Post by aerofoto - HJG Admin on Feb 28, 2023 1:05:45 GMT
"MODERN AIR MEMOIRS"
There's a great deal more to MODERN AIR TRANSPORT than meets the eye upon initial reflection.
The airline was conceived during 1946 and founded on January 3rd 1947. This particular era represented America's post WW2 recovery and boom period. It was a time during which commercial aviation was being re-established following several years of interruptions imposed by the global conflict .... aided by more advanced and logistically capable aircraft technology than had existed during the pre-war era and that now promoted greater opportunities for established carriers as well as enabling the like of MAT, and other new operators, to be established by those composed of vision and drive necessary to exploit these opportunities and benefit from post-war civil aviation redevelopment occurring throughout both the USA and abroad.
MAT operated between 1947 and 1975 as a US non-scheduled and supplementary air carrier .... although from July 15th 1956 the airline commenced limited scheduled services too upon it becoming the first US non-scheduled carrier approved by the American CAB in order to do so (per a 5-year license).
MAT commenced operations using war surplus C-46 COMMANDO aircraft .... then DC-3's from the late 1950's .... followed by MARTIN 2-0-2's, CONSTELLATIONS, and DC-7C's during the early 1960's .... and eventually transitioned into an all jet fleet using B727-100C's then CV990-A CORONADO's from 1967.
The airline was headquartered at Newark between 1946 and 1964, Trenton between 1965 and 1966, Baltimore during 1967, then at Miami from 1967 until 1975 .... and with a hub located at Berlin-Tegel/West Germany between 1968 and 1974.
From 1958 MAT aircraft were chartered by GULF AMERICAN LAND CORPORATION to fly prospective investors from the US Northeast and Midwest to Miami in conjunction with its "Golden Gate Express" residential real estate developments throughout the state of Florida .... supported also by GULF AMERICAN AIRLINES own DC-3 services which operated between Miami and both Cape Coral and Fort Myers in aid of GALC's initiatives. This highly successful venture quickly accounted for some 25% of MAT's operations.
MAT's C-46's were replaced with 5 ex-CAPITAL AIRLINES L-049 CONSTELLATION's from 1962 .... 3 of which were utilized for spares recovery only. During 1962 the airline obtained CAB authorization to operate Military contract flights .... then intrastate and overseas charter services from 1963 and for which it leased 2 L-1049 SUPER CONSTELLATION's .... and also acquired a single L-749 CONSTELLATION during 1964.
The airline commenced retiring its CONSTELLATIONS during 1965 and replacing these with 5 DC-7C's .... along with 5 ex-GULF AMERICAN AIRLINES DC-3's which were also acquired.
During 1966 MARTIN 2-0-2's were sourced from both ALLEGHENY AIRLINES and TWA and at which time the US CAB authorized further expansion of MAT's charter operations to include destinations within both Mexico and Canada. MAT then became a wholly owned subsidiary of GULF AMERICAN LAND CORPORATION (later renamed GULF AMERICAN CORPORATION) during 1966 .... with Miami becoming the airlines primary hub. Following its acquisition by GALC MAT's DC-3's and MARTIN 2-0-2's were transferred to its sister GULF AMERICAN AIRLINES operation and retirement of the airlines remaining CONSTELLATION's commenced .... whilst it continued to operate independently under its established MODERN AIR brand despite attempts to merge both carriers.
MAT's CAB authorizations to extend its cargo, PAX, and tourist/charter operations had by this time greatly enhanced its status as a US supplemental air carrier. This prompted the airline to enter the Jet Age during 1967 .... acquiring 2 ex-AMERICAN AIRLINES CV990-A 30-5's (N5607 and N5609 .... the latter of which was re-registered N5624 during 1968), followed by both N5617 and N5615 (also ex-AMERICAN AIRLINES aircraft) during February and May of 1968 respectively. The airline anticipated further expanding its operations into both US domestic and international markets per jet equipment. Although MAT's CV990-A's were cheaply acquired they were relatively expensive to operate (due to their poor fuel economy, impaired high-speed range, and lower payload capabilities), but, represented cheaper equipment investments than alternative B707's and DC-8's. These aircraft were initially operated in conjunction with MAT's ongoing charter commitments to GALC's real estate development ventures within Florida .... and later in regard to its similarly focused "Rio Rico" land development initiatives within Arizona too.
From April 10th until October 31st 1967 MAT CV990-A N5605 was wet-leased to AIR FRANCE .... with this particular aircraft supporting definitive period AIR FRANCE livery over MAT's basic natural metal (AMERICAN AIRLINES inherited) airframe. This aircraft operated AIR FRANCE's Paris/London services exclusively in order for the airline to develop larger aircraft handling experience on the route in advance its B727-200 acquisitions.
