Air Canada – Jaybird Aviation Adventures

Zurich (ZRH) has always been a crossroads between Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, not to mention the countries formerly under the Soviet Union. ZRH also has (or at least, had) some excellent photo locations. It has been years since I’ve been there so hopefully things have not changed for the worse.

Perhaps the highlight of the year is the World Economic Forum, which occurs in late January or early February. The event can bring a hundreds of VIPs ranging from Heads of State to infamous arms dealers, in aircraft ranging in size from 747s to PC-12s. You can AWAYS count on some surprises.

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Viva Air was a Spanish charter company which was based in Palma. This is one of its Boeing 737-300s with a temporary registration. It was later registered EC-FHR.

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Management Transport Munich was a German charter company that used a pair of Do-328s.

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Ganalf Air was one of several German airlines that flew the Do328 into ZRH

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Air Alps operated a modest fleet of Do328s on behalf of KLM until 2001

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ContactAir acquired a fleet of Fokker 50s from DLT-Lufthansa Cityline and rebranded itself under the Team Lufthansa banner.

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Deutsche BA had a fleet of Saab 2000s which were regular visitors at ZRH.

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Deutsche BA also used Fokker 100s into Zurich

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Lufthansa Express had a big operation into Zurich, and used mostly 737-200s, including this one with Nordam hushkits.

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Air Canada had daily flights to ZRH from Toronto.

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1997 was the 50^th anniversary of Singapore Airlines, so the airline had this 747-400 in special markings. Today, all of Singapore Airlines’ 747s are gone, except for cargo.

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Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, JAT was replaced on some routes by Croatia Airlines.

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For many years, Air Algérie used Boeing 737-200 on its service to ZRH.

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Kenya Airways served Zurich with A310s for many years.

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Nigeria Airways DC-10 was also a regular visitor into ZRH.

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El Al served Zurich with a combination of 737s and 757s, primarily.

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Tristar 500s made up the bulk of Airlanka’s long-haul fleet until they were replaced by long-range Airbusses.

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Here is a special visitor during the World Economic Forum in 1995

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This was the real surprise at the 1995 WEF. As I looked through my binoculars at the plane on final approach, I could not believe what I was looking at!

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More photos to come from ZRH…

After being stationed in England between 1973 and 1975, my next (and last) permanent duty station while on active duty with the Air Force was in Homestead FL, a stone’s throw from Miami International Airport. Miami, a veritable Mecca for airline enthusiasts. What a time to be at Miami! The air was still filled with the smell of Avgas, and the sound of big round engines. As airplane photographers went, I was still a bit wet behind the ears. I’d started out shooting in 1969 using black and white print film, and later graduated to color print film on 1972, just in time to enter the US Air Force. My first permanent duty station was RAF Bentwaters in England. I discovered the world of airplane spotting but unfortunately, most of my negatives became collateral damage during the divorce of two friends.

Meanwhile, in mid-1975, thanks to the influence of two friends, Bill Hollis and Bruce Drum, I switched to color slide film. I still wasn’t completely in the Kodachrome camp, but I was improving. I’ve said many thousands of times that I would give just about anything to be able to go back to those glory days with today’s digital camera and lens equipment that is now available to us!

Here is a great example of “Corrosion Corner”, the northwest corner of the airport, where the UPS facility now stands. CC-CCB, C‑46A‑CK, MSN 45. LASA

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BWIA has long been a fixture at MIA. One of its brand-new DC-9-51s is seen touching down on Runway 27L. 9Y-TFF, DC‑9‑51, MSN 47737. BWIA West Indies Airways

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In the mid-70s, Miami Airport was ripe with Canadian traffic

C-GCPW, B.737‑275, MSN 20959, Pacific Western Airlines

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C-GQBG, B.707‑123B, MSN 17647, Quebecair

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CF-CPF, DC-8-43, MSN 45620, CP Air

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CF-TJC, DC‑8‑43, MSN 45444, Air Canada

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CF-TIH, DC-8-53, MSN 45933, Air Canada

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The most exotic airliners came from Central and South America, as well as other points throughout the Caribbean.

HC-AZQ, B.720‑023B, MSN 18037, Ecuatoriana

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HI-212, B.727‑1J1. MSN 20426, Dominicana de Aviación

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HI-427, DC‑8F‑54, MSN 45684, Aeromar Int’l Airlines

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HK-1802, B.707‑123B, MSN 17638, Aerocondor

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HK-724, B.720‑059B, MSN 18086, Avianca Colombia

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HK-774, L.188A, 1083, Aerocondor

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TG-AZA, BAC 111‑516FP, MSN 231, Aviateca Guatemala

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YS-01C, BAC 111‑409AY, MSN 108, TACA International

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And while we considered the foreign airline movements exotic, we can now look back fondly at the domestic traffic, as well.

N1335U, DC‑9‑31, MSN 47393, Southern Airways. Less than a year after this photo was taken, N1335U crashed near New Hope GA after both engines flamed out in a thunderstorm.

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