Although Eastern Airlines went bankrupt in 1991, the Federal Aviation Administration for some reason decided to illustrate the cover of its 78-page 2010 "Portfolio of Goals" report with a photo of the venerable DC-9 operated by the long-defunct carrier.
I flew a lot of Eastern shuttles in my life between Washington and New York, and although the FAA report does not identify the aircraft on the cover, there is no chance I mis-identified the once familiar Eastern livery. But to make sure, I compared the FAA photo with an Eastern Airline DC-9 photo on AirlineFan.com.
I called FAA's public affairs shop to find out why they decided to use a photo of a DC-9 operated by a carrier out of existence for 19 years, but have yet to receive a call back.
I imagine they are busy answering queries on why a child was directing aircraft at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York last month.
Bob Brewin
Bob Brewin joined Government Executive in April 2007, bringing with him more than 20 years of experience as a journalist focusing on defense issues and technology. Bob covers the world of defense and information technology for Nextgov, and is the author of the “What’s Brewin” blog.
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