Braniff International
Airways Douglas DC-8
N1803 (c/n 45895)
In July of 1966, the Civil Aeronautics Board approved a
plan for Braniff Airways to acquire Panagra
(Pan
American Grace
Airways and President Lyndon Johnson allowed the merger to proceed.
The
mererger and integration of
Panagra’s operations was completed on February 1,
1967. Braniff
acquired Panagra’s fleet
including
DC-7’s, DC-8-31’s and 55F’s, as well as purchase orders for five
long- range
intercontinental McDonnell Douglas DC-8-62 aircraft, the first of
which, N1803 is seen
above. Initially flown with
Panagra markings, the integrated fleet was soon repainted in Lawrence's
'Flying Colors', several new hues
of which were introduced in the late 1960s. In deference to the
absorbed airline's livery,
several
of the DC-8s were painted in 'Panagra' green (as in the above case)
or
yellow.
Footnote on
Braniff Airways:
Years of accumulated corporate debt coupled with
deregulation of the aviation industry, economic recession,
and market over-expansion spelled
Braniff's doom in the Eighties. The company of "Flying Colors" filed
Chapter 11 bankruptcy on
June 1, 1982. It resumed operations in 1984 with a
new lean look and
competitive low-fare
approach. Employees were enthusiastic and the
public supportive. Braniff briefly
posted profits but
success proved short-lived. They again filed bankruptcy in the Fall of
1989. The company's
final incarnation,
primarily a charter service, lasted from 1991 to 1992.