BRANIFF AIRWAYS, INCORPORATED TIMELINE
1960 to 1969
BRANIFF AIRWAYS IN 1960
january 4, 1960
Braniff’s big Douglas DC-7C El Dorado replaces the Douglas DC-6 El Conquistador aircraft in Latin America. Braniff DC-6s began serving Latin America in June 1948, when Braniff first inaugurated service between the two continents.
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january 5, 1960
Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet Flight 6 establishes record flight time of 2 hours 7 minutes from Dallas to New York City.
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January 6, 1960
Braniff inaugurates the first commercial airline service from the Southwest US to Bogota, Colombia, and nonstop flights from Texas to Panama City/Balboa City in The Canal one also began on the route. At this time, all Douglas DC-7C aircraft began operating from both Houston and Miami Gateways.
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January 15, 1960
Braniff’s first sales office in Europe is opened in London, England, with Mr. Jess B. Bennett as Sales Manager of Europe.
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Photo: Braniff co-founder President Thomas Elmer Braniff discusses company business with his longtime assistant Mr. Jess Bennett in 1953. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated
january 21, 1960
Jet-Powered service begins from Dallas Love Field to Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, via Kansas City, with Braniff’s new Lockheed L-188 Electra Jet aircraft.
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FEBRUARY 14 to 22, 1960
Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet service to Latin America pre-inaugural fight begins with a nine-day tour with more than 50 civic, business and publishing officials aboard. The flight broke records covering 15, 158 miles in total elapsed flying time of 32 hours and 2 minutes.
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Photo: Braniff International Airways Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet registered as N7073 is parked on the ramp at Howard Air Force Base near Balboa City, Panama, during the pre-inaugural jet flight to Latin America on February 15, 1960. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated
Photo: Braniff’s pre-inaugural jet flight to Latin America took center stage in the company’s March issue of the South America Newsletter. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated
Photo: Making it easier to track guest passengers on the 707 jet pre-inaugural flight to Latin America, each one was given this sleek badge with a number especially for them. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated
Photo: Braniff 707-227 El Dorado Jet pre-inaugural to Latin America passengers were given this souvenir booklet so they could track each leg of the historic flight. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated
february 21, 1960
Company President Charles Edmund Beard is awarded the highest honor a civilian can receive from the Republic of Panama, the Order of Balboa, which was bestowed on Mr. Beard by Panamanian President Ernest de la Guardia, Jr.
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March 1, 1960
First jet service at San Antonio, Texas, with Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet flights to Dallas and continuing to New York City.
Photo: Braniff International Airways Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet registered as N7072 is parked on the ramp at New York Idlewild Airport, in April 1960.
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march 10, 1960
Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet service is introduced on Houston and Dallas to Chicago flights.
Photo: Braniff’s “Jet with the Big Engines” was exceptionally and a bedtime story is the perfect way to a good night’s sleep aboard your Braniff jetliner.
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march 10, 1960
New Boeing 720-027 Super Jet order is placed for three aircraft, which can carry 106-passengers. The first three are schedule for delivery in February, April and August of 1961, with an option for a fourth aircraft also contracted.
Photo: Braniff International Airways Boeing 720-027 Super Jet registered as N7076 has just been rolled out of the Boeing Renton, Washington, plant.
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march 25, 1960
Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet proving runs to Latin America begin with Braniff Vice President of Operations Captain R. V. Carleton in command of the “Big Jet with the Big Engines”. He kept a precise log of the trip and conveyed the unique journey to Reporter Paul Crume with the Dallas Morning News on March 29, 1960.
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april 1, 1960
The first Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet service to Latin America begins from the US Mainland to Panama City/Balboa City, The Canal Zone; Lima, Peru and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Photo: A striking Monteras Hat in Red and Black Multi-Color from Peru is dated 1960. The hat was modeled by Braniff Executive James K. Rice’s wife aboard the big Boeing jet inaugural to South American on April 1, 1960. This hat is housed in the Braniff International South American Art Collection in Dallas, Texas.
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april 27, 1960
Braniff begins Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet is inaugurated between the US Mainland and Sao Paulo, Brazil, with intermediate stops at Panama City/Balboa City, The Canal Zone and Lima, Peru.
Photo: The Braniff International Airways Domestic and International Timetable dated May 22, 1960, features the new El Dorado Super Jet schedules for southbound operations.
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April 30, 1960
Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet sets a speed record between Miami, Florida, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, in only 8 hours and 15 minutes time with an elapsed time of 9 hours and 49 minutes including stops at Panama City/Balboa City, The Canal Zone and Lima, Peru.
Photo: Braniff Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet is taxiing at Rio de Janeiro Galeao Airport, Brazil, in August 1960. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated
may 12, 1960
Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet sets two speed records between Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Dallas Love Field and between Miami and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Braniff’s route map dated May 22, 1960, details the routes where the jet speeds were recorded.
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july 18, 1960
First Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet service begins between the US Mainland and Bogota, Colombia. Braniff touts the new service in this colorful timetable ad dated September 6, 1960.
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july 22, 1960
The 20-millionth Braniff passenger boards flight at Dallas for trip to Houston.
Photo: Braniff Airways President Charles Edmund Beard, left, poses with Mr. Aubrey Costa at the Dallas Love Field Terminal on July 22, 1960. Mr. Costa, a Dallas businessman, receives a chrome plated Braniff 707-227 model from Mr. Beard for becoming the 20-millionth passenger to board a Braniff flight.
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AUGUST 2, 1960
Inauguration of the first Boeing 707-227 service from the Mainland to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, becomes the sixth city in Latin America served with El Dorado Super Jets.
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august 6 to 7, 1960
New Corpus Christi International Airport opens. All airline traffic moves from the Cliff Maus Airport to the new field. Cliff Maus was a pilot for Braniff Airways, that was tragically killed in the loss of a Braniff flight near Ft. Worth, Texas, on November 9, 1935. Cliff Maus Airport had served Corpus Christi, since 1929.
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Photo: The updated terminal building at Corpus Christi Cliff Maus Municipal Airport featured a mid-century theme. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated
Photo: The new Corpus Christi International Airport dedication is covered in the September 1960 issue of the Braniff B-Liner Employee Newsletter. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated
september 14, 1960
Douglas DC-7C El Dorado registered as N5900 is accidentally taxied into the front of the Braniff International Airways Operations and Maintenance Base at Dallas Love Field.
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november 9, 1960
First service begins between the US and Mexico City, using Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprop aircraft over a route from Minneapolis/St. Paul, via Kansas City, Dallas and San Antonio, with one daily round trip.
Photo: The big Braniff Lockheed L-188 Electra Jet turboprop is christened by Ms. Guillermo Valdes and accompanied by a Braniff Hostess.
