Aloha Airlines  Fairchild F-27  N5093A                       (c/n  46)

                                       

                                              There's that control tower again!   When arch rival Hawaiian Airlines updated their Convair 340s
                                              to prop-jets, Aloha responded by ordering 4 Fairchild F-27s, the first of which is seen above.
                                              These aircraft went into service in the summer of 1959 (by which time the corporate name of the
                                              airline had been changed from Trans Pacific Airlines to Aloha Airlines).    The F-27s were very
                                              popular and the airline almost immediately picked up market share on the inter-island traffic. Since
                                              that time both airlines have operated almost identical route structures (at least within the islands)
                                              and several attempts have been made over the last forty years to amalgamate the two lines.  In the
                                              event, one side or the other has always backed out as the deal was about to be consummated.