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How lucky was I to take an SO Martin 404 flight from ATL to ABY in 1974! This is a shot taken from the ATL observation deck, back before airports considered all passengers potential terrorists. From the DC9 in the background you can see that SO was just starting to repaint to the modern look, but there were plenty of DC9s in the traditional SO paint scheme in 1974. The Martins would never wear the new look and in fact were withdrawn from service a few months after this shot was taken, replaced by the cramped Metroliners.
Comments
A great set of pics here, N-C. Remember the days of observation decks? A dime to walk thru the turnstile and for just a thin dime the sights and sounds were right there to enjoy. TYVVM for sharing these old snaps. Bravos.
Gary, I certainly share your reminiscing regarding those bygone observation decks! This snapshot of Southern Airway's Martin 4-0-4 Aristocrat certainly brings back memories too! Photo uploader "n9341c" is "spot on" about Southern's DC-9 fleet transitioning to a new livery from one similar to what the 4-0-4 is wearing.
n9341c... it's possible those Southern Airways Martin 4-0-4 aircraft kept flying on the "Route of the Aristocrats" for a few more years after your outstanding photo was snapped at ATL.
Wikipedia has an entry under Southern Airways that states, "The last scheduled flight by a Martin was on 20 April 1978 from Atlanta to Gadsden, Alabama and back"... that info is credited to: "Killion, Gary L, The Martinliners, Airways International Inc, 1998, ISBN 0-9653993-2-X".
However, I certainly recall seeing the Martin 4-0-4 airliners land and takeoff while providing passenger service to GLH through the early 1970's... also, with concurrent DC-9 jet service starting in the very late 1960's... and what eventually seemed to be exclusively Southern's DC-9 service at that location. I'm sure those Metroliners came too... but I was no longer there and missed seeing them.
Wikipedia has an entry under Southern Airways that states, "The last scheduled flight by a Martin was on 20 April 1978 from Atlanta to Gadsden, Alabama and back"... that info is credited to: "Killion, Gary L, The Martinliners, Airways International Inc, 1998, ISBN 0-9653993-2-X".
However, I certainly recall seeing the Martin 4-0-4 airliners land and takeoff while providing passenger service to GLH through the early 1970's... also, with concurrent DC-9 jet service starting in the very late 1960's... and what eventually seemed to be exclusively Southern's DC-9 service at that location. I'm sure those Metroliners came too... but I was no longer there and missed seeing them.
Nice pic and thanks for posting the Martin.
Cliff - we flew the M404 well into the eighties at PBA in New England and FL.
I took this shot in the early eighties outside the hangar in KHYA;
http://flightaware.com/photos/view/828498-ba6ae5d02d2fb8b59bb39a9e57e6d9e481a4ade1/user/davesheehy/sort/votes/page/3
Cliff - we flew the M404 well into the eighties at PBA in New England and FL.
I took this shot in the early eighties outside the hangar in KHYA;
http://flightaware.com/photos/view/828498-ba6ae5d02d2fb8b59bb39a9e57e6d9e481a4ade1/user/davesheehy/sort/votes/page/3
Thanks, Dave, for the info. I enjoyed seeing the photo you posted earlier of the PBA Martin 404. The first airline stewardess I ever saw lightly descended down the steps of the rear stairway on a Martin 404 at GLH. I never forgot how ethereally beautiful she seemed to appear to me. Circa 1969... before they became "flight attendants".
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