Grounded: Chalk's Ocean Airways
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ต.ค. 2024
- This episode of Grounded looks at the Miami based Chalk's Ocean Airways who were, at the time of their 2007 demise the oldest airline in the world and oldest continually operating airline in the United States. While there has been some doubt over how they claimed their "oldest" title, there was no doubt that Chalk's was an aviation icon, operating seaplanes from Biscayne Bay on the shores of Miami to the Bahamas for well over 85 years this airline not only outlasted dozens of Presidents, it had golden age cinema icons & other celebrities as frequent fliers and even found itself immortalised in Miami Vice and various films and TV programmes...
Chalk's operated under several names since it was founded in 1917, Red Arrow Flying Service, Chalk's Flying Service, Chalk's International Airlines, Chalk's Ocean Airways before reverting back to Chalk's International Airlines.
*PRODUCTION NOTES FOR THIS EPISODE**
This episode took twice as long as expected to produce due to numerous issues, I finished the script on Friday and recorded the audio immediately afterward. Having pencilled it in for a Sunday release instead of Saturday it still took until 11pm on Sunday night to complete the episode, though issues with YT meant that the video didn't publish until 2 minutes to midnight!
While I have not rushed this episode I did have to cut various bits from the script for timekeeping purposes, otherwise this episode would have been 30+ minutes long.
I really hope you enjoyed this episode, I wanted to do something slightly different and I would say Chalk's were certainly an aviation icon in need of their story being told.
Thanks for watching and I really appreciate any feedback or suggestions for future episodes.
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With just 2 minutes to spare before midnight (GMT) here is the latest episode of my Grounded Series as promised :)
Great video and analysis as always, really sad that this airline went bust
Thank you, I really appreciate that :) Yes it is very sad how it ended for Chalk's :(
Being from Florida they were a staple of our state image, especially after the Miami Vice TV show exposure.
Yeah I bet, those seaplanes with the Miami backdrop sure were iconic and scream Florida :) I just wish that I had been able to visit Miami back when Chalk's were active as I would certainly have gone for a flight with them. It's got me thinking though, I don't remember seeing them in GTA Vice City though hopefully if GTA6 is the reboot of VC then hopefully we might see them in game :)
I really enjoy your video's, alot of information without it getting boring. Guess i'm gonna bingewatch your episodes..!
Great work, keep it up! :)
Thank you! I really appreciate hearing that :)
@@ExpoAviation Have you considered making a video about the former flag carrier of Norway, Braathens SAFE?
Yes I certainly have :) They are on my list, I've done some preliminary research on them so hopefully their episode won't be too far away :)
I previously knew next to nothing about this operator, so thanks for another interesting episode. 👍
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it :) I didn't know too much about them at first, I'd seen them in Miami Vice and that was about it until about 10 years or so ago.
Wow chalks ocean airlines is my favorite airlines but Helios airways is one of my favorites
I’m waiting for that video haha
I'm glad to have covered Chalk's, as for Helios I did briefly mention them during my Excel episode but might go back and do one specifically on them.
These are always interesting and FUNNY!
Thanks Ryan :)
Great job as always - great minds think alike. ;)
Thanks mate :)
I love this thanks I have many wonderful memories working for this company ❤
Wow thank you, I really appreciate that and love it when folks involved with the airline get in touch :)
Wonderful episode. My dad was architect for their Watson Island terminal which his firm built for Resorts Int’l. I fondly recall Capt Shinn, operations supervisor and Lou Diamond of Resorts and many delightful flights in the early 80’s watching first hand all the operations. You didn’t mention that Maureen O’Hara’s husband was one of the owners and she came often to see the planes, chat with the folks
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it :) Those are some awesome memories, the kind of thing that really sticks with you :) I had some bits of info but couldn't get proper confirmation so had to leave them out, I always try to get the full story but I do worry about making mistakes :/
Never knew he had anything to do with Chalk's. He did operate Antilles Air Boats on a very decrepit shoestring until the string finally broke.
Yes facinating story
Thank you :)
The sad part is that chalks could still be in business today is the u.s. goverment and 9-11 hadd not happened. Homeland security shut us down because we flew as they put it to close to the port of Miami. Which is b.s. there are helicopter services that fly rite over the port every day and night. Everyone thinks it is because of the Dec 2005 crash that we closed . It was not . It was the u.s. goverment that ran us out of business. We operated from 1917 till 2005 with out a incident. No other airlines can show a safety record like that. My grandfather started with chalks in 1924 and my pop started flying with them in 1955 I had yhe privilege of starting working for the old man in 1976 as a 15 year old cleaning planes and working my way up to a pilot.
Expo Aviation
I didn't know this airline exists in the golden times but it so good to know about it Chalks in America until it collapsed in the future
Can you do Thomas Cook Airlines they have a lot of past airlines that made them Thomas Cook like
JMC air/Airtours/MyTravel before they get taken over by Former Thomas Cook Group in 2008
Also had work experience with them on April 19th 2019 before they under in September 23rd 2019 at Manchester airport hanger I was looking for a dream Job with them in the future but I didn't get it at the end unfortunately but it was great to see there Long haul fleet I'm also a fan of there airline since I was little. 💛
I will be covering Thomas Cook in due course, once the dust has settled (as some revealing info may come out during the administration process that I wouldn't want to miss). I had always planned to do the individual airlines that made up the Thomas Cook Airlines lineage, I had just never expected to have that one extra episode :/
I am glad that you managed to do some work experience with them, many moons ago I was going to have my high school work experience with their predecessor Flying Colours Airlines however it got cancelled without much of a proper reason, though I blame it on the transition to JMC taking place around the same time... Flying Colours were one of my favourite airlines, second only to Monarch and well, both are gone :(
@@ExpoAviation Thomas Cook & Monarch was my favourite but I loved TCX more since I been on loads on of holidays with them and trust on the airline was just great even i wanted to be Cabin crew with them in the future but I think I remember My travel & JMC in 2006 when I was little great livery to see it just wonderful
If only Chalks had changed it's fleet in the 1990s to the Twin Otter or Cessna Caravan it would probably have been able to keep going.
Yup, those Seaplanes were expensive but they were also the main draw for the airline so it would have been a tough but necessary call.
@@ExpoAviation Interestingly enough there is a new airline called Tropic Ocean which now operates out of the Miami seaplane base.
Was this changed. Do you have one for Paradise Island Airlines
Not sure about anything changing? I've not covered Paradise Island Airways yet, I'll take a closer look at them and see if I can do something on them :)
It sounds like it was run by Jim Davidson who done mimicking on chalkie
Ha, no comment. I still remember Jim Davidson being ran off stage from a "working man's club" near where I grew up after he quipped "a working man's club in Salford, you're having a laugh". Still, I liked him on Big Break.