The airlines first 2 CV990-A's supported its natural metal/red/maroon "Silver Palace" livery. Each were operated in a spacious single-class 5-abreast 139 PAX configuration (as opposed to AMERICAN AIRLINES 125 PAX dual-class layout) and with a 3-man flight crew composed of a captain, FO, and a Mechanic Inspector rated FE .... and with a Navigator also being added to the flight crew for long overwater routes.
Labour relations difficulties began to arise between GULF AMERICAN AIRLINES and GAC crews when MAT commenced employing former military pilots .... a situation created through separate/different union representation for both pilots groups, its FE's, and cabin crew.
From 1967 MAT also leased 2 B727-100C's from EXECUTIVE JET AVIATION .... to replace its DC-7C's .... whilst also commencing negotiations with BOEING for 2 B727-100's and a B727-200. This negotiation lapsed however due to the airlines ongoing labour relations difficulties and which eventually culminated in both leased B727's being returned to their lessor and the airlines entire remaining piston-enginned fleet also being withdrawn from service .... resulting in the redundancy of more than 100 of its aircrew.
Despite the airlines revenue increasing from 1967 its transition into an all-jet fleet also resulted in substantial losses too .... primarily due to over capacity, under utilization of its aircraft, and the high operating costs associated with its newly acquired CV990-A fleet. This situation was further frustrated when disposal of the airlines retired piston-enginned fleet proved more difficult and time consuming than had originally been envisaged. By the time the 3rd CV990-A was delivered to MAT (N5617 .... during February 1968) the airline was already in danger of being overwhelmed by its financial difficulties .... and which resulted in further job redundancies along with specialist management also then being contracted. 1968 also saw the airlines natural metal/red/maroon "Silver Palace" livery replaced with its definitive orange/black/white identity .... and which included white painted rudder surfaces.
Although MAT attempted to cancel its final 2 CV990-A commitments in attempt to resolve its fiscal difficulties, withdrawing from this already negotiated purchase agreement with AMERICAN AIRLINES would only have exacerbated this situation into a worse predicament, and with potential to result in the airlines earlier demise. This forced MAT to seek additional opportunities by to which increase both its aircraft utilization and load revenues in order to remain viable. The US government awarded MAT an air services contract to carry military personnel between USAF bases across the USA .... and which did represent a degree of salvation for the struggling airline, but, these opportunities were still insufficient to promote further expansion of both its fleet and supporting workforce.
Division of Germany following the conclusion of WW2 created Soviet controlled East and Western assisted/influenced West Germany .... and also imposed travel restrictions upon German citizens. The rapid economic recovery of West Germany by the 1960's though was also met with the relaxing of such travel restrictions and a corresponding rise in demand for overseas leisure travel .... particularly in regard to IT holidays supported by air travel. This new market was quickly exploited by British independent operators and US supplemental carriers servicing both Berlin-Templehoff and Tegel airports since with the exception of French, UK, and US operators (exploiting the somewhat more liberal air services regulations than were permitted within the USA) .... German carriers were, during this period, prohibited from operating through Berlin .... a restriction that applied to scheduled/non-scheduled as well as charter services.
Following successful negotiations with BERLINER FLUGRING, FLUG-UNION BERLIN, TOURISTIK UINION INTERNATIONAL and other IT agencies (whilst additionally wet-leasing 3 of its CV990-A's to NORDAIR .... N5607, N5609, and N5624 .... each of which operated in the Canadian airlines definitive livery) during 1968, MAT also sought to exploit this particularly lucrative opportunity in order to further increase the utilization its CV990-A fleet and enhance its profitability .... operating contracted IT charters from Berlin-Tegel (as were also being undertaken by SATURN AIRWAYS) to some 19 popular tourist holiday resorts throughout Europe and the Mediterranean (among which included Athens, Corsica, Crete, Dubrovnik, Ibiza, Majorca, Mallorca, and Split) .... and later to Bankok, the Canary Islands, Istanbul (capitalizing on migrant charter opportunities), and as far abroad as Johannesburg. These operations initially resulted in 2 of the airlines CV990-A fleet (supplemented by a 3rd aircraft when additional capacity was necessary) being permanently based in Berlin-Tegel from March 20th 1968 and throughout the entire northern summer season. One of the first of these aircraft (N5617) was named "Berliner Bar W"/Berlin Bear .... in reference to the West German city of Berlin's coat of arms.
