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Thursday October 30, 2008 10:51 -0700
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Thursday October 30, 2008 10:51 -0700 |
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Frontier Airlines Available Art
Frontier DC-3 over Colorado The painting Title corresponds to the images above. To Order, click on the order tab from the table below. Prices start at $50.00.
Frontier Airlines
"Denver Sunrise" is the personal representation of an unforgettable sight that has only been shared by those who have arrived over Denver at the precise early morning moment captured in the unique colors of this creation. In Rick's words, "The inspiration for the original was realization of a long standing goal for this artist. I had observed the sun rising over Denver and the Rockies many times while flying alone as a young pilot and the beauty was always overwhelming. However, it was to capture the beauty of the sleek Boeing 737 in its own best light without losing the color of the sunrise and the city spread out below." The original painting, which was created for Frontier Airlines President A.L. Feldman, captures the details of well known Denver landmarks and Stapleton Airport with photographic precision. Another outstanding feature of this unique print is the eye catching Frontier emblem of burgundy, red, and orange. This "new look" was introduced in late 1978 and will decorate the entire Frontier fleet by the end of 1979. Broome's characteristic concern for detail is reflected in the Boeing 737.
My personal relationship with Frontier Airlines goes back as far as I can remember. Pueblo Memorial Airport was my second home from when I was seven years old. My Best friend, John Lee Ballantyne's dad, John (JB) was a glider pilot in World War II. His Mom was a WASP and they purchased a new Stinson StationWagon just after the war. John was in the livestock transportation trucking business and used their airplane to set up contracts with farmers and ranchers throughout a seven-state area. My first ever flying experience was when I was seven and we flew to Stapleton for lunch. We taxied out from Hangar 2 at Pueblo and followed a Frontier DC-3 for takeoff on runway 26. Arriving at Stapleton after a beautiful flight, we then parked right at the main terminal; DC-3s, DC-6s, and Connies occupied the same tarmac. From that moment on I was totally hooked on flying. Over the next few years, John Lee and his brother Glenn were taken to the airport at least once a week. JB was a mechanic and did a lot of maintenance on the Stinson himself. In addition, we were always treated to lunch at the excellent restaurant in the Pueblo terminal. Of course, Frontier DC-3s were coming and going all the time. I still remember the scale where passengers checked in and had their baggage weighed. My dad was in the photo business so I always had a camera and fresh film. During those days there were many different aircraft flying that today are long gone. I took many photos of the Frontier DC-3s on the ramp. Sometimes on a quick turn, the flight crew would leave number two engine running. I well remember the gate agent standing by with a huge fire extinguisher for engine start. The station agents and ground crew became our friends. We were allowed into their offices to look out their window when the passengers were loaded and engines turned. One of the agents was an avid model builder and by 1959, he had models of some of the first jet airliners hung from the ceiling. All of them were painted in Frontier colors! I remember one large model was the original Boeing Dash 80. Another was a Douglas DC-8. There was even an Electra hand painted in Frontier livery. The airport manager Mr. Keeler lived across
the street from us. Sometimes he
would take John Lee and I with him to work and we hung out in his office too.
He had a lot of cool desk top and official airline scale models too.
When he had time he would take us out on the ramp and get permission from
the crew for us to go up in the airplane and visit with them in the cockpit. I remember one early evening winter weather departure when I asked if I could take a picture of the cockpit of one of the Sunliners and permission was granted. The pilots both turned around and posed for my photo. I knew the light was too low for a regular exposure and installed the appropriate GE flash bulb taking the photo only a few feet from the pilots. After the intense bright light flooded the cockpit, the Captain remarked that his vision was now shot and the copilot would have to make the takeoff. Child induced night blindness! Finally, the big day came in the summer of 1959 for my first ever flight aboard an airliner. Mom and dad were vacationing at a Dude Ranch near Durango. Two of my younger brothers were along for the trip too. I took two cameras to record the flight. My latest painting of the Frontier DC-3 was done from vivid recollections of the flight plus the photographic records I took during the trip. The painting depicts the moment we broke out of a small snow squall. I recently visited with Retired Captain Tex Searle about that memorable flight and based on my descriptions and timing, Tex believes we were about over Monarch Pass. Over the next six years I made hundreds of trips to Pueblo Memorial Airport and started flying real airplanes from the field after my sixteenth birthday solo. By then Central Airlines had began servicing Pueblo with both DC-3s and Convair 340s. As I recall, Frontier did not bring the Convair to PUB as often as the DC-3. Of course, Continental was there too with DC-3s, Convair 340s and by 1959, they started service with the Viscount. ABOUT JOHN LEE BALLANTYNE: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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