In April 1980, several aviation friends and I visited some parts of the USA, on a month long aviation tour. We had bought a National Airlines pass and went from Amsterdam, via London-Heathrow, on National Airlines DC-10-30, N83NA, to Miami. After spending two weeks in the Miami area, we vistited San Juan, P.R., Saint-Thomas in the Virgen Islands, the Los Angeles area and Houston International airport.
Below, I focus on our visit to Houston International Airport.
Below, I focus on our visit to Houston International Airport.
We arrived in the evening of April 24, 1980, from Los Angelos at Houston International Airport on National flight '86', which was flown by Boeing 727-35, N5609. Due to constant thunderstorms enroute, it proofed to be a very bumpy ride but we safely landed late in the evening.
Photographed is National Boeing 727-35, N4611. She started flying for National in November 1964. She was listed broken-up in American Trans Air colors at Greenwood, MS. after February 2006.
The ramp at Houston was probably flooded from the deluge we had last night.
N1053T, a Douglas DC-9-14, started flying for TWA in December 1965. She is listed dismantled at Mexico City in Aero Caribe colors in 2006.
N972VJ at a sunny Houston International.
N972VJ, a Douglas DC-9-32, started flying for Allegheny Airways in June 1967. She is listed parted-out and scrapped at Marana in US Airways colors in September 1998.
Houston International on April 25, 1980 and time for a photo before N404BN departs for Dallas-Fort Worth.
N404BN, a Boeing 727-200, started flying for Allegheny Airways in January 1970. She is listed dismantled at Tucson in Dominicana colors in December 1992.
It was a warm and beautiful April morning in 1980 when I photographed this Viasa Venezuela Douglas DC-8-53 taxiing to its gate in IAH.
YV-129C, a Douglas DC-8-53, started flying for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, as PH-DCM in June 1961. She is listed chopped-up at Opa-Locka, FL. in April 2011.
XA-DEK glinting in the sun.
XA-DEK, a Douglas DC-9-32, started flying for Aero Mexico in January 1974 and operated by Aero Mexico for more than 31 years. She is listed preserved at an aviation museum in Cajititlan, Mexico.
N930MA has just arrived at Houston International, seen from the observation pier, the props still turning.
N935MA, departing for an early morning run to Lafayette.
N935MA, a Shorts 330, started flying for Metro Airlines in August 1979. She is listed damaged beyond repair in 1986 and dismantled in June 1996.
Air France Boeing 747-200 F-BPVX caught on camera at Houston International on April 25, 1980.
F-BPVX, started flying for Air France in March 1979. This Boeing has spent its entire life with Air France flying passenger's services between Paris and its far-flung network. She is listed parted-out at Chateauroux, France, on August 14, 2003.
Aero Mexico DC-9 gleaming in the sun today.
XA-SOA, a Douglas DC-9-15, started flying for Aero Mexico in April 1967. She is listed grounded at Mojave in Aero California colors in 2006.
Douglas DC-9-32 N3509T seen here shortly after arriving back at her home base on April 25, 1980.
N3509T, started flying for Texas International in April 1979. She is listed stored 'somewhere' in South-Africa in Velvet Sky Airways colors.
The legendary Boeing 727.
N8143N, a Boeing 727-25, started flying for Eastern in January 1966. She is listed scrapped in the Congo in Shabair colors in the late 90's.
Boeing 727-200, N69735, looks to be in superb condition.
N69735, started flying for Continental in October 1974. She is listed bought by Rio Linhas Aereas for parts and was parked at Sao Jose dos Pinhas in September 2012.
'Cape Fear Pacemaker' seen here taxiing at Houston International prior to departing for a flight to Syracuse, NY.
N836N, a Boeing 727-95, started flying for Piedmont in September 1965. She is listed broken-up at Mobile, AL. in World1 colors during 1988.
Jet Clipper 'Queen of the Sky' has just arrived from New York.
Boeing 707-321B, N434PA, formed part of PAN AM's fleet for almost fourtheen years in which she crossed the Atlantic numerous times. In 1981 her service life was over and she was stored with ATEL at Stansted, UK, for part-out and scrap.
Cayman Airways, VR-CAB, taxi to take-off with destination George Town on the Cayman Islands.
VR-CAB, a Super BAC 1-11, started flying for Court Line in May 1971. She is listed stored at Lanseria in Nationwide colors since May 2001.
A Braniff 'Flying Colors' Boeing 727-200 maneuvers onto the ramp at Houston International in April 1980.
N402BN, started flying for Braniff in June 1970. She is stored in a dismantled condition at Smyrna in PAN AM colors.
Continental Boeing 727-22, N40484, taxiing out at Houston International, bound for Denver, in 1980.
N40484, started flying for United Airlines in July 1965. She is listed broken-up at Mojave on August 3, 1993.
American Airlines Boeing 727-23, N1986, pulling into the gate at IAH - April 25, 1980.
N1935, a Boeing 727-23, started flying for American in January 1967. On November 18, 2006, the Boeing 727 departed Bogotá-El Dorado Airport on a night cargo flight to Leticia, carrying 3 passengers, 3 crew members and a load of 13,166 kilos of fish. While descending to Leticia-Alfredo Vásquez Cobo Airport, the crew was informed about the weather conditions at destination with a visibility down to 4 km with local patches of fog. On approach, the crew asked ATC to improve the runway lights intensity as the runway 21 is not equipped with approach lights. On short final, at a height of about 150 feet, the aircraft collided with a television antenna and crashed in a wooded area located 3,7 km short of runway 21, bursting into flames. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all six occupants were killed.
British Caledonian DC-10-30 G-BFGI seen taxiing for departure to London-Gatwick on April 25, 1980.
G-BFGI, started flying for B'Cal in November 1978. She is listed dismantled at Jakarta, Indonesia, in Avient colors in 2012.
April 25, 1980 and I photographed this Air Jamaica Douglas DC-9-32 beginning its taxi from the ramp at IAH.
6Y-JGB, a Douglas DC-9-32, started flying for Air Canada in January 1969. She is scrapped at Mojave in US Airways colors in February 20, 2006.
Next day, we returned to Miami on National flight 38, which was operated by their Douglas DC-10-10, N64NA.
- The End -