Classic Airliners: The Clubs That Flew Them

In the late 1950s, legacy airlines upgraded their fleets while selling off 'big prop airliners' to smaller supplemental airlines. Travel clubs and affinity groups found loopholes in CABs regulations to offer charters to their members at lower prices, leading to the emergence of new clubs with brightly colored aircraft. Michael Zoeller has researched their history and created illustrations highlighting their varied liveries.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 144 pages
Publication date: 05 September 2023
Publisher: SunRise Publishing Ltd

The late 1950s marked the dawn of the jet age, which posed a significant challenge for legacy airlines. They were compelled to upgrade their fleets while simultaneously selling off their 'big prop airliners, which were relatively young in hours but technologically outdated. This era was characterized by strict regulations governing scheduled airline services, making it difficult for smaller supplemental airlines to survive. However, for those willing to purchase or lease nearly new aircraft, there were abundant bargains available. In the United States, travel clubs and affinity groups exploited loopholes in the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) regulations to offer charters to their members at significantly lower prices, often less than half of the scheduled fares. As a result, new clubs, often loosely organized and with limited financial resources, emerged, and their brightly colored aircraft could be seen at airports across the continent. Michael Zoeller has conducted extensive research into the history of these clubs, producing hundreds of illustrations that showcase their diverse and often innovative liveries.

Weight: 400g
Dimension: 210 x 210 x 10 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781914489389