The new company would become one of the most important international airlines. In 1950, it changed its name to Trans World Airlines. TWA became a part of American Airlines, 1 December 2001.
© 2016, Bryan R. Swopes
16 July 1930
6 thoughts on “16 July 1930”
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My Grandfather Joseph E Ohrbeck
flew this aircraft in the 1930’s
In the Kansas City National Airline History Museum at Downtown Airport, now unfortunately closed over a hangar rent dispute, are artifacts from the days when Trans Continental and Western Air merged. The most interesting item, for me, is the Indian head logo cut out from the fabric side of a Fokker tri-motor. After the Knute Rockne crash in Kansas, the wooden winged Fokkers were essentially condemned and taken to Fairfax Airport where they were stripped of engines and instruments and burned. Someone had the foresight to cut out one of the logos and preserve it. It is beautiful even after 90 years, with a brilliant red background still shining and the gold and black Indian looking like gold leaf.
The museum is sueing the landlord, but I fear it won’t be successful. What will happen to the museum’s Lockheed Constellation, Douglas DC-3, Martin 4-0-4, Northrop Delta, Disney/TWA Moonliner, simulators, avionics, uniforms, maps, and tons of other memorabilia is uncertain.
TDiA is aware of the dispute, and finds it unbelievable that the court has ruled against the museum. An absolute travesty.
While the dispute over the Airline History Museum continues, across the airport at 10 Richards Road in the old TWA administration building and maintenance hangar, is the TWA Museum, which is thriving.
This museum is largely run by retired TWA flight attendants and is a delight. Old uniforms, advertising, artifacts, simulators, a recreated Ambassador Lounge, ramp equipment, and other things that make a working airline run are on display. In the hangar is a restored Lockheed 12 Electra Junior, which I have been told was a TWA corporate aircraft back in the day. That airplane is amazing as every skin panel must have been replaced — not a dent anywhere in the wings or airframe.
The people there are delightful, too, harkening back to the days when airline flying was elegant.
All of the artifacts have been painstakingly acquired by museum volunteers over decades. The personal stories the attendants tell is priceless. Love hearing stories about the first generation 707 water wagons and movie stars from the golden age of cinema.
If you want to decorate your man cave with classic airline memorabilia, they have an extensive gift shop of posters, clothing, and other stuff. This fall I’m going back for a TWA ramp jacket to keep me warm during the always-cold Kansas winter.
That sounds very interesting, Randy. I’d like to visit.
According to a Kansas City Star Magazine article decades ago, the union between Western and TAT was not an easy one. Western personnel thought their company had been swallowed by an upstart operation of opportunistic eastern investors.
This animosity manifested itself, according to an eyewitness quoted the the article, with the Knute Rockne crash. The eyewitness said TAT mechanics working on their metal Ford Tri-Motors, derided the Western mechanics and their wooden-winged Fokkers. When a TAT mechanic pointed out that drain holes in the wing of a Fokker ready to depart KC Municipal Airport looked to be clogged (and evidence of wood rot), a fight with wrenches almost developed. That airplane then departed with Rockne and crashed halfway to Wichita when the wing failed.