Delta Virtual Airlines Water Cooler - Question About NW1952 in Schedule

Delta Virtual Airlines Water Cooler | Airline Operations | Question About NW1952 in Schedule

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Posted onPost created on September 01 2021 20:31 ET by Kyle Bjorklund

I have a question about NW1952 in our schedule. It operates out of RJAA-PASY-PANC. My question is: for the time period, wouldn't RJTT be more appropriate for the departure, since RJAA opened in the late 70s and this seems more like a 1950s or 1960s era flight?

We do have several RJTT-PANC direct Northwest flights in the DC-7 as well, but departing out of RJAA for the DC-6 with a fuel stop seems somewhat...anachronistic.

Kyle Bjorklund

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Posted onPost created on September 02 2021 06:55 ET by Terry Eshenour

Please create a Help Desk issue. Include historical references to support your recommendation. Historical NWA schedule entries should have been taken from printed schedules.
Thank you,
Terry

Terry Eshenour

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Posted onPost created on September 02 2021 12:41 ET by Andrew Vane

Hi Kyle,

While I no longer serve in the Ops role, I was able within a few minutes to dig up the history of that flight. I added it to the NW historical schedule on Sept 20, 2018. A NW 1950 route map shows a stop in Shemya (future PASY) between Tokyo and Anchorage. See image here:

https://i.imgur.com/5CrJiFw.jpg

My memory is fuzzy but this is likely the map I saw that prompted me to research timetables for that flight. If no timetables were readily available, I made estimates of flight times for our schedule.

As for the airport being RJTT, you're correct. its likely I mistakenly input RJAA (which didn't exist in 1950) for RJTT by mistake when I added the flights. NW 1951 and NW 1952 both need to be changed.

Good questions and good catch on the error on my part.

For some history, in the 1950's during the beginning cold war, PASY because a US air base and its likely the military personnel hopped on the already scheduled commercial flights if needed.

Also, great NW timetable info on this web site: https://northwestairlineshistory.org/

Andrew Vane (DVA2887)

Posted onPost created on September 03 2021 10:13 ET by Terry Eshenour

Andrew Vane wrote:

As for the airport being RJTT, you're correct. its likely I mistakenly input RJAA (which didn't exist in 1950) for RJTT by mistake when I added the flights. NW 1951 and NW 1952 both need to be changed.

Andrew, thank you for the prompt research. Your recall is anything but fuzzy.

The corrections were made to the two flights reducing on ground transit time to Tokyo by at least 1 hour.

Terry Eshenour

Senior Captain, B777-200

Posted onPost created on September 03 2021 10:18 ET by Andrew Vane

Thanks Terry. I think my memory actually is improving as I get older right now according to everyone but my wife. biggrin

Posted onPost created on September 04 2021 11:05 ET by Kyle Bjorklund

Thanks for looking into that, Andrew

Kyle Bjorklund

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Posted onPost created on September 07 2021 14:53 ET by Jim Daigneau

Been away for a bit, but great find, Kyle. Schedules like this make DVA a one-of-a-kind group among virtual airlines. I'd have to review my library, but NWA was awarded the northern route to Japan while PAA restarted the mid Pacific route. Shemya was a NWA stop for quite a while since they were flying DC-4s/C-54s and needed the fuel stop anyway. The link that Andrew provided is very good. Here is another one that provides some good info on "The Black Pearl of the Aleutians", with a dedicated tab to NWA. http://www.shemya.hlswilliwaw.com/index.htm
Here's the 1950 NWA route map showing Shemya. https://timetableimages.com/ttimages/nw/nw50/nw50-5.jpg
Probably would have been a decent ride in a Strat or a Connie, but I think the DC-4 would have beaten one to death.

Jim Daigneau (DVA5643)

Posted onPost created on September 12 2021 21:19 ET by Kyle Bjorklund

Those links Andrew posted are fantastic.

Historic Timetable Images is a fantastic resource, but it can be a little...difficult to find the information that you want there - I found this site much easier to navigate.

Kyle Bjorklund

Captain, DC-6

Posted onPost created on September 17 2021 09:36 ET by Jim Daigneau

Kyle, link?

Jim Daigneau (DVA5643)

Posted onPost created on November 08 2021 18:56 ET by Kyle Bjorklund

Sorry, Jim - I just noticed your question. https://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/nw.htm

Kyle Bjorklund

Captain, DC-6

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