Yester Year

The non-stop flight will operate three days a week.

• The first six Next-Generation Boeing 737-800s of a 49 aircraft order placed by Turkish Airlines (THY) in 1997 were accepted in a formal ceremony at Istanbul’s Attaturk Airport on November 4. The aircraft departed from Seattle at halfhour intervals to enable them to participate in celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the Turkish Republic.

• Attacks by US and UK air forces against Iraq on November 15 were averted with minutes to spare following Saddam Hussein’s back-down to allow unconditional cooperation with UNSCOM weapons inspectors.

Six USAF B-52H bombers from Barksdale AFB were due to launch cruise missiles in 14 minutes, while USN F-14s and F/A-18s from the USS Dwight D Eisenhower and F-16s and A‑10s flying from Kuwait were airborne. RAF Tornado GR. 1 crews were ordered to abort their mission as they were about to board their aircraft.

25 Years Ago

• The next two aircraft carriers for the USN will be the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) and the USS George Washington (CVN-73). They are scheduled for commissioning in 1989 and 1991 respectively.

• The government of Kuwait has placed an order for 12 British Aerospace Hawk Mk. 64s to replace the Kuwait Air Force’s BAC Strikemaster Mk. 83s.

Hawk orders now total 301 comprising 175 for the RAF and 126 for export, while another 309 will fill a USN requirement.

• The UK’s largest civil aircraft order in more than 20 years was placed by Pacific Southwest Airlines on November 16. The order is for 20 British Aerospace BAe 146-200s plus a further 25 options. PSA said the 146 was selected as it was the only aircraft to satisfy their needs for fuel efficiency, low operating costs and lowest possible noise levels. BAe 146 orders now stand at 38 plus 45 options.

• McDonnell Douglas announced on November 11 that as a result of the current depressed state of the worldwide airline industry, work will cease on the proposed MD-90 shortbody version of the MD-80 and the MD-100 advanced derivative of the DC‑10.

• Fokker launched two new airliner programs on November 25, the 25th anniversary of the handover of the first production Fokker F27 Friendship to Aer Lingus at Schiphol, Amsterdam.

The 50 passenger re-engined Fokker 50 has the same dimensions and shape of the Friendship Mk. 500, while the Fokker 100 accommodating about 100 passengers is a re-engined and stretched development of the F28 Fellowship

50 Years Ago

• The 704th and last of the Douglas DC-6 to be built, the 288th DC-6B, YU-AFB, was delivered to the Yugoslavian state airline JAT-Jugoslovenski Aerotransport in California on November 17.

• Aer Lingus has taken delivery of the first production Fokker F27 Friendship, EI-AKA Fionntan (St Fintan).

• BOAC’s Lockheed Constellations have now been cocooned and are awaiting disposal following the last scheduled service of the type operated by G-ANTG Bournemouth on October 6.

• Pan American has been refused permission to operate its Boeing 707-120s into Rome and Milan because the Italian government is concerned they might “lower the safety level”. The government says the airports are too crowded to accommodate aircraft such as the 707 but it will allow the Comet 4 to operate.

• A request by the Cuban government to the UK to purchase 15 Hawker Sea Furies has so far been unanswered. It is believed political complications have arisen through the public appeal by the rebel leader Fidel Castro to the British Prime Minister to not allow the sale to proceed.

• Minister for Defence Athol Townley has announced the sale of 40 Mk. 2A Jindivik pilotless target aircraft to the UK to be used on British missile testing ranges. The quoted price of £1 million for the order indicates that price will cover the basic airframe and some other components from Australia, while the Viper engines and Elliott instrumentation, and their assembly by Fairey Aviation, will be carried out in the UK.