From Flying Tigers To Flying Tiger Line
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2022 11:32 amFew haven't heard of the famous Flying Tigers squadron .... the USAAF 1 AVG fighter wing, based in China, prior to the outbreak of/"prior to US entry into" WW2 in support of the Chiang Kai-Shek led government's/Republic Of China Air Force defense against the Japanese occupation of China.
The almost equally well known and famous FLYING TIGER LINE air freight operator (a regular visitor to NZAA/AKL prior to the early 1990's when the operation was sold to FEDERAL EXPRESS) was founded by Robert W. PRESCOTT during 1945 .... and supported by 10 former USAF 1 AVG pilots.
What follows is a couple of lesser known RW (these "aren't" fictitious) hybrid livery nose arts subjects supported by both DC-8 and B747 aircraft operated by FLYING TIGERS for very brief periods during the late 1960's and early 1970's ....
The above DC-8 SUPER 63CF subject is "a particularly rare FLYING TIGERS hybrid" .... featuring a shark jaw artwork briefly applied to the nose of this aircraft and which was similar to that supported by aircraft operated by the China based USAAF 1AVG squadron during WW2. Few photographs of this particular aircraft were ever taken at the time .... primarily because this artwork never lasted more than a few days and was applied to just this one only DC-8 at the time. Precisely what transpired to result in this hybrid livery isn't entirely clear but it's known the DC-8 supporting this artwork was one of the last factory fresh units of the type to be acquired by FLYING TIGERS. From 2006 we, at HJG, tried to track down the registration of this particular aircraft (a project constantly shelved though due to other priorities) .... since "NONE" of the very few photos in existence identified this essential information. Sometimes though great successes come to fruition per tiny, and even co-incidental, chances or circumstances. Paul HAAK, and myself, during HJG's recent DC-8 3D model redevelopment, decided to undertake did some "serious detective work". A photo we had of the DC-8 in question was clearly taken at the DOUGLAS Long Beach facility .... and in the background was "a particular about-to-be delivered BRANIFF DC-8 SUPER 62". We were able to positively ID the BRANIFF aircraft on the basis of its delivery colour scheme .... and by applying the date of this delivery to FLYING TIGERS DC-8 SUPER 63 deliveries "we got a match" and with 99.5% certainty. The aircraft appears to have been "N796FT", C/N # 46104, L/N # 488, and which was delivered to FLYING TIGER LINE on October 3rd 1969. There's no other possible aircraft match by the definitions of evidence within photos we sourced and also by virtue of DOUGLAS production and delivery records for DC-8 aircraft. Following its 1969 entry to service with FLYING TIGERS this particular DC-8 was leased to AIR INDIA from August 16th 1981 .... and returned to FLYING TIGERS on November 11th 1982. It was sold to CONNECTICUT NATIONAL BANK during May 1984 .... converted to a DC-8 SUPER 73CF (re-engined with CFM-56 turbofan engines).... and leased to EMERY WORLDWIDE. It was then sold to FARM AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE CO during May 2000 .... leased back to EMERY WORLDWIDE .... then returned to FARM AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE CO during September 2001, withdrawn from service, and stored at Roswell, New Mexico, in the USA. It was next sold to LOGAIR LLC on August 30th 2002 .... then on-sold to AIRFREIGHTER LLC on November 25th 2002 .... and then sold to BRASILIAN EXPRESS TRANSPORTES AEROS (PP-BEX) on October 27th 2004. This aircraft was finally withdrawn from service during 2009, stored at Lima, Peru, and scrapped during 2012.
During the early 1970's a similar, but not identical, shark jaw artwork was equally briefly applied to a FLYING TIGERS operated B747-100F.
