Changed Airline Liveries

Martinair

The aircraft that started Martinair (named Martin Air Charter then) in 1958: the deHavilland Dove, seating 10. It was used for scenic flights as well as passenger- and cargo (the seats could be taken out) charter flights. The official starting date of "M.A.C." (this term is still used by many as the abbreviation for Martinair, anno 2005 !) was 24May1958.

DeHavilland DH.104 Dove c/n 04453 was painted up to represent the original PH-MAD; former identity of this airframe was XJ350 (RAF).
The original PH-MAD was c/n 04030, and this is its history:

19?? The aircraft was registered as CF-DJI

19?? reregistered as G-AKCF

19?? acquired by BOAC

19?? reregistered as PH-MAD

1958 acquired by Martin's Air Charter.

19?? The aircraft was registered as TJ-ACE

Source: http://www.cnapg.com/dove.htm.

I would welcome confirmation/corrections on the above; and who is its present owner and since when is it painted up in MAC colours ?
Read how Hans Beunk shares his memories of flying the real PH-MAD in Cameroon.

Douglas C-47 PH-MAB, location and date unknown (Courtesy Paul Zogg Collection).
C/n 4500, USAF serial 41-18438, onwards to I-LONA, to Martinair as PH-MAB, and next identity U-603. (Source: hwww.abcdlist.nl by Peter Riool

PH-MAE, location and date unknown, but on the hangar is written "Santos Dumont". (Paul Zogg Collection)

Peter ten Duis wrote me he recognised Amsterdam Airport, in what is now the maintenance area (Schiphol-East); except DC-7CF Freighters of KLM, he also remembers seeing C-46s of Transair Sweden and Vikings of Autair here. Thanks Peter!
I'd love to see the 50th anniversary celebrated with an aircraft in the fleet wearing this livery !

Celebrating its 45th anniversary, Martinair circulated this photo. The DC-3 is PH-DDZ from the Dutch Dakota Association.

During early 2003 Martinair introduced a "new" livery; unfortunately, the changes were far from spectacular...
The red cheatline had become somewhat brighter, the titles changed from black to dark blue and the "Cargo"-titles were now written in capitals. Big deal.

MD-11F PHMCU (cn 48757, line nbr 606) was the first of the fleet to be decorated in the new colourscheme.

A close up of PH-MCU, which is seen here getting a pushback from the cargo ramp (S-apron) at Amsterdam IAP on 15Mar03.

By comparison, Martinair's other MD-11F, PH-MCW (48788/632) has the "Cargo"-titles in its original state and are black of colour. The 4 convertable MD-11 aircraft do not carry any "Cargo"-titles. During 2008 and 2009 all convertable MD-11s (PH-MCP, PH-MCR, PH-MCS, PH-MCT) were stripped (Finnair in Helsinki did this) to full-freighter.

McDonnel-Douglas MD-11F PH-MCY (c/n 48445/460) was delivered to Martinair in 2004 after conversion from passenger- to cargo configuration. Apparently that delivery was too early to introduce the new colourscheme, it may well be that PH-MCY will fly for quite some time before an opportunity during overhaul will be found to repaint it.

Homebase Amsterdam IAP (EHAM) has many opportunities to watch airplanes; this spot is close to the S ("Sierra")-ramp where the Martinair cargo planes load and unload. PH-MCN (747-228F/SCD c/n 25266/878) is seen here taxying to the holding point before getting clearance to cross runway 06/24. During 2008 this spot became impossible to access by airport expansion.

This photo was published in celebration of the liverychange after 33 (!) years, in Nov.2004. PH-MCI was the first Martinair aircraft to wear the new colourscheme.
It made it clear that the change of colours in 2003 had only been an update... Rather an improvement I would say.

PH-MCI (c) R.Leeuw
Boeing 767-31A(ER) PH-MCI (c/n 25312/400) is seen here in Jan.2005 in its brand new coat of paint, on take off from rwy 24 at Amsterdam IAP

Another shot of PH-MCI, showing the new livery

This link www.airliners.net/open.file?id=743991 seems to indicate the design for the new livery was not so original. Thanks to Niels Borcharding for pointing this out to me.

-Click on the images for a larger photo-

Meanwhile, at the other side of the world...
We see here A320-233 (c/n 1374) EI-TAF landing at San Jose,Costa Rica in a brandnew colourscheme, ready to take over the Martinair lease from N464TA, also owned by LACSA.

