is that climbing into the Otter??

I recently borrowed these photos from my Mother.
A little timeline photography

My parents, 1943. Dad was a new 2LT, had earned his Air Corps wings and qualified in B25's and B26's.

Many from NEA and DAL will recognize Pat Malone in this picture giving my Dad a gift at a retirement party in 1980.

Early Northeast Airlines with the "Pilgrim" wings. Probably 1952 as a DC-3 and CV240 captain. He was hired in 1946 by Captain Pappy Wheeler as a DC-3 copilot and retired in 1980 as a 727 captain with DAL.

This NEA DC-4 in Panagra paint at LGA in 1955 was sent to me by Bob Patterson whose Dad flew at NEA/DAL from '66-'92. Norm Houle couldn't find this airplane in his NEA notes but remembers hearing of the airline leasing it strictly to fly from LGA to BOS via the Cape and Islands.

Captain Sohn sent this pic of a North Central, CV-440, Metropolitan. N4810C, MSN 100 began life in 1953 with DAL as a CV340. Converted to a 440 and eventually a CV580 it survived to fly with Republic Airlines before migrating north to Canada.

MERRY CHRISTMAS
I visited my mother yesterday, she's 92 and helped her decorate her Christmas tree. She took the photo to the left which shows the top of that tree. Ever since I can remember we always had this plastic, American Airlines DC-3 (NC17334) sit atop our Christmas trees. It has to be 60 years old. In 1967 when my Dad checked out in the DC-9, we added this plastic NEA model to the mix. All my friends trees had an angel on top, but the Peck's had a DC-3!

The top of my mothers Christmas tree, 2014 and how they have appeared since the mid 1950's. The DC-9 arrived in 1967.

Here's the real NC17334 in action in 2011. It's the oldest flying DC-3, built in 1937 and delivered new to AA on 3/2/37 as MSN 1920. Click on the picture to see her in action.

Aero Commander N6106X - PAST  &  PRESENT
Photos from former ANE FA, Chris Hamersley, ANE pilot Sergio Molina and Tom Hildreth.
To learn about Air Margarita in San Juan, click HERE

N6106X at BOS, probably 1975 from Christine Hamersley when owned by Joseph Whitney and flying charter for ANE. We had two Commanders in the charter department.

Tom Hildreth photo from BOS. 06X, is a 1960 A model Commander, converted to a B model and owned by Mr Whitney where it flew for both ANE and Executive Airlines in the 1960's and '70's.

In 2007 Sergio Molina who flew with us at ANE and later at ATA bought 06X from a bank in Los Angeles. This is why you include registration numbers in your photography!

Sergio and his wife Carmen bought 06X to start Air Margarita to fly charter throughout the Caribbean. I admire entrepreneurs.

Captain Ron Turner was a pilots pilot, loved what he did and enjoyed collecting artifacts from his career.
This is a very small representation that he sent me, they're scans of old photos.

Departing BTV for BOS in a CV-580 on 10/30/81, ANE's last day in business. Photo by Linda Angelino.

Ron retired from USAirways as an A-330 captain, resulting from the Piedmont - USAir merger in 1987.

Ron, here in a Fairchild, was hired in ANE's first class on 1 November 1970 as the airline got underway. He flew Twin Otters, B-99's, FH-227's and Convair 580's.

Ron in an ANE CV-580. RIGHT: Ron's class list on the ANE 1977 seniority list. This particular seniority list shows 144 active pilots. ANE was one of the last "stand alone" regional airlines. By the mid 80's most small airlines had conformed to agreements with major carriers and become "Someone's Express."

Made of mahogany, Ron had these made in Asia. I think they're one of a kind models.

Ron's ANE wing collection. He also has his Piedmont and USAirways wings mounted and displayed.

ANE CV-580

Are you an L-1011 fan?
These photos are from Jon Proctor. To learn more about  Tri-Stars, click HERE.

The first production L-1011, MSN 1002 in December 1970 at Palmdale, CA. It's an elegant design.