Sadly (maybe) the nose art was also removed from this aircraft (as had been the case with the DC-8 too) prior to entering commercial service with FLYING TIGERS .... apparently in consideration of the fact that whilst the airline serviced Asian ports there was a perception, by some, that the artwork might offend "certain nations of the region"
This particular B747-100 (C/N# 20100, L/N # 46) was first delivered to AMERICAN AIRLINES (N9661) on June 18th 1970. It was converted to a B747-100F during August 1974 .... and sold to FLYING TIGERS (N800FT). it was leased to PAN AM CARGO (N903PA ...."named Clipper Express") on January 8th 1978 .... and returned to FLYING TIGERS on July 31st 1979 (N800FT). It was then sold to FIRST SECURITY BANK OF UTAH on May 2nd 1981 .... and leased to AMERICAN AIRLINES .... and then sold to AMERICAN AIRLINES (N9661) during December 1984. It was next sold to UPS on December 20th 1984 .... and re-registered "N674UP" on February 1st 1985. It was then sold to BANKERS TRUST COMPANY during February 1987 .... and leased back to UPS .... then sold to UPS again on December 29th 1995. It was withdrawn from service during September 2002 and stored at Roswell, New Mexico, in th USA. This aircraft was then finally sold to STEWART INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL LLC on July 11th 2004 .... and scrapped later that same year.
A little history about the FLYING TIGER LINE ....
Based in Los Angeles, California, USA, the FLYING TIGER LINE/FLYING TIGERS (originally founded as NATIONAL FREIGHT SERVICE/NATIONAL SKYWAY FREIGHT ) commenced operations during 1945 using a fleet of USN surplus BUDD CONESTOGA aircraft .... and with which the airline provided logistical support on behalf of the US government over a period of 4 years in aid of the US occupation of Japan under General Douglas MacARTHUR following conclusion of the WW2 Pacific theater conflict.
During 1949 the CAB awarded the first US domestic commercial air freight route authority to the airline .... in the form of transcontinental services from both Los Angeles and San Francisco to Boston/Massachusetts. Throughout the 1950's the airline acquired DC-4, DC-6, and SUPER CONSTELLATION aircraft which were employed to operate both trans-Atlantic air freight and group charters .... along with trooping throughout the period of the Korean War.
During 1961 the airline acquired CANADAIR CL-44 turboprops .... and became one of the worlds first air carriers to employ palletized type air freight shipping methodology.
FLYING TIGERS entered the jet age during 1965 upon acquiring B707-320C aircraft (one of the airlines B707's established a world record on November 15th 1965 when it operated the first ever aerial circumnavigation of the globe via the poles over a duration of 62 hours 27 minutes). The airline began replacing its B707-320C's with higher payload capable DC-8 SUPER 63CF aircraft from 1968 .... to eventually operate a fleet of some 18 DC-8's by 1972 (it actually operated a total some 47 DC-8's including aircraft lease-ins).
The Jumbo era then dawned for the airline from 1974 when it began acquiring B747 freighters. By the mid 1980's it was operating scheduled airfreight and Ad-Hoc charter services to 6 continents and some 58 countries (including NZ) .... and acquired its SEABOARD WORLD AIRWAYS rival on October 1st 1980.
FLYING TIGERS continued operating military charters to both Japan and the Philippines, and within the SE Asian region throughout the 1960's, 70's, and 80's .... and between 1969 and 1971 even owned an independent music recording company which traded under the HAPPY TIGER RECORDS banner .... producing albums by Count Basie, Mason Profit, Red Rhodes, Priscilla Paris, Paul Kelly, the Anita Kerr Singers, and the Post-Van Morrison Them Band.
Weekly PAX charter services were also undertaken by FLYING TIGERS between New York, Brussels, and Tel Aviv from 1981 .... using B747 aircraft and which operated under the airlines METRO INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES subsidiary .... and which was sold to TOWER AIR during 1983.
Deregulation of the US airline industry from 1978 resulted in increased competition and which began to adversely impact the airlines profit margins from 1981 .... to result in it sustaining significant and consecutive losses thereafter.
During December 1988 FLYING TIGERS was sold and then merged into FEDERAL EXPRESS from August 7th 1989.
A number of FLYING TIGERS DC-8 SUPER 63's were upgraded to -73's as the result of a CFM-56 re-engining program during the early to mid 1980's, but, unlike its B747's these aircraft never remained in FEDERAL EXPRESS service for much duration following the merger. A single BAC ONE-ELEVEN was also operated by FLYING TIGERS between 1973 and 1974 and which was employed as a corporate/VIP aircraft.
