| In 1940 Douglas Aircraft manufactured this DC-3 in
Santa Monica, California for American Airlines and assigned it US
Registration number NC25673. American Airlines accepted delivery on
May 8, 1940 and assigned it Fleet Number 73. In recognition of one
of the cities American served, the airline christened it flagship, "Big
Springs."
American flew Number 73 until Nov. 24, 1947 when it was sold to a
small feeder airline known as Trans-Texas Airways. Starting with a
fleet of three CD-3s, TTA grew to a total fleet of 25 CD-3s and became
known as Texas International Airlines. On February 4, 1969,
NC25673 was sold to an aircraft brokerage firm in San Antonio, Texas.
It was placed in storage and did not fly again until 1974, when it was
purchased by Provincetown-Boston Airlines as part of a fleet of 11
CD-3s. PBA/Harbor registered it as N130PB, operating the plane on its
New England routes through November 1988. On May 24, 1989,
Continental Airlines acquired this aircraft under a lease agreement with
PBA/Harbor. Restored with the Continental colors, circa 1950, this
aircraft is again flying the skies with pride.
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