Central Airlines Collection

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.
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
DC3, sn 18939, at gate 2 in Ft. Smith, AR
Shot on Aug. 7, 1956 - Flt 42 to KC departing at 8am
Great simulated pic of DC-3 in original logo
Thanks to CN/FL pilot Hal Grogg's grandson, David
Another great pic of the DC-3 from David
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.
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.
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
CV240
Great photo of CV240 inflight. Shows the old colors very well.
CV240 and DC3 in background
On the ramp at MKC in 1963
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
CV240 unloading passengers
A black & white photo
CV240 in the old livery
Too bad it's black & white
Image of the CV240
CV Dart 600
Ready for passenger loading
CV Dart 600 in flight
This shot was used on postcards
Chart of the history of the CV600 fleet
Historical data on CV240s - 600s
CV600
A Convair 240 turbocharged with Rolls Royce engines. Its nickname was "Cecil the Deisel".
CV600
The livery went into effect the year before Frontier bought the company on October 1, 1967.
CV600 being loaded in Dallas
Another from Frosty's collection
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
Model CV600
Also shows glass and RON kit
CV600 after Central was sold
SN852 ended up at Wright Airlines,
DC9, the plane that never flew
From an ad in the OAG, January, 1967
DC9
An aircraft that never flew. Frontier bought out Central before purchases of the DC9 were completed.
A listing of Central aircraft
by Aeromoe

ANNUAL REPORTS

1958 Central Airlines Annual report
1961 Central Airlines Annual report
1964 Central Airlines Annual report
1966 Central Airlines Annual report
Central's last annual report issued in the Spring of 1967

LOGOS and LABELS

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 "Aerograph", aka the fishnet, - Central's last logo.
Air Mail label used by Central
Labels from the early years
A very early label
It features the winged logo used in the first few years
The arrow logo
Used for years until the logo changeover in 1966
The first Central logo
Dating from about 1950

TIMETABLES

A 1935 timetable from the first Central Airlines started in 1928
It became Pennsylvania Central Airlines in 1936 after merging with Pennsylvania Airlines
A 1936 timetable from the first Central Airlines.
Pennsylvania Central Airlines became Capital Airlines in 1948 and merged with United Airlines July 1, 1961
An April 1950 timetable
Central had been flying 7 months
Timetable from May, 1951
It notes that the fleet is all DC3s now
A September, 1955 timetable
New through service noted
This timetable was issued November, 1956
It has a football motif on the cover
Timetable from Dec 1956
Oct 1957 Timetable
This 1959 timetable salutes the Air Force Academy
A June, 1959 timetable
Another view of the salute to the Air Force
A timetable from April, 1962
Now flying Radar Convairs
Inside the same timetable
Features a nice route map
Another timetable from April, 1962
Timetable from August, 1963
Has a good route map on it
Dec. 1963 Timetable
Merry Christmas from Central
A timetable from 1964
A Mar 1965 timetable
An Apr 1965 timetable
Red was a characteristic color at the time
Apr 25 1965 employee's timetable
in a searchable .pdf file
Timetable from 1965 in June
Flight attendants' new uniform featured
October, 1965 timetable
Announcing CV600 Dart service
A timetable dated January, 1966
The new logo had already gone into effect
A timetable dated February, 1966
Features the new "fishnet" logo on the cover
September, 1966, timetable with the new logo
Central never got the jets advertised on it
Feb 1 1967 employee's timetable
in a searchable .pdf file
A timetable from February, 1967
7 months before Central ceased to exist
July 1967 timetable
Features a Convair 600
The last timetable Central put out
September, 1967 announcing non-stop Fayetteville-St. Louis service
October 1967 timetable
Coinciding with the Central/Frontier merger

SENIORITY LISTS

Station Seniority List - 5/19/1953
Reservations Agent Seniority List - 1/1/1962
Passenger Service Agent Seniority List - 1/1/1962
Pilots Seniority List - 1/1/1963
Pilots Seniority List - 7/1/1963
Dispatchers Seniority List - 1/1/1967
Pilots Seniority List - 7/1/1967

MISCELLANEOUS

Keith Kahle's memorial webpage
Autographed photograph of Keith Kahle
Founder of Central Airlines, photo dated March 5, 1960
Keith Kahle, founder
Founder & first President, September, 1949 - January, 1964
Letter mailed to Keith Kahle September 15, 1949
Celebrating the first flight of Central at Gainesville, Texas
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.
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
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
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
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
Feb 1967 CN Skywriter
in a .pdf format
July 1967 CN Skywriter
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.
This was the Fayetteville station team.
I don't remember all the names but from left to right:
"Buck" something, Bill DeLong (station manager), Don Whitley (me), and the last was Bill something.
-Don Whitley (3/5/08)
1963 letter by Keith Kahle
Concerning a possible strike
Oct 1, 1964 CN pilot domicile list
Thanks to Grant Holmes for sending it.
Jan 1954 articles about the first Central stewardesses
They replaced the all male pursers on Dec 16, 1953.

LINKS

FRONTIER AIRLINES website
and it's predecessor airlines


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.

Jake Lamkins