Ozark Airlines | Living St. Louis

[@Diversion]

My Dad was a pilot for Ozark Air Lines, and of course later wore the TWA uniform. I spent many days as a kid riding around on green and white DC-9s, and thinking that when I grew up I didn't want to go to work, I wanted to do what Dad did. So I did. I became a pilot, got hired by TWA (which had bought Ozark more than 10 years prior at that point) and served as my Dad's First Officer on several occasions. My seniority at TWA was such that I was paired with a lot of former Ozark Captains. I knew many of them from when I was growing up, and learned a lot from their expertise serving as a part of the Flight Crew with them. Good times.

[@PickingtheLou]

I feel so lucky and blessed to have worked for this amazing company. The memories and friendships will remain with me forever.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

I use to live in Iowa and occasionally flew Ozark, via my former employer, the Chicago & North Western Railway. Once took a short flight in the early 1980's on an Ozark DC-9-10 from Mason City, Iowa to Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was one of those flights where you seemed to spend more time on the ground taxing than in the air flying. Great airline and I sure miss it. Thanks for sharing this story!

[@TAKR287]

"......it was pretty nice to be a heterosexual male flight attendant in the 70's and 80's..." CLASSIC!

[@bigcliff37]

I flew Ozark Airline,out of Fort Lenonard Wood Mo. Dec 1964 on a DC-3 to St louis,heading for Kansas city.It was my1st. plane ride. Took Basic Traing at Lenonard wood,and Mech. School.

[@kentfrederick8929]

I grew up in Chicago. My father flew Ozark DC-9s and F-227s on business trips to Missouri. I was always amazed at the number of planes Ozark could park at the end of Concourse F at O'Hare, despite having only 2 gates. After scheduled airline service to Parsons, KS ended, my parents used to fly the Ozark 1-stop via St. Louis to Joplin, MO to visit my mother's relatives in southeast Kansas. When Ozark dropped DC-9 service to Joplin, that's when they started flying American to Tulsa.

[@Tfontaine209]

Ozark was a class act I loved seeing their planes here in Dallas

[@rlup630]

My dad was #11 Lou Lupinek. God bless him for teaching me at age 13 to fly. Flew on ozark many times. 31 year retired pilot. 11 American eagle and 20 SOUTHWEST AIRLINES!! The closest to Ozark, that’s Krazo spelled backwards! GO GETTERS

[@AccessAir]

Amen to that!!!!!!!! I wish we had local service airlines again in this country like Ozark....Im in Sterling/Rock Falls, a former Ozark city.. The flew here from 1 Dec 1962 until 31 Aug 1976...Started with DC3s here and ended with the FH-227B...Which the 227 became my favourite aircraft!!!!!

[@michaelvanv]

Another great production. Thank you, KETC!

[@stephes999]

Who remembers, "Ole Smokey" the guy in ORD Ozark ops that answered the radio with that southern drawl....?

[@jopolette5897]

My cousin Willi flew for Ozark and TWA until his untimely death in an auto accident!

[@mileswrich]

Contrary to what those flight attendants said, Ozark did have First Class and Coach on their DC-9s. And when they first introduced the DC-9s, they charged so called First Class fares for coach seating, 2-3, and the seats did not recline either. I was on one of the inaugural DC-9 flights on August 1, 1966, flight 959 from O'Hare to Moline. As I remember they had 77 or 78 seats on their DC-9-10s when they were put into service.

[@gabbylillard5657]

miss working for Ozark

[@twawasthebest]

TWA didnt kill the airline though they kept all their employees and thats what made TWA so passionate.... the orignal OZARK airline employees who changed TWA

[@mrtelevision]

Richard Masur's character of David Kane made a reference to Ozark airlines in the pilot episode of One Day At A Time.

[@billr2220]

I don't remember all this. Last time I was on Ozark Chicago to St.Louis. No French bread, no wine. Two sticks of beef jerky and a can of coke. I didn't complain. Good landing into kstl. I miss Ozark.

[@pdmad]

My first flight was on Ozark, STL-SRQ around 81-82.

[@billr2220]

I have flown Ozark dc9s in the sim before. Will again just some computer problems I'll get fixed.

[@AccessAir]

You are correct.....Joplin was on the map into the early 80s...

[@AccessAir]

What type of plane was it? Was it the FH-227? or the DC9??? Id love to see the pic!!!! I am a fan of the FH-227 and of Ozark...

[@usijoe1]

Does anyone have any information on the airplane that looked like a flying box car. It was propeller driven and noisy inside. People I talk to don't seem to remember it. I only flew to Iowa on it 2 times from St Louis.

[@AccessAir]

Was it on Mississippi Valley Airlines?? If so that was a Irish made Shorts SD3-30, which for a while MVA operated them into and out St. Louis.

[@tomservo56954]

I saw a clip of Willie Nelson performing around the same time as this ad...he looked like an insurance salesman.

[@johneskew3531]

hey mark ruth or any body where at in st louis is the christmass party dec 1st

[@davidharris2519]

OZ did have first class early on and on the 9s

[@AccessAir]

If you have any Ozark FH-227 pictures I am looking for them for my FH-227 website...

[@AccessAir]

Yes, I do remember it....I think he was speaking about the alcoholic beverage he got on Ozark. LOL!!!

[@rlup630]

I remember Walt Morris.

[@trewells]

Ozark made my family miss connecting flights quite a lot at DFW. It was irritating. But the food was pretty good.

[@tscooter22]

Ozark or the weather?

[@davidharris2519]

miss the was SPIs hometown airline

[@bjkitrel]

Check out George Carling @ 4:52. He looks nothing like we all remember him as.

[@byrd56]

Yeah, George Carlin played things too straight back in the mid-1960's, before he grew a beard and spoke out against everything.

[@tomservo56954]

So they served Indianapolis?

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Yes. My March-April 1966 timetable has the following ad: "New, Faster St. Louis/Indianapolis Service! Get up ... and go! Fly Ozark Air Lines between St. Louis and Indianapolis! Now there's Martin 404 service with one stop in Champaign/Urbana. Fastest service yet! Cocktails to Indianapolis...Continental Breakfast to St. Louis." Ah, those were the days (and you certainly paid for it, fare wise, too! $18.80 one way).

[@Jackie1952]

My cousin and a good friend were stewardess on Ozark, hoped I would see them but nope.

[@mrtelevision]

White Lightning

[@N145PM]

4:39 (about being a heterosexual male flight attendant) . ... LOL!! ;)

[@heyscuba]

Wow,... I just remember the hot women there,... mostly married,... darn it,...! scuba

[@skrg73]

"the best everything... top notch airline." Whatever. My dad died in an Ozark crash. I feel like puking.