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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 14h

The St. Paul Downtown Airport has just celebrated its 100th anniversary, growing up with NWA and named after our first chief pilot, Charles Holman. Listen in on an interview our chief archivist, Bruce Kitt, did recently on @mprnews.org : www.mprnews.org/episode/2026...

mprnews.org

St. Paul Downtown Airport to celebrate 100 years of aviation history

Decades ago, the airport near downtown St. Paul was the epicenter of aviation for Minnesota. It was there that the first private airmail route for the Midwest originated and where Northwest Airlines b...

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

This Saturday, October 10, join us at the Wyndham Bloomington (Mall of America) for the annual MSP Aviation Collectibles Sale event! From 9 am - 4 pm, and for just $5 entry, the hotel ballroom will be literally packed with vendor tables. It’s the biggest sale event we’ve ever put together!

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

We’ve also got the 60th anniversary issue scanned and ready to read. This was also the first issue on board after the merger with Republic, which got zero recognition. northwestairlineshistory.org/wp-content/u...

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Today is the 100th anniversary of Northwest’s first flight! Will have several fun items thru the day, let’s start with a full scan of the September 1976 50th birthday issue of our inflight magazine: northwestairlineshistory.org/wp-content/u...

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Hoping that @fox9mn.bsky.social can post the segment of Friday’s “All Day Live” where we came on to talk about Northwest’s 100th anniversary - have not seen it on their site yet!

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

In Chicago this week for the aviation historians’ conference. United is sponsoring & we got a great behind the scenes tour at ORD yesterday + a look at their corporate archive. Many thanks!

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

On this solemn day, we honor the sacrifice and heroism of the flight crews and passengers who confronted the darkness, the hearts and humanity of those who helped the displaced, and the professionalism and strength of everyone in the industry who worked through this day.

northwestairlineshistory.org

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RWA @aviationlibrarian.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Northwest Airlines Electra Minneapolis - St Paul Airport Postcard . #NorthwestAirlines #Minneapolis #Airport #Avgeek #Travel #Aviation @northwestairlines.bsky.social @airportarchitecture.byerussell.com

A vintage color postcard-style photograph titled “Hello From Minnesota’s TWIN CITIES” shows an airliner parked at a terminal at what appears to be Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport.

The upper left corner contains the printed greeting “Hello From Minnesota’s” in dark blue cursive lettering, followed by “TWIN CITIES” in large red capital letters. The photograph occupies most of the card below and behind the title.

In the foreground, a large Northwest Airlines passenger aircraft is parked at the gate. The aircraft is viewed from the front-left side, with its nose facing toward the lower left of the image. It has a white fuselage with a broad blue band around the forward cabin and a red stripe running horizontally along the fuselage. The aircraft has a rounded nose, cockpit windows, and a row of passenger windows extending toward the rear. The tail, partially visible at the far left edge, is painted red and white. The aircraft appears to be a four-engine turboprop, with large propellers and engine nacelles mounted beneath the wings.

Several pieces of ground-service equipment surround the aircraft. Green baggage or cargo carts are positioned beside the forward portion of the aircraft, while a mobile stairway or service platform is visible near the nose. Additional equipment and carts are positioned beneath and alongside the aircraft. Several airport workers and passengers are standing on the ramp around the aircraft. A small group of passengers, some carrying or pulling luggage, is walking across the apron toward or away from the terminal.

Behind the aircraft is a distinctive mid-century airport terminal building. The terminal has a long, elevated structure with a repeating series of tall vertical windows and narrow structural columns. Along the roofline is a striking repeating pattern of steep, triangular or peaked roof sections, giving the building a highly distinctive sawtooth-like appearance. The terminal is elevated above the ground-level roadway and service area, with vehicles and airport equipment visible underneath the building.

The lower foreground includes the tops of additional airport ground-service equipment. At the right is a large dark circular piece of equipment with the word “NORTHWEST” printed prominently across it in white lettering. The equipment partially obscures the bottom of the scene.

The sky is bright blue with scattered white clouds. Strong sunlight creates long shadows across the concrete ramp, suggesting the photograph was taken during the morning or afternoon. The image has the slightly faded, soft appearance and saturated colors characteristic of a mid-20th-century commercial postcard.

