Dennis,
The very first airplane ride I ever took was in September,
1968 on a North Central DC-3—as I left Garden City for my freshman
year at Tech.
As I recall, the trip took almost 6 hours in total, with stops in Lansing,
Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Menominee, and Iron Mountain before
reaching CMX.
I sat in a portion of the plane where there were "facing" seats,
with two
seats facing forward and two facing rearward. All four of us
sitting in the
this area on one side of the aisle were freshmen headed to
Houghton, and it
was the very severe banked turn into the Menominee airport
that I remember
most from the trip.
It was a very severe turn, and one the guys sitting with us got sick.
He got
it all in the paper bag, but the sound of him retching (and
the smell) set
off a chain reaction, as several other people on board also
became sick
almost immediately thereafter. I managed to keep everything
down, but I did
feel terrible for about five minutes. Maybe it was the sickly
teal interior
color scheme that made it worse!
Just about 41 years--and at least 2 million frequent flyer miles later--I
still remember that flight as well as almost any I've been
on. And, it's the
only time I've ever seen anyone use the paper bags for airsickness.
Many of
us miss "Herman" the Blue Goose, who graced the tail of North
Central
planes--and later was the symbol adopted by Republic when North
Central and
Southern merged. Look for www.hermantheduck.org for more about
North
Central's history.
Best wishes,
Mike Anleitner
'72
Mike (and the many, many others): Thanks for the great
note(s). As you'll see, I misidentified the plane (Convair,
not DC-3), but I, too, remember the puddle jumping days: 6
stops to Detroit!
***
Actually it is a picture of a Convair 580. My mother worked for United
Airlines and I was able
to get $5.00 standby tickets for North Central. I probably
flew from
Detroit to Houghton and
back at least 10 times.
Bond Milton
***
as i recall, the plane shown is a convair. they were originally piston
engine powered. north central had them refurbished and re-powered
with
allison (i believe) turbo props. there was a large increase
in power, reduced
fuel consumption and the interior came out like new.
the DC3 was a tail dragger not tir-cycle landing gear. north
central also
used DC3's but i believe they were replaced by the convairs.
Bruce G. Kelly 60 68,69
***
This was one way I got to Da Tech other than the Copper Country Limited!
I caught the train from Cleveland, OH to Chicago and then the
midnight
CCL to Houghton. Later I got a car.
Jack Sigler BSME '73
***
In Jan of 1978 myself and Paul Crowley flew from Detroit Metro to Hancock
Airport on what was then called the "milk run" aboard the "Blue
Goose". We
must have stopped at least 6 times in route to Hancock. It
was our high
school senior year and the first flight both of us had been
on. We both ended
up at Mich Tech and graduated in spring of 1983.
Brian Burtka '83
***
If my memory is correct during my years at MTU North Central ran Convair
440's which were piston engine planes and later converted them to 580 turbo
props. I believe the picture is a 440.
All service was via Green Bay and stops were made at different airports
between Green Bay and CMX.
A trip from Detroit to Houghton County would often include stops in Lansing,
Grand Rapids, change planes in Green Bay and at least another stop in the
UP before Houghton.
Eric Peterson 1970
***
Dennis,
Other aviation-smart alumni may correct me on this, but I don't
believe the
picture is a DC-3. I remember them having big radial piston engines,
rather than turboprop, and I can picture them leaning back on a tail wheel,
rather than level with front gear as shown.
Whatever the case, my DC-3 Blue Goose flight memory is that of a company
paid interview trip in the spring of 1964, job hunting before graduation.
On the return to Houghton, there were few passengers on the aircraft, and
little for the lone stewardess to do. So I moseyed to the back of the plane
to talk to her. Before landing, she gave me a whole handful of the little
cigarette sample packs of the day. (I was an unenlightened smoker at the
time.) Learning that Houghton was the end of the line for her, I asked if
she'd like to go out that night. Unfortunately, she was already spoken for
by the pilot.
