Wright | 1965-1985 | Douglas DC-9-10

As a small carrier, Wright Airways relied on propeller aircraft such as the DC-3, Convair Metropolitan series, and F27 turboprop for the first several years of its existence. However, with the introduction of the brand-new Douglas DC-9 in 1965, the airline began a rapid transition to jets. By 1970, the new aircraft were the backbone of the fleet and enabled the carrier to steadily expand its services to additional destinations in the Midwest and South.

Originally, the airline's president (Alan G. Kauffman) had petitioned the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to permit the company to acquire five BAC-111 jets from the United Kingdom due to it being the first small jet available for local airlines. When the CAB denied the request, the airline had to settle for the Douglas DC-9 which would not be available for almost a year after the One-Eleven entered service. Fortunately, this proved to be a blessing in disguise since the DC-9 proved to be a more versatile aircraft in the long run. By 1968, when Wright began introducing the larger DC-9-30 variant, the airline had a fleet of 15 DC-9s and 10 F-27 turboprops serving 20 destinations in eight states.

Ship 910 (N910W) was delivered to Wright in 1966 and operated primarily from the Saint Louis hub until its retirement in 1985. It received various seating configurations over the years, but generally was equipped with 8 First and 65 Coach seats.

1965-1971 livery


Revamping Wright as a smaller, Midwestern carrier that uniquely survived the period of airline deregulation and navigated various challenges to remain an independent operator until the present day.