@dave-fulton13 years ago
Greensboro, NC airport.. 1981, Osterlund/Earnhardt Pointiac showcar. Jim, I used to know what kind of aircraft, but forget. We had two of them. Flew them back and forth from Greensboro to our plants in Puerto Rico taking down denim and bringing back jeans.. Then they were licensed to carry general cargo, flying a lot of electronics out of Puerto Rico. One eventually crashed at Boston Logan Airport sometime between late 80s-mid 90s, I believe,when landing gear wouldn't deploy. There were AP wire photos at the time and some might exist in Boston newspaper archives.
@dave-fulton13 years ago
Jim, I am finding information that the two Wrangler cargo planes (Blue Bell, Inc. Aviation) were Canadair CL-44s and the one pictured above was scrapped in Puerto Rico and the other was scrapped in North Carolina. You might check this website: http://www.oldprops.ukhome.net/Canadair%20CL44.htm , then also click on the Photos & Census scetion at the bottom of the page. You'll see the tail numbers of the two Wrangler aircraft listed in the North American Section.
@dave-fulton13 years ago The plane pictured above is the other Wrangler CL-44, tail #N106BB The plane pictured in the postcard (and the photo below) tail # N100BB crashed at Boston Logan Airport on January 1, 1986 when the landing gear collapsed, but was later repaired.
@dave-fulton13 years ago
That's fascinating stuff, Jim. Took older grandson to that Charlotte Aviation Museum in the spring. Pretty small (I think the former Wachovia hangar), but he fell in love with the DC-3, though not a Piedmont aircraft originally ispainted in Piedmont livery and was used for exhibitions by them. I told him the first time I ever flew was in the early 60s on a DC-3 from Richmond to Danville. I miss Piedmond and personally had hoped they'd take the offer from Norfolk-Southern, rather than Allegheny.
@laverne-zachary13 years ago
I do remember the name Canadair and was told they had RR engines.Thestory I do remember was thatthey could fly to Puerto Ricoand the trip was only about an hour longer than a jet but they consumed about half the fuel of a jet.At the time I worked for a fork lift dealership in Greensboro and the guys from Blue Bell bought a lot of parts from us.One of them told me to come out to the airport sometime so one day at lunch I took my camera and headed over.The attached pictures were in my slides that I recently found.Hope everyone has enjoyed.I know I am enjoying the conservation they started!!!
Greensboro, NC airport.. 1981, Osterlund/Earnhardt Pointiac showcar. Jim, I used to know what kind of aircraft, but forget. We had two of them. Flew them back and forth from Greensboro to our plants in Puerto Rico taking down denim and bringing back jeans.. Then they were licensed to carry general cargo, flying a lot of electronics out of Puerto Rico. One eventually crashed at Boston Logan Airport sometime between late 80s-mid 90s, I believe,when landing gear wouldn't deploy. There were AP wire photos at the time and some might exist in Boston newspaper archives.
Jim, I am finding information that the two Wrangler cargo planes (Blue Bell, Inc. Aviation) were Canadair CL-44s and the one pictured above was scrapped in Puerto Rico and the other was scrapped in North Carolina. You might check this website: http://www.oldprops.ukhome.net/Canadair%20CL44.htm , then also click on the Photos & Census scetion at the bottom of the page. You'll see the tail numbers of the two Wrangler aircraft listed in the North American Section.
That's fascinating stuff, Jim. Took older grandson to that Charlotte Aviation Museum in the spring. Pretty small (I think the former Wachovia hangar), but he fell in love with the DC-3, though not a Piedmont aircraft originally ispainted in Piedmont livery and was used for exhibitions by them. I told him the first time I ever flew was in the early 60s on a DC-3 from Richmond to Danville. I miss Piedmond and personally had hoped they'd take the offer from Norfolk-Southern, rather than Allegheny.
I do remember the name Canadair and was told they had RR engines.Thestory I do remember was thatthey could fly to Puerto Ricoand the trip was only about an hour longer than a jet but they consumed about half the fuel of a jet.At the time I worked for a fork lift dealership in Greensboro and the guys from Blue Bell bought a lot of parts from us.One of them told me to come out to the airport sometime so one day at lunch I took my camera and headed over.The attached pictures were in my slides that I recently found.Hope everyone has enjoyed.I know I am enjoying the conservation they started!!!