Things in the Sky

The answers you’ve all been waiting for. Thank you all for entering! Congratulations to Cody Hargreaves, the winner of the FlightMemory membership!

1. The airline name Volaris is a combination of two words, what are they?

   Volar, the Spanish verb for “to fly” and Polaris, the north star.

2. Name one of Delta’s former LCC brands.

   Song and Delta Express would be acceptable answers.

3. When I mention the “bowling shoe” livery, what airline do you think of?

   Northwest’s old livery!

4. The MD-95 is more commonly known as what?

   The Boeing 717.

5. What United States carrier is the launch customer for all of the aircraft it currently flies?

   Southwest was the launch customer for the 737-300, -500, and -700. I have also since learned that ExpressJet would be a valid answer for this question as well.

Apparently, a real prize is a good motivator! I received more entries than last month, and there were eight winners with the correct answers (listed below). By random drawing, Martin Rottler was selected as the winner of the FlightMemory Premium Membership. Congratulations, Martin!

1. What United States carrier was the launch customer for the 737-900? Alaska.
2. What airline had the callsign “Blue Ridge” and what became of it? Atlantic Coast Airlines, which became Independence Air and died off.
   
3. How can one easily distinguish an E-145XR from a regular E-145? The former has winglets.
4. What does BOAC stand for? British Overseas Airways Corporation.
5. At what airport was this photo taken? (Hint: It’s famous for spotting!) SXM/TNCM St. Maarten’s Princess Juliana International Airport. (Fortunately I will be there next month!)

Thanks for playing, everyone! Until next month…

OK, so we have a few winners: John Mathew, Jon Heckman, and Ben Schlappig. Like last month, Courtney Miller wins for most snark. Congratulations to Ben, Brett Snyder, Courtney, and Jon for also getting the bonus correct.

1. What airline flies the “Salmon-Thirty-Salmon,” and what is the aircraft’s registration?

   Alaska, and the registration is N972AS. You can see a picture here.

2. Fill in the blank: “If it an’t a ______, I ain’t going!”

   Boeing

3. What was the name of US Airways’ failed LCC?

   MetroJet

4. What does ATIS stand for, and what is the frequency for the ATIS at PVD?

   Automatic Terminal Information Service, 124.2. Court notes, however, that “Rhode Island is so small they just play it on a loud speaker and all pilots can hear it.”

5. If I had a flight on a “jungle jet,” what company manufactured the aircraft?

   Embraer

6. Bonus: Why is the aircraft that has this wing unique? (Hint: I took this photo last year, shortly after takeoff from Madrid to a European hub. Look for what’s missing. )

This picture was taken on a flight between MAD and CDG on an Air France A320-100. The -100s lack the disctinctive winglet/wingtip fence/tortilla chip that other A320s have. Only 21 were ever produced, and I think only 11 remain in service, all with Air France.

Thanks to everyone who played the first game. We had three winners: Brett Snyder, Courtney Miller, and Martin Rottler.

1. What airline does the phrase “flying meatball” make you think of?
   The phrase is a reference to Continental’s old livery.
2. How can one tell if a US Airways A320-family aircraft (delivered before the merger) came from America West or US Airways?
   One way to check is the registration. America West birds have registratoins that end in AW, while US Airways has a few. In addition, America West aircraft have IAE engines while US Airways aircraft have CFM engines.
3. Which carrier uses “Rhapsody in Blue” as its theme song?
   United.
4. Why would an airline want to make its 757s look more like Tu-204s? (Hint: There can be a couple answers to this one, but they all involve one thing.)
   The 757 looks a lot like the Tu-204 in general, but they look even more similar when blended winglets are added to save fuel. Court suggested that “it’s a ploy by the communists to take over the airline industry one 757 at a time.”
5. Why does it make sense that Republic Airlines uses “Brickyard” as its callsign?
   Republic is based in Indianapolis, home of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (and the Indy 500), also known as the Brickyard.