Visible text: “Hello From Minnesota’s TWIN CITIES.” The ground equipment in the foreground is marked “NORTHWEST.”

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RANDOPLANE @randoplane.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

A Boeing 747-212B, operated by Northwest Airlines, at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (Netherlands), on Friday, September 19, 2003. Photo by Dutch on JetPhotos: www.jetphotos.com/photo/153792.

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photoJDL @photojdl.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Today's look back post: MSP circa 2007

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

What a great find - explanations and expectations for @mspairport.bsky.social prior to the 1961 terminal’s completion. Even detail on the decor in the restaurants!

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Northwest Airlines’ history again flies Minnesota’s broadcast airwaves! Tonight, at 8:30 pm Central on TPT - KTCA 2 the “Lost Twin Cities” series includes a segment on NWA. You can watch the episode right now as well, at TPT.org/lost-twin-cities

Screenshot of “Lost Twin Cities 4” from TPT, featuring a Northwest Airlines TV ad from the 1950s.

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Airport Architecture @airportarchitecture.byerussell.com · 05/08/2026

Milwaukee General Mitchell, Concourse E rotunda, 1969 (opened 1969, demolished 2025). 📷 John Anderson/Milwaukee Public Library. #airportarchitecture

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Our museum is being featured on the @fox9mn.bsky.social 9pm newscast - live right now!

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Scott Norris @scottnorris757.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

I’m going to be on @fox9mn.bsky.social news at 9pm tonight, talking about the @northwestairlines.bsky.social museum! It was a fun interview, eager to see how it edits.

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Our annual Super Saturday Summer Sale returns: 30% off all in-stock logo clothing, models, books, puzzles, vintage items, toys, and gifts at the museum! Join us August 1, 2026, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, at our museum, located on the 3rd floor of the Crowne Plaza Aire Hotel in Bloomington MN.

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RWA @aviationlibrarian.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

T-Tail Tuesday - West Coast DC-9 Photograph. . #WestCoastAirlines #dc9 #Travel #Aviation #Avgeek #Airplanes #Blackandwhitephotography

The view is up at the plane flying low overheard. There is thick black smoke spewing from the two tail mounted engines.

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Just a reminder that our museum will be closed in observance of Independence Day, this Saturday, July 4th. Enjoy the holiday and keep your eyes to the skies!

Northwest 727-200 landing at Minneapolis sometime in the 1990s. The photo composition is looking up from near the end of the runway, under safety lighting scaffolding, with a view of the belly of the aircraft. The shot was taken at sunset, so the image is saturated with red, orange, and yellow, giving the impression of a hot summer’s evening.

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Icelandair 757-200 TF-FIN departing Amsterdam Schiphol this afternoon. So excited to get the chance to see it before retirement - we are just getting 737MAX in Minneapolis now.

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Play ball! This is the June 1, 1961 timetable for North Central. We have a new landing page for NOR, where you can read company history & then explore schedules, aircraft, biographies, financial reports, brochures and more! Like Herman, fly over to northwestairlineshistory.org/north-central/

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mpls photo bot @mplsphotobot.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Pilot Speaks at Minneapolis Big Brothers Club (1940) Source: Hennepin County Library Captain Shank was pilot for Northwest Airlines. He gave an address to the Big Brothers of America Club in Minneapolis using a model airplane. Here, he shows the model to Little Brother, Abner Johnson.

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Joyous day yesterday as we accepted a GIANT 1/10 scale Convair 440 built by retired Captain Peter Knutson to commemorate his time flying the type. It will hang in our Archive until we’re able to move into a bigger facility. #aviation #Minnesota #airlinehistory

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

The new Boeing 377 Stratocruiser pictured in a livery and logo so short-lived it would not be actually painted on this type. See our gallery for the Stratocruiser at northwestairlineshistory.org/aircraft-boe...