Mark C
AKL/NZ
The almost equally well known and famous FLYING TIGER LINE air freight operator (a regular visitor to NZAA/AKL prior to the early 1990's when the operation was sold to FEDERAL EXPRESS) was founded by Robert W. PRESCOTT during 1945 .... and supported by 10 former USAF 1 AVG pilots.
What follows is a couple of lesser known RW (these "aren't" fictitious) hybrid livery nose arts subjects supported by both DC-8 and B747 aircraft operated by FLYING TIGERS for very brief periods during the late 1960's and early 1970's ....
The above DC-8 SUPER 63CF subject is "a particularly rare FLYING TIGERS hybrid" .... featuring a shark jaw artwork briefly applied to the nose of this aircraft and which was similar to that supported by aircraft operated by the China based USAAF 1AVG squadron during WW2. Few photographs of this particular aircraft were ever taken at the time .... primarily because this artwork never lasted more than a few days and was applied to just this one only DC-8 at the time. Precisely what transpired to result in this hybrid livery isn't entirely clear but it's known the DC-8 supporting this artwork was one of the last factory fresh units of the type to be acquired by FLYING TIGERS. From 2006 we, at HJG, tried to track down the registration of this particular aircraft (a project constantly shelved though due to other priorities) .... since "NONE" of the very few photos in existence identified this essential information. Sometimes though great successes come to fruition per tiny, and even co-incidental, chances or circumstances. Paul HAAK, and myself, during HJG's recent DC-8 3D model redevelopment, decided to undertake did some "serious detective work". A photo we had of the DC-8 in question was clearly taken at the DOUGLAS Long Beach facility .... and in the background was "a particular about-to-be delivered BRANIFF DC-8 SUPER 62". We were able to positively ID the BRANIFF aircraft on the basis of its delivery colour scheme .... and by applying the date of this delivery to FLYING TIGERS DC-8 SUPER 63 deliveries "we got a match" and with 99.5% certainty. The aircraft appears to have been "N796FT", C/N # 46104, L/N # 488, and which was delivered to FLYING TIGER LINE on October 3rd 1969. There's no other possible aircraft match by the definitions of evidence within photos we sourced and also by virtue of DOUGLAS production and delivery records for DC-8 aircraft. Following its 1969 entry to service with FLYING TIGERS this particular DC-8 was leased to AIR INDIA from August 16th 1981 .... and returned to FLYING TIGERS on November 11th 1982. It was sold to CONNECTICUT NATIONAL BANK during May 1984 .... converted to a DC-8 SUPER 73CF (re-engined with CFM-56 turbofan engines).... and leased to EMERY WORLDWIDE. It was then sold to FARM AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE CO during May 2000 .... leased back to EMERY WORLDWIDE .... then returned to FARM AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE CO during September 2001, withdrawn from service, and stored at Roswell, New Mexico, in the USA. It was next sold to LOGAIR LLC on August 30th 2002 .... then on-sold to AIRFREIGHTER LLC on November 25th 2002 .... and then sold to BRASILIAN EXPRESS TRANSPORTES AEROS (PP-BEX) on October 27th 2004. This aircraft was finally withdrawn from service during 2009, stored at Lima, Peru, and scrapped during 2012.
During the early 1970's a similar, but not identical, shark jaw artwork was equally briefly applied to a FLYING TIGERS operated B747-100F.
