Showing posts with label Naples Airlines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Naples Airlines. Show all posts

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Before the DC-3s . . .

. . . Lockheed, Beechcraft or Grumman ?

In the early days, Naples Airlines operated as Provincetown-Boston (hence PBA) and were not even in Naples during the off season.

The "official" tourist season (Apr15 through Dec 15) began after the "snowbirds" had recovered from Thanksgiving "up north".

PBA operated in the (you guessed it) New England area including Boston (Logan airport pictured), and serviced folks at Provincetown, Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and the surrounding area.

In the fall, the planes (there were 2, I think) would make the trip south where they became the link between Naples and the larger commercial carriers in Tampa and Miami. There were just a couple of round-trip flights per day in the morning and afternoon. One plane did the Tampa loop and the other did Miami. We used to wave at the Tampa guys whilst playing sand-lot football out in Seagate.

This question may have already been answered, but my memory has gaps . . .

. . . is this airplane a Lockheed, Beechcraft or Grumman, and did these planes become the first "mosquito bombers" upon the arrival of the DC-3's?


Seagate Homeboy
NHS Class of '67

10:23 a.m. PST

Photo credit: Bill Armstrong at Airliners.net