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mpls photo bot @mplsphotobot.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

Northwest Airlines Flight Attendants (1947) Source: Hennepin County Library Promoting service to Asia. L to R: Wallace, Hegna, Vial

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

We’ve launched another aircraft photo gallery; enjoy our trip through history with the Convair 580: northwestairlineshistory.org/aircraft-con... (More Convair news next week!)

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RWA @aviationlibrarian.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Hector Airport Fargo North Dakota Postcard . Northwest Airlines DC-4 . #Fargo #NorthDakota #Travel #NorthwestAirlines #dc4 #Aviation #Avgeek #Postcard #Ephemera #Airplanes @northwestairlines.bsky.social

This color postcard shows a mid-century airport terminal and control tower under a clear blue sky. The scene is viewed from ground level across a wide concrete apron that fills most of the foreground, its surface marked by faint cracks and seams.

At center-right stands a tan brick terminal building with a rectangular, horizontal layout. Rising from it is a tall control tower with multiple levels of windows. Near the top, the tower features bold diagonal black-and-yellow striping, drawing attention to the observation cab at the very top. Antennas and equipment extend from the roof.

The terminal has long rows of windows along the front, and a recessed entrance area where a small group of people stands. The figures are small and indistinct, appearing to wait or watch activity on the field.

To the left of the building, two propeller-driven aircraft are parked. The nearer plane is larger, with a rounded nose and multiple windows along the fuselage. The second aircraft sits slightly behind it, angled differently, both resting quietly on the apron.

On the far right, a tall, narrow smokestack rises behind the building, adding an industrial element. The overall scene conveys a calm moment at a regional airport, with emphasis on the control tower’s height and the open, expansive airfield.

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

So much work going on! * Total refresh of our display cases * New pages for the website * Videos being digitized * Just applied for a grant to build out a video interview studio Help us keep Connecting Generations; memberships start at just $35 per year. northwestairlineshistory.org/membership-s...

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RWA @aviationlibrarian.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

1980's Northwest Airlines DC-3 Photograph . G-AMPY / NW21711 . #Northwestairlines #DC3 #Aviation #Avgeek #Travel #postcards #ephemera @northwestairlines.bsky.social

A black-and-white photograph shows a Northwest Airlines Douglas DC-3 parked on a grassy airfield, viewed from the left side with the nose pointing to the left.

The aircraft has a classic twin-engine propeller design, with one radial engine mounted on each wing. The propellers are stationary, and the wings extend outward with a slight upward angle. The fuselage is cylindrical with a row of rectangular passenger windows, and the word “NORTHWEST” is painted in large letters along the upper portion of the fuselage.

A passenger door on the right side of the aircraft (visible from this angle) is open, with a small set of built-in steps extended downward toward the grass, suggesting boarding or servicing. Near the rear fuselage, the word “RAMP” or partial lettering is visible, along with the airline’s circular emblem.

The aircraft sits in a taildragger configuration, with two main landing wheels forward and a smaller tailwheel at the rear, causing the nose to angle slightly upward. The registration number “NW21711” is printed on the vertical tail, along with the word “Northwest.”

The surrounding environment is a simple, open grassy field with a low horizon line and a faint line of trees in the distance under a lightly overcast sky. The overall scene is quiet and static, emphasizing the aircraft’s vintage design and its setting on a rural or early airfield.

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RWA @aviationlibrarian.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

Northwest Airlines Airbus A320-211 N306US Washington National Airport Postcard . #Northwestairlines #A320 #Aviation #Avgeek #Travel #postcards #ephemera @northwestairlines.bsky.social

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

Hughes Airwest April 27, 1980 Timetable cover and route map. Explore the multi-threaded history of Hughes Airwest, including maps & schedules aircraft photos, staff newsletters, financial documents, and much more. Fun logo merchandise at our online store as well! www.northwestairlineshistory.org

Hughes Airwest April 27, 1980 Timetable cover and route map. Hughes advertised its first San Francisco - Phoenix nonstops.

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

Brand new photo gallery pages on our website for the DC-3 and DC-4: northwestairlineshistory.org/aircraft-dou... northwestairlineshistory.org/aircraft-dou... (Scanning & posting even more Four photos tonight 😇) Just a few types left to finish - DC-9 and CV-580 the major ones!

