The following photos are part of Ed Coates Collection, used with permission.
You can view his massive collection here.
You can view his massive collection here.
In the early 1950s, California's Silicon Valley was in its infancy, but growing. This, coupled with
the establishment by IBM of a large facility at Las Gatos brought San Jose Airport into focus as a
major business terminal in central California. Southwest, at that time, offered non stop flights to Los
Angeles from San Jose and, to service this route, purchased four ex-Northwest Airlines Martin
2-0-2s in October of 1952. This particular machine had also been operated by Transocean Airlines
after NWA disposed of it, and it actually saw service with JAL in Japan early in 1952 under lease.
Right after that SWA bought it. It went briefly to TWA in 1960 but was withdrawn from use at
San Francisco a year later.
the establishment by IBM of a large facility at Las Gatos brought San Jose Airport into focus as a
major business terminal in central California. Southwest, at that time, offered non stop flights to Los
Angeles from San Jose and, to service this route, purchased four ex-Northwest Airlines Martin
2-0-2s in October of 1952. This particular machine had also been operated by Transocean Airlines
after NWA disposed of it, and it actually saw service with JAL in Japan early in 1952 under lease.
Right after that SWA bought it. It went briefly to TWA in 1960 but was withdrawn from use at
San Francisco a year later.
Looking for a more economical aircraft for its short haul stages, PSA ordered 20 (with options on another
25) of British Aerospace's 146, the STOL (at least for a jet) and quiet four jet which began life as the
Hawker Siddeley HS146. Due to cancelltions of orders by airlines which were going under (the 1980s
failure rate of deregulation upstarts was phenominal) they were able to get more or less immediate delivery
of them from Hatfield. The above shot taken by Randy Juran at San Jose Airport in August of 1986 out-
lines the aircraft's salient features well.
An incident occured on 7 December1987 which tended to marr the reputation of the 146 although it had
nothing to do with the aircraft at all: A recently fired USAir employee (this carrier was in the process of
absorbing PSA - see below) used his now invalidated credentials to board Flight 1771 from Los Angeles
to San Francisco. He managed to smuggle a pistol on board and shot his former supervisor (he had been
laid off for allegedly purloining airline property). He then shot the flight deck crew (and probably himself)
causing the aircraft to plummet to its doom near San Luis Obispo. All five crew members and the 37 other
passengers were killed. I was working in the Bay area at the time and had occasion to dispatch staff to
San Diego (actually Tijuana) from time to time. One employee of mine refused to fly the BAe 146 after
this. Admittedly this person was strictly of the "NIH school" ..... i.e. considered anything not built in the
US as unairworthy! (This attitude prevailed at the time [probably still does], amongst a certain class of
employee - whom shall remain nameless!).
Footnote on PSA:
After American Airlines had purchased AirCal (PSA's most serious rival) in1986, and threw the might
of their corporate power into the California market, the writing was on the wall so far as PSA was
concerned. The pressure had really mounted when Continental filled the gap left by the folding of
Pacific Express. USAir had had its eye on PSA for years. Finally in 1986 the Board agreed to a
merger. In 1987 PSA operated as a Division of USAir., but by 8 April 1988 the last PSA flight
departed San Diego for Las Vegas and the low cost carrier born 39 years earlier disappeared.
The Grinning Birds were all repainted in USAir livery, sans, of course, their smiles....................
25) of British Aerospace's 146, the STOL (at least for a jet) and quiet four jet which began life as the
Hawker Siddeley HS146. Due to cancelltions of orders by airlines which were going under (the 1980s
failure rate of deregulation upstarts was phenominal) they were able to get more or less immediate delivery
of them from Hatfield. The above shot taken by Randy Juran at San Jose Airport in August of 1986 out-
lines the aircraft's salient features well.
An incident occured on 7 December1987 which tended to marr the reputation of the 146 although it had
nothing to do with the aircraft at all: A recently fired USAir employee (this carrier was in the process of
absorbing PSA - see below) used his now invalidated credentials to board Flight 1771 from Los Angeles
to San Francisco. He managed to smuggle a pistol on board and shot his former supervisor (he had been
laid off for allegedly purloining airline property). He then shot the flight deck crew (and probably himself)
causing the aircraft to plummet to its doom near San Luis Obispo. All five crew members and the 37 other
passengers were killed. I was working in the Bay area at the time and had occasion to dispatch staff to
San Diego (actually Tijuana) from time to time. One employee of mine refused to fly the BAe 146 after
this. Admittedly this person was strictly of the "NIH school" ..... i.e. considered anything not built in the
US as unairworthy! (This attitude prevailed at the time [probably still does], amongst a certain class of
employee - whom shall remain nameless!).
Footnote on PSA:
After American Airlines had purchased AirCal (PSA's most serious rival) in1986, and threw the might
of their corporate power into the California market, the writing was on the wall so far as PSA was
concerned. The pressure had really mounted when Continental filled the gap left by the folding of
Pacific Express. USAir had had its eye on PSA for years. Finally in 1986 the Board agreed to a
merger. In 1987 PSA operated as a Division of USAir., but by 8 April 1988 the last PSA flight
departed San Diego for Las Vegas and the low cost carrier born 39 years earlier disappeared.
The Grinning Birds were all repainted in USAir livery, sans, of course, their smiles....................
