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53-706: The airline was founded by Arthur Burns "Pappy" Chalk , and started ad-hoc charter operations as the Red Arrow Flying Service in 1917 flying a floatplane . After "Pappy" Chalk served in the Army Air Service in World War I , he returned to Miami and commenced scheduled service between Miami and Bimini in the Bahamas in February 1919 as Chalk's Flying Service . Chalk's first base was

106-592: A "100 Days" advertising campaign, in which it promised to "become a little bit better every day". The ads were conceived by advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather in New York, and started being broadcast on June 17, 1990 during the prime-time hours in 33 markets around the United States. The ads featured Martin Shugrue, the airline's court-appointed trustee. While the campaign helped the company increase by 73%

159-519: A Chalk's seaplane, N2974. In one of the final scenes of the motion picture Silence of the Lambs , Dr Frederick Chilton is seen disembarking a Chalk's aircraft in Bimini, where Hannibal Lecter is waiting to "have him for dinner". A Chalks plane also makes an appearance at the end of the movie 'After The Sunset' with Pierce Brosnan and Salma Hayek's characters embracing as they stand next to it. Chalk's fleet

212-595: A beach umbrella on the Miami shore of Biscayne Bay . In 1926 a landfill island, Watson Island , was created in Biscayne Bay close to Miami. Chalk's built an air terminal there, and operated from the island for the next 75 years. During Prohibition , Chalk's was a major source of alcohol smuggled from the Bahamas to the United States. Pappy Chalk sold the airline to a friend in 1966, but continued to be involved in

265-674: A contract to buy 14 larger Grumman G-111 seaplanes to expand the operation. On December 17, 1999, the airline was relaunched as Chalk's Ocean Airways. In late 2001 following the September 11 attacks , Chalk's was forced to leave its longtime operations base on Watson Island due to security concerns over its proximity to the Port of Miami . Helicopter traffic had also increased around Watson Island. Operations moved to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport , where Chalk's already had its maintenance base. The airline suspended operations after

318-592: A group of investors, who operated the airline under the name Pan Am Air Bridge . In January 1998, Texas -based aircraft lease company Air Alaska purchased 70% of Pan Am Air Bridge, but following the collapse of Air Alaska, Pan Am Air Bridge filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection only a year later on January 11, 1999. James Confalone, a businessman and former Eastern Airlines pilot, purchased Chalk's out of bankruptcy for $ 925,000 on August 2, 1999; it had been reduced to two aircraft and only 35 staff. Confalone bought five additional Grumman Mallard seaplanes and arranged

371-533: A marketing campaign stressing its quality of service and its rank of highly experienced pilots. Unable to keep up, Borman agreed to the sale of the airline in 1986 to Texas Air , led by Frank Lorenzo , which had already purchased Continental Airlines and lost a bidding war for TWA to Carl Icahn . In February 1987, the Federal Aviation Administration imposed a $ 9.5 million fine against Eastern Air Lines for safety violations, which

424-749: A new image was adopted, which included the now famous hockey stick design, officially Caribbean Blue over Ionosphere Blue. Eastern was also the first US carrier to fly the Airbus A300 and the launch customer for the Boeing 757 . On April 30, 1961, Eastern inaugurated Eastern Air Lines Shuttle . Initially 95-seat Lockheed Constellation 1049s and 1049Cs left New York-LaGuardia every two hours, 8 am to 10 pm, to Washington National and to Boston . Flights soon became hourly, 7 am to 10 pm out of each city. No reservations or tickets were required; passengers could pay their fare in cash on board

477-473: A pair of Curtiss Model F and Curtiss Model H floatplanes. Chalk sold the airline in 1966 but remained actively involved until his death in 1977. He died following a fall while pruning a tree at his home in Miami. Eastern Airlines Eastern Air Lines (also colloquially known as Eastern ) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it

530-429: A period of growth and innovation; for a time Eastern was the most profitable airline in the post-war era, never needing state subsidy. In the late 1950s Eastern's position was eroded by subsidies to rival airlines and the arrival of the jet age. On October 1, 1959, Rickenbacker's position as CEO was taken over by Malcolm A. MacIntyre , a brilliant lawyer but a man inexperienced in airline operations.' Rickenbacker's ouster

583-605: A spokesperson, was used until the mid-to-late 1980s. In 1975, Eastern was headquartered at 10 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan . After Frank Borman became president of Eastern Air Lines in late 1975, he moved Eastern's headquarters from Rockefeller Center to Miami-Dade County, Florida . Eastern's massive Atlanta hub was in direct competition with Delta Air Lines , where the two carriers competed heavily to neither's benefit. Delta's less-unionized work force and slowly expanding international route network helped lead it through

