I do not know if this is the forum for posting this question. My late father once told us that he flew in the early 60´s from Caracas to New York (or from New York to Caracas, don´t remember exactly) in a Viasa Convair 880, in the amazing time of 3.5 hours. If we estimate the distance as 2131 miles, this gives an average speed of 609 mph. He also told us that they had a tailwind to help, and that it was a record fight for the airline. The variable of the distance is estimated, and the elapsed time is as I remember.
Is this time reasonable ? I just checked a regular American Airlines flight 948 on the same route, and it gives 2712 miles in 4 hours and 37 minutes for an average of aprox. 587 mph.
According to the 1 July 1961 VIASA timetable, the CCS to JFK route was scheduled for 4:00. The southbound trip was scheduled for 4:10. A Pan American timetable effective 1 August 1961 showed flight times of 4:15 for both directions between JFK and CCS. Pan Am’s services were via “JET” which was either a 707 or DC-8.
The April 1, 1967 timetable doesn’t show nonstop CCS/JFK service via the 880. It was DC-8 now. However, there were CCS-SDQ (Santo Domingo)-JFK services via both CVR-880 and DC-8. The 880 was scheduled for 10 minutes less on both segments, northbound and southbound.
The 1961 timetable had an advertisement about the 880. It said (the misspellings and the way Convair 880M is straight from the ad)
Up to this writing there is no commercial airliner in the world faster than the Convair 880 M, rated at 615 m.p.m. cruising speed.
Everything, its cheerful interior, its comfortable seats, helps make your flight more restful and enjoyable. The aerodynamic projectil-like shape of the Convair 880 M combined with its jet propulsion, permits this plane to fly near the speed of sound, high above the clouds while the passenger inside the comfortable cabin may relax in a quiet vibrationless (sic) atmosphere.
Your travel in a Convair 880 M will be an unforgettable experience. Make your reservation ahead of time. Make sure your next flight to New York is in a Convair 880 M via VIASA.
The VIASA service started 1 August 1961.
In today’s world the airlines pad their schedules quite a bit. The fuel costs are also higher today so airlines fly slower. There is also additional air traffic around major airports. Take these three things together I’m actually surprised that the AA flight is only roughly 20 minutes longer than the 1960’s.
Also, great circle mapper has the distance at only 2109 statute miles and the direct route that may have been used in that day would put the aircraft directly on approach for the runways that are currently the 31’s (don’t know if they were called that back then or if there were two of them then).
Through a local Facebook group I managed to contact one of the captains that was on one of the Convairs 880 which made the record flights. The standard time was listed as 4 hours; in Sep-1961 a first record was established in 3 hours and 46 minutes, and in Jan-1964 a second record was set at 3 hours and 24 minutes. Here is a translation of Captain Luis Emiro Cañas account, who was the Copilot in the second flight:
"The shortest time between N / K and Miq. it had been established by Viasa on a flight with the CV-880-22M commanded by Captain Calos Hiller Moreno (26-Sep-1961), until a January (8-Jan-1964) with a very cold tail wind from the North since we were flying very high, we were tropopausic, when we passed over San Juan de Puerto Rico we had to descend a little and reported Captain Napoleon Pelucarte the appropriate: Captain, until San Juan we maintain a very high speed by tailwind, if we continue with that speed until Maiquetía we will overcome Hiller’s flight. The captain replied: Cañas, you are sure we will achieve it and I answered: Sure capitan, of course.
Captain Pelucarte looked at the flight attendant Leonidas Crespo and ordered him: Crespo High Speed to Miq. and Crespo answered in English at the moment then placed the corresponding power. I have a clipping of the the El Universal (loca newspaper) where he announces this record, I do not know how they found out. Total: 3 hours with 24 minutes. Very pleasant memories."