Between November and December of 1968 MAT CV990-A, N5615, named "POLAR BYRD I", embarked upon a 25-day luxury around-the-world tourist charter flight touted as “the first commercial flight to ever cross both poles and with touch downs on each of the worlds 7 continents”. This particular flight was undertaken to commemorate the 40th anniversary of US explorer Richard E.BYRD's 1928 flight over the South Pole (BYRD ultimately becoming first to overfly both of the worlds Polar regions). The flight was conceived by Frederik DUSTIN (the fuel engineer during BYRD's 1933-1935 Antarctic expedition) .... and arranged by Edward C.BURSK (chairman of the Boston based ADMIRAL RICHARD E.BYRD POLAR RESEARCH CENTRE and editor of the HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW) as a fund raising project on behalf of the BYRD CENTRE. The aircraft was equipped with a Polar Path Compass system to assist navigation within the geographic extremities of both Polar regions .... and supported a "DUSTIN TRANSPOLAR FLIGHT" legend as well as a gold double globe logo on its forward center and lower fuselage sections respectively (on the aircraft's port side only). It was configured for 75 PAX (an all male complement on this particular flight .... among which included Frederik DUSTIN himself) accommodated in a single First Class/4-abreast layout with a wider aisle .... and 10 crew. Under the command of MAT's chief pilot captain Harold L.NEFF (a former AIR FORCE 1 pilot), and operating flight KV 907, this excursion departed Boston for Thule/Greenland on November 8th 1968. It was then routed over the North Pole to both Anchorage and Cold Bay/Alaska, Tokyo, Manilla, to both Darwin and Sydney/Australia, to both Auckland and Christchurch/New Zealand, and on to McMurdo Sound/Antartica where it arrived on November 22nd 1968 .... becoming the first ever "commercial tourist charter flight" to land on the ice RWY at McMurdo's Williams Field (the first ever "commercial flight" .... undertaken by PAN AMERICAN AIRWAYS as a military charter and to demonstrate the feasibility of commercial flights to Antarctica .... was operated by a B377 STRATOCRUISER, between San Francisco and McMurdo, during October 1957). Following a brief commemorative ceremony, a lecture in regard to the US Antarctic program, and a tour of McMurdo facilities and local historic places of historic interest (including SCOTT's hut), this DUSTIN TRANSPOLAR flight departed McMurdo that same day and was routed over the South Pole to Rio Gallegos/Argentina, to both Rio De Janeiro and Manaus/Brasil, Paramaibo/Surinam, Dakar/Senegal, Rome, then Copenhagen and Moscow (this latter sector being assisted by an AEROFLOT navigator), then on to London .... and finally returning to Boston on December 12th 1968. The Russian stopover on this particular excursion became the first ever western "tourist charter flight" to transit at Moscow. It also resulted in an unanticipated technical difficulty too which grounded the aircraft at Moscow upon discovery that the airports B707/B720, COMET, DC-8, CARAVELLE, and VC10 compatible GPU equipment (as well as that for Soviet aircraft types too) was incompatible with CV990/CV880 air intake valve connections. This resulted in a 3-day delay at Moscow and which necessitated an MAT GPU being flown in from Berlin-Tegel in order to facilitate the aircraft's departure and resumption of the charter flight itinerary. This experience later influenced MAT (in conjunction with GARRET AIR RESEARCH) to develop, and install, a CV990 specific APU .... located within one of the aircraft's starboard wing Anti-Shock Bodies/Kutchmann Carrots .... but which was never successful and therefore removed immediately following trials. PAX each paid some $US 10,000 (1968) for the experience of this trip .... and which cost MAT some $US250,00 to organize. This particular trip raised some $US700,000 for the BYRD CENTRE .... and resulted in a profit of some $US100,000 for the airline.
Individual aircraft can develop their own personalities and idiosyncrasies. This was apparently true of MAT CV990-A N5607. From the time this particular aircraft was based at Berlin-Tegel it regularly developed an irritating reputation for going U/S .... and which generally occurred during the most critical or inconvenient of periods. This often created major service disruptions for MAT and its contracting IT agencies .... and their clientele also. At one stage, during 1968, this situation became so prevalent that the West German IT agencies pressured the airline into returning N5607 to the USA and replacing it with another CV990-A. This was duly accomplished .... and following maintenance this same aircraft was re-registered "N5624" .... then returned to MAT's Berlin-Tegel flight line with less disruption/s following and its contracting IT agencies being non-the-wiser in regard to the airlines actions.
During 1969 the operations of both MAT and GULF AMERICAN AIRLINES were taken-over by GENERAL ACCEPTANCE CORPORATION/GAC. The airline also acquired the longer ranging and heavier ALASKA AIRLINES owned, and previously AREA ECUADOR leased, CV990-A 30-8 (N987AS .... re-registered N5603 upon acquisition by MAT .... and which was also formerly VARIG PP-VJE) during October 1969.
MAT sold CV990-A N5609 to SPANTAX (EC-BTE .... this Spanish scheduled charter operator was by this time beginning to acquire its own CV990 fleet) during March 1970. It then acquired a further 2 CV990-A 30-5's (N5601 and N5614) from AMERICAN AIRLINES during December 1970 and January 1971 respectively .... allowing it to boast operating a fleet of the type which almost paralleled that of SWISSAIR.