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Photo: Dignitaries aboard the inaugural flight included Chambers of Commerce president, mayors, government officials and media publishers who represented each of the cities served along the route between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Mexico City. At Dallas, the group was greeted by Dallas Mayor Pro Tim Elgin B. Robertson and Dallas Morning News City Editor John E. King and were given jumbo-sized postcard with a special greeting to the People of Mexico. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated
December 1, 1960
First all-cargo Douglas DC-6A Freighter service begins between Dallas and New York City. Ship N90776 is being loaded on the South Ramp of the Braniff International Airways Operations and Maintenance Base at Dallas Love Field on December 1, 1960.
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december 5, 1960
Braniff’s Board of Directors vote to promote Reginald K. “Rex” Brack and Captain R. V. Carleton to the new positions of Senior Vice President for both and Mr. Brack is elected to the Board of Directors. In addition, other employees were promoted including Captain Dan Hughes to Vice President Operations; Robert H. “Bob” Burck to Vice President Traffic and Sales; Mr. J. R. Horton to Vice President Maintenance and Engineering; Jack W. Seay to Assistant Vice President Ground Operations and Mr. Jake G. Sorlie to Assistant Vice President Flight Dispatch.
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braniff international airways in 1961
February 12, 1961
First Boeing 720-027 Super Jet is delivered from Boeing’s Renton, Washington, plant to the Dallas Base.
Photo: Ship N7076 is being prepared for the trip from Renton to Dallas Love Field on the morning of February 1, 1961.
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april 12, 1961
Braniff orders its fourth Boeing 720-027 Super Jet for delivery in May 1962.
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april 17, 1961
Braniff Airways Captain R. V. Carleton, seated right of podium, chairs the Supersonic Transport Symposium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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april 30, 1961
Boeing El Dorado Super Jet service begins between Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Mexico City, with local stops at Kansas City, Dallas and San Antonio.
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may 19, 1961
William Arvin “Dollar Bill” Blakley and the Blakley Braniff Foundation sell all of his and the Foundation’s shares to the founders of Texas Instruments, Inc., including J. Erik Jonsson, Eugene McDermott, Patrick Haggerty and Cecil Green.
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may 20, 1961
Announces purchase of $1 million Boeing El Dorado Super Jet pilot simulator featuring an actual Boeing cockpit with an electronic brain to assist in duplicating actual flight maneuvers and procedures. The new simulator was installed at the Braniff International Airways Operations and Maintenance Base at Dallas Love Field.
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July 15, 1961
Boeing 720 jet service added between Denver, Dallas and Houston and daily round trip jet service to both Houston and San Antonio, increased to three; first four-engine Douglas DC-6 service offered to Corpus Christi, as well as between St. Louis, and both DesMoines and Minneapolis/St. Paul.
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august 7, 1961
Mr. J. Erik Jonsson, Chairman of the Board of Texas Instruments, Inc., of Dallas, is elected to the Braniff Board of Directors and member of the Executive Committee.
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August 14, 1961
New Boeing El Dorado simulator arrives at Braniff Operations and Maintenance Base at Dallas Love Field and is installed by August 17, 1961.
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august 15, 1961
Braniff Airways Captain Claude L. Seaton receives his 30-year service pin.
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september 15, 1961
New pilot crew member uniforms from Hart Schaffner and Marx are revealed.
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october 10, 1961
Braniff Airways Convair 340-32 registered as N3430 is involved in an accident at Des Moines, Iowa, where its nose gear and left main gear collapsed on landing.
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october 13, 1961
Gibson Refrigerator Company commercial airlift is the largest in aviation history, flying for 30 consecutive days from 39 US cities to Jamaica and Panama City, Panama, moving 5034 passenger using Boeing 707 El Dorado Super Jets.
Photo: Braniff Vice President Traffic Reginald K. “Rex” Brack, left, congratulates Gibson President Mr. C. J. Gibson, on the signing of the Panama City, Panama, charters.
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Photo: The Gibson Hupp Refrigerator Charter at Memphis, Tennessee, is preparing for departure. Braniff Airways, Incorporated, Copyright
Photo: A colorful flyer discusses the travel plans and hotel stays for the Gibson Charters. Braniff Airways, Incorporated, Copyright
Photo: The inflight menu cover for the Gibson Charters features Braniff’s new Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet is on the cover. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated
Photo: Filet Mignon was served aboard the Gibson Charters along with a full menu of the best inflight cuisine. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated
Photo: The attractive cover of the Panama Hilton Gibson Charters brochure. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated
october 19, 1961
BAC One-11 Fastback Twin Jet order is announced by the company for six aircraft slated for delivery in October 1964, and another six for delivery in the summer of 1965 at a cost of $35 million USD including spare parts and engines.
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october 30, 1961
First nonstop Douglas DC-6A Freighter air cargo service begins between Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Newark, New Jersey.
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december 11, 1961
Braniff Airways Board of Directors elects Mr. Jay M. Jackson as Secretary of the Corporation.
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DECEMBER 19, 1961
Braniff celebrates the second anniversary of the inauguration of Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet service, in the United States.
Photo: Braniff International Airways Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet registered as N7074 is parked on the ramp at Sao Paulo Viracopos Airport, Brazil, in April 1961. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated
BRANIFF INTERNATIONAL AIRWAYS
IN 1962
January 26, 1962
Braniff moves into new terminal facilities at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
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Photo: Braniff’s plush new terminal at the equally new Chicago O’Hare International Airport, is depicted in this brochure in 1962. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated
APRIL 10, 1962
Instant and fully automatic communications system is installed throughout Braniff offices in the Western Hemisphere, subsequently tying the Latin America network with the US Mainland system.
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May 10, 1962
Braniff takes delivery of a new Boeing 720-027 Super Jet and a new Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprop airliner.
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may 15, 1962
New custom Charcoal Gray Uniforms for hostesses made by the Orchid Shop in the Oaklawn Neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, makes its first appearance on flights in the domestic US. The new set features a boxy jacket and straight-line jacket.
Photo: Braniff Airways Hostess Ms. Terry Labus Wilcox models the elegant new 1962 Hostess uniform. Ms. Wilcox designed this impressive uniform, which was the last dress before the new Emilio Pucci-designed uniforms were placed in service in the summer of 1965.
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June 1, 1962
Braniff International Airways orders another Boeing 720-027 Super jet at a cost of $5 million USD and is schedule for delivery in September 1963.
Photo: Braniff Boeing 720-027 Super Jet registered as N7078 is parked on the Yellow/North Concourse Ramp with company L-188 Electra Jets at Dallas Love Field in 1962.
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June 12, 1962
The 25th Anniversary of Braniff inflight hostess service is celebrated during a special luncheon at the Braniff Operations and Maintenance Base at Dallas Love Field.
