Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Hawaii Flies

A l o h a!
Welcome to the year 1929
and the first commercial flights in the Isles of Hawaii Two eight-passenger Sikorsky S-38 amphibian planes flew three weekly round trips from Honolulu to Maui and to the Big Island (Hawaii). Note the outrigger canoe!
"The most beautiful dream that has haunted the heart of man since Icarus is today reality."
— Louis Bleriot


"There is no sport equal to that which aviators enjoy while being carried through the air on great white wings."
— Wilbur Wright, 1905


Sikorsky S-43s came into service in 1935.
Flying Boat!




The first commercial aircraft in the isles, 1929
(right before the Sikorskys) a Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker.
Above Photos Courtesy of Hawaiian Airlines



In 1941 Inter-Island Airways changed its name to Hawaiian Airlines and traded up to the classic, 24-passenger, DC-3.


Interestingly, that original Bellanca shown above has been located in the possession of an Oregon collector and is being restored to flying condition. The legendary Pratt & Whitney aircraft engine company is collaborating with Hawaiian Air Lines (HAL) to return the grandpa aeroplane to Honolulu for special 80th Anniversary flights and exhibitions.


Islanders are proud when HAL tops the "on time" list year after year, especially since her little sister, Aloha Airlines closed down last year; That was like a death in the family.



Today, HAL flies worldwide charter services, and scheduled service to Pago Pago, American Samoa, Nuku'alofa, Tonga, and to Western Samoa.



We locals especially enjoy flying "our" airline between the West Coast and Home with daily flights to Los Angeles,
San Francisco and Seattle. When you get on the plane,
you're on Hawaiian turf. AHHHHH!


Let's enjoy the sights, shall we?
(Bonus Color Pics ;-)

Hawaiian Skies



"The air up there in the clouds is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious. And why shouldn't it be? —it is the same the angels breathe."
— Mark Twain
Limpid, Lazy, Lotus (-ussess)



"Man must rise above the Earth—to the top of the atmosphere and beyond—for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives."
— Socrates

Golden Palms Wave "Aloha."
To YOU!




So do I
;-)



21 comments:

claude said...

The civil aviation history is fantastic.
In my poun, yesterday porning there was a beautiful red waterlily and in the afternoon it disapeared. I think one on my fish ate it.
I will show my pond lilies later.
ALOHA, Cloudia !

magiceye said...

that was lovely! enjoyed going through!

namaste /\
aloha!

Dina said...

Gotta love those flying machines.

Would love to check out HAL someday. Do they play hula music on board? :)

Does everyone applaud when you touch down on holy Hawaiian soil? We do that here. Such a love affair with the homeland.

Anonymous said...

Dream - happening somewhere, will happen somewhere

Mark Kreider said...

Love the lithographs illustrating your post, so crisp and clean. Flight must mean more in your beautiful state than any other... any where else you could walk if you had to get from one end to the other. You'd have to be one crazy good swimmer to do that in HI!

Aloha!

Anonymous said...

Is there a boat I can catch to Hawaii cause I hate flying? LOL

Wil Harrison.com

David Cranmer said...

Some great old B&W photos and history.

Anonymous said...

Great post. Thanks for the bonus shots. Aloha Cloudia.

Daryl said...

Loving how you are educating us ... and sharing your home ... soooo pretty. Way back when those flights were new an uncle and aunt of mine went and spent 2 weeks in Hawaii .. I got a real grass skirt as a gift....aloha, Cloud ... xoxo

Akelamalu said...

I'm hoping to get on one of those planes and come see you one of these days. :)

Sandee said...

I didn't know this. Thanks for the aviation history lesson.

A great big Aloha to you too. Have a terrific day. :)

Deborah Godin said...

Interesting quotes (I have an interest in the life of Louis Bleriot, quite an intriguing fellow) and neat old photos. I'm kind of a white-knuckle flyer, and have never been on a flight longer than about 3-4 hours. Can't imagine flying to the Pacific or Europe - just knock me out please!!

Charles Gramlich said...

I always thought it might be someone from an island who first dreamed of flying.

Teresa said...

This post was really interesting, Cloudia. I learned a lot. I really like the outrigger canoe as an airport shuttle bus from the "tarmack" to the terminal!! The quotes were great, too.

Elizabeth Bradley said...

You reminded me of my 23rd birthday, (a few years back, lol), when I was given a gift of flying from Long Beach to Catalina Island in a sea plane, we landed in a little bay. Now they don't land sea planes in Catalina, somebody told me that it was decided to be too dangerous. Our landing was smooth and I adored the ride. I love the vintage pics. I said it before and I'll say it again. I've got to go to Hawaii!

Heff said...

I'll stick with the year 2009, thank you...

SandyCarlson said...

Sikorsky, as in Stratford, as in maybe a little bit of Connecticut in each landing. Maybe.

Beautiful post, Cloudia.

Cloudia said...

Bonjour & aloha friends!!


Dina: Yes, and videos that DO make me cry. I've heard of how people cry when touching down in your Jerusalem (I'm sure I would too).

Sandy: Yet another Hawaii - New England connection!

Thank each of YOU folks for stopping by! (Yes, even Wil ;-) LOL

Dina said...

Sweet!
You can feel the excitement mounting as the wheels come down and the plane nears the eastern end of the Mediterranean. I always have tears and say a prayer of thanksgiving as the coast of Israel suddenly comes into view. Within minutes we are on holy ground in Lod (the airport between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem). No place like home!

Cloudia said...

Dina: Amen

Barbara Martin said...

I enjoyed this post with the older photos of new aviation in Hawaii. Great post.