During June 1970 MAT undertook another unique charter/publicity stunt .... this time as a one-off Fathers Day excursion trip which operated between Berlin-Tegel and Paris. Marketed as "THE BUSENVOGEL/BOOB BIRD - GET AWAY FROM MAMA TRIP" (conceived by MAT's then newly appointed Berlin-based European vice-president), the 110 PAX aboard this flight were served champagne by the airlines regular black and yellow/"Tiger Girl" uniformed cabin crew .... supported also by see-through clad show girls from Berlin's DAILY GIRL CLUB. This particular flight generated more publicity than was ever anticipated .... and on a global scale too .... the majority of which was positive .... but .... it also encouraged the wrath of MAT's more conservative and less impressed US based GAC management whom had not sanctioned this particular excursion. This resulted in a call-in/professional reprimand for the airlines European based vice president whom was warned his future with the airline would be in serious jeopardy should such a stunt ever be repeated in the future. GAC's response was motivated by its embarrassment over the perceived "tacky-ness" of this particular venture (for the times) .... and its concern in regard to the reaction that might be provoked from its primarily elderly/mature US based, and still MAT charter flight supported, property investment clientele, and the potential for GAC's own marketing initiatives to then be adversely influenced by any such negative reaction as might be forthcoming.
On August 8th 1970 MAT CV990-A N5603 was written-off at Acapulco, Mexico. The aircraft struck RWY approach lighting and touched down some 300 FT prior to the RWY threshold during its evening approach in rain and reduced visibility. This particular flight had originated as a New York/Mexico City charter. At the time of the accident it was being ferried .... with crew only .... in order to reposition for a New York destined charter flight from Acapulco. No fatalities resulted from this particular accident (MAT's only airframe loss throughout its 29 year operational history) .... although 1 cabin attendant remained unaccounted for immediately following the accident but was discovered alive, among the aircraft wreckage the following morning, hospitalized, and whom eventually made a full recovery along with fellow crew members.
MODERN AIR TRANSPORT CV990-A 30-5/N5603/ACCIDENT REPORT/ACAPULCO/MEXICO/AUGUST 8TH 1970
aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19700808-0
Following success of the airlines 1968 trans-Polar flight, a 2nd such around-the-world luxury excursion was operated by MAT during early December of 1970 .... this time marketed by Los Angeles based HEMPHILL WORLD CRUISES, on behalf of the TRAVELLERS' CENTURY CLUB, and operated as a purely independent commercial venture. The aircraft was once again configured with a single First Class/4-abreast layout with a wider aisle .... and also featured a forward cabin lounge. This particular and much shorter duration charter flight was again operated by MAT CV990-A N5615 .... renamed "POLAR BIRD II" .... and which this time supported a "TRAVELLERS' CENTURY CLUB NORTH AND SOUTH POLES 1970" legend as well as a coloured double globe route map logo with "HEMPHILL WORLD CRUISES LOS ANGELES USA" titles on its forward center and lower fuselage sections respectively (again on the aircraft's port side only). This particular excursion departed Los Angeles with 40 PAX under the command of captain Ross ZIMMERMANN. The flight was routed over the North Pole via Anchorage/Alaska, then through Europe, Africa, Southern Asia, and through the South Pacific .... transiting through Easter Island, then both Santiago and Punta Arenas/Chile. Unlike the more glamorous itinerary operated by the 1968 polar excursion this particular flight did not transit at McMurdo/Antarctica due to opposition expressed by the USN. Despite organizer appeal at highest levels of US government in attempt to secure authorization for a McMurdo transit this prohibition remained in effect (as it does to this day) given the operational danger/s associated with Antarctic flying. The limitations of emergency services and potential imposition upon resources available at McMurdo in the event of any crisis were considered too great a risk .... especially following a non-fatal USN SUPER CONSTELLATION/C-121J accident that occurred at Williams Field just several weeks earlier/on October 8th 1970 and which had stranded the aircrafts 80 POB at McMurdo for several days.
US NAVY VX6 C-121J/131644 "Pegasus"/ACCIDENT REPORT/McMURDO/ANTARCTICA/OCTOBER 8th 1970
aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19701008-0
These concerns forced the USN to withdraw refueling facilities at Williams Field and restrict all Antarctic air services to just essential supply/support and scientific related operations only, and which then rendered the transiting of commercial flights through McMurdo impractical. For these reasons, and also due to prevailing weather conditions at the time, the southern-most sector of this 1970 transpolar excursion simply overflew the Antarctic ice cap within a 950 mile radius of the South Pole from Punta Arenas/Chile and prior to returning to the USA.