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636-429: A weakened airline structure, high fuel prices, an inability to compete after deregulation and other financial problems, Eastern filed for bankruptcy protection on March 9, which allowed Eastern to continue operating on a smaller scale. Lorenzo initially sought a sale of the entire airline, and on April 6, Eastern agreed to be acquired by former Major League Baseball commissioner Peter Uberroth for $ 464 million. However,

689-489: Is currently located) until its contracting route network forced Disney to switch to Delta shortly before Eastern's 1989 bankruptcy filing. The famous "Wings of Man" campaign in the late 1960s was created by advertising agency Young & Rubicam , and restored Eastern's tarnished image until the late 1970s, when former astronaut Frank Borman became president and it was replaced by a new campaign, "We Have To Earn Our Wings Every Day". The new campaign, which featured Borman as

742-664: Is now given to KLM of the Netherlands, founded later in 1919. During 2006 the airline leased conventional Beechcraft 1900 D turboprop commuter land planes from Big Sky Airlines which were later replaced by Saab 340 A and other wet leased aircraft while working with the Federal Aviation Administration to rebuild its fleet of Grumman G-73T Turbine Mallards . As of March 2007 the Chalk's International Airlines fleet comprised: Arthur Burns %22Pappy%22 Chalk Arthur Burns "Pappy" Chalk (September 3, 1888 – May 26, 1977)

795-936: The Caribbean . Delta Air Lines , Eastern's main competitor at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , acquired many of Eastern's Lockheed L-1011 TriStar aircraft. USAir acquired 11 of Eastern's 25 Boeing 757-225 aircraft. Eastern pioneered hourly air shuttle services between New York City , Washington, D.C. , and Boston in 1961 as the Eastern Air Lines Shuttle . It took over Braniff International 's South American routes following Braniff's closure in 1982 and served London Gatwick in 1985 via its McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 "Golden Wings" service. Although Eastern announced on its March 2, 1986 timetable that it intended to initiate service to Madrid , effective May 1, 1986, it never commenced. The only scheduled transatlantic service Eastern provided

848-470: The Miami and New York City areas. Later that month, Delta Air Lines acquired Eastern's gates at Atlanta, and Northwest Airlines acquired Eastern's gates at Washington National. Eastern Air Lines flew many different types of aircraft throughout its history. Several regional and commuter airlines provided passenger feed for Eastern via code sharing agreements with their aircraft liveries reflecting

901-475: The Transport Workers Union (TWU) called a sympathy strike, which effectively shut down the airline's domestic operations. Non-contract employees, including airport gate and ticket counter agents and reservation sales agents, could not honor the strike. Due to the lockout and sympathy strike, cancelled flights resulted in the loss of millions of dollars in revenue. As a result of the strike,

954-623: The "Red Arrow Flying Service" at the dock of the Royal Palm Hotel . He initially operated using a small table under a beach umbrella as his office. His early flights included routes to the Bahamian islands, with his aircraft equipped with floats to facilitate water landings. In 1919, Chalk's operation was renamed Chalk's Flying Service, and he inaugurated regular flights between Miami and the island of Bimini in The Bahamas using

1007-592: The Bahamas as part of this expansion. In 1973, Eastern purchased Caribair (Puerto Rico) , a small airline based in Puerto Rico which operated McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 jets in the Caribbean. Eastern bought the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar and Airbus A300 widebody jets; the former would become known in the Caribbean as El Grandote (the huge one). Although Eastern had purchased four 747s,

1060-553: The Bahamas in late May 2007, but carried only 14 passengers through PBIA that August. Chalk's ceased flying from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after September 3, 2007. After the final report from the Flight 101 crash investigation was released, the United States Department of Transportation revoked the airline's flying authority for scheduled service on September 30, 2007, effectively shutting down

1113-552: The East. At the time, Eastern was the largest corporate employer in the Miami area and remained so after the cuts. John Nordheimer wrote in The New York Times that Eastern's prominence in the Miami area decreased as the city became a finance and trade center with a diversified local economy, instead of one based largely on tourism . During Lorenzo's tenure, Eastern was crippled by severe labor unrest that began long before

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1166-468: The Eastern mainline paint scheme. There were a number of brandings including: Eastern Express, Eastern Atlantis Express, and Eastern Metro Express. LIAT , a Caribbean-based airline, also operated Eastern Partner service. Eastern Express air carriers and their aircraft included: Eastern Atlantis Express was operated by Atlantis Airlines with BAe Jetstream 31 aircraft. Eastern Metro Express

