Air Cal Lot: Photo, Timetable, Safety Card & Much More

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I am presenting a very nice lot of items from the long-gone trend-setting California airline known as Air Cal. Air Cal traces its roots back to the year 1967, when the airline, then known as Air California, commenced operations with a fleet of three Lockheed Electra prop-jets from its base at Orange County Airport in Southern California with daily flights to the San Francisco Bay Area. Throughout the 1970's, Air California operated Boeing 737 "Sunjets" while the vintage Lockheed Electras were deployed on routes into South Lake Tahoe Airport in Lake Tahoe, CA. After U.S. Airline Deregulation in 1978, Air California spread its wings east of its namesake state, opening up new routes to Reno and Las Vegas in Nevada. Routes were later opened to Portland and Seattle. In late 1980, Air California commissioned the San Francisco-based design firm of Landor Associates to create a new corporate identity, reflecting the airline's broader reach. In the spring of 1981, the airline introduced a stunning new corporate identity, and a new name, Air Cal. The stylish color scheme...reflecting the colors of the western sunset...boasted shades of vibrant yellow, orange, magenta, and deep plum. Mary McFadden was commissioned to outfit Air Cal's flight attendants and ground crews in new uniforms to complete the airline's new look. Throughout the early-to-mid 1980's, Air Cal continued to spread its wings. Its first international route was opened between San Jose and Vancouver, B.C. in 1985. Air Cal's route system eventually stretched from Anchorage to San Diego and eastward to Chicago O'Hare. Sadly, as a wave of airline consolidation swept the U.S. airline industry during the mid-to-late 1980's, Air Cal was acquired by the much more conventional American Airlines. Its operations were merged into American's in the Spring of 1987. Up for auction is an airline-issued 8 x 10 inch color photo of an Air Cal Boeing 737-200 aircraft flying above the Southern California coastline. This photo was one of the very first promotional shots of the airline's new corporate identity as Air Cal. The next item in this collection is tri-fold safety information card that illustrates the escape routes and exit diagrams on the airline's then-McDonnell Douglas DC-9 Super 80 twin jet aircraft. This safety card has held up well for its age. Other than some slight edge wear (soiling), it is clean, with no tears, bends, or markings. It has a print date of 1981. The next item in this collection is an unused plastic baggage identification tag that was distributed as a promotional item. It prominently displays the airline's stylized wordmark logo in the color of deep plum as well as the airline's colorful zig-zag stripes. The next item is a reprint of an article the was featured in Designers West magazine. The article, reprinted for Landor Associates, features Air Cal's new corporate identity and contains numerous color photos of Air Cal aircraft, cabin interiors, and employee uniforms. Also included in this auction is an unused Air Cal ticket jacket. The last item in this rare collection is a system timetable. This timetable has an effective date of May 1, 1984. It contains 21 pages of Air Cal flight information and contains several small photos of the airline's employees, destinations, and aircraft along the front cover. The airline's destination map is featured on the back cover of this flight schedule. These Air Cal keepsakes are sure to bring back many fond memories of jetting off on an Air Cal flight bound for a Happy Hop Disneyland vacation. Many thanks for looking and best of look in your bidding. read more

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