During June and July 1971 MAT also acquired the remaining 2 VARIG BRAZILLIAN AIRLINES CV990-A 30-8's (PP-VJG and PP-VJF .... and which became N5623 and N5625 respectively). This then justified the airline boasting operating the worlds largest CV990-A fleet .... although this claim to fame was surpassed by SPANTAX later during the 1970's.
Between February and August of 1972 CV990-A N5625 was wet leased to PARADISE 1000 TRAVEL CLUB .... and with whom this particular aircraft supported PARADISE TEAVEL CLUB titles on its port side whilst retaining full and definitive MODERN AIR livery on its starboard side
Further opportunities promoted the expansion of MAT services to North and Central American tourist resorts from both Miami and New York, as well as trans-Atlantic services to West Berlin in order to service its IT charter contracts to European and Mediterranean tourist destinations. The airline also acquired AMERICAN AIRLINES remaining CV990-A spares inventory upon the parting out of its own CV990-A fleet, and also later took over Miami based AMERICAN AIRMOTIVE. These initiatives significantly enhanced MAT's engineering capabilities (enabling it to perform all in-house maintenance .... with the exception of engine related and heavy engineering work .... at self-cost) and which combined to result in considerable further improvements in regard to airlines fiscal status.
The airlines ability to provide greater and whole aircraft capacity to both BERLINER FLUGRING and FLUG-UNION BERLIN (rather than just blocks of seats sold on regular flights operated by smaller aircraft types of other competing carriers), and the increasing popularity of its West German IT charter trade resulted in MAT securing a 5 year contract for the continuation of these services. By this time firmly entrenched into its Berlin-Tegel hub MAT also developed its own ground-handling and maintenance services .... and began providing catering support to other operators servicing Berlin-Tegel .... among which included both AIR FRANCE and PAN AMERICAN WORLD AIRWAYS. As a cost saving exercise MAT undertook round-trip catering for each of its own flights thereby mostly negating need for such servicing at destination airports. MAT's IT charter flights were not permitted to fly cargo therefore available freight space on each aircraft was utilized for the carriage of emergency spares and servicing equipment to assist its own maintenance and repair work at foreign destinations should need arise.
The narrower (than B707 and DC-8) fuselage cross-section of both the CV880's and CV990's had impaired payload capacity of these aircraft throughout the 1960's .... limiting their PAX configuration to a 5-abreast (rather than 6-abreast) seating and which adversely impacted their operating economics. From 1969 MAT introduced UK-developed lightweight "Slim-Line" type seating aboard each of its CV990-A's and which facilitated inclusion of an additional 2 rows of seats, without sacrificing leg space, and thereby increasing the capacity of its CV990-A aircraft to 149 PAX (whilst still retaining a 5-abreast seating configuration) .... and which resulted in improved in seat/mile economy which further aided the overall profitability of its CV990-A fleet.
By 1971 4 MAT CV990's were permanently based at Berlin-Tegel .... with the airline by this time becoming the leading Berlin based air charter operator. From this period also the rudders of each of the airlines CV990's supported natural metal rather than their originally white painted finish.
As promptly as MAT had begun to recover from its late 1960's difficulties the 1970's, whilst promoting this remarkable recovery in the its fiscal status, also began to impose greater challenges to its existence and which would also inevitably lead to the airlines demise.
A further management reshuffle within MAT in response to the shrinking profitability of the airlines US based operations (particularly following termination of the NORDAIR contract) resulted in its entire CV990-A fleet being based at Berlin from May 1972 .... in order to further exploit the more abundant IT charter opportunities from its Berlin-Tegel hub, and with the airline additionally being intent upon commencing both year-round, as well as long-haul, charter operations in order to more effectively counter increasing competition posed by its UK based charter competitors (CHANNEL AIRWAYS, DAN-AIR, and LAKER AIRWAYS) .... albeit that this initiative resulted in major redundancies among airlines US-based work force .... as well as also invoking displeasure from the US CAB in relation to the airlines withdrawal from its negotiated US based operations.
AIR FRANCE, BEA, PAN AM (supported by national carriers of destination countries) however objected to MAT's intent and which was viewed by each as a potential back door attempt "by the non-IATA member airline" to commence scheduled operations from Berlin-Tegel. Following this opposition, and supported by its long-term BERLINER FLUGRING associate, a revised proposition in co-operation with SWISSAIR (MAT flying PAX to Zurich for onward passage to long-haul destinations on SWISSAIR services) was then advanced by the airline. This prospect was also similarly opposed by the same 3 carriers, along with other Berlin based operators too, each of whom viewed this particular prospect as an attempt by MAT to launch a SWISSAIR feeder service .... an objection that was ultimately upheld by the ALLIED AIR ATTACHES and which effectively curtailed MAT's plans for further expansion into what had hitherto become the airlines most lucrative/profitable opportunities.