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Empire Airlines schedule and route map, March 1, 1947. This is just as Empire absorbs the certificate of Zimmerly Airlines, and they are flying four Boeing 247Ds. Empire would merge into West Coast, which went into Air West / Hughes Airwest, thence Republic, and finally Northwest.

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Southern Airways timetable and route map, June 18, 1962. Our website is the best place to start your exploration of Southern's history - timelines, schedules and maps, financial reports, aircraft photos and more! www.northwestairlineshistory.org

Cover of Southern Airways timetable effective June 18, 1962, set against the route map for that issue.

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RWA @aviationlibrarian.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

1989 Northwest Airlines A320 Postcard . N303US . #NorthwestAirlines #Airbus #Avgeek #Aviation #A320 #travel #postcards #Ephemera @northwestairlines.bsky.social

The viewer is seeing the plane parked on the tarmac. There is water on the ground causing a reflection of the plane. The nose points left. The sky is bright blue with puffy clouds. This is the 1990s Bowling Shoe livery with A red tail and top, followed by grey on the middle fuselage, and white on the bottom. This is an early one, as the nacelles are grey and they did not stay for long.

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RWA @aviationlibrarian.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Northwest Orient Airlines - Lockheed Constellation Photograph . N5172V . #northwestAirlines #Lockheed #Constellation #LokheedConstellation #Avgeek #Photography #Aviation

Black and white photo of the plane taking off from right to left. The nose has just left the runway. There are hills in the back ground that look dry.

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RWA @aviationlibrarian.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

1941 Northwest Airlines DC-3 Photograph . NC21711 . #NorthwestAirlines #DC3 #Photograph #Aviation #Travel #Avgeek

A black-and-white photograph shows a twin-engine propeller airplane in flight, viewed from below against a bright sky. The aircraft is centered within a soft oval vignette, with the outer edges of the image fading to dark.

The airplane’s wings extend horizontally, and two engines are mounted beneath them. The landing gear appears retracted. Large block letters “NWA” are visible on the left wing (as seen from below). On the right wing, the aircraft registration “NC21711” is clearly printed.

The fuselage is streamlined with a rounded nose and a single vertical tail fin. The aircraft is angled slightly upward and to the right, suggesting forward climb or level flight. No ground features or horizon line are visible—only a plain, light background.

The photograph is printed on paper with a narrow white border. Minor wear and slight discoloration are visible along the edges.

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RWA @aviationlibrarian.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Northwest Airlines "Buy War Bonds" DC-3 Postcard . #NorthwestAirlines #DC3 #Postcard #Aviation #Travel #Avgeek

A vintage color postcard shows a twin-engine propeller airliner in flight above a sprawling cityscape. The aircraft, painted in a light metallic tone, bears the name “Northwest” along the fuselage and a circular red emblem near the rear. The plane is viewed from the side, with its wings and engines clearly visible as it flies over a shoreline and urban grid below. In the distance, buildings and streets stretch toward the horizon under a hazy sky. Along the bottom margin, the caption reads “Northwest Airlines – Top Flight… coast-to-coast.” Note on the tail there is a Buy War Bonds sticker.

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Calling all former Republic / North Central/ Hughes Airwest folks in the Twin Cities - RARE Luncheon in a few weeks:

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RWA @aviationlibrarian.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Northwest Airlines Martin 202 Luxury Liner Postcard . N93051 . #NorthwestAirlines #Martin202 #Postcard #Aviation #Travel #Avgeek

Airplane is flying over Washington D.C. You seethe Jefferson memorial. The plane has a red tail. The plane is silver with a blue strip that says Northwest.

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RWA @aviationlibrarian.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

1944 Northwest Airlines DC-3 Postcard . #NorthwestAirlines #DC3 #Postcard #Aviation #Travel #Avgeek

You see the nose, wing and engine poking in from the left. The plane is flying over green pastures. It is a silver aluminum plane with the words Northwest on the side above the 7 windows.

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Northwest Airlines History Center @northwestairlines.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Best I can do for a relevant Ides of March illustration. (Do not attempt re-enactments with cabin flatware!)

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