Midland Publishing (Ian Allan)

Airliners of the 1980s

by  Gerry Manning

Reviewed By  Robert Morales, IPMS# 31535

MSRP: $34.95 ISBN: 978-1-85780-261-0 144 Pages, 300 Color Photographs Softcover, 8" X 10" Format www.ianallanpublishing.com This full color volume presents a wonderful retrospective of commercial aircraft and liveries that filled the ramps and airways during the 1980s. To put this era in perspective, in the United States, deregulation was starting to reap its full benefits (or detriments, based upon the point of view). It was a time when many smaller commuter carriers sprung up, and some legacy liners flew for the last time. Most flag carriers from Europe and Asia were flourishing, and many emerging nations were able to upgrade their fleets. When one considers the aircraft types available during the 80s, it truly was an era of old and new. Boeing was churning out classics like 737s and 747s, as well as introducing state of the art 757 and 767s. Classic Douglas DC-8s, DC-9s and DC-10s shared ramp space with their McDonnell Douglas stable mates MD-80s, 90s and MD-11s. Lockheed's L1011 were hauling passengers across North America, the Atlantic and the Gulf States. Canadian DeHavilland Dash 7s and Dash 8s filled out many short haul routes. Out of Europe, the Airbus A300 and A310s began to carve out a toehold for the consortium. Fokker and Saab produced shorter range regionals such as F.27s, F.28s and Metros. British manufacturers BAC/BAe added 111s and 146s to the airways. Embraer of Brazil was finding it's share of the market with the Bandeirantes and Brasilias. Soviet-built Tupolevs, Ilyushins and Antonovs provided passenger and cargo transport capability for the Soviet Bloc and satellite nations. Cargo liners were extending the lives of past workhorses such as DC-3s, 4s, 6s and 7s, Lockheed Electras, Vickers Viscounts, Curtiss Commandos and Convair CVs. Certainly one can not forget how the Concorde was the Queen of the Skies. This book brings to life dozens of liveries and models, many of which are long since gone. Having been in the industry for over twenty years, so many of these images bring this reviewer back to a time when working for an airline was unique and fun. TWA, Eastern Air Lines, People Express, Piedmont, Pan Am and Western are some of the proud names which have long since gone but are well illustrated within. Examples including a Continental B727, Comair Bandeirante, and Delta DC-8 show these current carriers in their previous liveries. It's interesting to see how few of the existing carriers have kept their look over the past two decades. Commuter fans will be treated to a good selection of turboprops and small jets that fed the big carriers hubs. A couple of old Grumman Mallard amphibians are a welcome addition, as well as JU-Air's Ju-52/3m. Another unique photo is of an H-54 Tarhe/Skycrane helicopter used as a specialty hauler. This reviewer would have liked to see the inclusion of more rotary wing aircraft in this volume. Cargo carriers and propliners are well illustrated. Manning includes a good selection of venerable Douglas, Bristol, Convair and Martin freighters. Add in a few Dassault Falcons and DC-8Fs, one gets a real appreciation for the diversity of aircraft used in non-passenger operations. The author adds a nice selection of Russian-built aircraft and non-Western airlines. For many, these were not familiar sights to us, but considering that Aeroflot was technically the World's largest airline, the inclusion of these planes and carriers is an important part of the story. One image that is of personal interest is of a Delta Air Lines B757-232. This particular aircraft, Ship 627, is still in service with the Delta fleet. In April of 2007, this particular aircraft was the second aircraft repainted as part of Delta's Bankruptcy Emergency celebration. The unique scheme was to commemorate legendary Atlanta Brave Hall of Famer Hank Aaron's 755 home runs. Ship 627 wore the scheme until the end of the 2007 baseball season, after which the commemorative markings were removed per the marketing agreement.

The plethora of aircraft types and liveries makes this volume a must have for any airliner enthusiast. For those who have been in the industry for a while will enjoy the trip down memory lane as well. Highly recommended! Thank you to Ian Allan Publishing for providing the review copy of this title.

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