Again with the support of its BERLINER FLUGRING associate attempts were also made to launch services between West Berlin and Moskow .... as all-inclusive city-break packages. Whilst initially appearing receptive to this proposal Russian regulatory authorities began to impose conditions upon the prospect of this service .... to the extent that such then became commercially unviable and which ultimately resulted in the breakdown of these negotiations. Similar also later occurred in regard to MAT services between West Berlin and Bulgaria (also likely the result Russian influence) .... and which later resulted in its landing rights (and those of other Western carriers too) at Bulgrian ports, and authorization to traffic through Bulgarian airspace, being cancelled.
On May 28th 1971 a Bulgaria bound MAT CV990-A en-route from Berlin-Tegel was denied authorization to enter Bulgarian airspace .... forcing the aircrafts return to Berlin-Tegal as the result of the Bulgarian governments sudden decision to ban all flights originating from, or destined to, West Berlin from landing at, or departing from, any of its ports .... unless such flights originated from, or were destined to, Soviet recognized cities or within East Germany.
Also during May 1971, and despite "unsuccessful" opposition by PAN AM, MAT then launched executive charter and scheduled services between Berlin-Tegel and Saarbrucken .... and with the intention of further extending this service to include other German domestic routes in competition with established carriers. This service was operated by 2 12-seat HFB 320 HANSA JET aircraft (N5602 and N5627). PAN AM had opposed MAT's application on the grounds such services intruded upon its established German based scheduled operations (these at time being PAN AM's only profitable services throughout its entire world-wide network). PAN AM lamely declared MAT (and other US supplemental operators contemplating similar expansion into European based operations) lacked scheduled service experience, familiarity with East/West German air corridors, and had insufficient back-up equipment in the event of service disruptions .... all of which, it additionally postured, had potential to result in unreliable services and could pose public inconvenience and safety related issues. Despite the HANSA JET's poor operating economics MAT's Berlin-Tegel/Saarbrucken scheduled service proved more popular than anticipated. The limited capacity of these aircraft prompted the airline to seek authorization to operate CV990's on this same route. Due to opposition by PAN AM (again), BEA, and other German carriers too, this application was denied by the ALLIED AIR ATTACHES .... unless the airline operated its CV990-A's not in excess of HANSA JET capacity (12 seats .... a ridiculously uneconomic proposition for the airline) and which ultimately forced MAT to withdraw its Berlin-Tegel/Saarbrucken scheduled services during November 1971. PAN AM then commenced flying the same route from February 1972 .... operating from Berlin-Templehoff and using B727-100's .... but was itself forced to withdraw from the route during November 1972 citing insufficient demand for the service. This resulted in MAT then reapplying for, and this time receiving, approval to re-establish scheduled services over its former Berlin-Tegel/Saarbruckn route, using CV990's, without PAX restrictions, and which commenced during mid 1973.
1973 also saw MAT's parent company/GAC conclude its charter flying contract with the airline following the progressively reducing popularity of its long-established property investment related marketing and air service initiatives within the USA.
From 1973 the first oil price shock also began to impact the cost of jet fuel too .... and consequentially the profitability of airlines around the world. MAT initially responded to this imposition by reducing the cruising velocity of its already more expensive (than B707 and DC-8) to operate CV990-A's to MACH 0.86 ("Up to" MACH 0.92 .... and as high as MACH 0.96 had previously been typical .... albeit possible only for the undesirable expense of significantly increased fuel burn) .... and eventually down to MACH 0.78. This speed reduction resulted in a 30% improvement in fuel burn rates with significant corresponding range increases .... and to such an extent that direct services between the US eastern seaboard and destinations within western Europe became operable even with full a payload.
One of MAT's last special charters from West Berlin was operated during February 1974. Some months following the Palestinan/Black September massacre of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympic Games village in Munich, the West Berlin located HERTHA BSC football club travelled to Israel .... "as a gesture of friendship". MAT was chartered to transport the team to Tel Aviv .... amid extremely tight security during days leading up to, during, and following both the charter flight and games. This particular football tournament was successful in improving relations between the communities of both countries and resulted in HERTHA BSC losing one match by 3-1 .... but .... later winning another by 3-1 also.
However ongoing rises in jet fuel costs throughout 1974 forced continued steadily increasing operating costs upon MAT .... and which couldn't be entirely offset by revisions to its operational procedures alone. This situation became enormously significant given established ATC navigation protocols restricted all flights operating within allied air corridors over East Germany to 10,000 FT .... with the associated imposition of higher fuel burn rates than was the case at superior/typical cruising altitudes.