Good memories. See you at the reunion.
Larry Doyle
Class of 1964
***
A not so fond memory of the Blue Goose was arriving late at night in a
terrible lightning storm. There was only one or two others on the plane
and we flew through turbulence, lightning and thunder in the total darkness.It
was a lonely scary feeling. By the way, the plane in the picture is a Convair
turbo-prop and not a DC3.
Larry Watson 51
***
That's a Convair 580 in photograph, not a DC-3. Actually, it was a very
comfortable airliner with roomy seats, even though they vibrated
quite a
bit.
Steve Benesh
***
Dennis,
I don't remember DC-3 on North Central Airlines, but I definitely
remember the noisy, rattly Convair 580 turboprops in the late 1970's.
I flew on
several of these to Green Bay for interview trips in 77-78.
By the way, only a very few DC-3's were turboprops - the vast majority
of
them were reciprocating prop planes. The aircraft shown on
the Techalum
site is definitely NOT a DC-3; they were "tail-draggers", where
it had two
underwing gear and a tail wheel, not a nose-wheel. It's most
likely one
of those Convair 580's.
This was in the very last days of North Central Airlines, before they
became Republic Airlines in 1979. Republic was then acquired
by Northwest
in 1986.
Charles Rogers '78
***
Dennis,
Just wanted to point out that the photo of the North Central Airlines
aircraft in the last Newsletter is incorrectly labeled. It
doesn't look
like a DC-3 (as the DC-3 did not have nose gear, but a tail
wheel), but
looks to me like it is probably a Convair (either 340 or a
580) aircraft.
Although I am too young to have seen the Blue Goose in the air, I thought
I
would send this along your way regardless.
Best,
Craig Van Someren
'03 Chemistry
***
The aircraft in the photo is a Convair 580. I flew many time from Houghton
to Chicago and back on these planes.
They were known as 'Flying Beer Cans' and as I recall, there
was no cost or a minimal charge, like twenty-five cents for
a 12 ounce can of lager depending on the friendliness of the
flight attendant. It was usually a 4 beer trip - 2 from Chicago
to Green Bay -- sometimes stopping in Milwaukee, and 1 each
from Green Bay to Iron Mountain, and Iron Mountain to Houghton.
I remember a party flight where there were about 3 of us terminating
in Houghton, plus the flight crew. It was a five hour flight
versus an eight hour drive in good weather.
Just one of those things we remember about traveling to and
from MTU,
Jeff Rendall '71'
***
The airplane pictured is a Convair Turbo Prop. DC-3's were tail draggers
and were not turbo props, just plain old fashioned rotary piston engines.
Ned Aldridge
MSME 1973
***
Flew that airline many times in the early 70s to get back to NY. Don't
remember how many stops there were from Houghton to
Detroit, but Green Bay was definitely one. One Christmas break we
landed in Green Bay and the plane basically disappeared in
the snow due
to the prop wash. Was not sure the flight would continue on
to Detroit
as there was about 16 inches of snow on the runway. We did
make it to
Detroit and I actually made my connection to Albany. I think
that
today, those flights may have been cancelled.
Mark Walter (75)
***
Dennis:
My first plane ride was a North Central Convair 580 turbo prop in Lake
Central paint. It must have been pulled out of the standby
line for
Thanksgiving of ’68. IIRC, the plane fare was $72 RT Houghton to
Grand
Rapids & return. I'm pretty sure the photo is a Convair 580;
the DC-3’s were
tail draggers.
Tom Byle, BSCE, Class of 72
***
I remember North Central Airlines, and they did fly the DC-3 for a while,
but the aircraft in the picture can't be a DC-3. The DC-3 is a tail dragger.
I believe the aircraft in the picture is a Convair 580.
