DALLAS – Back in 1976, Braniff International Airways (BN) launched Alexander Calder’s ‘Flying Colors of the United States’ show on Boeing 727-200 from the aircraft, celebrating the United States Bicentennial.
For those who were absent at the time, it is hard to imagine the enthusiasm and excitement surrounding the United States’ 200th birthday in 1976. Since resigning and mocking the Nixon Administration, the Vietnam War is less popular, social conflicts, and. the oil crisis was followed by a deep recession, the nation was ready to celebrate its history and look forward to the future.
New from the praise produced by the ‘Flying Colors of South America’ – Douglas DC-8-62 which became a masterpiece by Alexander ‘Sandy’ Calder (1898-1976) to celebrate the 25th anniversary of BN flying between the US and South American countries .
Braniff didn’t want to be convinced to send a Calder sequel which would be a salute to the US Bicentennial. At the moment, the chosen canvas may be the Boeing 727-200 which was mainly flying with domestic and Mexican network.
The Final Design
Calder painted a 1/25 scale-all mode distributing the red, white, and blue abstract livery depicting the colors of the United States flag. On the same subject : Departmental Press Briefing – June 21, 2022 – United States Department of State. According to the Braniff Airways Foundation, with the exception of the final selection: “Three more 727 models are painted in red and blue (with real white colors). Named: Tick-Tack, Bulls-Eye (pronounced red and blue circle painted in the target program), and another so-called British Flag named red and blue lines that may have made Union Jack somewhere on the plane.
To select the final design for the largest aircraft from the one sent by Calder, Braniff sent a special committee headed by Goldwin McLellan, Business Committee for the Arts. The committee is made up of museum directors from prestigious institutions such as Washington’s National Gallery of Art, Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art, New York’s Whitney Museum of Art, and The Detroit Institute of the Arts.
The winning application, nicknamed Sneaky Snake, was as red and blue as snake-shaped, non-rotating waves, rotating, and invisible objects placed over a white fuselage with a tail. Each side is depicted differently, and only the singer’s signature is visible, above the cockpit and the L1 door.
Flowing blue snake shapes and swirls adorned the top of the wings, and small reds were applied to the soft spots. Even the belly of the plane was decorated with abstract designs. Calder himself painted a hand-painted design representing the stars and the national flag lines on the handle of the No. 3 engine.
The Braniff equipment greatly improved the shape of the other aircraft. “There will be only one Bicentennial aircraft,” the company said, “and the single aircraft will be known as The Flying Colors of the United States.”
The Flying Colors of the United States
For this honor, Braniff opted for N408BN, a Boeing 727-291 which was first introduced to Frontier Airlines (F9) in 1968 and sold to Braniff in 1972, when F9 lost its Boeing 727. To see also : The United States dominates Scotland, Canada take their first win and other Day 3 action.
On Sunday, May 16, 1975, The Flying Colors of the United States was first delivered to a staff member from Braniff during a special ceremony at Dallas Love Field, on the northern road instead of working and repairing aircraft. In a star-studded game, the Sneaky Snake made two low points over the Runway 13L / 31R. Onboard was the ‘best of the best’ pre-selected Braniff color guard staff.
The famous plane showed anger as a musician. The Flying Colors 727 was famous for being the queen of hangar. Its nickname Sneaky Snake proved to be important for two reasons: the livery and the short story required pilots to constantly rearrange and move by hand for the aircraft to fly upright.
The Flying Colors of the United States proudly shone in the air long after the last candle lighting of the 200th birthday was extinguished. Thus, like its grandson N1805, N408BN was reprinted in Braniff’s ‘Ultra’ look. As the DC-8 paint was finished, so did the 277. N408BN received its new paint job (in chocolate brown) sometime in 1979-1980.
After Branham’s death in May 1982, the plane was kept until Braniff II started in 1984, and, moreover, was painted the house of a new carrier. In 1985, N408BN was sold to the short-lived New Orleans-based Pride Air (NI). After that, it was re-registered and flew for a short time by thousands of carriers in the United States, the Caribbean, and Europe. It ended in Opa-Locka, Florida, a split.
Legacy
But, with its demise, this celestial celebrity enjoyed another star — coming out with a thunderstorm! In 1995, it was sold to Columbia Pictures, which exploded in one of the latest images for the Bad Boys action film stars Martin Lawrence and Will Smith. See the article : Health Report pres. by Vanderbilt Health: Nashville SC at DC United.
Braniff’s ‘Flying Colors of the United States’ is certainly an interesting item among many aviation enthusiasts. Many of the children who grew up in the 1960’s and 1970’s remember not only this patriotic movement but also Alexander Calder’s work of Braniff.
Of the three planes sent by Braniff, only two were completed. The third, ‘A Salute to Mexico’ was intended for the second Boeing 727, never painted. According to the Braniff Airways Foundation, the airline decided that, since Calder died in November 1976, the aircraft would not be the first in a long line of work.
Editor’s Note: Chris Sloan named his late son Calder Sloan, the name of the musician who created this amazing fly. Calder Sloan, later known as’ Mr. Awesome ‘, he died suddenly in April 2014 just after seven years of age.
Today, the name Calder redecorates the aircraft. Miami International Airport has dedicated its 727 training aircraft to the memory of Calder Sloan. Her portrait was painted and the name of our family foundation, Caleb and Calder Sloan’s Awesome Foundation, looks shining on the cock and fuselage. We call this current Calder 727 ‘Awesome Force One.’
Illustration: Former C-GYND, with Air Canada from 1980 to 1991, and later converted to FedEx carrier. Today, the ‘Awesome Force One’ operates as a ground at Miami International Airport. PICTURE CREDITS: CHRIS SLOAN