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june 12, 1962
The 25th Anniversary of Braniff Hostess service, which began in 1937, aboard Douglas DC-2 aircraft, is celebrated with a special luncheon at the Braniff Operations and Maintenance Base at Dallas Love Field.
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July 1, 1962
Braniff and Pan American World Airways Interchange Service from Houston, Dallas, and Chicago to London and Frankfurt begins offering the Southwest US its first US flag carrier service to Europe.
Photo: Pan American Airways 707-320B dubbed The Texas Clipper operated the entire route of the inaugural flight. Braniff President Charles Edmund Beard, is second from right in front of the banner. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated
October 15, 1962
New telephone-based Flight Information System for Passengers enables local arrival and departure information via recorded message.
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october 26, 1962
Boeing 707 statistics indicate that the four-engine jet fleet has flown enough to circle the globe 30,000 times since it began service in 1958
november 18, 1962
Braniff’s new two-level New York Idlewild terminal opens at a cost of $10 million and was built in cooperation with Northwest and Northeast Airlines
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november 19, 1962
Nonstop jet service begins between Dallas and Washington Dulles Airport coinciding with the opening of the new airport. The flight continues to Newark after its Dulles stop giving Dallas its first jet service to Newark
DECEmber 28, 1962
New Distancing Measuring Equipment, known as DME, for navigation is installed on Braniff’s Boeing jet fleet
braniff international airways
in 1963
january 25, 1963
Braniff purchases new BAC One-11 Fastback Twinjet pilot simulator which cost $1 million and will be installed at Braniff’s Operations and Maintenance Base at Dallas Love Field
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march 6, 1964
Braniff exercises its option to purchase six additional BAC One-11 Fastback Twinjet airliners, giving the company a total of twelve on order
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april 1, 1963
All heavy aircraft maintenance is moved to the Dallas Operations and Maintenance Base from Minneapolis/St. Paul, which remained a Line Base
april 9, 1963
FFirst airline to install self-starters on Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprop aircraft making them fully self-sufficient especially at smaller airports
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april 17, 1963
New transistorized airborne electronic equipment for the new BAC One-11 Fastback Twinjet fleet is ordered from Collins Radio Company
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april 28, 1963
Inaugurates new Night Coach jet flight from Texas to the East Coast and first jet service at Nashville, Tennessee. The new flights help to push Braniff’s daily jet plane miles to 26,928
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april 29, 1963
Braniff’s Board approves a $22 Million offer for Pan American Grace Airways, Inc., known as Panagra, which is half owned by W. R. Grace and Company with the other half owned by Pan American World Airways. Braniff files with the CAB that it is opposed to an offer from Pan American to purchase W. R. Grace’s 50-percent share in Panagra, and on May 8, Braniff filed its $22 million purchase proposal with the CAB
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april 30, 1963
First time in its history, Braniff flies 100 Million Revenue Passenger Miles in one month on its Domestic Route System with a total of 101,115,000 during the month of April, which was more RPMs than the company flew in the entire year of 1944
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may 20, 1963
Receives a Presidential “E” Award for vigorous promotion of the Visit USA Program in Latin America, which was presented to Braniff President Charles Edmund Bear by John Black, deputy director of the US Travel Service Division of the Department of Commerce on behalf of President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of Commerce Luther H. Hodges
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may 21, 1963
Braniff accepts a Certificate of Cooperation on behalf of company from the United States Department of State’s Agency for International Development at World Trade Week luncheon in Dallas and Braniff President Charles Edmund Beard is presented with the Silver Medallion Award for the company’s outstanding service to aviation during the past quarter century at the Aviation Space Writers Association banquet in Dallas
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june 20, 1963
Braniff celebrates its 35th Anniversary by recording 12,500,000,000 Revenue Passenger Miles flown, and carried 27,000,000 passengers and flew 490,000,000 miles over the past 35 years
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june 24, 1963
Senior Vice President Reginald K. “Rex” Brack is presented with the Republic of Panama’s highest civilian award, the “Order of Balbo” which was given for outstanding service to Panama and presented to Mr. Brack by the Minister of Government and Justice Mr. Marco A. Robles during a reception in Panama
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july 17, 1963
CAB rejects Pan American’s offer for Panagra, clearing the way for Braniff’s offer to purchase Panagra
july 28, 1963
The City of Lima, Peru, awards Braniff Airways its gold medal in “justified recognition of Braniff’s valuable contributions to the progress and welfare of the municipality.”
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september 3, 1963
Braniff takes delivery of its ninth Boeing Super Jet four-engine airliner
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october 16, 1963
Braniff President Charles Edmund Beard announces a financing program to cover the costs of its $36 million purchase of 12 BAC One-11 Fastback Twinjets and related equipment
october 26, 1963
Last Douglas DC-7C El Dorado flight between the US Mainland and South America is flown
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october 27, 1963
All jet service begins between the US Mainland and South America, with an increase from three jet flights per week to nine. Braniff also inaugurates its first jet service from Chicago to Panama City/Balboa City, The Canal Zone, via Houston
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october 28, 1963
CAB reopens the Dallas to Miami Route Case
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october 31, 1963
A new one day company operations record is established when 99.4 percent of all domestic flights operate within the accepted 15 minutes of published schedule times and 95.3 percent of those flights departed precisely on time
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november 15, 1963
With 98 percent of Braniff shares represented, shareholders vote in favor of a plan approved by the Board of Directors for financing its purchase of twelve BAC One-11 Fastback Twinjets
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november 22, 1963
President John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas, and Vice President Lyndon Baines Johnson is sworn in as President aboard Air Force One at Love Field
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december 12, 1963
CAB awards new Miami to Bogota, Colombia, nonstop service to Braniff
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december 31, 1963
Braniff ends 1963 with a record high of $98,475,980 in system revenues and an all-time high for on-time operations with 88.1 percent of the company’s 119,215 flights departing on time or within 15 minutes of published flight times
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braniff international airways
in 1964
january 18, 1964
Braniff operates the first nonstop flown by a US carrier between Miami and Bogota, Colombia
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february 1, 1964
Regularly scheduled Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet service begins between Miami and Bogota
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february 13, 1964
Braniff orders two additional BAC One-11 Fastback Twinjets bringing the company’s total order to 14 aircraft
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february 29, 1964
Braniff petitions the CAB for new service from Dallas to Montreal and Toronto, in Canada
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april 6, 1964
