MDC would get the next order as (11) 100-passenger DC-9-31’s were purchased (actually just was purchased while the remaining would be leased) to be added to the already (5) on order from West Coast and Bonanza. With Denver now a soon to be adopted new addition, the Boeing 727-200 would be the perfect aircraft for Air West.Īn $12 million order for (2) 158-passengerħ27-293’s, was signed with an option for (4) additional 727-200’s. Air West’s CEO Nick Bez was a big fan of Boeing, as he had a front seat to Boeing’s impressive growth since WCA was based at Boeing Field Airport.
aircraft purchases and would take all (6) of the Pacific 737’s, though legally the first (2) were ‘delivered’ to Pacific. Luckily, the British Leasing company, GATX-Armco-Boothe, which had a U.S office in San Francisco, was expanding it’s U.S. While WCA and Bonanza were already operating theĭC-9 Srs 10’s and had both had ordered the Srs 30’s (WCA-2 & Bonanza-3), Pacific’s first of (6) 737-293’s was nearly complete (the 737’s were so close to being delivered that Pacific and Bonanza senior mechanics were in Boeing’s 737 school!).
In February 1968, Air West met with both MDC and The tail and on the ‘Billboard’ style fuselage titles. The (4) 2-color combinations would be worn on “The Great Northwest”-Blue Water/Green Trees, “California Golden Hills”-Blue Ocean/Brown Mountains, “Great Southwest Desert”-Gold/Brown Land & Red-Orange Sun and The “Fiesta Colors” of Mexico-Pink/Orange. Were chosen to represent (4) distinct regions.
#Hughes airwest crash impact with terrain series#
The latter would be under the watchful eye of Nick Bez Jr., Air West’s new Executive VP and the San Francisco based McCann Erickson Agency.Īccording to a former account executive, a aerial photographer was hired and flew throughout the new Air West system and from that, a series of ‘colors’ The Air West route system would cover 28% of the contiguous land area in the U.S., serve (100) cities through (80) airports with a population of over (28) million, including (11) National Parks.ĭeciding the aircraft requirements for theĬombined fleet for the new Air West took place simultaneously with creating the new color scheme. ‘Air West’ would become a true ‘Regional’ airline covering the western 3rd of the U.S. The unprecedented 3-way merger with a number of new routes, the most important being Denver which had been on the former Pacific Airlines’ applications since 1959. The CAB Examiners went out of their way to help West”, the name being taken from WCA’s own company’s Newsletter, filed it’s application with the CAB on Septemand just 7-months later, it was approved by the CAB, a then all-time record for expediting a move of this type! Robert Henry departed the airline and became the President at Pacific Airlines in July, 1967 that Bonanza, became the 3rd member of the planned merger. In April 1967, a ‘handshake’ agreement was reached between West Coast and Pacific Airlines, as Bonanza was not involved at this point, since they were actually the most profitable of the three. He had built West Coast Airlines and was well ‘connected’ in the political world. Merger would be Nick Bez (Nikola Bezmalinovic). The most important figure in the 3-airline The CAB was under growing pressure by Washington to get out of the airline subsidy business altogether. According to a CAB official ” the merger would provide substantial advantages in terms of increased service to the public and economics of operation with a subsequent reduction in subsidy”. ‘attempted’ mergers during the 1950’s but inġ967, the timing finally fit everyone’s needs. Pacific (formerly Southwest) had been involved in several The 3-airlines involved West Coast, Bonanza and Robert Henry-Edmund Converse-Nick Bez-David The first of these would turn out to be the most difficult, a 3-way merger! For the CAB, this would begin a period of encouraging mergers to help reduce ‘subsidy’ payments in exchange for awarding new Trunk routes, creating new ‘Regional’ airlines. The new jets would prove to be much more expensive to operate and need ‘longer’ routes to improve the economics. The new Twin-Jets, those available and others still on the drawing board, would change the face of “Local Service” airlines. John Evanich who is one of AirlinerCafe’s editors spent a lot of time doing research on our Hughes Airwest Facebook group before doing this really great article on Air West. is another one of those slick online magazines dedicated to the aviation industry.
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