Air Plane Photos 2013: Airplane Travel

Airplane Travel

Source(www.google.com.pk)

The Travel Air Manufacturing Company was an aircraft manufacturer established in Wichita, Kansas in the United States in January 1925 by Clyde Cessna, Walter Beech, and Lloyd Stearman.

The company initially built a series of sporting and training open-cockpit biplanes, including the Model A, Model B, Model BH, and Model BW. (renumbered so that A = 1000, B = 2000, BH = 3000, BW = 4000). Other types included the 5000 and 6000 high wing cabin monoplanes and the CW / 7000 mailplane.

The A differed in some minor details such as lacking the overhanging Fokker style ailerons that gave the rest of the series the nickname Wichita Fokker (not present on all of the later models though), while the B, BH and BW differed only in the engine installed - the A and B had a Curtiss OX-5, the BH had a Hispano Suiza V-8, the BW had a Wright radial (of various types) though other radials would be installed later (especially after it became the 4000). Aside from the Wichita Fokkers seen in such movies as Howard Hughes' Hell's Angels, likely the most famous of the open cockpit biplanes was N434N, a D4D (the ultimate derivative of the BW) painted in Pepsi colours for airshow and skywriting use which survives in the National Air & Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy annex. A second, backup D4D, N434P, used by Pepsi in later years to supplement and fill-in for the original aircraft, is housed in the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, California. N434P is the aircraft pictured at right.

The Travel Air 5000 was a Clyde Cessna designed aircraft ordered in small numbers for National Air Transport. Two were custom built long range endurance aircraft similar in concept to Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis. Woolaroc, flown by Art Gobel won the disastrous Dole Air Race from Oakland, California to Hawaii in which the majority of contestants disappeared at sea or otherwise died attempting the crossing.[1]

Travel Air then produced the model 6000, a five or six-seat high-wing cabin monoplane intended for airline use, and for very wealthy private owners. In 1928, National Air Transport operated the Type 6000 on their mail and passenger routes from Chicago to Dallas, Kansas City and New York.[2] Two Travel Air 6000 were purchased by the Paraguayan government during the Chaco War (1932–1935) for the Transport Squadron of its Air Arm. These planes belonged to TAT with the registrations NC624K (c/n 6B-2011) and NC9815 (c/n 6B-1029); They received the military serials T-2 and T-5 (later reserialled as T-9). The planes were intensively used during the conflict as air ambulances. They both survived the war and continued flying in the Air Arm. In 1945, they were transferred to the first Paraguayan Airline, Líneas Aéreas de Transporte Nacional (LATN) and received the civil registrations ZP-SEC and ZP-SED. They were withdrawn from use in 1947.

The CH or 7000 found little success but ended up in Alaska as an early bushplane with an enclosed cabin for the cargo or passengers. Unfortunately the pilot was not given the protection of the cabin but sat behind it in an open cockpit.

Travel Air was also responsible for a series of very successful racing aircraft, which due to Travel Air being extremely secretive, were named Mystery Ships by the press. The Mystery Ships dominated the racing circuit for several years and had the distinction of being faster than anything the US military had on strength. Its renown led to one example being sold to the Italians which inspired the design of a racing aircraft and the Breda Ba.27 fighter.

The company was forced into liquidation in August 1929 by the drop in sales caused by the Great Depression. The company's assets were purchased by the Curtiss-Wright corporation,[3] which continued to manufacture some of the Travel Air designs though they were renumbered again so that the 4000 became the 4, the 6000 became the 6. Additional types that had been close to production number from 8 to 16 were built while under Curtiss-Wright management such as the Curtiss-Wright CW-12. which in various marks was sold to several South American countries.

One of the founders of Travel Air was Walter H. Beech who quit shortly after it was amalgamated into Curtiss Wright and later formed the Beechcraft company where he would continue the numbering sequence with the Beechcraft 17 Staggerwing.

Powder Puff Derby[edit source | editbeta]

In August 1929, the first Women's Air Derby was held. Of the 20 entrants in the Women's Air Derby, otherwise known as "the Powder Puff Derby", seven flew Travel Airs and it was Louise Thaden who won the Santa Monica, Calif., to Cleveland race. Opal Kunz finished eighth. The other five Travel Airs were flown by Pancho Barnes, Claire Fahy, Marvel Crosson, Mary von Mack and Blanche Noyes.

That there was overt sexism shown against this group of women was obvious from the first. One of the odd qualifications was that the aircraft would have to have horsepower “appropriate for a woman.” Opal Kunz was told her airplane was too fast for a woman to handle, and had to get another aircraft or stay out of the race. “…Though Opal Kunz owned and flew her own 300 horse power Travel Air, it was disallowed since it was deemed by the judges to be “too fast for a woman to fly.” With $25,000.00 in prize money at stake, she bought a lower powered Travel Air to race with.”[4]

On most modern airlines, flying standby occurs when a passenger travels on a flight without a prior reservation for that specific flight. There are two circumstances in which passengers typically fly standby. First, a missed flight may require a passenger to fly standby on the next flight to the same destination, as he or she now lacks a reservation. Secondly, a passenger may arrive at the airport early (whether accidentally or on purpose) and wish to take an earlier flight listed for that day. He or she will then attempt to travel standby on the earlier flight, and failing that, proceed to take his or her booked flight. This is referred to in the industry as "go-show".

Standby can also occur for upgrades. Many airlines (particularly in the United States) give free space available domestic upgrades to First Class for their elite tier fliers. If first class sells out or upgrades full with higher-tiered passengers, elite fliers can standby for a first class seat, should one open up due to a cancellation, no-show, misconnect, irregular operations or an equipment change. If a passenger clears for an upgrade, they may be given new boarding passes at the gate. Some airlines, such as Delta and United, have gateside monitors that show the upgrade (as well as general) standby list, and will also announce when First Class checks in full (i.e., no further upgrades will be given).

History[edit source | editbeta]

Airline employees and some of their family and friends may also travel standby, often at discounted fares or free of charge. They usually have lower priority than regular passengers and are only allocated a seat after all passengers paying a regular fare have been allocated seats. It can even happen that an employee traveling standby takes his or her seat on the aircraft, but is then asked to vacate it to make way for a regular passenger.

Travelers get themselves onto the standby list by speaking to a ticket agent or a gate agent. Almost always, this must occur in person at the airport, and not over the phone. When the flight is boarding, any unclaimed or available seats will be given to those passengers on the standby list, who must wait at the gate to be called. Any passengers on the list who are not given seats are rolled into the standby list for the next flight. Passengers on the standby list are typically given priority based on how much they paid for their tickets and their relative status in the airline's frequent flyer program.

A person who paid full fare will have higher priority than someone who purchased a 21-day advance fare[citation needed]. Some low-cost carriers, Southwest Airlines in particular, have policies that only allow full fares to standby. This means that if one purchased a discounted airfare, like a web-only fare or 14-day advance ticket, one would be ineligible to fly standby unless he or she upgraded his or her ticket to a full-fare (unless the original Southwest Airlines flight is delayed, in which case no upgrade would be necessary).[citation needed]

While standby for earlier flights began as a free service on many airlines, as of April 2010, most US airlines charge for unconfirmed standby, with a USD 50-75 fee being standard.[citation needed] Currently, United Airlines charges a USD 75 fee for standby travel to all passengers except passengers on full fare tickets, 1K passengers, Global Services passengers and premium cabin passengers. American Airlines restricts free standby to passengers who have elite status or fully refundable tickets, and charges a USD 75 fee for all other passengers who wish to secure a confirmed standby seat within 12 hours of their desired flight time.[1] In all cases, distressed passengers,