Captain R. V. Carleton is elected Executive Vice President by Braniff’s Board of Directors after 33 years of service to the company
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april 13, 1964
Braniff places deposits on two US-built Supersonic Transport jet airliners at a cost of $100,000 per aircraft
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may 17, 1964
Braniff celebrates 30 years of US Air Mail service
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may 22, 1964
Braniff leads the industry with the best on-time performance during 1963, which was announced in the May 1964 issue of American Aviation Magazine
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may 23, 1964
Blakley Braniff Foundation donates $30 million to charitable organizations including a significant cash gift to the University of Dallas. The Foundation was soon dissolved as its assets were fully distributed, ten years after Mr. and Mrs. Braniff’s deaths
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may 24, 1964
BAC One-11 Fastback Jet is rolled out for the first time at Bournemouth Airport, Hurn, England
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june 3, 1964
The BAC One-11 Fastback Twinjet departs on its first flight at Bournemouth Airport, Hurn, England
june 8, 1964
Braniff signs an agreement with American Express, Carte Blanche and Diners Club to charge air travel tickets, which became effective July 1, 1964
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june 9, 1964
First Braniff BAC One-11 Fastback Jet registered as N1541 is flown for the first time at Bournemouth Airport, Hurn, England
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july 8, 1964
Braniff Airways, Incorpated, contracts with three of the company’s largest shareholders to purchase from them 629,629 shares of stock at $25 per share, while at the same time offering to purchase enough share to give the company more than 50 percent of all shares outstanding at the same $25 per share price
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july 23, 1964
Braniff lights a huge Times Square Sign in New York City, which is the world’s largest moving sign
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july 31, 1964
Braniff Airways boards its 30 Millionth passenger
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august 12, 1964
Troy Victor Post is named chairman of the board of Braniff Airways, Inc., succeeding Fred Jones. Mr. E Grant Fitts and Charles Edward Acker are also elected as directors
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october 1, 1964
A new highly advanced Three-Dimensional Flight Director is installed on Braniff’s Boeing jet fleet by Collins Radio Company, their Model FD-108
october 26, to 27, 1964
First Lady Mrs. Lady Bird Johnson embarked on her Flying Whistle Stop Campaign Tour aboard a Braniff Airways Lockheed L-188 Electra airliner
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braniff international airways
in 1965
january 10, 1965
Braniff and United Airlines Interchange featuring Boeing jet service for the first time is inaugurated between Texas and the Pacific Northwest, which is the first single-plane service between over the route with two round trips daily
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November 2, 1953
Douglas DC-6 Tourist and First Class combo service begins between the US Mainland and Buenos Aires, Argentina, via Havana, Panama, Guayaquil, Lima, La Paz and Asuncion.
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December 1, 1953
First Direct Air Coach service begins between Dallas and Chicago via Oklahoma City, Wichita and Kansas City using Convair 340 airliners
December 17, 1953
Pilots announce the 50th Anniversary of the Wright Brothers first powered flight over Braniff inflight intercoms systemwide. Passengers were given this special handout explaining the special day.
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December 18, 1953
CAB proposes that Braniff merge with Denver-based Continental Airlines because of Continental’s financial position. This was a complete surprise to Braniff and ultimately Continental merged with Houston-based Pioneer Airlines, where Braniff’s future leader Harding L. Lawrence was making a prominent name for himself in the airline business.
Photo: Braniff Airways pilot Lou Farenkamp poses for a photo with his Douglas DC-3 along with fellow Continental Airlines pilot and DC-3 in front of of the Continental hangar at Tulsa Municipal Airport in 1946.
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BRANIFF INTERNATIONAL AIRWAYS
IN 1954
January 10, 1954
Thomas Elmer Braniff dies in a plane crash near Shreveport, Louisiana. The private aircraft that he was returning back home from a hunting trip along with several other prominent executives was overcome with ice.
Photo: This was the last photo taken of Mr. Braniff and his associates just before takeoff in the Grumman Mallard twin-engine aircraft on January 10, 1954.
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January 13, 1954
A special Board of Directors meeting is held to elect a new management group after the untimely loss of Mr. Braniff. The management elected is Fred Jones of Oklahoma City as Chairman of the Board; Mr. James Wescott “Bill” Miller Executive Vice President; Thomas Fortune Ryan, Chairman of the Executive Committee and Ferdinand Eberstadt, Chairman of the Finance Committee.
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January 13, 1954
Executive Vice President Mr. Charles Edmund Beard is appointed President of Braniff Airways, Incorporated, by the Board of Directors.
In 1935, Mr. Beard assumed the role of General Manager of Braniff Airways, Incorporated, after Braniff cofounder Paul Revere Braniff left the company. Under his and Tom Braniff's management, the airline quickly added new routes and new aircraft to the company including the its first twin-engine aircraft, the 10-passenger Lockheed L-10 Electra in 1935, which was followed by the 14-passenger Douglas DC-2 in 1937.
“Chuck” as he was called by his associates, served as Mr. Braniff’s confidant and right hand man. It was without question, that Mr. Braniff would have personally recommended Mr. Beard as his replacement.
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February 2, 1954
To honor Mr. Braniff’s memory and legacy, the City of Dallas issued a resolution to mark the occasion of his passing.
February 15, 1954
Braniff Board elects new officers including Mr. Claude G. Adams as Vice President Finance and Corporate Secretary; Reginald K. “Rex” Brack as Vice President Traffic and Sales; Captain R. V. Carleton as Vice President Operations; Malcolm Harrison, Vice President Industrial Relations; Walter Marc Henshel, Vice President Public Relations; Virgil A. “Vic” Kropff as Assistant Vice President Executive Projects; Oscar Crane as Treasurer and Horace Bolding was appointed Director of Purchasing and Stores.
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February 26, 1954
Mrs. Bess Thurman Braniff is elected Vice President by Braniff’s Board of Directors. She immediately begins advocating for the company with its creditors. Mrs. Braniff, a highly effective and astute businesswoman, becomes the first woman officer of the company.
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April 5, 1954
Records 3 billionth passenger mile during a nonstop flight between Dallas and Chicago.
Photo: The Braniff Airways Domestic and International Timetable dated April 25, 1954, featured this colorful advertisement touting Braniff’s superb record of reliability.
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April 5, 1954
Annual Stockholder’s Meeting is held and two new Board Members are elected including George W. Rice of Houston and James H. Walker of Dallas. New officers elected were Ms. Velta Bowlware as Assistant Secretary and three Assistant Treasurers including Mr. R. D. Barrier, Fred Beisecker and Loyd Eden.
Photo: Ms. Velta Bowlware is a Braniff legend. She became the second woman in the company, behind Mrs. Braniff, to become an elected officer.
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April 15, 1954
First Braniff Airways Douglas DC-6 with Airborne Weather Radar assigned to South America in a Joint Project with the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics over Braniff’s Latin America Division routes is put into service.
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June 1, 1954
Braniff cofounder Paul Revere Braniff dies from complications from surgery and resulting pneumonia. Mr. Braniff’s tombstone incorrectly lists his date of death as June 15, 1954, due to an error on the application for his Veterans headstone.