Martinair decided it was better to lease an aircraft to operate between Miami & Orlando,FL and San Jose instead of utilizing their own Boeing 767s for this. A number of years this was done with a Miami Air 737-800 and then LACSA got the contract. On 01May07 EI-TAF operated the first flight, while N464TA had its last MP flight on 30Apr07. The flights connect to the longhaul flights from Miami and Orlando to Amsterdam.

Roger Rudolf preserved this unique occasion for prosperity.
It is nice to note that while the A320s at home in Amsterdam still operate in the old colours, here in Costa Rica they have the latest!

N464TA (c/n 1353) will soon loose the MP colours

A veritable Martinair hub in the tropics!

Martinair went through considerable changes on 01Nov07, fighting for its very existence. The passenger shorthaul market, with root destinations such as Palma de Mallorca, Malaga and Las Palmas were cancelled.
What remained were the passenger longhaul flights (using 767-300ER aircraft) to the Greater Caribbean (including Florida) and worldwide cargo operations (747 and MD11). TACA kept operating between Costa Rica and Miami & Orlando. But that changed too: as per 30Apr08 longtime longhaul destinations such as Orlando, Edmonton and Calgary were cancelled. The lease with TACA/LACSA was terminated at that date too.
Fate struck when A320-233 EI-TAF (c/n 1274) of TACA overran the runway on landing at Tegucigalpa on 30May08; the aircraft crossed the street and hit an embankment; 1 crewmember (captain), 2 passengers and 1 person on ground were killed (124 total on board).
As been said above, by that time Martinair had ceased leasing TACA's aircraft by April 30th and it was no longer operating in the Martinair livery.

When Rolf Larsson sent this photo, he also wrote: I was copilot on the Convair and to start with also on the Fokker F.28. Later I was promoted captain on the F.28 and transferred to the Boeing 737-500 when we got them (also leased 737-300 & the Falcon Aviation -300QC).
As you know we were integrated into SAS in 1993 where I flew the 737-600/700/800 until I retired...
We (Linjeflyg) leased a Convair (PH-CGD) from Martin's Air Charter ("MAC,") and also Fokker F.28 PH-MAT in which I spent many hours !
The picture was taken early-1965 (sorry, I don´t have the exact date) at Stockholm-Bromma airport. Linjeflyg used PH-CGD as a replacement aircraft for SE-CCK which was lost in an accident in November 1964.

PH-DDZ - DDA Airlines
The DDA Classic Airlines opened its 2009 season with a 'Social Sunday' on 05Apr09. PH-DDZ flew some scenic flights.

In celebration of its 50th anniversary in 2008, Martinair had PH-MCL painted in the Martin's Air Charter livery. It has always been 'the MAC' and always will be. Or..?

PH-MCG: stripped of the Martinair titles...
PH-MCG has reached the end of its commercial career.

KLM took Martinair over on 01Jan09. Severe changes to the company had already taken place and more was to follow. Martinair had stopped operating the short haul holiday market in 2007 and founding destinations such as Malaga, Las Palmas, Heraklion and many others in Spain, Greece & Turkey were no longer part of the routenet.
Many longhaul destinations, such as Orlando (FL), were no longer served by Martinair during 2008 in favour of higher frequencies to remaining destinations. And the market for Canada, anchored in Martinair's past for linking the Dutch who immigrated to Canada, was taken over by KLM. Sad days.
Martinair reduced the remaining passenger fleet to only 4 Boeing 767-300ER's in the summer of 2009.
PH-MCG was returned (seen here at Amsterdam awaiting the ferry flight out, on 26Jul09; ttl 101.913hrs 36mins) to the leasing company AWAS. PH-MCH (ttl 100.466hrs 57mins) suffered the same fate.
Both 767s were stood down early July (last commercial flight PH-MCG MP617/8 HAV, arriving AMS 1120z 29jun - last commercial flight PH-MCH MP645/6 MIA, arriving AMS 0854z 07jul), officially transferred to AWAS on 16Jul09 and to be ferried to respectively Walnut Ridge,AR and Roswell,NM in August 2009. For the purpose of the ferry flights both PH-MCG and PH-MCH remained on Martinair's AoC, even after the handover to AWAS on 16Jul09.
Both aircraft left Amsterdam for their destination and doom, on 12Aug09. Both flew via Windsor Locks - Bradley IAP. PH-MCG added 07:45 and 02:27 (& 2 cycles) to get to Walnut Ridge and PH-MCH added 07:44 and 03:43 plus 2 cycles to get to Roswell (for both I could be a few minutes off).

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