Contrails to Honolulu - Continental Airlines Boeing 747-100

[RStretton]

Another recent arrival of mine. I'd had a hole in my CO fleet for a 747 for sometime but had shied away from getting the Jet-X version as the photos in the db didn't make it look too nice. I finally relented after giving up on finding any Bigbirds (they seem so rare almost never showing up in Waffle's collection sales) and am very glad I did as this year 2000 produced model is actually a real beauty plus CO's 747s have a great history to go with them.

By 1970 Continental was gearing up for its new Hawaiian services and purchased four 747s to operate them. All were equipped with luxurious bars and lounges with only 290 seats in 5 spaces. The experiment was not a financial success however and all of the 747s were sold by 1974 replaced by DC-10s. Continental would regain 747s in 1987 when it took over PeoplExpress. Converted to a freighter this aircraft joined the Iranian Air Force as 5-289 then 5-8810. She was leased to World Airways in 1978 as N750WA and then saw leases to Flying Tigers (N809FT 78-80) and Avianca (HK-2900X 82-88) Back with Tigers as N822FT she became part of the FedEx fleet in 1989 as N630FE before sale in 1993 to Southern Air as N630SJ. Her last operator was Polar Air Cargo from 1994 to 2001 as N855FT ‘Peter Beckett’.

Dragon did a red meatball version on the same mould (and a PX hybrid) which I'm also now tempted by - but I don't have anymore room for CO 747s!

[fleetlordatvar]

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Dragon did a red meatball version on the same mould (and a PX hybrid) which I'm also now tempted by - but I don't have anymore room for CO 747s!

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No more room? Are you really a "collector"

[RStretton]

No more room? Are you really a "collector"

See my other thread with my CO fleet - there's just about enough room for a 727-200.

[DeltaFlyte]

I was just a little tyke when Continental acquired their 747's and DC-10's. My family flew on them often between ORD-LAX-HNL. Attached are their Brochures showing the Pub's onboard the aircraft at that time.

[DeltaFlyte]

I won't touch any Continental model with the "Red Contrail" tail logo as it has come to represent the "Angry Red Eye of Frank Lorenzo. He single handedly destroyed Company Morale while holding the reigns as CEO at Continental following his agenda of Union Busting, Wage Concessions, and the Strip Mining of Eastern Airlines for their A300 Fleet and EWR Hub. Company morale was so bad it reflected poorly on Continental's Service overall. Even with everything Mr. Lorenzo did to build up Continental Airlines, the airline was bleeding cash having ran off many of their Customers due to dirt poor unreliable service. Following Bankruptcy proceedings, the Department of Justice required that Frank Lorenzo retire indefinitely, and that he was never to hold any position or investment in any airline from that day forward.

Needless to say, Continental survived Bankruptcy and came out of it sporting a new livery thus eliminating the "Angry Red Eye of Frank Lorenzo" once and for all. Attached are the Delivery Seating Charts for Continental's DC-10-10 and 747-224B's, back when the Black Contrail Logo prevailed before Mr. Lorenzo got his hands on the helm as CEO; back when Inflight Service was impeccable and set the standard for all U.S. Domestic Airlines while known as the "Proud Birds with the Golden Tail".

[RStretton]

Thanks for that DeltaFlyte - those ar efabulous seating arrangements. I understand the depth of feeling towards Lorenzo. Being a Brit (marooned in NZ) I can look back on it with a purely historical perspective but I can certainly understand and don't agree with Lorenzo's actions.