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June 23, 1954
Braniff receives 21st Aviation Safety Award from the National Safety Council for an accident free 1953. Braniff’s emphasis on safety was evident in its advertising and its receipt of safety awards year after year.
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August 24, 1954
Mrs. Thomas Elmer Braniff dies of cancer peacefully in her sleep at her Seneca Drive home (still stands today) in Dallas. She was the last surviving member of the Thomas Elmer Braniff family. Her daughter, Jeanne Braniff Terrell died in January 1948 and her infant daughter, Jeanne, died in November 1947 and Jeanne’s husband Alexander “Alex” Watkins Terrell died in 1949; Mrs. Bess Braniff’s son, Thurman Braniff, died in an aircraft training accident in Oklahoma City in July 1938.
Photo: Ms. Bess Thurman Braniff, center, is looking over an aviation map in front of a company Douglas DC-3. Vice President Ray Carrol Shrader, left and Mr. Braniff look on in this 1946 photo.
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October 29, 1954
Captain R. V. Carleton Vice President of Operations and a 20-year Braniff veteran and Mr. William W. Flenniken of Denver is elected to the Board of Directors. Captain Carleton takes a brief break as Chief Pilot for a photograph in the late 1940s.
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November 1, 1954
Introduction of a new travel Time Payment Plan for passengers.
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December 31, 1954
Braniff completed 1954 as the best US airline with the completion of flights scheduled at 98.96 percent of 21,799,378 plane miles scheduled during the past twelve months.
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BRANIFF INTERNATIONAL AIRWAYS
IN 1955
January 15, 1955
Braniff and TWA Texas to California Interchange Service begins. The new interchange afforded passengers in Texas and California, to travel between each state without a change of plane. Six cities across the Southwest were served by the new service, including Houston, Dallas, and Amarillo, Texas, and Los Angeles, Oakland, and San Francisco, California.
March 17, 1955
Braniff orders seven new long-range Douglas DC-7C El Dorado airliners at a cost of $20 million, which will be delivered in the fall of 1956.
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April 1, 1955
Inauguration of service over Route 106 between Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Chicago Midway Airport with stops at Sioux City and Waterloo, in Iowa.
Photo: Braniff’s inaugural scheduling was precise and detailed. This inter-company memo states the schedule for the inaugural route and was followed up by many pages of event materials for each city along the route. Braniff would rarely have problems with large events like this because of its expert advance planning.
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April 11, 1955
First use of Very High Frequency with Omni Range or VOR navigation in South America begins at La Paz, Bolivia.
Photo: The terminal and operations building for Braniff International Airways at La Paz El Alto Airport, Bolivia, in 1955.
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April 21, 1955
President Eisenhower approves Braniff and Eastern Airlines Latin America Interchange Service from New York Idlewild Airport, Washington DC National Airport and Miami to Cuba, Central and South America.
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May 2, 1955
Braniff officials inspect Southern route system cities via a Braniff Convair 340 airliner.
Photo: Braniff Airways, Incorporated, Convair 340-32 registered as N3419 is parked on the ramp at Houston International Airport, Texas, in 1955.
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June 10, 1955
Braniff signs a lease for a spectacular new 36-acre Braniff Operations and Maintenance Base at Dallas Love Field on the east side of the airport along Lemmon Avenue.
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July 17, 1955
Braniff Airways Flight 560, a Convair 340-32 registered as N3422, is lost at Chicago Midway Airport after striking a sign at the approach end of the runway.
Photo: Convair 340-32 registered as N3422 is parked on the ramp with a company Convair at Houston Municipal Airport, Texas, in 1953.
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August 15, 1955
Braniff and TWA Interchange service between Houston and San Francisco ads additional stop at Las Vegas giving Dallas single-plane service to the Nevada playground city.
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August 18, 1955
Braniff and Eastern Interchange between New York City and Washington DC and Miami and Latin America begins giving Braniff much needed US East Coast feed to its Latin America system. The new service was a result of the CAB’s decision in the New York-Balboa Through Service Case earlier in the year. This same case also determined that Panagra should be merged with Braniff Airways.
Photo: The interchange is indicated on this August 18, 1955 Domestic and International Timetable by the dotted line from New York and Washington DC to Miami. Eastern operated the service from New York to Miami and Braniff operated the route into Latin America.
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August 31, 1955
Signs contract for first Reservations Brain Data Processing System over entire system making Braniff the first airline in the world to adopt such a data processing system on a systemwide basis.
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September 25, 1955
Two Lockheed L-049A Constellation four-engine aircraft from LAV of Venezuela, registered as N2520 and N2521, are added to the fleet with the inauguration of scheduled service on Braniff’s Domestic system. Ship N2520B is parked on the ramp at Dallas Love Field in 1955, shortly after delivery.
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October 1, 1955
President Charles Edmund Beard is awarded his 20-Year Service Pin. Mr. Beard joined Braniff in 1935 as General Manager, replacing the outgoing company cofounder Paul Revere Braniff.
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October 12, 1955
Four billionth passenger mile recorded by Braniff Airways, Incorporated, between Houston International Airport and Chicago Midway Airport aboard Douglas DC-6 El Conquistador registered as N90884.
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October 28, 1955
Braniff Airways announces $87 Million was approved by its Board for new piston, turboprop and pure jet airliners. One of the new airliners Braniff would select was the four-engine turboprop Lockheed L-188 Electra.
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November 22, 1955
CAB awards Braniff new service from Dallas to Newark via Memphis, Nashville and Washington DC, as a result of its findings in the Southwest-Northeast Service Case. This is Braniff’s first significant east west route award and was one of the last new service authorization the Airline would receive until 1965.
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November 29, 1955
Orders are placed for five Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet four-engine airliners. The Series -227 was designed especially for Braniff with larger engines for use at high altitude airports in South America.
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December 7, 1955
Braniff begins Curtiss C-46 freighter service between Dallas and Chicago.
Photo: Braniff Airways, Incorporated, Curtiss C-46 twin-engine cargo liner registered as N1386N is parked on the ramp at Dallas Love Field in December 1955.
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December 14, 1955
Orders nine new Lockheed Electra L-188 four-engine turboprop aircraft at a cost of $22 million, which can cruise at 400 miles-per-hour with delivery scheduled for May 1959
BRANIFF INTERNATIONAL AIRWAYS
IN 1956
January 7, 1956
Braniff orders five new Convair 440 Metropolitan twin-engine airliners at a cost of $4 million with delivery of the big 44-passenger aircraft to begin in November 1956.
Photo: Braniff Airways, Incorporated, Convair 440-32 Metropolitan registered as N3433 is parked on the ramp at Tulsa Municipal Airport, Oklahoma, in July 1957.
