US charter airline owned by Purdue University (1942-1971
Purdue Aeronautics Corporation was established in 1942 as an affiliate to Purdue University's Aviation Technology program, specifically its professional pilot program. Purdue Aeronautics operated from Purdue University Airport initially with DC-3 and later DC-6 aircraft. In 1968, Purdue Airlines was incorporated as a for-profit supplemental air carrier - the term the US government uses to denote charter operations. The airline's certification authorized it to offer charter services in the United States and Canada. In 1969, the airline took delivery of its first DC-9 aircraft, the first of three it ultimately flew.[1]
Big Bunny
The airline was famous for operating and maintaining Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's private aircraft, also a DC-9, named "The Big Bunny" - painted black with the Playboy bunny logo on the tail, which was based at Purdue University Airport and available (though apparently rarely used) for charter use by the airline.[2][3]
In early 1971, Purdue made the decision to shutter the airline. The timing was fortuitous for Southwest Airlines, which was working towards its first flight. Southwest hired the entire of the Purdue Airlines pilot corps, over 20 people, speeding its launch.[4][5]
^Purdue Airlines: Historical Information
^Did You Know?: The Purdue Airport, Purdue Today, September 20, 2013
^The Big Bunny Jet: Past and Present
^Dockrey, Christy E. (December 1996). Southwest Airlines: A Texas Airline in an Era of Deregulation (Master of Arts thesis). Texas Tech University. p. 68.
^Muse, Lamar (2002). Southwest Passage. Eakin Press. pp. 80–81. ISBN 1571687394.
pilot program. Purdue Aeronautics operated from Purdue University Airport initially with DC-3 and later DC-6 aircraft. In 1968, PurdueAirlines was incorporated...
through 1971 Purdue University also had its own airline based at the airport, first known as Purdue Aeronautics Corporation and later PurdueAirlines. Originally...
John Purdue (/pɜːrˈduː/; October 31, 1802 – September 12, 1876) was a wealthy American industrialist in Lafayette, Indiana, and the primary original benefactor...
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university...
The Purdue Boilermakers are the official intercollegiate athletics teams representing Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana. As is common...
Purdue University Global, Inc. (Purdue Global) is a public online university that is separately accredited part of the Purdue University system. It's...
Purdue University IUPUI Northwest–Hammond Northwest–Westville Fort Wayne IUPUC The Purdue University system is a public university system in the U.S....
Purdue Pete is a mascot of Purdue University. Despite his on-field presence at Purdue sporting events, Pete is only the athletic mascot of the university...
Purdue University Northwest (PNW) is a public university with two campuses in Northwest Indiana; its main campus is in Hammond with a branch campus in...
Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW) is a public university in Fort Wayne, Indiana. A campus of Purdue University, Purdue Fort Wayne was founded on July...
Here follows a list of notable alumni of Purdue University. Robert Altenkirch – former President of the New Jersey Institute of Technology and University...
The Purdue University Department of Computer Science is an academic department within Purdue University specializing in computer science. It was the first...
Purdue Global Law School (formerly Concord Law School and Concord University School of Law), is an online law school based in Los Angeles, California....
The Purdue Boilermakers football team represents Purdue University in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of college football. Purdue plays its home...
4272°N 86.9140°W / 40.4272; -86.9140 The Purdue Bell Tower is a 160-foot tall bell tower in the center of Purdue University's campus. It was constructed...
(formerly known as Krannert School of Management) is the school of business at Purdue University, a public research university in West Lafayette, Indiana. It...
by Playboy Enterprises from 1970 to 1976 and managed for a time by PurdueAirlines A Flash cartoon series created by Amy Winfrey Similar Names: Big Buck...
The Purdue Boilermakers softball team represents Purdue University in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the Big Ten Conference...
Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) is the largest academic unit at Purdue University College of Engineering. The School of ECE offers both undergraduate...
Purdue University Press, founded in 1960, is a university press affiliated with Purdue University and overseen by Purdue University Libraries. Purdue...
Founded in 1967 to be a Texas intrastate airline, Southwest Airlines was initially prevented from operating, and saw long-haul flights from its original...
"Purdue Past Presidents". Purdue University. Purdue Reamer Club, ed. (2012) [2002]. A University of Tradition: The Spirit of Purdue (2nd ed.). Purdue University...
Global Information