Joel Wagenaar
Class of '68
***
Oops, Dennis, that photo is not a DC-3 which is a tail-dragger. It is
a Convair 580T. I rode the 580T from Grand Rapids to Houghton one time
while a friend carried my fall term baggage in his car. I remember how
hard the stewardess (in 1970 they were still called that) tried to pronounce
Menominee and managed men-o-min-ee. That was my first trip on an a commercial
plane.
By the way, does anyone remember the MTU flying club? We had a Cessna
150 and a Tri-Pacer in 1968 but hardly ever had weather good enough to
use them.
Rick Hole
BSEE 1972
***
Dear Dennis;
You are correct on the Convair. After I sent my answer to you I Googled "North
Central Airlines" and saw that they used Convair 330/440's beginning in
1959 and then later converted them to turbo-prop Convair 580's beginning in late
1966. See attached photo (left).
When I went on-line to check on the "Electra", I saw that it was a
4 engine plane that was prone to frequent crashes. One crashed down here in Texas
in 1968, for instance, another crashed at Chicago's O'Hara Airport, they said.
Thanks for the good work you do on the Mich Tech Alumni Newsletter. I look forward
to receiving each edition and they bring back many fond memories of my time up
at Tech.
Frank Zakshesky, '66
***
Dennis,
I believe that the plane shown in the latest MTU Alum Newsletter
is a Convair 580, not a DC-3.
Best regards,
Bob Winn (class of '79)
***
I remember that old rattletrap well. I got on in GR to Green Bay and then
where it went in the UP was inconsistent. Usually Marquette
and then
Calumet but not always. Always worried on a bad day if the
pilot couldn't
see the highway to "navigate." I don't think they bothered to
install
electronics in the aircraft.
It was a Convair. Don’t remember the model number. My recollection
is they went to DC-9s just before they got bought up by Northwest.
But, my memory is what it used to be and that could have already been Northwest
when that happened. Just remembered I was very unhappy GR got
dropped out of the route and I had to fly to MSP to get to Calumet.
The
last flight (as a student) was from Calumet to Milwaukee (via
Green Bay) for a job interview in the spring of 74.
Martin Vonk
***
Remember the Blue Goose well, but I believe the plane is a Convair, not
a DC-3
Ken Kreckel '74
***
Dennis,
Gloria and I had our first flight on the Blue Goose in the winter of 58-59.
It was the first leg of a trip to Elizabeth New Jersey to interview with
Standard Oil of New Jersey at the invitation of Tech Alum Niel Hakola.
I forget why we did not make our connection in Chicago and arrived late
for the interview after an overnight red-eye on a TWA Electra.The trip
home erased any memories of the trip out.
At Iron Mountain, we made several attempts to "find" the airport
and runway in a snowstorm. The process seemed to involve repeated
passes in the general area until the tower heard the plane
and directed it closer. Another pass and the tower was spotted, and then
the next pass and a little Kentucky Windage brought us near enough to the
runway to land. We made two attempts from there and could not "find" Houghton
or Marquette. In the wait for the third, a bus was offered
as an option. I asked. "What
are the chances of the plane getting to Houghton this time."
The answer should have been expected. "It has to get to Houghton,
it has to leave from there in the morning."
We took the plane and it landed under a star filled winter sky. On the
way home we again drove through near whiteout conditions.
Mel Visser
***
The photo caption is half-right. The airline was North Central, but that
aircraft was a Convair 580 propjet.
George Hermanson
73/75
***
I can remember well my first ride on one of the North Central DC-3's.
I
was 2 weeks old in the Summer of 1960 then Mom & I flew from Hancock
down
to Grandma's house in Lansing.
The picture you show is actually one of the "Blue Goose" Convair
580's
that came in the late 60's, not a DC-3 (which are easy to tell
because the
DC-3 had the small tail-drag wheel, so the noses pointed up
into the air.)
The Convair's are the ones that I can actually remember. as
a kid what
was great about them was that the first two rows faced each
other with a
table between. Back then, you could get a free deck of cards,
so the
whole family would sit at the table and play cards to burn
the time. For
a kid it was great fun. (A long way from Nintendos and i-Pods.)