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January 22, 1956
Exchange Park Braniff Tower Headquarters building announced, which will include ten stories in the new 120-acre Exchange Park commercial development, which is a project of William Arvin “Bill” Blakley, a longtime Braniff Board Member and Braniff Family friend.
Photo: A special section advertisement announcing Braniff’s new Exchange Park Braniff Tower building in the Dallas Morning News on January 29, 1956.
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January 22, 1956
Page Two of the Dallas Morning News advertisement for Braniff Tower at Exchange Park.
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February 15, 1956
Silver Service debuts over the Texas to New York service inaugural, which is a new ultimate airborne dining experience found only on Braniff.
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February 15, 1956
Inauguration of service between Texas and Newark, New Jersey, with inaugural ceremonies held at San Antonio, Fort Worth, Dallas, Nashville, Washington DC and Newark. Braniff’s Executive Vice President James Wescott J. W. “Bill” Miller hosted the magnificent inaugural affair. Mr. Miller is third from the left in the photo.
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February 22, 1956
First Braniff Airways, Incorporated (1930), pilot hired, Captain Ray Carrol Shrader, receives a 25 Year Pin, which is the first 25-year pin that the company has awarded, besides Mr. Braniff’s pin, which was awarded two weeks earlier.
Photo: Captain Ray Carrol Schrader assists a passenger disembark from Braniff’s new Lockheed L-10 Electra at Dallas Love Field in 1935.
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March 5, 1956
Ms. Velta Bowlware, Assistant Secretary of the Corporation receives the second company awarded 25 Year Pin and is the third most senior female in the airline industry. She was the first woman officer at Braniff Airways, behind Mrs. Braniff.
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April 2, 1956
Braniff’s Annual Shareholder’s Meeting is held, where the shareholders approve increasing the company’s authorized capital from $5 million to $7.5 million and the number of shares of Common Stock with $2.50 par value from 2 million to 3 million shares.
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April 17, 1956
Thomas Elmer Braniff Room is dedicated in New York City at the National Conference for Community and Justice Building in downtown Manhattan. Braniff President Charles Edmund Beard admires the newly framed portrait of Mr. Braniff along with NCCJ officials.
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May 20, 1956
First newly refurbished Douglas DC-6 El Conquistador reenters service over Domestic Route System. The program cost $1.2 million and all work was completed at Braniff’s Roanoke Drive Base. More powerful engines were installed along with a complete redesign of the exterior color scheme and the interior was completely reworked.
Photo: Braniff Airways, Incorporated, Douglas DC-6 El Conquistador is parked on the ramp at Chicago Municipal Airport in 1956. The DC-6 is painted in the 1956 Red and Blue El Dorado Color Scheme.
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June 20, 1956
Groundbreaking ceremonies held for new Exchange Park Braniff Tower Headquarters Building on the 28th Anniversary of the company’s founding.
Photo: Braniff President Charles Edmund Beard, left, hosted the festivities, while William Arvin “Dollar Bill” Blakley, developer of Exchange Park and Braniff Board Member, and Dallas Mayor Robert L. Thornton officially moved the first shovel of dirt for the new Braniff Tower. The unique aluminum shovel was made from a Braniff Douglas DC-6 propeller. The whereabouts of the propeller is unknown today but Braniff International Heritage Archives, the administrator of Braniff’s corporate records, continues the search.
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August 15, 1956
First airline to use Formica finishes in its new Douglas DC-7C El Dorado airliners. Formica, the leading surface cover company, touts its unique products in this 1956 advertisement.
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September 14, 1956
First Douglas DC-7C El Dorado four-engine airliner is delivered at the Douglas Plant located in Santa Monica, California. The ship is christened by actress and dancer Ms. Ginger Rogers. The aircraft was flown to Dallas where ceremonies were also held and once in service they became the first DC-7Cs to operate in scheduled commercial service in the United States.
Photo: From left to right: Douglas Aircraft President Mr. Donald W. Douglas; Braniff Vice President Operations Captain R. V. Carleton; Ms. Ginger Rogers and Miss California.
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September 28, 1956
Braniff Family Night Begins at Dallas Roanoke Drive Base, where dinner is cooked for Braniff employees and their families at a very reasonable cost.
Photo: The luxurious new Douglas DC-7C El Dorado was the guest of honor at the Dallas and Minneapolis/St. Paul Family Nights.
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October 20, 1956
Douglas DC-7C El Dorado begins inaugural flights concluding a month-long celebration of the arrival of the new long-range airliner making it the first of the type to operate in the United States. The new El Dorado begins service between San Antonio, Dallas, Washington DC and Newark and over a route from Houston to Dallas and Chicago.
Photo: The arrival of the new Douglas DC-7C four-engine airliner brought a new aircraft name and logo, which is El Dorado to enforce the company’s significant presence in South America.
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October 20, 1956
Braniff inaugurates new service at Chattanooga, Tennessee, with a DC-6 El Conquistador as a stop on the Dallas to Newark flight with intermediate stops at Dallas, Memphis, Chattanooga and Washington DC. A festive group was aboard the inaugural flight.
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November 20, 1956
First new Convair 440 Metropolitan twin-engine airliner is delivered and begins scheduled domestic service on December 10, 1956.
Photo: Company officials welcome the brand new Convair 440-32 airliner at the Consolidated Vultee Convair Plant at San Diego Lindbergh Field. Braniff and Convair officials from left to right: Mr. Reginald K. “Rex” Brack, Vice President Sales; Mr. Charles Edmund Beard, President; Chief Pilot Captain R. V. Carleton, Vice President Operations; Ms. Gay Cowie, Miss San Diego; Mr. J. G. Zevely, Director Contracts and Sales at Convair; Mr. James Wescott J.W. “Bill” Miller Executive Vice President; Mr. Richard A. “Dick” Flume, West Coast Representative; Mr. T. B. Eastland, Senior Chief Contracts Administration at Convair and Mr. John Mosley, District Sales Manager.
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November 26, 1956
Douglas DC-7C El Dorado establishes speed record for a commercial flight between Chicago and Dallas by flying 798 miles nonstop in only 2 hours and 8 minutes at 24,000 feet and averaging 380 miles-per-hour but speeds reached as high as 425 miles-per-hour during the flight.
Photo: This insert in the October 20, 1956 Domestic and International Timetable featured a multi-color pullout featuring the new Douglas DC-7C El Dorado.
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December 10, 1956
Refurbished Douglas DC-6 El Conquistadors are placed in service between the US Mainland and Latin America, which was featured on the front cover of the December 10, 1956 Domestic and International Timetable.
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BRANIFF INTERNATIONAL AIRWAYS
IN 1957
February 1, 1957
First one-stop service begins between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Dallas Love Field via Kansas City.
