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Flashback Fridays--New views of OO-TEM

blusk
Aviator C

A few weeks ago, I did a post that mentioned a 737-200 that we operated on lease from Trans European Airways (TEA) in Belgium.  In that post and a subsequent posting on interim liveries, we never posted a photo that really showed the aircraft in its TEA livery with Southwest titles and it’s Belgian registration, OO-TEM.  Well, this post aims to rectify that.  I asked Eric on our Graphics Team to scan some negatives, and there were shots of that aircraft on the roll of film that I gave Eric.  (By the way, Eric is responsible for many of the photos I use in Flashback Fridays, so if you enjoy these posts, Eric gets the credit.)

In the first photo below, we see OO-TEM begin its takeoff roll.  At first, I thought the takeoff was filmed here at Love Field because there are similar hangars here.  However, the more I looked at the photo, the more I had doubts.  There is a runway in the foreground, and Love doesn’t have parallel runways.  This would appear to be Houston Hobby, and the aircraft is taking off from Runway 12Right.

The next two photos show the airplane lifting off and climbing out.  OO-TEM was a 737-2Q8, and it was leased by Southwest from February 1981 until returning to TEA at the end of April, 1983.  Next week, we look at how Southwest celebrated St. Patrick's Day in 1981.

 

 


 

9 Comments
blusk
Aviator C
Mystery solved. Mark Monse sent me an e-mail that clears up my confusion. This photo was taken at Dallas Love Field. Here is Mark's explanation: DAL does indeed have parallel runways (13R-31L and 13L-31R), but the clincher are the two identical hangars in the background. SWA's first hangar at DAL was sited closest to the runway, and the second would be built to the left of the first hangar. The aircraft is taking off from 13R, and the other runway in the foreground is actually 18-36. The photo was apparently taken from the edge of the terminal's ram area. Note that the two white touchdown bars on runway 18-36 line-up in all the photos, as does the overall geometry of 13R-31L and 18-36, as well as the orientation of taxiways "J" and "C". The grove of trees in the background is where today's HDQ and parking lot stand. Behind the trees, and not really visible, is the old Manor bakery. Just to the right of OO-TEM, and out of the frame, there was a navaid called the Love VOR/DME (identifier LUE) but it was torn down just after the new HDQ was built circa. 1989-1990.
Pete_Beadling
Explorer C
It must have been a cold day and the aircraft lightly loaded to be rotating that early on runway 13R. Maybe this photo was taken on the last flight when the aircraft was flown away empty to the new owner.....just a guess. Pete Beadling Captain DAL
blusk
Aviator C
Thanks for adding your expertise Pete. From what I can tell, this roll of film was shot no later than the first part of March, so it would have been fairly cool. The aricraft was with us until early 1983, so it wouldn't be on a return flight to the owner--in fact, it was fairly new to us at this point. It is certainly possible that in addition to the cool temps the loads may have been light, or it could have been a positioning or training flight. I tend to think it might have been a training flight in order for it to have been newsworthy enough for the company-hired photographer to shoot it. Brian
ric-martin
Explorer C
I am giving away my age but I remember in the early 80's sitting at my desk in my office at Hobby airport. At the time I was the manager of an aviation fixed base operation. My window faced the Southwest gates and I was surprised to see a Boeing 727 parked at the gate painted in Southwest colors. Over the next several days, I continually saw the 727 pulling up to the gate and then being pushed back 15 or 20 minutes later. It happened so often that I concluded Southwest had added several 727 aircraft to their fleet. I was on the ramp a few days later talking to one of the Southwest ramp people who told me that there was only one 727 and it was obtained in a settlement between Braniff Airlines and Southwest. According to him, the aircraft and crew were provided by Braniff for a period of time until the settlement terms were complete. He said that Southwest used the aircraft as much as they could during that time. I know Southwest had the aircraft but does anyone know if the rest of the story is true?
blusk
Aviator C
Ric that is true. Actually this would have been 1979/1980 for the single Braniff 727. Later in the mid-80s we leased six 727s that had belonged to PeopleExpress.
slynch716aolcom
Explorer C
heres a flash back before SWA left MHT,now i love southwest airlines and will forever love em, but it is one of the most disapointing things to see southwest take away from the manchester economy. i mean after all MHT has been there with the airline through thick and thin, but now southwest is turning their backson the once fastest growing airport in the US. MHT never turned there backs on you. They had a 9 gate terminal expansion in store for you guys, but........
Anonymous987
Explorer A
>>>heres a flash back before SWA left MHT Huh? Since when?
slynch716aolcom
Explorer C
No i take back the "since the left mht" let me rephrase that i mean't since they have had a steady decrease in service there
Ray_Phillips1
Explorer C
Brian Actually I have a photo OO-TEM in its original delivered color's.