The First Plane - Lockheed L-188 Electra N1006R

On a cold December night in 1966, two men discuss a new business idea in a small Los Angeles bar. After going through the logistics of such a task, the two men come up with the idea of a freight airline based out of that same city. This airline would be called Raines International Airlines.

One of these men was Charles B. Raines. Raines had served in WWII as a Hellcat pilot operating off the USS Belleau Wood. After the war, he served as a pilot for Flying Tiger Line until he changed to an office job in 1964. The other man was Edward Collins. The two met each other during their tenures at Flying Tiger Line and quickly became close friends. After leaving Flying Tiger, Collins and Raines found themselves still passionate about aviation.

Raines and Collins raised $5 million from investors and filed for an operating certificate from the FAA in November of 1973. In September 1975, the first aircraft, a Lockheed L-188, was delivered to Raines International and the company had it's first revenue flight a week later.

The aircraft in question was N1006R. Before flying for Raines, It served as a testbed for General Electric. Afterwards it flew for the Los Angeles Dodgers and then American Airlines. After flying for Raines until 1982, it was placed in storage until it was bought by Air Spray, which still flies the aircraft to this day.