1219-616: The Federal Aviation Administration. The new airline began service through charter and wet-lease flights out of Miami International in late 2014 with Boeing 737-800 jetliners painted in the classic Eastern "hockey stick" livery. The IATA and ICAO codes of the original airline, as well as its callsign, were used by the new iteration of Eastern Air Lines. After a sale to Swift Air , the trademarks were passed on to Eastern Airlines, LLC in 2018. On January 12, 2020, after nearly two decades of being officially defunct,

1272-461: The United States connecting mainly to Houston (IAH). Eric Schmitt of The New York Times said that the services were "a hybrid of late-night, red-eye flights and the barebones People Express approach to service." The holds of the aircraft were reserved for cargo such as express mail, machine tool parts, and textiles. Because of this, the airline allowed each passenger to take up to two carry-on bags. The airline charged $ 10 for each checked bag, which

1325-589: The acquisition. Asked to accept deep cuts in pay and benefits, on March 4, 1989, Lorenzo locked out Eastern's mechanics and ramp service employees, represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). Concerned that Lorenzo's successful breaking of the IAM would do the same to the pilots' and flight attendants' unions, the pilots represented by Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and flight attendants represented by

1378-575: The air carrier subsequently being acquired by Eastern in 1973. In 2011, a group purchased the intellectual property, including trademarks, of Eastern Air Lines and formed the Eastern Air Lines Group. The group announced in early 2014 that it had filed an application with the United States Department of Transportation for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, which will be followed by certification with

1431-651: The airline in the years to come. Lower oil prices failed to materialize and the debt created by this purchase coupled with the Airbus A300 purchases in 1977 contributed to the February 1986 sale to Frank Lorenzo 's Texas Air . At that time, Eastern was paying over $ 700,000 in interest each day before they sold a ticket, fueled, or boarded a single aircraft. Starting about 1985, Eastern offered "Moonlight Specials", with passenger seats on overnight flights scheduled for cargo from thirty freight companies. The flights, which operated between midnight and 7 am, served 18 cities in

1484-611: The airline. Chalk's continued to hold its FAR 121 operating with a part 298 authority in good standing, and sought to add 60-passenger regional jets to its FAR 121 operating licence, but these efforts never came to fruition. Chalk's had claimed to be the oldest continuously operating airline in the world, having begun operations in 1917 and scheduled flights in February 1919, and having only ceased operations for three years due to World War II , two days due to 1992's Hurricane Andrew , and eleven months due to an " at altitude tragedy " on December 19, 2005. The title of oldest operating airline

1537-666: The balance of the fleet. In 1974, Resorts International purchased Chalk's Airlines, which became the primary air carrier to Paradise Island near the Bahamian capital of Nassau , where Resorts International owned and operated hotels and other resort facilities. After Resorts International constructed a short take off and landing ( STOL ) runway on Paradise Island and switched to using STOL-capable de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 turboprop aircraft operated by subsidiary Paradise Island Airlines , it sold Chalk's in 1991 to United Capital Corporation, an Illinois -based investment firm (which

1590-552: The crash of Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101 on December 19, 2005. It had planned to resume flights between Fort Lauderdale and the Bahamas under its earlier name of Chalk's International Airlines on November 9, 2006, but its airworthiness certificate issued by the Bahamas had expired. It resorted to using aircraft " wet leased " from and operated by Big Sky Airlines to operate flights from Fort Lauderdale to Key West and to St. Petersburg, Florida . Chalk's added flights between Palm Beach International Airport (PBIA) and destinations in

1643-464: The daily operations of the airline until he retired in 1975. He died in 1977 at the age of 88. In the early 1970s, Frakes Aviation bought the rights to the aircraft and began a conversion program, replacing the old Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial engines with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turboprops. By 1985 three of Chalk's eight Grumman Mallards had been converted, with five ex-military piston engined Grumman Albatross aircraft making up

Chalk's International Airlines - Misplaced Pages Continue

1696-592: The delivery slots were sold to Trans World Airlines ( TWA ) when Eastern decided to purchase the L-1011. Due to massive delays in the L-1011 program, mainly due to problems with the Rolls-Royce RB211 engines, Eastern leased two Boeing 747-100s from Pan Am between 1970 and 1972 and operated the aircraft between Chicago and San Juan as well as from New York to Miami and San Juan. The RB211 programme might easily have foundered in 1971 if it had not been for