Sadly (maybe) the nose art was also removed from this aircraft (as had been the case with the DC-8 too) prior to entering commercial service with FLYING TIGERS .... apparently in consideration of the fact that whilst the airline serviced Asian ports there was a perception, by some, that the artwork might offend "certain nations of the region"
This particular B747-100 (C/N# 20100, L/N # 46) was first delivered to AMERICAN AIRLINES (N9661) on June 18th 1970. It was converted to a B747-100F during August 1974 .... and sold to FLYING TIGERS (N800FT). it was leased to PAN AM CARGO (N903PA ...."named Clipper Express") on January 8th 1978 .... and returned to FLYING TIGERS on July 31st 1979 (N800FT). It was then sold to FIRST SECURITY BANK OF UTAH on May 2nd 1981 .... and leased to AMERICAN AIRLINES .... and then sold to AMERICAN AIRLINES (N9661) during December 1984. It was next sold to UPS on December 20th 1984 .... and re-registered "N674UP" on February 1st 1985. It was then sold to BANKERS TRUST COMPANY during February 1987 .... and leased back to UPS .... then sold to UPS again on December 29th 1995. It was withdrawn from service during September 2002 and stored at Roswell, New Mexico, in th USA. This aircraft was then finally sold to STEWART INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL LLC on July 11th 2004 .... and scrapped later that same year.
A little history about the FLYING TIGER LINE ....
Based in Los Angeles, California, USA, the FLYING TIGER LINE/FLYING TIGERS (originally founded as NATIONAL FREIGHT SERVICE/NATIONAL SKYWAY FREIGHT ) commenced operations during 1945 using a fleet of USN surplus BUDD CONESTOGA aircraft .... and with which the airline provided logistical support on behalf of the US government over a period of 4 years in aid of the US occupation of Japan under General Douglas MacARTHUR following conclusion of the WW2 Pacific theater conflict.
During 1949 the CAB awarded the first US domestic commercial air freight route authority to the airline .... in the form of transcontinental services from both Los Angeles and San Francisco to Boston/Massachusetts. Throughout the 1950's the airline acquired DC-4, DC-6, and SUPER CONSTELLATION aircraft which were employed to operate both trans-Atlantic air freight and group charters .... along with trooping throughout the period of the Korean War.
During 1961 the airline acquired CANADAIR CL-44 turboprops .... and became one of the worlds first air carriers to employ palletized type air freight shipping methodology.
FLYING TIGERS entered the jet age during 1965 upon acquiring B707-320C aircraft (one of the airlines B707's established a world record on November 15th 1965 when it operated the first ever aerial circumnavigation of the globe via the poles over a duration of 62 hours 27 minutes). The airline began replacing its B707-320C's with higher payload capable DC-8 SUPER 63CF aircraft from 1968 .... to eventually operate a fleet of some 18 DC-8's by 1972 (it actually operated a total some 47 DC-8's including aircraft lease-ins).
The Jumbo era then dawned for the airline from 1974 when it began acquiring B747 freighters. By the mid 1980's it was operating scheduled airfreight and Ad-Hoc charter services to 6 continents and some 58 countries (including NZ) .... and acquired its SEABOARD WORLD AIRWAYS rival on October 1st 1980.
FLYING TIGERS continued operating military charters to both Japan and the Philippines, and within the SE Asian region throughout the 1960's, 70's, and 80's .... and between 1969 and 1971 even owned an independent music recording company which traded under the HAPPY TIGER RECORDS banner .... producing albums by Count Basie, Mason Profit, Red Rhodes, Priscilla Paris, Paul Kelly, the Anita Kerr Singers, and the Post-Van Morrison Them Band.
Weekly PAX charter services were also undertaken by FLYING TIGERS between New York, Brussels, and Tel Aviv from 1981 .... using B747 aircraft and which operated under the airlines METRO INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES subsidiary .... and which was sold to TOWER AIR during 1983.
Deregulation of the US airline industry from 1978 resulted in increased competition and which began to adversely impact the airlines profit margins from 1981 .... to result in it sustaining significant and consecutive losses thereafter.
During December 1988 FLYING TIGERS was sold and then merged into FEDERAL EXPRESS from August 7th 1989.
A number of FLYING TIGERS DC-8 SUPER 63's were upgraded to -73's as the result of a CFM-56 re-engining program during the early to mid 1980's, but, unlike its B747's these aircraft never remained in FEDERAL EXPRESS service for much duration following the merger. A single BAC ONE-ELEVEN was also operated by FLYING TIGERS between 1973 and 1974 and which was employed as a corporate/VIP aircraft.
Mark C
AKL/NZ