Increasing the density of its CV990's to 179 PAX by implementing a 6-abreast seating configuration was mooted by the airline in order to offset the rising costs of these operational impositions, but, was rejected by the contracting IT agencies (intent upon marketing products of quality land/air/sea content) given MAT's adoption of this proposition would have resulted in an aisle width narrower than that of aircraft operated by competing carriers .... and which would undoubtedly have adversely impacted PAX comfort. Whether or not the airlines CV990's could have been re-certified for 179 PAX, without additional exits, is an entirely different matter.
Each of these impositions were then further exacerbated during the 1974 summer season following Turkey's invasion of Cyprus .... and which resulted in Greece then closing its airspace to all overflights to, and from, Turkey. This compelled all carriers operating between West Berlin and Turkey to attempt renegotiating routing of their flights through Bulgarian airspace .... a situation which ultimately culminated in these carriers then being forced to transit flights through intermediate and soviet recognized destinations "outside West Berlin" in order to satisfy Bulgaria's (Russian influenced) regulatory authorities .... and which also then further escalated operational costs for MAT within the already price sensitive IT charter market. These impositions also undermined the ongoing practicality of the airlines migratory charter flights between Turkey and West Germany too .... and additionally forced MAT to begin imposing fuel sur-charges upon its contracting IT agencies .... and which were in initially passed on to consumers .... but which also then resulted in a corresponding downturn of PAX traffic/IT trade for the airline and which inevitably resulted in all but 4 of the airlines CV990-A fleet being returned to the USA from 1973, and from where MAT then resumed charter flying from both Miami and New York to Kansas City, Los Angeles, and Mexico City during 1974 .... as well as also embarking upon air freight operations too. This all appeased US CAB .... but .... became unprofitable operations for the airline.
MAT also contemplated retiring its fuel inefficient CV990-A fleet and replacing these aircraft with DC-8's and DC-9's, but, upon further increasing its fuel surcharges this ultimately resulted in the airlines long term BERLINER FLUGRING associate then declining to renew its air services contract with MAT for the 1975 summer season and the prospect of fleet replacement then impractical. This became the end of the airlines Berlin-Tegel based IT charter operations .... and the beginning of the end for MAT too. Its entire CV990-A fleet was consequently returned to the USA.
During 1974 the airline sustained operating losses in excess of $US 8 million and with its market share still continuing to shrink .... to the extent that MAT had, by this time, become the smallest of the US supplementary air carriers, but also, the one sustaining the greatest losses too.
GAC had been sustaining MAT's losses since 1967, but, it had also failed to sell the operation when such might have been the more prudent course of business action, and was additionally reluctant to invest any further capital into its fiscally beleaguered airline operations. Instead GAC ordered MAT to commence winding-up its operations and which resulted in 3 of airlines 9 remaining CV990-A's being sold during 1975 whilst the airline then entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. A labour relations dispute then erupted between the airline and some of its more militant crews. This resulted in its pilots walking out on September 1st 1975 and abandoning the airlines remaining CV990-A's at both New York and Chicago. On November 20th 1975 the US CAB finally revoked MAT's operating certificate and which effectively grounded the airline.
The airlines West Berlin traffic rights were eventually acquired by AEROAMERICA .... but whom feared little better than MAT operating within European based IT charter environment during the rapidly changing economic world climate of the 1970's. The airlines remaining CV990-A's fleet were each progressively eventually acquired by DENVER PORTS OF CALL, NOMADS, and NASA.
- CV990-A 30-5 N5601: Sold to DENVER PORTS OF CALL during August 1976 and used for spares recovery. Converted to a restaurant during 1981/Scrapped during 1996.
- CV990-A 30-5 N5605: Sold to DENVER PORTS OF CALL during July 1976 (N8160C). Scrapped during 1982
- CV990-A 30-5 N5607/N5624: Sold to NOMADS TRAVEL CLUB during 1968 (N990E). Sold to GALAXY AIRLINES during 1985. Scrapped during 1991.
- CV990-A 30-5 N5609: Sold to SPANTAX during March 1970 (EC-BTE). Scrapped during 1991.
- CV990-A 30-5 N5614: Sold to DENVER PORTS OF CALL during April 1976 and used for spares recovery. Scrapped during 1979.
- CV990-A 30-5 N5615: Sold to DENVER PORTS OF CALL during July 1976 (N8356C). Stored at Mojave 1884, USA/Scrapped during 1986.
- CV990-A 30-5 N5617: Sold to NASA during May 1975 (N713NA, N710NA 1978, N810NA 1988). Preserved at Mohave AIR & SPACE PORT, California, USA, since 1995.
- CV990-A 30-8 N5603: W/O at Acapulco, Mexico, August 8th 1970.
- CV990-A 30-8 N5623: Sold to DENVER PORTS OF CALL during June 1975 (N8259C). Scrapped during 1986.