1749-476: The flight. If a plane filled up at departure time, another plane was rolled out to carry any extra passengers. Internationalization began as Eastern opened routes to markets such as Santo Domingo and Nassau, Bahamas . Services from San Juan, Puerto Rico 's Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport were expanded. In 1967, Eastern purchased Mackey Airlines , a small air carrier primarily operating in Florida and

1802-586: The late 1970s and early 1980s, labor disputes and high debt loads strained the company under the leadership of former astronaut Frank Borman . Frank Lorenzo acquired Eastern in 1985 and moved many of its assets to his other airlines, including Continental Airlines and Texas Air Corporation . After continued labor disputes and a crippling strike in 1989, Eastern ran out of money and was liquidated in 1991. American Airlines obtained many of Eastern's routes from Miami International Airport to Latin America and

1855-451: The longer flights, like the non-stops from Chicago and New York City to Miami . The DC-8s were joined in 1962 by the Boeing 720 and in 1964 by the Boeing 727-100 , which Eastern (along with American Airlines and United Airlines ) had helped Boeing to develop. On February 1, 1964, Eastern was the first airline to fly the 727. Shortly after that, "Captain Eddie" Rickenbacker retired and

1908-633: The number of bookings, it did not stop the company from going bankrupt. Ultimately, Eastern Airlines stopped flying at midnight on Saturday, January 19, 1991. The previous evening, company agents, unaware of the decision, continued to take reservations and told callers that the airline was not closing. Following the announcement, 5,000 of the 18,000 employees immediately lost their jobs. Of the remaining employees, reservation agents were told to report to work at their regular times, while other employees were told not to report to work unless asked to do so. The Eastern shutdown eliminated many airline industry jobs in

1961-479: The owner of North American Aviation , purchased Pitcairn. In 1930, Keys changed the company's name to Eastern Air Transport . After being purchased by General Motors and experiencing a change in leadership after the Airmail Act of 1934, the airline became known as Eastern Air Lines. By 1937, Eastern's route system stretched from New York to Washington, Atlanta, and New Orleans, and from Chicago to Miami. In

2014-488: The same year, it operated 20 daily flights and returns, every hour on the hour, between New York and Washington; the flight time was one hour, twenty minutes, one-way. In 1938, World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker bought Eastern from General Motors. The complex deal was concluded when Rickenbacker together with Sidney Shannon presented Alfred P. Sloan with a certified check for US$ 3,500,000 (equivalent to $ 75,760,000 in 2023). Rickenbacker pushed Eastern into

2067-717: The service as the Trump Shuttle . In August, Eastern signed a deal to sell sixteen DC-9 aircraft and gates in Philadelphia, Washington, and New York to Midway Airlines for $ 210 million. In May 1990, American Airlines acquired Eastern's Latin American routes and related assets for $ 471 million. After several failed attempts at obtaining creditor approval for restructuring plans, Lorenzo lost control of Eastern in April 1990, when former Continental president Martin Shugrue

2120-668: The steadfast support of Eastern Airlines, one of the major launch customers for the Lockheed TriStars. The President of Eastern was Sam Higginbottom , who never wavered and thereby acquired some criticism. Just before Walt Disney World opened in 1971, Eastern became its "official airline". It remained the official airline of Walt Disney World and sponsored a ride at the Magic Kingdom park ( If You Had Wings in Tomorrowland where Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin

2173-414: The transaction was terminated on April 12 after Lorenzo refused to give temporary control to a trustee. The sale process was then terminated on April 18, and Lorenzo proposed a sale of $ 1.8 million in assets that would allow the airline to continue operating independently. In May 1989, Eastern sold its East Coast shuttle service to real estate mogul Donald Trump for $ 365 million. Trump continued operating

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2226-447: The turbulent period following deregulation in 1978. In 1980, a Caribbean hub was started at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (known at the time as "Isla Verde International Airport") near San Juan, Puerto Rico . In 1982, Eastern acquired Braniff 's South American route network. By 1985, Eastern was the largest ATA airline in terms of passengers and operated in 26 countries on three continents. During this era, Eastern's fleet

2279-484: Was Miami to London Gatwick, commencing on July 15, 1985, and discontinuing the following year, in 1986, replaced with codeshare flights from Atlanta on British Caledonian Airways . Eastern Air Lines was a composite of assorted air travel corporations, including Florida Airways and Pitcairn Aviation . In the late 1920s, Pitcairn Aviation won a contract to fly mail between New York City and Atlanta, Georgia on Mailwing single-engine aircraft. In 1929, Clement Keys ,