They
used to have three flights a day to Hancock, all were milk
runs stopping
at many of the little towns from the Dakotas to the Soo. It
seemed like
there were about a half-dozen stops to get down state.
My Dad's family owned the farm that became the Ironwood airport in the
50's, and my Dad used to work for North Central at the Ironwood
station
for a couple of his Summers during his college years. He used
to always
tell stories about having to bale hay on the side of the runway.
A few related links:
http://www.hermantheduck.org/index.html
http://www.dc3history.org/breakingrecords.html
Luke Reini
***
As i recall the plane pictured is not a DC-3 . The DC-3 is a tail-dragger & does
not have Turbo - Props . I had many rides in C-47's while on
active duty in the Air Force in 1954-55 . The C-47 is a first
cousin of the DC-3 and was a tail-dragger. Ah the memories
!
George L. Schutte , Class of 1953 , Mining Engineering
***
I must correct the caption on the picture of the Blue Goose in the latest
edition of the newsletter. That is not a DS-3. It's a Convair C-580. A
bit newer vintage than the venerable DC-3.
Doug Davies '69
***
Dennis,
I remember those planes early in my Tech experiences. I flew
on the Blue Goose to Women In Engineering 1976 with a group of people
speaking in a different language. I was surprised and wondered what type
of area I was flying into. I realized a few days later they were traveling
to report on the president of Finland's speech at the Hockey Center.
My first trip to Tech was also memorable as a city girl from Pittsburgh.
I wasn't concerned about traveling alone and making my connections through
Chicago. I started to worry when we taxied towards the one room Hancock
airport. I was relieved to find someone waiting for me.
A few years later on my way back from Christmas break, one of the engines
stopped from the extreme cold. I noted it and kept talking to my fellow
passenger. I guess after a winter at Tech, you adjusted to whatever happened
due to the weather!
I won't be attending our 25th Alumni Anniversary due to my involvement
earlier this summer with WIE 2009 so I wish everyone a good time!
Needless to say the Blue Goose was instrumental in introducing me to my
wonderful and challenging time at Tech! Thanks for the memories!
Debby Gregorius Kozol '84
***
Dennis,
Dennis that seems to be a Convair 580 (CV580) NOT a DC 3.... The only
Turbo prop DC3 is a retro fit from Bassler Flight service
in Oshkosh
and never saw airline service ... a North Central DC-3 (728)
is in the
Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn albeit it is now in Northwest
colors.
Also a DC 3 was a tail dragger.
No it wasn't a Blue Goose .. It was Herman the Mallard Duck known for
its swift flight guided by the sun during the day and the
Moon at
night (hence the circle around Herman) In 1986 when Northwest
bought
Republic, The Republic Employees erected a tombstone honoring
Herman
on the front lawn of the old Republic General Offices in Minneapolis.
My father was a 40 year Employee of North Central / Republic /
Northwest, who was stationed in The Soo, Menominee and Green
Bay.
One gentlemen that worked CMX (Houghton / Hancock) for North Central /
Republic / Northwest was Mr. Samuelson. (His daughter is now
the CMX Station manager for Mesaba) My Father and Mr Samuelson
started together in the Soo in 1960 and our families were close for
years.
As a dependent of an employee I was able to fly back and forth from
Houghton to Menominee on the weekends for $5 each way. That
Flight
made the "Milk run" from Houghton to Detroit via Iron Mountain
or
Marquette or Escanaba / Menominee / Green Bay / Grand Rapids.
I was on a flight on which Mel Blanc was leaving Houghton ... He had
the entire flight laughing on the floor with an "Irreverent" Bugs
Bunny responding to the Flight Safety instructions on the Convair 580
flight to Detroit.
On another flight to Houghton we overflew Iron Mountain because there
was no one getting off nor getting on. so on a crisp september
afternoon the Pilot flew at 5000 feet to Houghton and we made
a couple of circles over clearings in which were 100's of deer.
