Detriot to Cleveland Commuter aircarft

[Helldiver]

Does anyone remember the airline that ran a commter service between Detroit and Cleveland. They flew Convair 540s. This would be about 45 years ago. My mind is drawing a blank even though I rode it a couple times a month.

[ColoKent]

I'm thinking North Central Airlines???



Kent

[Helldiver]

I originally thought so, but after consideration, I remember peeling of the sticker on the seat belt and found Great Lakes and under that was Mohawk Airlines. It was a well used airplane.

[ColoKent]

Helldiver...I changed my post...Could it have been North Central?

K

[Helldiver]

I found it. It was Wright Airlines. I went through all the Convair 580s for 2004 and there it was. Thanks for your help.

[Bjoern]

Wright actually flew Convair 600s and 640s, which were Dart-powered and much more ugly than the Allison-powered 580s - in part due to a smaller, pointier nosecone.

[Helldiver]

Well maybe. But the airplane I flew in was a 580 and when you look in Convair 580 in FSM, there it appeared. Now maybe it was a transition to the 600 series. They seemed use everybody's cast offs.
Like I said, when peeling off the stickers on the seat belt, the airplane had banged on a lot of runways. I used to ride Mohawk to Buffalo from Boston. It took six landings and and take offs before you got there. Each one a new adventure.

[SSI01]

I'm thinking North Central Airlines???



Kent

Boy, that paint job looks familiar - it flew over the back yard of my home in metro Detroit daily in the early to mid-60s, and fairly low - maybe around 1000 or 1500 feet, on final to Detroit Metro.

[Bjoern]

Well maybe. But the airplane I flew in was a 580 and when you look in Convair 580 in FSM, there it appeared. Now maybe it was a transition to the 600 series. They seemed use everybody's cast offs.

RZJets lists one Convair 440 N4402 that was delivered in 1959 and flew for Mohawk until 1971. Conversion into a 580 must've been in late 1971 because it flew for Wright from March '72 until 1976 when it was sold to Key Airlines. It survived in service at various other operators until 2006 or so.
Other than that I'm only finding 440s, 600s, 640s, etc...