Various United Airlines paints & models

I decided to do homage to United Airlines its different paints thru the years as well the different models. Enjoy traveling back in time. Kenny

 

United Airlines DC-6B SFO-LAX actual route 1947

 

United Airlines DC-8-61 LAX-DEN actual route 1970's

 

United Airlines B-727-200 MSP-ORD actual route 1970's

 

United Airlines DC-10-30 DEN-DFW actual route 1990's Battleship grey tulip

 

United Airlines DC-10-30 PDX-LAX actual route 1980's red & blue tulip

 

United Airlines B-747-200 ORD-PHL actual route 1980's red & blue tulip

 

United Airlines B747-400 SEA-SFO actual route Battleship grey tulip 1990's

 

United Airlines B747-400 ORD-LAX actual route tulip 2004

Great series!

Great series!

 

+1!! I love those shots!

 

Michael

Thanks Gérard and Michael for the positive respond. I love doing these type as it brings so many memories to so many simmers that was raised on these generation. Kenny

Great series, Kenny. I grew up seeing those paints. Every one of them. My father was a UAL pilot, from back in the '50's to the 80's. Based out of KSFO. He flew most of the planes United had, but his all time favorite was the DC-8's, in all it's incarnations. He loved those planes.

Second was the 737. Called the Minipigs. He even got to where, when he'd check in with KSFO Approach control, he'd call out "Hey, hey, hey! It's faaaat Albert!", and they knew who it was right away. His name is Alfred, but hey, it's all the same :D

Anyway, I've seen all those planes from the ground, and from inside, both. Even the 747. Huge plane! Been on it on they way both to and from Hawaii. Nothing like a red-eye back to KSFO in a 747, with several bored stewardesses. Yes, they were called that in those days. Heck, my mother was a stew for Pan Am back before she got preggers with me...

Those were the days when people wore suits and ties, and nice dresses. ONLY part of going on flights with my father I never learned to like, wearing a suit and tie. But I learned to tie a tie early in life! Not like now. And real food was served, with actual silverware, even in coach, and with decent plates and linen. Pretty decent food too. I think the small of aviation kerosene, along with the food smell, just added something for me. So I'm weird. Sue me. :D

Only one he never did like, was the 727's. Said they were rough on crosswind landings. Never warmed up to them.

 

Thanks for some great memories!

Pat☺

A fine selection of aircraft and United liveries Kenny. Very nicely displayed. :cool: :cool: :)

Whoa, great series here Kenny, great post my friend! :cool::cool::cool:

Thanks Pat for your story. As I have mentiones once my father was a test pilot for Mc Donnell Douglas on DC-9, DC-10 & DC-8. As each aircraft has differences I don't think my father had a preference. I too have flown in all the ones that is posted mostly Untied (United Airlines pilots acronyms) and a couple of others not mentioned. I have a story about one of my dads flight in a DC-8 61,62 or 63 That while on a test flight, one of ailerons sorta hang, while landing one of the doors opened up thank goodness it was on the ground also caught some fire. all aboard that test flight got a piece of the passenger window. I have that window today. Thanks Jan & Michael for your kind words my simming buddies. Kenny

it was on the ground also caught some fire. all aboard that test flight got a piece of the passenger window

 

Luckily the series stopped at that point! :)

Sometimes I am sorry that this era has ended. All A/C's were distinctive, you could tell if it was a B-727, DC-10, B-707, DC-9 B-737-200 & DC-8 etc.. Now a days on the exception of B-737-400,700,800 & 900 there is not too many models being done but Airbus's. That is why I am doing these classic's mostly, if it gives joy to the simmers out there that lived during these times including myself. Kenny

It certainly does give some memories and pleasure to this simmer!

That chunk or window looks like a stained glass type of window out of a church :D

 

I think I still have, around here someplace, a few small pieces of an A-4 (A-4M, I think) that shot himself down at Yuma's gun range. He got target fixation, and got too low on a gun-run on a ground target. The rounds ricocheting back up off the ground trashed the plane. He, and his instructor, ejected safely. We dug the engine and one cannon out of about 30' of sand. They sent a bunch of us out to pick up the chunks of plane that were scattered across the desert. We brought everything back, and stuck it all in an unused hangar at the east end of the flightline of MCAS Yuma.

One night, I was walking post during a Duty Section Weekend, and got assigned to that particular area. I spent a lot of time looking over the little, and big, pieces all over the hangar floor. I decided, what the heck, I found some of this stuff, I'm taking a suvenier. Grabbed a few small pieces, and I've had them ever since. Somewhere...