2332-642: Was an American aviation pioneer and the founder of Chalk's Ocean Airways , once the world's oldest continuously operating airline. Born on a farm in Unionville , Illinois, Chalk was an enrolled Choctaw Freedman . At 11, Chalk left home and moved to Paducah, Kentucky , where he worked as a bicycle mechanic. In 1911, he received flying lessons from the famed pilot Tony Jannus in exchange for repairing Jannus's aircraft. Chalk then purchased his own plane, barnstormed for several years, and relocated to Miami in 1917. Chalk relocated to Miami in 1917 and established

2385-545: Was appointed as trustee to manage Eastern's reorganization. A report prepared by David Shapiro, an examiner appointed by the bankruptcy court overseeing Eastern's bankruptcy filing, concluded that Eastern was shortchanged by Texas Air in numerous transactions between the two. For example, Texas Air bought assets like System One, a computer reservation operation, from Eastern at a price far below market value. Eastern tried to remain in business in an attempt to correct its cash flow, but to no avail. Under bankruptcy, Eastern launched

2438-538: Was as high-maintenance as it was glamorous. It was a unique carrier, its Watson Island base being the smallest port of entry in the United States. Chalk's revenues were about $ 7.5 million in 1986, when it carried 130,000 passengers. Most were staying at Resorts International properties, although island residents used the airline for shopping trips to Miami. United Capital expanded Chalk's service to Key West, Florida , and Nassau and acquired additional aircraft, but struggled financially. In 1996, United Capital sold Chalk's to

2491-548: Was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County, Florida . Eastern was one of the " Big Four " domestic airlines created by the Spoils Conferences of 1930, and was headed in its early years by World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker . It had a near monopoly in air travel between New York and Florida from the 1930s until the 1950s and dominated this market for decades afterward. During airline deregulation in

2544-659: Was largely due to his reluctance to acquire expensive jets as he underestimated their appeal to the public. A new management team headed by Floyd D. Hall took over on 16 December 1963, and Rickenbacker left his position as director and chairman of the board on December 31, 1963, aged 73. In 1956, Eastern bought Colonial Airlines , giving the airline its first routes to Canada. In November 1959, Eastern Air Lines opened its Chester L. Churchill-designed Terminal 1 at New York City's Idlewild International Airport , later renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport . In 1960, Eastern's first jets , Douglas DC-8-21s , started to take over

2597-542: Was not affiliated with United Airlines ). The television show Miami Vice , a symbol of both Miami and the 1980s, featured a Chalk's seaplane in its opening credits. N2969, which had a fatal accident in 2005, as Flight 101 is featured in an extended scene at the end of the third-season episode Baseballs of Death , when the antagonist attempts to leave the US. The music video for George Michael 's " Careless Whisper " and Miami Vice second-season episode One Way Ticket featured

2650-833: Was operated by Metro Airlines and was based at Eastern's Atlanta (ATL) hub operating British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 31 and de Havilland Canada DHC-8-100 Dash 8 turboprops. Eastern Partner was operated by a Caribbean-based airline, Leeward Islands Air Transport , with turboprop service between Eastern's San Juan hub and Antigua , St. Kitts and St. Maarten . Eastern also worked closely with another Caribbean-based airline, Caribair (Puerto Rico) . The June 13, 1967 Eastern system timetable lists connecting flights operated by Caribair Convair 640 turboprops with service between Eastern's San Juan hub and St. Croix and St. Thomas. By 1970, San Juan-based Caribair had become an all-jet airline operating McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 aircraft serving fourteen Caribbean islands as well as Miami with

2703-514: Was shipped standby. The airline charged between 50 cents and $ 3 for beverages and snacks. Bunny Duck, an Eastern flight attendant quoted in The New York Times , said that the passengers on the special flights were "a cross section of families, college kids, illegal aliens and weirdos from L.A.". Eastern began losing money as it faced competition from no-frills airlines, such as People Express , which offered lower fares. In an attempt to differentiate itself from its bargain competitors, Eastern began

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2756-436: Was split between their "silver-colored hockey stick" livery (the lack of paint reduced weight by 100 pounds) and their "white-colored hockey stick" livery (on its Airbus -manufactured planes, which required paint to cover the aircraft's composite skin panels). In 1983, Eastern became the launch customer of Boeing 's 757 , which was ordered in 1978. Borman felt that its low cost of operation would make it an invaluable asset to

2809-494: Was the largest fine assessed against an airline until American Airlines was fined $ 24.2 million in 2010. Eastern's FAA violations all occurred prior to the acquisition by Texas Air. In 1988, Phil Bakes, the president of Eastern Air Lines, announced plans to lay off 4,000 employees and eliminate and reduce service to airports in the Western United States ; he said that the airline was going "back to our roots" in

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