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Aviation History
1964
1964 - 2067.PDF
88 FLIGHT International, 16 July 1964 AIR COM MERCE INSTANT AIR TRANSPORT ••FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL" PHOTOGRAPHS IF you did not hear the beginning of thisrecording," said the Eastern AirLines girl's voice, "it will be repeated." We were in Washington, we had to get to New York quickly, and we had dialled Eastern's Flite Line 836-7100 for information. The voice told us the times of the Air Shuttle departures for Boston and New York ("on the hour every hour"), confirmed that all movements were on schedule. No questions. It was a good job we didn't want to ask about special arrangements for, say, four elephants that we may have wished to take to New York, but no matter. This recording had probably saved Eastern the cost of 300 telephonists; and anyway it seemed an appropriate introduction to do-it-yourself air transport. Even the pilots' ATC clearances —like flight information—are of the do-it- yourself kind. Sign observed at the end of Runway 15 at Washington National airport: "UNLESS CLEARED OTHERWISE FOLLOW POTOMAC RIVER UNTIL [1500FT ALT] THEN TURN ON COURSE." Eastern's fleet of otherwise uncompetitive Super Connies bear the brunt of the shuttle services, helped out by DC-7BS and the occasional Electra. The aircraft interiors, which we half expected to be a bit rough, are spotlessly clean and the upholstery, trim and window reveals as good as new. Eastern's unique Air Shuttle has been running for three years now, and it is the ultimate in simple, easy-to-use air transport. J.M.R.
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