One of the industry's most spacious cockpits.

Jon, Director of Customer Service, is sixth from the left in this photo as this crew prepares for TWA's inaugural L-1011 flight on 6/25/72 from STL to LAX.

Gary Orlando sent me these pics that will shed light on NWA/REP merger liveries.
Click HERE to visit Gary's Facebook page and learn more about commercial aviation.

ORD, 2/15/86, REP DC-9-31, 965N, MSN 47417, mfg 7/69. This was the REP livery when I was hired in 1985, Herman the duck still survives here.

By late '85 REP repainted our airplanes with a white/grey paint scheme. NWA simply painted over the REP name and added a red tail.

MDW. By late 1987 most REP airplanes had been repainted with the current NWA paint scheme.

DC-9 in it's new NWA paint and a CV-580 still in the last REP paint but with NWA painted on the side. NWA retired its fleet of 13, 580's on 11/30/88. Click HERE to see a great Convair 580 video.

ORD,10/18/86: Former Hughes Air West/Republic 727-2M7, 721RW, msn 21656, mfg 5/76 with -17R engines. This was a screaming machine. A year after the merger and many airplanes still hadn't received new paint.

I just received these photos from Leigh Harlem.
His career path after Middle Tennessee State University led thru Air Midwest (Mesa) and Chautauqua/Shuttle America before he landed at jetBlue as an ERJ190FO. 

In a B1900 over the Grand Canyon.

A Mesa B1900 at Cedar City, UT.

Sunset through the HUD.

Landing in Bermuda.

Dawn Patrol at RIC.

LEFT: The Expressway Visual to 31 at LGA and ABOVE: Leigh in an ERJ190. Thanks Leigh, these are beautiful shots. I'd love to be back out there myself.

Thanks very much to David Henderson for these photos and his site SUNSHINE SKIES, where I learned more about one of our DC-3's at Air New England.

Triple-6 has served many owners and seen many liveries, but her first stop after Santa Monica was with Braniff in 1940, migrating to Trans Texas in 1953. ANE operated six DC-3's from 1972 through 1975.

From my own collection: Triple-6 landing on runway 27 in BOS. This photo was used in an article by the Christian Science Monitor concerning ANE retiring and replacing their DC-3 fleet with a fleet of former Northeast Airlines and Delta Air Lines FH-227's.

Owned by Century Airlines briefly, they didn't even bother to change the paint scheme from ANE before she was bought by PBA in 1978.

Now with a new registration, N39PB, this is one of three liveries she'd experience with PBA, the last being an Eastern Express paint job.

Sporting yet another new registration as N28AA she now flies with dc3training.com in Georgia where you too can get a DC-3 type rating. Click the photo to see her training page.

Are you a Northeast Airlines enthusiast?
Do you love this  Raymond Loewy inspired Yellowbird campaign?
Then you need to click over to Dave Goodwin's site, PLANE VIZ.
Photo's from the Dave Goodwin collection.

Three NEA Yellowbirds, an FH-227, a 727-95 and a DC-9 on the ramp in BOS, probably in 1967.

Two DC-9's on the BOS ramp. 973NE, c/n 47058 was delivered new to NEA in 1967.

Three NEA 727-295's in MIA. NEA was the launch customer for the 727-200 series.

Dave and I share a common background, both of our fathers flew for BOS based Northeast Airlines. Dave's father also flew Twin Otters at Executive Airlines. Founded as Boston-Maine Airways in 1933, the airline changed its name to Northeast in 1940 when it received its first DC-3. In August of 1972 this iconic little airline came to an end when they merged with Atlanta based Delta Air Lines.

11 Feb 2016: I received this photo from retired Braniff, Republic and NWA captain Bill Schoknecht. As of this date DAL has seven (former NWA) 747-400's flying and these will be the last two to under go a "C" check. They are ship 6308 mfg 7/26/90 and 6314 mfg 10/18/99 in ATL.