C-FAWE, Propair’s only Gulfstream I. It was U/S at CYUY. Photo: Bernie Leighton | AirlineReporter
In between scheduled flights, I found a Propair employee. I asked him all of one question: “Can I take a look around the Gulfstream?”
His answer, as far as I could tell, was yes.
A classic Boeing 737-200 seen in Sky Airlines livery. Photo by alobos flickr.
You don’t see too many Boeing 737-200s flying around the world much anymore and especially one with such a cool looking livery. When I recently landed at Comodoro Arturo Merino Benàtez International Airport (SCL) in Santiago, Chile, this livery caught my eye.
Sky Airline (notice the lack of an “s”) is based at SCL and was founded in 2001. It is Chile’s second largest airline and is considered a low-cost carrier. The airline mostly operates domestically, but has international routes to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Peru.
The airline operates a fleet of Airbus A319s, A320s and is in the processes of phasing out the classic Boeing 737-200.
I seem to be a sucker for a blue/green livery and with the swooping line and palm trees on the tail, it looks slick. Although I am sure the passenger experience will improve with the elimination of the 737-200 from the fleet, it is a bit sad from the AvGeek perspective.
Sierra Pacific Airlines Boeing 737-200 taken at Boeing Field (BFI). Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren.
I am always game for an airline in the US operating with a few classic Boeing 737-200s. It is rare to find one still operating in the US and soon, it will surely be impossible.
Sierra Pacific Airlines was founded in 1971 and currently operates two 737-200s (N703S and N712S) out of their base in Tucson, AZ. The airline runs charters and sub-charters for other airlines, while also running flights for the US Forest Service, US Military and the US Marshals.
Like most classic airliners, comes a classic livery and Sierra Pacific is no different. The livery rocks that cheat-line that is not seen on many of today’s modern jets.
Seeing this livery next to others a bit more modern, it comes up a bit short. Yet seeing it as an historical package, how can one not like it?
One of Air Inuit Boeing 737-200s (C-GMAI) taken in Montreal. CLICK FOR LARGER.
Air Inuit was founded in November 1978 and is based in Dorval, Quebec, Canada. The airline operates north — way north into Nunavik and Nunavut. Many of their destinations are isolated and cut off from the rest of the world. The airline becomes an integral part of many communities being able to survive.
When Air Inuit started operating up north, there was almost no aviation infrastructure and the airline had to get creative. From their website:
“When we first began flying to remote communities along our coasts, we faced many unique challenges. In the beginning, winter ice strips were built with community participation. In summer, improvised tundra strips had to be marked out. Dispatchers or pilots often radioed ahead, alerting the people to illuminate the community’s landing strip with the headlights of their ATV’s or snowmobiles.”
Today, Air Inuit operates a diverse fleet of older aircraft including the: DHC6 Twin Otter, Avro 748, Boeing 737-200 combi (be sure to catch the ski gravel deflector on the front landing gear), Dash 8 and King Air.
The photo shown on this post highlights Air Inuit’s new “goose livery.” Their older livery was not too shabby with some simple lines, but this new one is pretty darn slick and the orange really stands out against the snow.
Are you able to see the three geese on the tail?
Edit: Thanks to reader Ken Fielding for pointing out the gravel deflector not being a ski, “Airlines operating regularly into gravel strips, as Air Inuit do, fit them to stop the nosewheel kicking up stones which can be ingested by the engines. Quite a few MD-80’s had them fitted too for the same reason.”
Image: J P Gosselin
I do not know what is cooler: the classic flight attendant uniform or the Boeing 737-200 flying overhead. I wonder how many takes this took to get it right and if she had any hearing left. Enjoy this Southwest Airlines commercial from 1972.
UPDATE:
Brian Lunsk, Southwest Airlines Corporate Historian and Nuts About Southwest Blogger, left a comment with a bit more information on the video: “This commercial was filmed at the former Connally Air Force Base in Waco. I’m not sure how many takes were involved, but Southwest wouldn’t let our own Employees stand there. The woman in the Hot Pants is a model. It was produced by the former Bloom Agency of Dallas and one of the production crew involved on the shoot was Donald Bellisario, the creator of Magnum, PI, Quantum Leap, JAG, and currently NCIS.” — Thanks Brian!