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See the Jan/Feb 2005 AIRLINERS magazine for a great 8 page article on Central Airlines.

CENTRAL AIRLINES COLLECTION

AIRCRAFT

BONANZA A-35 Central started operations on September 15, 1949 with eleven of these aircraft. CONVAIR 600 A Convair 240 turbocharged with Rolls Royce engines. Its nickname was "Cecil the Deisel". CONVAIR 600 The livery went into effect the year before Frontier bought the company on October 1, 1967. DC3 Parked at the Hot Springs, Arkansaw terminal about 1955. DC3 Inflight with old Central markings. By 1964 there were 16 DC3s in the fleet along with 8 Convairs. DC3 From an oil painting by Charles H. Hubbell. Copies were widespread at Central facilities. DC3 Purchases of DC3s started in 1950 when the Bonanzas proved too small. This is one of the earliest that Central bought. DC9 An aircraft that never flew. Frontier bought out Central before purchases of the DC9 were completed. DC3 Another shot of the DC3 inflight DC3 The DC3s and CV240s were called Centraliners in 1955. DC3 Incident This DC-3 ran off the taxiway into a gully in 1967. CV240 Great photo of CV240 inflight. Shows the old colors very well. CV240 and DC3 in background On the ramp at MKC in 1963 Model CV600 Also shows glass and RON kit DC9, the plane that never flew From an ad in the OAG, January, 1967 CV600 after Central was sold SN852 ended up at Wright Airlines, A listing of Central aircraft by Aeromoe CV240 in the old livery Too bad it's black & white Image of the CV240 Image of CV600 The mysterious CV600 No Central CV600 ever sported the old logo as this one does Read how the mystery was solved by the detectives at the Frontier Online Club Central DC3 with "red" paint scheme Photo thanks to Capt. Frost DC3 notice the different paint scheme in next photo Thanks again to Frosty DC3 at crowded DAL gate, this paint scheme pre-dates previous 2 "red" liveries DC3 wallpaper From previous photo. Thanks, David! CV600 being loaded in Dallas Another from Frosty's collection CV 240 on the ramp From Frosty CV240 leaving the gate Another one from Frosty The same CV240 Formatted for wallpaper CV240 Frosty again CV240 in flight Great shot and formatted for wallpaper CV240 at MKC in 1963 - DC3 in background More terrific wallpaper DC3 Ready to taxi out One of the C47s Central used The large cargo door made loading much easier Another DC3 by Frosty This livery pre-dates the "red" livery A DC3 and a CV240 Parked at the gate in Dallas CV240 unloading passengers A black & white photo CV Dart 600 Ready for passenger loading CV Dart 600 in flight This shot was used on postcards DC3, sn 18939, at gate 2 in Ft. Smith, AR Shot on Aug. 7, 1956 - Flt 42 to KC departing at 8am Chart of the history of the CV600 fleet Historical data on CV240s - 600s

TIMETABLES, LOGOS & LABELS

April 1953 Timetable Almost all the air service was in Oklahoma Timetable from 1962 New Radar Convair service in Arkansas and Oklahoma A January 1965 Timetable New Dart Convairs coming in 1965 The Highroad logo Features a Convair 240 Old label from a different Central Airlines that operated in the 1930s in Pennsylvania. A logo in blue A logo in red A logo featuring the Convair 240 The last timetable Central put out September, 1967 announcing non-stop Fayetteville-St. Louis service A timetable from 1964 The "Aerograph", aka the fishnet, - Central's last logo. This 1959 timetable salutes the Air Force Academy A 1936 timetable from the "other" Central Airlines. It was later known as Pennsylvania Central. A 1935 timetable from the "other" Central Airlines. Also, later called PCA. Air Mail label used by Central Labels from the early years A 1963 timetable Timetable from 1956 Timetable from May, 1951 It notes that the fleet is all DC3s now. An April 1950 timetable Central had been flying 7 months September, 1966, timetable with the new logo Central never got the jets advertised on it A timetable from February, 1967 7 months before Central ceased to exist Dec. 1963 Timetable Merry Christmas from Central 1957 Timetable From October An April, 1965 timetable Red was a characteristic color at the time Timetable from August, 1963 Has a good route map on it October 1967 timetable The first after the Central merger July 1967 timetable Features a Convair 600 A timetable dated January, 1966 The new logo had already gone into effect October, 1965 timetable Announcing CV600 Dart service A very early label It features the winged logo used in the first few years A timetable from April, 1962 Radar Convair service highlighted Timetable from 1965 in June Flight attendants' new uniform featured A September, 1955 timetable New through service noted A timetable dated February, 1966 Features the "fishnet" on the cover This timetable was issued November, 1956 It has a football motif on the cover A June, 1959 timetable Another view of the salute to the Air Force The arrow logo Used for years until the logo changeover in 1966 A timetable from April, 1962 Now flying Radar Convairs Inside the same timetable Features a nice route map The first Central logo Dating from about 1950 A 1965 timetable Issued in March

