Our 50 Years of Delta Jets anniversary (Sept 18) is coming up soon.  It’s also National Aviation Week starting this Monday.  To celebrate, here’s the first of a series of eye-witness stories from Delta people who took part in that that amazing transition from piston-powered to jet transportation.

Jim Diffley joined Delta in 1959 as a methods analyst in Methods Department just before the jets.  Before he retired as Manager of Technical Operations Employment in 1999, he also saw our first Boeing 777 arrive. He recalled:

“We were the first to introduce the DC-8 into service. I never will forget when Capt. “Pre” Ball flew the DC-8 across the back ramp. He was down around 500 feet. He got special permission to fly across the ramp. And, of course, you were probably standing out there along with me and several hundred, or a thousand, people back there, and that was a tremendous thrill. That was something I truly remembered. It’s just — it all came back when the 777 was delivered. I stood out on the ramp behind the Jet Base and watched it fly over, and it was a very similar feeling. ”

Nelson “Nip” Hill, Delta’s first 50-year employee, shown here with that first DC-8 just after it landed, also remembered:

“One of my happiest days at Delta is when they got the first big jet. And that airplane flew across the field with all the employees out there yelling and hollering. . .  I was so thrilled to know that we were going to be in a position to compete with the competition. ” The Delta magazine published this photo of Hill and the DC-8 with his quote: “All the pride and glory of Delta Air Lines is right there. She’s the queen of the skies.”

Happy jetting!
Marie Force
Archives Manager

At the Delta Museum, we are constantly using our extensive collection of timetables, or flight schedules.  There’s so much info packed into one folder!

Covers add color and pop to exhibits - like this great one for Delta’s new service to New York in 1956. Over the years, we’ve featured awards, new aircraft and destinations, and even celebrities. Inside our early timetables, you find what cities Delta served and how long a particular flight was, but also fares, types of aircraft used and special services.

For more colorful Delta timetable covers through the decades since 1934, check out Air Times: A Collector’s Guide to Airline Timetables. To browse through some complete early timetables, see Airline Timetable Images.

Enjoy!

Marie Force
Archives Manager

On June 22, 1959–the Jet Age arrived at Delta. Our first jet, a Douglas DC-8-11, landed in Atlanta.

We had secured early DC-8 delivery positions from Douglas Aircraft after Eastern Airlines, our major competitor at the time, decided to wait for a more powerful engine.  On September 18, we launched the world’s first DC-8 jet service.

In a race down to the wire with that first DC-8 delivery flight, Delta engineers designed Atlanta’s first airport boarding bridge (shown at right), a “jetway” and installed it just in time. Looking for more about the DC-8?  Check out this virtual cockpit tour and other great DC-8 links.

Marie Force
Archives Manager