This color postcard shows a mid-century airport terminal and control tower under a clear blue sky. The scene is viewed from ground level across a wide concrete apron that fills most of the foreground, its surface marked by faint cracks and seams. At center-right stands a tan brick terminal building with a rectangular, horizontal layout. Rising from it is a tall control tower with multiple levels of windows. Near the top, the tower features bold diagonal black-and-yellow striping, drawing attention to the observation cab at the very top. Antennas and equipment extend from the roof. The terminal has long rows of windows along the front, and a recessed entrance area where a small group of people stands. The figures are small and indistinct, appearing to wait or watch activity on the field. To the left of the building, two propeller-driven aircraft are parked. The nearer plane is larger, with a rounded nose and multiple windows along the fuselage. The second aircraft sits slightly behind it, angled differently, both resting quietly on the apron. On the far right, a tall, narrow smokestack rises behind the building, adding an industrial element. The overall scene conveys a calm moment at a regional airport, with emphasis on the control tower’s height and the open, expansive airfield.

Hector Airport Fargo North Dakota Postcard
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Northwest Airlines DC-4
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#Fargo #NorthDakota #Travel #NorthwestAirlines #dc4 #Aviation #Avgeek #Postcard #Ephemera #Airplanes @northwestairlines.bsky.social

Holy moley!

www.hawaiicoffeecompany.com/c/tea/ has some very nice blends - good coffee, too, as expected

So much work going on!
* Total refresh of our display cases
* New pages for the website
* Videos being digitized
* Just applied for a grant to build out a video interview studio

Help us keep Connecting Generations; memberships start at just $35 per year. northwestairlineshistory.org/membership-s...

Said to have been the smallest airport with scheduled service when Wisconsin Central inaugurated flights there

That’s a Northwest Orient DC-10 docked there! GEG was an important node + line maintenance base to us.

A black-and-white postcard shows a Northwest Airlines Boeing Stratocruiser parked on an airport runway, viewed from the left side in full profile with the nose pointing to the left. The aircraft has a large, rounded fuselage with a distinctive “double-bubble” shape, giving it a slightly bulged upper and lower deck appearance. Along the side of the fuselage, the word “NORTHWEST” is painted in large capital letters. Near the front, smaller text reads “Northwest Orient Airlines.” The airplane is powered by four radial piston engines mounted along its low wings, each with a multi-blade propeller. The propellers appear still, and the engine nacelles are bulky and rounded. The wings extend outward from the midsection of the fuselage. The landing gear is extended, with the nose gear and main gear supporting the aircraft on the paved runway. The tail is tall and rounded, with the airline name and registration number “N74609” printed on the vertical stabilizer. A circular airline emblem is visible near the rear fuselage. The foreground shows a smooth runway surface, while the background features a flat airfield with low buildings and a distant tree line beneath a lightly clouded sky. The overall image has a clean, archival quality, highlighting the aircraft’s size and distinctive mid-20th-century design.

Northwest Airlines Stratocruiser Photograph
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N74609
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#Northwestairlines #B377 #Stratocruiser #Aviation #Avgeek #Travel #postcards #ephemera @northwestairlines.bsky.social

Aircraft – Boeing 377 Stratocruiser - Northwest Airlines History Center In the era of regulated, multi-stop operations on key traffic corridors, increasing capacity on a route or network was not as simple as merely adding another frequency from "spoke to hub" or "hub to h...

Delivered in November 1949, on NWA roll thru 1960. Was named “Stratocruiser Alaska” as well as “Stratocruiser Portland.” Most of the fleet ended up being renamed 🤔

We have a nice gallery at northwestairlineshistory.org/aircraft-boe...