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March 5, 1957
Braniff purchases RCA Weather Radar for the new Douglas DC-7C El Dorado fleet.
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March 21, 1957
Braniff Operations and Maintenance Base groundbreaking ceremony is held for the spectacular $6.5 million complex encompassing more than 350,000 square feet.
Photo: Braniff Airways signatures and City of Dallas officials joined for the groundbreaking at the new Braniff International Airways Operations and Maintenance Base on Lemon Avenue at Dallas Love Field.
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March 21, 1957
Participant description for groundbreaking photo above.
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March 29, 1957
Moves from Administration Offices from the Roanoke Drive Base and Red Brick Building to Exchange Park temporary headquarters in the Exchange Bank Building with the move completed two days later on April 1, 1957.
March 29, 1957
Big Braniff Moving Day continued.
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April 1, 1957
Mr. Horace Bolding is appointed as Vice President of Purchasing and Stores by Braniff’s Board of Directors. Mr. Bolding is a 22-year veteran with Braniff Airways.
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April 28, 1957
Latin America bound DC-7C El Dorado Preinaugural departs the US for a 12-day trip to six Latin American countries with government, airline and business officials on board.
Photo: The next three photos feature the complete coverage of this historic company event in B Liner Employee Newsletter.
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May 2, 1957
Braniff President Charles Edmund Beard is honored by Peru with its highest award given to any civilian, the Orden del Merito, the Order of Civil Merit, which was conferred on him by Peru’s Minister of Foreign Affairs for distinguished service.
Photo: Local and well as international news covered Mr. Beard’s award event.
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May 8, 1957
First nonstop flight flown between Rio de Janeiro and Miami, Florida, using Douglas DC-7C El Dorado aircraft during the preinaugural flight, which flew over the 4,300 mile route in only 14 hours and 30 minutes.
Photo: Braniff International Airways RIO poster features the tram ride up Sugarloaf Mountain. Braniff’s unique 1950s and 1960s travel posters were designed and printed at the Airline’s Lima, Peru, base, which made them eligible for copyright extension in the United States.
This series of posters were never made available to the public until 2022. Renowned poster atelier, StickNoBillsonline.com was licensed by Braniff International to recreate these posters on archival quality paper. Visit the Stick No Bills website to purchase these amazing Braniff historical items.
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May 15, 1957
Inauguration of the first US air service between Newark and Bogota, Colombia, using Douglas DC-6 El Dorado aircraft, which would operate 3 times weekly over the route with intermediate stops at Washington DC, Miami and Panama City/Balboa City, in The Canal Zone.
Photo: Braniff Airways, Incorporated, Douglas DC-6 El Conquistador is parked on the ramp at Bogota El Dorado Airport, Colombia, in 1957.
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May 16, 1957
Douglas DC-7C inaugural flight to Latin America via the Braniff and Eastern Airlines Interchange Service offering the first air service to the region with the long-range airliner.
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June 1, 1957
Douglas DC-7C Service is doubled between Dallas and New York and Washington DC, giving passengers six round trips per week between Texas and the East Coast with the DC-7C, DC-6 and Convairliner aircraft.
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June 12, 1957
Braniff Hostess service 20th Anniversary is celebrated in Dallas with Luncheon and three members of Braniff’s original hostess class and the first Superintendent of Passenger Service.
Photo: Braniff’s first Hostess Ms. Rebecca Garza is joined by her two daughters, Judy, left and Evangeline, at the 20th Anniversary Hostess Event. The big all-metal Douglas DC-7C model from Pacific Miniatures has captured their attention.
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October 20 to 27, 1957
New Dallas Love Field Terminal dedication events begin for a week-long celebration.
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December 15, 1957
Ursuline Academy dedicates Thomas Elmer Braniff family memorial at Dallas school
December 31, 1957
Braniff top the 2 million mark for the first time of revenue passengers carried during 1957 with 2,038,656 passengers flown a record-breaking 37,178,018 RPMs.
Photo: Braniff’s route map indicates that the airline has grown significantly but the Airline was losing market share because of Civil Aeronautics Board policies that tended to favor the larger domestic airlines.
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BRANIFF INTERNATIONAL AIRWAYS
IN 1958
January 20, 1958
New modern airport terminal opens at Dallas Love Field in the center of the airport known as the 1958 Terminal or the Terminal on Cedar Springs Road.
Photo: The magnificent 1958 Terminal still stand today but the unique red and turquoise metal and porcelain panels have been covered over with various airport updates over the years. Extensions were added to the three main concourses but Braniff’s spectacular Terminal of the Future was the largest extension, which was added in 1968.
This 1980s photograph shows the beautiful original terminal with control tower on top. All three concourse are in view along with the Texas International extension.
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February 1, 1958
Braniff begins serving New York Idlewild Airport in addition to current service at Newark Airport. The Braniff/Eastern Interchange to Latin America was already operating from Idlewild Airport. Serving both airport was a significant milestone for Braniff and the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Slick advertising touts the new service.
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February 10, 1958
Teleregister Reservations System is placed into service at 140 Braniff Airways offices across the US and is capable of handling 1 million electronic seat reservations per month.
Photo: Braniff flight attendants are demonstrating with ease the new Teleregister system. With the advent of Teleregister, the Airline became a significant competitor.
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February 14, 1958
Braniff moves to the new ten-story Braniff Tower headquarters at Exchange Park near Dallas Love Field on Valentine’s Day. During Braniff’s time as an operating airline, the company was housed in only three headquarters building in the Dallas area, including the Red Brick Building at the Roanoke Base, Braniff Tower and finally Braniff Place World Headquarters at DFW Airport, which still serves as the company’s headquarters and home base today. Braniff occupied Braniff Tower from 1958 until 1978.
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April 7, 1958
Charles S. South is elected Vice President at the Annual Braniff Board Meeting in Dallas. Mr. South would eventually assume administration over the Latin America Division.
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April 7, 1958
Thomas P. “Tom” Robertson is named Assistant Vice President Research and Statistics at the Annual Braniff Board Meeting in Dallas. Mr. Robertson was Braniff’s key route and regulatory person and would serve the company for more than 30 years. Mr. Robertson’s extensive Braniff materials collection is housed in the Braniff International Heritage Archives in Dallas, Texas.
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June 20, 1958
Braniff celebrates 30 years of service with a fleet of 68 aircraft flying more than 5000 passengers every day. By 1965, Braniff’s revenue was more than the revenue it had generated in its entire history.
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October 3, 1958
Braniff begins move from the Roanoke Drive Base to the new Braniff Operations and Maintenance Base on the east side of Dallas Love Field with the move completed on December 19, 1958.
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October 4, 1958
The first Braniff flight is dispatched from the new Operations and Maintenance Base at Love Field with Flight 562 departing at 135AM for Chicago.