MISCELLANEOUS

Ashtray It has a route map on it. A set of glasses with old logo and maps on them Matchbook with the last logo, the Aerograph, on it. A glass with a Convair 240 on it. An employee nameplate with the last logo on it. This section was above the employee's name. A pencil in the grey color Central adopted for the company colors in 1966. Autographed photograph of Keith Kahle Founder of Central Airlines, photo dated March 5, 1960 Three types of business cards Used by Jeff Gilbert, longtime manager at Hot Springs, Arkansaw This ticket envelope was used the last year of Central's existence - 1967 Unique 1967 Little Rock bagtags The tag on the luggage was round after passenger stub was torn off. Ad from the early 1950s Flight attendant wings from the early 50s Agents' cap emblem from 1962 Courtesy of Jerry Baltz Dr. Charles Quarles CN collection Charles has one of the largest airline memorabilia collections on Earth. Model of a CV600 Aircraft N74858 in last logo plus glass & RON kit Nail file Used for advertising the airline Matches Has the logo from the 50s & early 60s on it. Same matches Another part of the match cover. Same matches And another angle on the match cover. Ticket envelope and NFL schedule From 1958 Brochure from 1952 "Flying your way, every day" motto shown Brochure from 1952 Another part of the same brochure Ticket envelope from 1962 Front of envelope which held passgenger tickets and bags stubs Ticket envelope from 1962 The back of envelope showed a route map A tin ruler from the early years KEITH KAHLE Founder & first President, September, 1949 - January, 1964 L. E. GLASGOW Second President, January, 1964 - April, 1965 M. LAMAR MUSE Third & last President, May, 1965 - September, 1967 ATC form for filing flight plans Agents working operations used these Flight schedule from April 1950 It shows all the flights Central operated then Route map from 1963 Hat emblem used by Passenger Service Agents It features the "Aerograph" design of Central's last year Local Service Airlines route map from the 1950s It shows the Central and Frontier routes at that time along with other airlines Paystub from August 1964 Everybody had to start somewhere - this is where I started Keith Kahle's obituary From the July 5, 1997 Ft. Worth Star-Telegram Lapel pin It features Central's "arrowhead" logo Magazine holder For Holiday Magazine Magazine holder For Reader's Digest Bag tag In shape of the Central arrow Hat emblem from agent's cap Matches from the early days A joint advertisement with Chiclets gum A full page ad From the February 1967 OAG Another book of matches Has the CV240's distinctive red tail on it Ticket envelope from the 1950s Bag tags to McAlester, Oklahoma & route map shown Letter mailed to Keith Kahle September 15, 1949 Celebrating the first flight of Central at Gainesville, Texas Same letter showing detail Central letterhead on the envelope A brochure from 1962 Welcome Aboard A 1962 packet Six Flags brochures & timetable A route map from 1962 "Now Flying Radar Convairs" Central's in-house newsletter was called the Skywriter Several shown here from 1961 - 62 The March, 1962 Skywriter Headline records 1961 results Detail from that Skywriter Skywriter from December, 1962 Announcing President Kennedy's visit to Ft. Smith Detail from that Skywriter Notice the DC3 "welcome wagon" Another Skywriter It's also from 1962 RON kit "Remain Overnight" kit for inconvenienced passengers Two charter tickets Issued October 21, 1944 Same two tickets Close up - chartered by a couple getting married The back of the ticket Shows the validation mark Close up of the validation mark Definitely dated October 21, 1944 - 5 years before Central started scheduled operations ALPA, the pilots union, met in Miami in 1966 L-R, John Scrivner, Leonard Pratt - CN Chairman, Phil Steen, Ken Coggeshall, and Jack Frost A paper pad from the early days When Central was at Amon Carter Field Large ticket envelope Dates from about 1959 - nice wallpaper FYV pix from 1965 CN aircraft and more for big Texas football game 1955 CN Xmas card Can anyone ID these CN folks for us? Looks like ICT or MKC station. 1963 letter by Keith Kahle Concerning a possible strike

LINKS

FRONTIER'S PREDECESSOR AIRLINES CENTRAL AIRLINES "OLD" FRONTIER AIRLINES FRONTIER ONLINE CLUB A meeting place for ex-employees of the "Old" Frontier Airlines THE FRONTIER AIRLINES COLLECTION Images, photos, miscellaneous information THE FRONTIER CLUB PHOTO GALLERY Additional photos from the Club

Many thanks to everyone who's helped with the collection: especially Mrs. Jeff Gilbert,
Capt. H.A. "Frosty" Frost, Bill Castleman, the FL Club bunch, Bill Blackmon, and the Ebay gang.

Central Airlines 1944-1967

Jake Lamkins