A black-and-white photograph shows a Northwest Airlines Douglas DC-3 parked on a grassy airfield, viewed from the left side with the nose pointing to the left. The aircraft has a classic twin-engine propeller design, with one radial engine mounted on each wing. The propellers are stationary, and the wings extend outward with a slight upward angle. The fuselage is cylindrical with a row of rectangular passenger windows, and the word “NORTHWEST” is painted in large letters along the upper portion of the fuselage. A passenger door on the right side of the aircraft (visible from this angle) is open, with a small set of built-in steps extended downward toward the grass, suggesting boarding or servicing. Near the rear fuselage, the word “RAMP” or partial lettering is visible, along with the airline’s circular emblem. The aircraft sits in a taildragger configuration, with two main landing wheels forward and a smaller tailwheel at the rear, causing the nose to angle slightly upward. The registration number “NW21711” is printed on the vertical tail, along with the word “Northwest.” The surrounding environment is a simple, open grassy field with a low horizon line and a faint line of trees in the distance under a lightly overcast sky. The overall scene is quiet and static, emphasizing the aircraft’s vintage design and its setting on a rural or early airfield.

1980's Northwest Airlines DC-3 Photograph
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G-AMPY / NW21711
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#Northwestairlines #DC3 #Aviation #Avgeek #Travel #postcards #ephemera @northwestairlines.bsky.social

This was an Air Atlantique model repainted for NWA’s 60th birthday & flown often in UK/Euro airshows 1986-87. Most notably the big Battle of Britain commemorative event (we also sent a 747 over to do a low flyby) Good marketing investment to promote our growing Euro presence!

A color postcard shows a Northwest Airlines Airbus A320 taxiing on an airport runway, viewed from the left side with the nose pointing to the right. The aircraft has a long, narrow fuselage painted in Northwest’s later livery: a gray upper section with a red tail and a white lower fuselage. The word “NORTHWEST” is printed in large white letters along the gray portion of the fuselage. The tail is bright red and features the airline’s stylized “N” logo inside a circle. The airplane has two large jet engines mounted beneath its swept-back wings, one on each side. The landing gear is fully extended, with the nose gear and main gear supporting the aircraft as it moves along the runway. In the background, several well-known landmarks are visible, indicating the location as Washington National Airport. The tall, slender Washington Monument rises prominently into the sky, while the domed Jefferson Memorial can be seen to the left near the horizon. Low buildings and trees line the distant background. The foreground shows a mix of paved runway and taxiway surfaces, along with patches of dry grass and airport markings. The sky above is partly cloudy with soft, scattered clouds. The overall scene captures a moment of ground movement at a major airport, combining a modern jet aircraft with recognizable landmarks of Washington, D.C.

Northwest Airlines Airbus A320-211 N306US Washington National Airport Postcard
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#Northwestairlines #A320 #Aviation #Avgeek #Travel #postcards #ephemera @northwestairlines.bsky.social

Hughes Airwest April 27, 1980 Timetable cover and route map. Hughes advertised its first San Francisco - Phoenix nonstops.

Hughes Airwest April 27, 1980 Timetable cover and route map.

Explore the multi-threaded history of Hughes Airwest, including maps & schedules aircraft photos, staff newsletters, financial documents, and much more. Fun logo merchandise at our online store as well!

www.northwestairlineshistory.org

three starbucks drinks are sitting on a wooden cutting board ALT: three starbucks drinks are sitting on a wooden cutting board

Going to have a number of awesome website announcements soon - will spread them out to prevent reader overload! #lotsofcoffee #myofficeisamess

It’s such a rush to uncover shots that haven’t been published over and over. We have films that need to be digitized as well (but have to raise $$ for that!)

Brand new photo gallery pages on our website for the DC-3 and DC-4:

northwestairlineshistory.org/aircraft-dou...

northwestairlineshistory.org/aircraft-dou...

(Scanning & posting even more Four photos tonight 😇)

Just a few types left to finish - DC-9 and CV-580 the major ones!

Empire Airlines schedule and route map, March 1, 1947. This is just as Empire absorbs the certificate of Zimmerly Airlines, and they are flying four Boeing 247Ds.

Empire would merge into West Coast, which went into Air West / Hughes Airwest, thence Republic, and finally Northwest.

Number one did get delivered in the classic scheme. Not sure about #2.

Cover of Southern Airways timetable effective June 18, 1962, set against the route map for that issue.

