Golden Light: Pan Am’s Interchange DC-8-62

​Usually interchange services did not outwardly impact the operations of the airlines taking part in them, since although aircraft were shared across the entire route the airlines were comfortable leaving the paint scheme of the planes involved as standard. Since the aircraft were not dedicated to the service this made sense as it enabled them to easily move back onto normal services. Occasionally however the interchange concept enabled the creation of a unique combination of aircraft and airline.

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For more about interchanges see: ​Interchanges: Through Plane Service in the Regulated Era

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Pan American Douglas DC-8-62 N1803 Aeroclassics 1:400 Scale Model Airliner

​I can only think of a few occasions when an aircraft was used on an interchange in an unusual way (well more unusual than having another airline flying it that is). During the 1950s United and the, at the time, small trunk Continental shared a Continental DC-6 (N90961) for one of their interchange services and this aircraft for a time wore both companies’ logos on the fuselage and tail.

N90961 with both CO and UA logos and titles. Photo by Mel Lawrence from Airliners.net

​The most famous example of an interchange spawning something unusual however is that of the DC-8-62 N1803. This aircraft was owned by Braniff International and one of 10 that were used on their South American network. In fact, she was the first series 62 they received and entered service in the Medium Blue Jellybean scheme on August 22, 1967. However, during a 15-month period from January 1970-April 1971 she was leased by Pan American and repainted into full PA colours becoming ‘Jet Clipper Golden Light’.

N1803 wore 3 different Jellybean colours including as here Panagra Yellow

​By this time Pan Am had sold off its fleet of DC-8-32/33s and firmly entrenched in the Boeing club had shown no interest in the DC-8 Super 60 series. The appearance of a DC-8-62 in full Pan Am colours was therefore a unique experience. The reason for the lease was to provide Pan Am with equipment for its part of the Miami-Panama-South America interchange that it shared with Braniff. The route had previously also included National, which operated a New York-Miami add on. I guess the DC-8-62 had superior operating characteristics to the standard Boeing 707-320C on such hot and high long-range services.

There aren't many photos of N1803 in PA colours. This one is by George W Hamlin from JetPhotos.net

​Pan Am operated the Miami-Panama City portion of the leg but as with all interchanges the aircraft would remain the same for the entire route. This unique interchange ended in April 1971 and N1803 returned to the Braniff fleet where she was repainted into the new Flying Colors scheme (green/light green version).

​Another claim to fame the aircraft had in Pan Am service was possibly being the last aircraft painted into the original 1950s globe scheme with the full Pan American titles. By the time she entered service the 747s were being delivered with short Pan Am and 707s and 727s began to be seen in this scheme during 1971.

In her Flying Colors green. Photo by Bob Garrard from his FlickR page

​Following the failure of Braniff in 1982 this aircraft was acquired by International Air Leases and flew for a variety of airlines. She briefly served with Hawaiian for a year from December 1983-1984 before conversion to a freighter. After this she joined Arrow Air in August 1985, Cargosur in March 1989, SAVA Cargo in April 1994 and Arrow Air again from October 1994. Her last owner was Agro Air associates who purchased her in March 1999, however she was still operating with Arrow Air in 2005. By 2009 she had been removed from service permanently and was stored at Harrisburg.

References

Evanich, J.E. Lost Schemes: #65 Pan American DC-8-62. Airliner Café
RZJets.net