The pilot made
a left hand circle and then a right hand so each side of the
aircraft
could get a look.
Lots of stories and lots of rides since my first ride at the age of 3
in a Lockhead 10a ...
Scott D Hartz
***
Dennis, I remember those planes well. They were Convair 340/440's (See
http://www.hermantheduck.org/pages/aircraft%20section%20pages/cv440.html)
and
they made three daily trips to Chicago with various stops such
as Marquette,
Iron Mountain and always Green Bay which was an early hub.
Planes from
Detroit, Minneapolis, Chicago, Houghton were scheduled to land
at 5 minute
intervals, exchange passengers and mail and then take off to
their planned
destinations. The bar in the Green Bay airport was quite a
gathering place
in those days since many of the flights included tech students
on an
interview trip and recruiters from companies coming from and
going to
Houghton. 1966-1967 was a prime time to be getting a graduate
degree in
Nuclear Engineering. I had more than 20 interview trips and
17 job offers to
choose from.
I also recall one time in the spring of 1967 when my wife, who taught
at
Houghton Elementary, was going downstate for spring break.
We arrived for
the morning flight from Houghton, changing in Green Bay for
Grand Rapids and
she was the only schedule passenger leaving Houghton that morning.
The pilot
came into the terminal and escorted her out to the plane. I
have never seen
that kind of service since even though I have recorded over
two million miles
as a passenger on commercial airliners.
Ken Kok '64
***
DC-3's were tail draggers.
My first airline flight was to MTU from Allentown,
PA in 1970. The
Chicago to Houghton flight was in one of those Convair 580's
with five
stops (as I recall). One of the legs was only a 15 minute flight.
From 1973 I took a number of flights on the Blue Goose including being
the last flight out of Cincinnati (because of snow), and landing
nearly
sideways (or so it seemed) in Philadelphia. They were tough
planes and
the pilots knew their limits.
By 1974 the first flight from Houghton
in the morning was on a DC 9 that
had set there all night. In the winter the tires had a flat
spot from
the cold. We'd taxi with a thump, thump, thump, until they
warmed up.
Thanks for the memory!
Jan G. Nelson, P.E.
***
Not to pick at nits but that is not a DC-3. It is a piston powered Convair.
The Convair was later retrofitted with Allison turboprops.
The DC-3's which
North Central operated were all piston powered and "tail draggers"-no
nose
wheel.
Bill Niggemyer 1969
***
The plane in the picture is not a DC 3 which was a tail dragger. The plane
in the picture was a turboprop that North Central flew after
the DC 3. I
flew in a DC 3 for the first time returning from a job interview
in
Milwaukee in March of 1953.
Jim Fagan '53
***
I remember taking this plane once from Grand Rapids and couldn't believe
it stopped in Muskegon (among many other cities). A man about
40 sat
next to me and as we were landing in Hancock, he kept looking
out the
window then at me, made me a bit uncomfortable. Finally he
asks me where
he was. He was supposed to get off at Iron Mountain. Poor guy.
So then
he asked about a hotel. The Blue Goose didn't return that night,
but I
guess the ride was smooth enough for him to sleep the whole
flight anyway.
And then there was the special "taxi" service that included
the always
friendly, always smiling face of Doc Olsen. Wasn't sure how
I was
getting to Tech until I saw these familiar faces.
Jennifer Johnson Kilgore 83
***
Hi,
The plane in the picture is not a DC-3. It's probably a
Convair. The DC-3 had a tail wheel while the Convair had a
tricycle gear
which kept the tail up. I think I've flown a lot of miles (long
ago) in
both aircraft.
Dave Funston '60
Dave: You were first!
"He'd
like to use the STC advisory board to develop new opportunities, such
as internships and mentoring relationships for our current students," Rom said. He said he'd like
to offer input from the business side of communications. We
remember Rom in our department as a former student employee
and a good one. Time flies. 