Southern Airways timetable
and route map, June 18, 1962.

Our website is the best place to start your exploration of Southern's history - timelines, schedules and maps,
financial reports, aircraft photos and more!

www.northwestairlineshistory.org

We’ve got a thing or two to say about that:

The viewer is seeing the plane parked on the tarmac. There is water on the ground causing a reflection of the plane. The nose points left. The sky is bright blue with puffy clouds. This is the 1990s Bowling Shoe livery with A red tail and top, followed by grey on the middle fuselage, and white on the bottom. This is an early one, as the nacelles are grey and they did not stay for long.

1989 Northwest Airlines A320 Postcard
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N303US
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#NorthwestAirlines #Airbus #Avgeek #Aviation #A320 #travel #postcards #Ephemera @northwestairlines.bsky.social

Still with the temporary French registration and grey engine cowlings - brand new ‘bus!

Black and white photo of the plane taking off from right to left. The nose has just left the runway. There are hills in the back ground that look dry.

Northwest Orient Airlines - Lockheed Constellation Photograph
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N5172V
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#northwestAirlines #Lockheed #Constellation #LokheedConstellation #Avgeek #Photography #Aviation

A black-and-white photograph shows a twin-engine propeller airplane in flight, viewed from below against a bright sky. The aircraft is centered within a soft oval vignette, with the outer edges of the image fading to dark. The airplane’s wings extend horizontally, and two engines are mounted beneath them. The landing gear appears retracted. Large block letters “NWA” are visible on the left wing (as seen from below). On the right wing, the aircraft registration “NC21711” is clearly printed. The fuselage is streamlined with a rounded nose and a single vertical tail fin. The aircraft is angled slightly upward and to the right, suggesting forward climb or level flight. No ground features or horizon line are visible—only a plain, light background. The photograph is printed on paper with a narrow white border. Minor wear and slight discoloration are visible along the edges.

1941 Northwest Airlines DC-3 Photograph
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NC21711
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#NorthwestAirlines #DC3 #Photograph #Aviation #Travel #Avgeek

I lived there as a child for a few years in the mid 1970s - where I first started collecting timetables. Texas International DC-9s & Frontier CV-580s with just a low chain-link fence kept me well entertained!

A vintage color postcard shows a twin-engine propeller airliner in flight above a sprawling cityscape. The aircraft, painted in a light metallic tone, bears the name “Northwest” along the fuselage and a circular red emblem near the rear. The plane is viewed from the side, with its wings and engines clearly visible as it flies over a shoreline and urban grid below. In the distance, buildings and streets stretch toward the horizon under a hazy sky. Along the bottom margin, the caption reads “Northwest Airlines – Top Flight… coast-to-coast.” Note on the tail there is a Buy War Bonds sticker.

Northwest Airlines "Buy War Bonds" DC-3 Postcard
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#NorthwestAirlines #DC3 #Postcard #Aviation #Travel #Avgeek

Calling all former Republic / North Central/ Hughes Airwest folks in the Twin Cities - RARE Luncheon in a few weeks:

Frontier ran similar bus routes out of DEN; AirTran out of ATL, in timetables & bootable like flights. I believe Continental had bus runs EWR-ABE as well.

United offered bus service from several hubs in the mid 90s but those were codeshares with existing operations.

Airplane is flying over Washington D.C. You seethe Jefferson memorial. The plane has a red tail. The plane is silver with a blue strip that says Northwest.

Northwest Airlines Martin 202 Luxury Liner Postcard
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N93051
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#NorthwestAirlines #Martin202 #Postcard #Aviation #Travel #Avgeek

You see the nose, wing and engine poking in from the left. The plane is flying over green pastures. It is a silver aluminum plane with the words Northwest on the side above the 7 windows.

1944 Northwest Airlines DC-3 Postcard
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#NorthwestAirlines #DC3 #Postcard #Aviation #Travel #Avgeek

Have been working on DC-3 illustrations for merch. Each NWA Three had a slightly different scheme, making my job 80 years later much harder than it should be!