L188 Electras Thru the Years

[BillD22]

Here's a collection of shots of the Lockheed L188 "Electra" in various North American operator liveries from the initial deliveries to Eastern Airlines in 1959 up to the last two remaining operators flying the type today. This is the Team FS KBT Electra for FSX converted over to MSFS.

 

A shot of the Allison company aircraft that was used for testing the L188's D501-13 turboprop engines with their distinctive pointed prop spinner, streamlined nacelles, and engine exhaust soot pans. These are essentially the same engines that powered the Navy P3 and Air Force C130 although the 130 engines were mounted under the wing. Air Force pilots always liked to say that the Navy engines were "upside down."

 

 

A pair of Eastern Airlines L188 liveries 17 years apart - the initial 1959 delivery of "Fly Eastern's Prop-Jet Electra" scheme and the later 1976 "Hockey Stick" livery with a U.S. Bicentennial plaque. By the time the Hockey Stick paint showed up Eastern's Electras had long since been relegated to flying the hourly DC to New York shuttle.

 

 

 

Two California-based operators from the 1970s in PSA's "Catch Our Smile" and Air California's "Sunburst" liveries. Both airlines used the L188 to fly to high-altitude airports such as Lake Tahoe where the early model jets had difficulty operating. The Air Cal shot shows the airplane landing at South Lake Tahoe airport (KTVL -Elevation 6257 feet) - a popular ski destination.

 

 

 

Alaska-based Reeve Aleutian was the last airline to operate the Electra in regular passenger service with the last flight coming in 1999.

 

 

The last two remaining North American operators of the L188 in 2022 are Canadian-based Buffalo Airways in Yellowknife, Yukon Territory, and Air Spray aerial firefighting service based at Red Deer Regional Airport in Alberta.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 11, 2022 by BillD22

[Downwind66]

Another work horse in it's day! Very nice pics of this Big Bird! Thanks for sharing Bill!

 

Rick :cool:

[peer01]

Very well done Bill, so many beautiful Electra liveries :cool::cool::cool:

[BillD22]

Thanks Jan and Rick!

[daspinall]

Very nice shots!..... I just took delivery of the Lockheed Electra 10 A... The plan is to follow Amelia Earhart’s flights, well thats the idea.....

[BillD22]

Very nice shots!..... I just took delivery of the Lockheed Electra 10 A... The plan is to follow Amelia Earhart’s flights, well thats the idea.....

 

Thanks David, let us know if you find Amelia!! :D

[Macroburst]

Enjoyed the liveries and the history.

Well done

[coondoodle]

Nice plane,good shots

[jankees]

nice plane, nice collection, nice shots, what more can we ask for?

[BillD22]

nice plane, nice collection, nice shots, what more can we ask for?

 

Thanks, Jan - it's hard to take a bad shot of an Electra!

[NMLW]

Really like your Electra collection Bill. Good historical info in the narrative as well. :cool:

[johnost]

Hi Bill,

 

The Electra pictures brought back some good memories. In the 1960's I worked in Rochester, NY, but did heavy business in Fort Worth, TX. I used to fly frequently to Dallas via Chicago. The usual flight from Rochester to Chicago was on a Business Class Electra. It had a curved sofa in the rear of the cabin, and young, pretty Stewardesses served free cocktails in nice miniskirts.

 

Those were the days!

[BillD22]

Hi Bill,

 

The Electra pictures brought back some good memories. In the 1960's I worked in Rochester, NY, but did heavy business in Fort Worth, TX. I used to fly frequently to Dallas via Chicago. The usual flight from Rochester to Chicago was on a Business Class Electra. It had a curved sofa in the rear of the cabin, and young, pretty Stewardesses served free cocktails in nice miniskirts.

 

Those were the days!

 

Thanks for the comments Larry and John. Yes - those were the days for air travel. Comfortable seats, free cocktails, friendly flight attendants, on time departures - what a concept!

Edited October 12, 2022 by BillD22

[Rupert]

Thanks for the comments Larry and John. Yes - those were the days for air travel. Comfortable seats, free cocktails, friendly flight attendants, on time departures - what a concept!

 

Yes I remember those days as well. My first flight on a 707 had wider seats in coach than 1st class on any commercial flight I've flown on in the last several years.

 

Having said that, flying in the "Sky Lounge" of a 747 to and from Narita in the late 1980's was pretty cool. Especially when someone played the full sized piano up there in flight. ;)

 

Michael

[darrenvox]

cool stuff