We did have a very nice funeral for the 7 dead lizards and 11 other critters, no telling what they were. Made a nice row of little graves, sticks formed into crosses, had a moment of silence before we left, the whole nine yards. Great way to inject a little humor into a tough day out in the desert.

Of course, I got a Deuce-and-a-half driver that thought he was driving the Baja 500 on the way back. Amazing what those trucks could do. At least I got to ride in the cab, not in back. RHIP! :cool: :eek:

 

Keep em coming!

Pat☺

Sometimes I am sorry that this era has ended

 

Like already debated with Peer, I don't go so far back in the past but I just can approve your views for the time I frequently used airliners' flights, which was by the end of the period, by around 1980. I'm just as much disappointed how all that evolved since and I'm more disappointed still about what should come further :):):)

I second that Gerard! :)

Like already debated with Peer, I don't go so far back in the past but I just can approve your views for the time I frequently used airliners' flights, which was by the end of the period, by around 1980. I'm just as much disappointed how all that evolved since and I'm more disappointed still about what should come further :):):)

 

If you're talking about United as it is today, I couldn't agree more!! I can't conceive how one company, much less a previously well respected airline as United was, could make so many serious operational mistakes as United has in the last year or two!!

 

Passengers being dragged out of their boarding pass assigned seats and seriously injured to make room for dead heading crew members, a lap dog put in the overhead bin by a stewardess which died in flight, two dogs in carriers sent to the wrong continent on the very same day!! I really have to wonder is anyone even paying attention there anymore!!

 

As much as I used to like and brag about United, I don't expect to ever willingly fly with them again!

 

Michael

Hi Ruppert!

 

No, I was not talking about United specifically, but about airliners, generally :) When I came to flight simulation, by about 1998, I thought aviation, or airliners like those I knew from about 1980 when I used to fly a lot aboard commercial flights (among which United were not), and that I got swiftly disappointed because that was the time when big planes were passing glass cockpit and so on. Only GA planes kept by 2000 like they were when I got my French PPL (as that soon also changed with uncertain design or equipement like that occurred soon after :) )

 

Cheers

Very interesting stories simmers. I think it is sad that one of the oldest airlines in U.S. United Airlines is having their not so good times. It is not only United there have been many airlines in the past that have messed up, but United is really the worst in the news right now. Again back in the days of the 60's all the airlines were about the passengers in all aspects. It seems when it all changed was all the airlines merging to stay airborne. Maybe I am wrong this is my feelings. Kenny

It seems when it all changed was all the airlines merging to stay airborne

 

Hi!

 

I totally agree. And I don't think that the mergers into the today three big airline groups was only for the sake of securing the existence of ancient airlines (that's another point of view :) )

Very interesting stories simmers. I think it is sad that one of the oldest airlines in U.S. United Airlines is having their not so good times. It is not only United there have been many airlines in the past that have messed up, but United is really the worst in the news right now. Again back in the days of the 60's all the airlines were about the passengers in all aspects. It seems when it all changed was all the airlines merging to stay airborne. Maybe I am wrong this is my feelings. Kenny

 

Kenny,

 

I'm sorry to say, no airline or any other business I'm aware of today is interested in anything but the short term bottom line! I just read that Gibson Guitars after over 110 years of almost no debt ever and predictable and solid returns is about to go belly up. Why, because they borrowed money and tried to "expand into other fields to maximize their profits." The same is so true of almost every previously successful company today.

 

If you are a successful company, corporate raiders will do their best to buy you out using borrowed money, fire most of your valued people to lesson expenses and increase earnings, drain all your assets, then try to flip your company! I saw that happen at two very successful businesses I worked at.

 

Even if you're not bought out, everyone today is only interested in what the earnings will be at the next quarterly report! What we used to call "Long Term Planning" is now, how will the investors respond when they get our next quarterly report?? And how big will my bonus be each quarter??

 

Years ago there was a musical called "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying." The answer was, and obviously today is, go to a company whose officers and headquarters have no idea what that company does and don't care. Then suck up and you'll be fine!

 

I'm so thrilled I Am Retired!!

 

Rupert

Hey!

 

I thought that only us, the French people, were fond of politics :):):)

Hey!

 

I thought that only us, the French people, were fond of politics :):):)

 

Politics? This has nothing to do with politics. This has to do with greedy people and seems to happen regardless of their stated political preference. :(

greedy people ... regardless of their stated political preference. :(

 

Yes! One may also see that under that angle :):)

Flew on most of those liveries, except the newer one, great job Kenny! :)