- CV990-A 30-8 N5625: Sold to DENVER PORTS OF CALL during June 1975 (N8258C). Stored at Denver 1980/Scrapped during 1998.
During 1977 it seemed MAT might re-commence operations when the US CAB authorized Eugene HORBACH (a Seattle based real estate developer) to acquire the airlines remaining assets .... and with which it was intended to founder MODERN AIRWAYS but which ultimately failed to become operational.
Whilst CV990 jetliners became a MAT icon throughout the late 1960's and early to mid 1970's these aircraft were less economic to operate (than B707's and DC-8's) due to their narrower fuselage crossection, limited payload capacity, and associated higher operating costs. Nor did these aircraft ever meet their "original" performance guarantees either .... even following performance enhancement modifications implemented by GENERAL DYNAMICS/CONVIAIR during the early 1960's (higher airspeed did become acheivable but only at the unacceptable expesnse of greatly increased fuel burn .... and with these aircraft still failing to meet their "intended" airspeed/range capabilities due to their drag imposed higher fuel consumption). The airline did however prove that provided "sufficient volume of consistent work opportunities" could be secured (more-so-prior to the 1973 oil price hike), and by additionally "implementing operational procedures aimed at promoting fuel economy" also, these aircraft were able to return a profit "when operating within high yield niche markets" .... such as IT/charter type services. Both SPANTAX and DENVER PORTS OF CALL (for whom Cv990 aircraft also became an icon throughout the 1970's and 1980's) later, and more effectively, proved this concept too .... especially upon SPANTAX's successful implementation of a 6-abreast PAX seating configuration on its CV990's later during the 1970's .... as well as implementing engine modifications that resulted in a much-reduced engine smoke exhaust signature and which also had the additional, but entirely unanticipated, positive impact of further slightly reducing fuel burn rates prior to eventually retiring the last of its CV990-A fleet during March 1987.
In comparison with experiences of other original CV990 operators SWISSAIR actually found the CV990-A well suited to its Far/Middle East and South American routes .... operating these aircraft between 1962 and 1975 and during which time it also leased 2 of its fleet to both SAS and THAI AIRWAYS INTERNATIONAL. Possibly cruising lighter, at higher altitudes, and over less dense long range routes, whilst also not exceeding MACH 0.92 either .... and with its CV990 operations also probably being subsidized (to some extent) by the airlines more economic/profitable aircraft types and routes too .... SWISSAIR found the CV990 both airspeed and range compliant although from the late 1960's it began to relegate these aircraft to shorter and less prestigious services across its international route network prior to retiring the last of its fleet during January 1975 as adverse impact of the early 1970's global oil crisis began to bite.
Although the 1970's oil price shock played a pivotal role in MAT's eventual demise it has been stated that the pre-deregulation environment within which the airline existed (particularly in the USA) tended to be engineered in favor of established larger and more politically influential carriers that (appreciably) denied the like of MAT opportunities with which to more securely establish, and grow, their operations within the market. It has also been stated that the airlines parent company/GAC failed to properly invest in the airline, since it gained control of MAT during 1966, and which it merely exploited as a means by which to more economically accomplish its own business interests .... but with little, if any, regard for the long-term future of the airline.
Even so non-scheduled, and particularly IT charter related operations, are notoriously subject to industry peaks and troughs in accordance with global financial climates .... which operators need to recognize early and promptly adapt to in the interests of their own survival. In the case of MAT it was, perhaps, an operational blunder to seemingly place all of its eggs into one basket (focusing upon European based IT charters only) rather than also attempting to maintain its original US based charter operations too. It was also perhaps naive of the airlines management to assume foreign operators would not unite together, in order to prevent or restrict, the intrusion of a US operator into their own established markets as well. And it is additionally unsurprising that the West German IT agencies ultimately terminated their charter contracts with MAT too following the airlines escalating fuel surcharges upon them .... since their prime intent was simply to sell packages and move people (the more the better) as cost-effectively and profit-mindedly as practical in accordance with their own interests .... such being the very foundation of successful business orientation. It was never their problem that MAT's operating equipment/CV990-A's became less, and less, economic to fly as the airlines operating costs continued to increase .... as opposed to other carriers competing for their trade also and which operated smaller, but more economic, jet equipment. The airlines situation soon became an imposition upon the West German IT agencies .... and ultimately MAT's own folly. Had GAC elected to commence replacing the airlines increasingly uneconomic CV990-A's with higher capacity but more cost-effective B707's or DC-8's (despite these aircraft also representing equally old technologically) whilst it was still profitable .... THEN .... like SPANTAX, MAT's operations might have prevailed over a longer duration, and more successfully too, against the adverse winds of economic influence that came to pass during the early to mid 1970's .... and which have since continued to shape the worlds airline and travel industry today.
Mark C
AKL/NZ