Photos: Braniff Airways, Incorporated, Douglas DC-6B El Conquistador registered as N91311 is undergoing routine maintenance on the floor of the new Braniff Airways Operations and Maintenance Base at Dallas Love Field.
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October 5, 1958
A new high-speed automatic teletype system is place in operation in Dallas. The system links more than 100 Braniff offices in 51 cities throughout the US.
Photo: The new system was highlighted in the October 1958 B Liner Employee Newsletter. In the photo below, the Main Switching Center was located on the second floor of the Operations and Maintenance Base.
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October 7, 1958
New Braniff Operations and Maintenance Base at Dallas Love Field is dedicated and hosted by Braniff President Charles Edmund Beard with Dallas Mayor Mr. R. L. Thornton.
Photo: The spectacular double butterfly roofline of the Operations and Maintenance Base was the design work of Pereira and Luckman Architects of Los Angeles, California.
In the photos below, the dedication ceremony was covered extensively in the October 1958 B Liner Employee Newsletter.
Thanks to the dedication of Braniff Airways Foundation Board Members Mr. Ben Cass and Mr. David Preziosi, the Braniff International Operations and Maintenance Base still stands today and still serves as the key aviation hub at Dallas Love Field.
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BRANIFF INTERNATIONAL AIRWAYS
IN 1959
January 16 to 18, 1959
Family Night is held along with Open House at the new Braniff Operations and Maintenance Base at Love Field giving Braniff employees the opportunity to see the new base.
Photo: Braniff issued this handout to employees detailing the special Family Night events. In the photo below, young guests are enjoying a tour of the 1/25 scale Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet cutaway model from Pacific Miniatures of Alhambra, California. This large model was placed in the Main Lobby on the Main Floor of the Braniff Operations and Maintenance Base and under the stairwell that lead to the second level or the third floor. The Main Lobby was located on the Lemon Avenue level and the Maintenance Floor was on the first floor or the Airside Level.
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January 25, 1959
Family Dinners begin every Sunday at the Braniff Operations and Maintenance Base at Love Field. Braniff’s Family Dinners were very popular with the Braniff Family and were always well attended.
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April 6, 1959
Allan Shivers, former governor of Texas, is elected to the Braniff Board of Directors to fill the vacancy left by the death of Omaha hotelier Eugene C. Eppley.
(The election of former Governor Allan Shivers to the Board of Directors of Braniff Airways, Inc, was a mistake. Braniff Airways, Inc., apologizes to anyone that this appointment may have harmed or offended.)
Photo: Omaha’s Municipal Airport was renamed in honor of Mr. Eugene C. Eppley on September 4, 1961. Braniff Airways President Mr. Charles Edmund Beard looks on as the wall plaque is dedicated.
Mr. Eppley served as a Board member of Braniff Airways for many years. He was a well-known hotelier and businessman in the Omaha area.
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May 7, 1959
First two Lockheed L-188 Electra jet-powered airliners, Ships N9701C and N9702C, are delivered to the Dallas Base. A large turnout of the Braniff Family came out to see the arrivals from high on top of the roof of the Braniff Operations and Maintenance Base at Dallas Love Field.
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June 15, 1959
First Lockheed L-188 Electra jet-powered service begins from San Antonio and Dallas and Houston and Dallas to both New York and Chicago.
Photo: Braniff International Airways Lockheed L-188 Electra Jet registered as N9702C is parked on the ramp at the Braniff Airways Operations and Maintenance Base at Dallas Love Field after it was delivered to Braniff from the Lockheed plant in California, on May 7, 1959.
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June 15, 1959
Begins connection service with Western Airlines at Denver for timed connecting flights to Edmonton and Calgary in Canada.
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August 21, 1959
CAB calls recess in Transcontinental Service Investigation Case.
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August 31, 1959
Braniff leads all US domestic trunk airlines with the best on-time performance according to the CAB for the third consecutive month.
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September 1, 1959
New Lockheed L-188 Electra service begins to the East Coast and a Official Postal Cachet is presented to honor the event
September 1, 1959
Lockheed L-188 Electra service is inaugurated to Washington National Airport and Electra flights between Dallas and Newark are increased from two to three round trips each day.
Photo: Braniff Airways Lockheed L-188 Electra Jet registered as N9704C is parked on the Airside Ramp at the Braniff Operations and Maintenance Base at Dallas Love Field for a photo shoot in September 1959.
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September 29, 1959
Lockheed L-188 Electra registered as N9705C is lost at Buffalo, Texas, due to propeller whirl mode, which caused engines to separate from the wings.
Photo: Braniff Airways Foundation sponsored a Texas State Historical Marker, which was placed at the accident site near Buffalo, Texas. A special dedication and installation ceremony was held on September 21, 2022.
Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated
October 1, 1959
First nonstop scheduled air service with Lockheed L-188 Electra begins between Houston and Chicago and new Electra service between San Antonio and Houston is added.
Photo: Braniff’s Electra’s featured this luxurious rear lounge area, which were decorated in an exciting and colorful Mexican motif.
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October 19, 1959
First Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet registered as N7071 is lost during pre-delivery flight at Oso, Washington, due to loss of control caused by Dutch Roll.
Photos: An overview of the accident was presented in Aviation Week Magazine on July 11, 1960. Ship N7071 is rolled out for the first time at the Boeing Renton, Washington, plant, in early October 1960.
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November 16, 1959
Lockheed L-188 Electra service begins between Dallas, Amarillo, Colorado Springs and Denver. The new schedules were printed for the first time in the Braniff International Airways Domestic and International Timetable dated January 4, 1960.
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December 3, 1959
First new Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet arrives at Dallas Base from Boeing’s Renton, Washington, plant. The big El Dorado averaged 602 miles-per-hour making the flight in a quick 2 hours and 52 minutes.
Photo: Braniff Captain R. V. Carlton has arrived at the Braniff Airways Operations and Maintenance base at Dallas Love Field, after his delivery flight from Renton to Dallas, on December 3, 1959.
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December 19, 1959
Braniff Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet inaugural between Dallas and New York Idlewild is dubbed Santa's Sleigh because it is carrying toys to needy children.
Photo: Braniff Airways President Charles Edmund Beard’s granddaughters were on board Santa’s Super Jet and named the big new jet Rudolph after the famed reindeer. Braniff Maintenance decided to name the other four Series -227s as Randolph, Adolph and Jack.
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December 19, 1959
New Chanel-inspired Jet Jacket Hostess Uniform debuts on the new Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet inaugural flights. Braniff’s Boeing 707s featured an all First Class cabin.
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December 20, 1959
Second Boeing 707-227 El Dorado Super Jet inaugural operates from Dallas to Chicago O’Hare Airport and is also dubbed Santa's Sleigh.
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