SAS routes Helsinki-New York in the 1950s and 1960s

[Hans Jakobsson 7]

Hello,

Please forgive me for writing in English as I am not proficient in Finnish.

I am writing a book on the history of the SAS Boeing 747 and also researching the history of SAS routes to New York since 1946. In my research, I have found that SAS seemed to operate flights from Helsinki to New York, via Stockholm, for several seasons in the 1950s and 60s:

1: Summer 1953, SK905 HEL-BMA-FBU-PIK-YQX-IDL, Saturdays, DC-6B (PIK=Prestwick, YQX=Gander, IDL=New York/Idlewild (JFK after 1963))

2: Winter 1955-56, SK901 HEL-BMA-CPH-HAM-PIK-IDL, Mondays and Wednesdays, DC-6B

3: Summer 1958, SK903 HEL-BMA-CPH-PIK-IDL, Tuesdays, DC-6B

4: Summer 1959, SK911 HEL-BMA-CPH-IDL, Tuesdays, DC-7C

5: Summer 1962, SK919 HEL-ARN-IDL, Tuesdays and Fridays, DC-8

6: Summer 1967, SK923 HEL-ARN-BGO-JFK, Daily, DC-8 (BGO=Bergen)

7: Winter 1967-68, SK921 HEL-ARN-JFK, Sundays, DC-8

8: Summer 1968, SK921 HEL-CPH-BGO-JFK, Mon/Tue/Thu/Sat, DC-8

SAS did not operate any flights to New York originating in Helsinki after Finnair introduced own services with the DC-8-62CF to JFK via CPH and AMS in 1969.

Can I please ask the experts on Finnish civil aviation history for any additional information on the above routes? Were they operated in co-operation with Aero/Finnair or were they marketed as pure SAS flights? I have not found any information on these flights, let alone any photos of SAS DC-7C or DC-8 in Helsinki earlier than 1970, which makes me think that the local sectors to Stockholm and Copenhagen were in fact operated by CV-440 or Caravelle with a short change of aircraft there.

Thanks and best regards,

Hans Jakobsson

 

 

 

 

[Seppo Koivisto 204]

At least in this video from 1947, the first leg Helsinki-Stockholm is made with a DC-3.

https://areena.yle.fi/1-3554378

Muokattu: Heinäkuu 26, 2021, käyttäjä: Seppo Koivisto

[Olavi Uotila 184]

Hello!

In mid-sixties, I had an SAS DC-8 flight from Helsinki to Arlanda. I cannot remember date/year, but it was Summer. That flight continued from Arlanda to New York. At that time, this schedule was operated twice a week, so I think I was on a Tuesday flight. Flight departed Helsinki close to noon. Sorry, but I have no photos from that time.

You might get some additinional information from SAS museum located in Oslo/Gardermoen airport. They might have some old timetables etc.

SAS had, of course, local northern services with CV-440, later Caravelles, to Arlanda and Kastrup, maybe Fornebu as well. But, as far as I remember, there was no co-operation with Aero/Finnair.

 

Best regards

Olavi Uotila

Retired avionics engineer from Finnair

[Hans Jakobsson 7]

18 hours ago, Olavi Uotila said:

Hello!

In mid-sixties, I had an SAS DC-8 flight from Helsinki to Arlanda. I cannot remember date/year, but it was Summer. That flight continued from Arlanda to New York. At that time, this schedule was operated twice a week, so I think I was on a Tuesday flight. Flight departed Helsinki close to noon. Sorry, but I have no photos from that time.

You might get some additinional information from SAS museum located in Oslo/Gardermoen airport. They might have some old timetables etc.

SAS had, of course, local northern services with CV-440, later Caravelles, to Arlanda and Kastrup, maybe Fornebu as well. But, as far as I remember, there was no co-operation with Aero/Finnair.

 

Best regards

Olavi Uotila

Retired avionics engineer from Finnair

Hello Olavi!

Many thanks for your answer. When connecting the dots, it would seem that the DC-8 flight you worked with was SK919 which operated through Stockholm on Tuesdays and Fridays. 

I have contacted the Finnish Aviation Museum at Vantaa to find out if they might have any more information on this, and will do the same with the SAS Museum in Oslo. Again, thank you!

Best regards

Hans Jakobsson

former Flight Simulator Engineer, SAS Flight Academy

[Hans Jakobsson 7]

20 hours ago, Seppo Koivisto said:

At least in this video from 1947, the first leg Helsinki-Stockholm is made with a DC-3.

https://areena.yle.fi/1-3554378

Hello Seppo!

Thanks for this link, there were some very nice shots of ABA and Aero DC-3 in there  

[Jukka Nisula 2 280]

In the Finnish museum photo service www.finna.fi you can find som old SAS DC-6 photos from Helsinki-Vantaa airport from 1950-60´s , earlier named as Seutula. It is quite difficult to know if some of these photos are route pics to New York etc. Can be other flights also or pics from the Olympic Games in Helsinki 1952.

https://finna.fi/Search/Results?lookfor=sas+dc-6&type=AllFields&limit=20

Here is one fine colour picture, on the backround AERO Oy:s Convair CV-340. Edit: not Convair! Maybe Aeroflot Iljushin Il-14 with 4-blade propellers.  (Thank’s to Matti Mesimäki to right info)

text: "Kuvassa Seutulan, virallisemmin tuolloin Helsingin lentoaseman (nyk. Helsinki-Vantaan lentoasema) asemataso eli ns. platta. Etumaisena SAS:n DC-6B -tyyppinen matkustajakone (SE-BDR, Sture Viking)."

Jukka

 

Muokattu: Heinäkuu 27, 2021, käyttäjä: Jukka Nisula
Convair ——> Iljushin Il-14

[Hans Jakobsson 7]

Hello Jukka,

Thank you very much for the additional information and especially the link to finna.fi. I will dig deeper there and see if I can find out more.

In the meantime, I have also come in contact with the fine gentlemen at Suomen Ilmailumuseo at Vantaa who have found some interesting details

Thanks again!

Best regards Hans

[Simo Lallukka 204]

Newspaper Helsingin Sanomat archive:

EDIT: SAS starts to operate Helsinki-New York with new type DC-7C, flight takes off  every Sunday at 7 Pm from Helsinki.  First flight is  6.10.1957.

First SAS direct service New York - Helsinki landed to Helsinki 3.4.1962 at 9.25 am. Aircraft was DC-8 "Visbur Wiking". There was stopover in Oslo. Flight time was 11 h 20 minutes. Oslo stopover will be dropped in may 1962, tells the paper..

5.10.1962 Sas flight from Helsinki to New York was canceled. Heavy fog in Helsinki. Many other flights also canceled then due to fog.

24.7.1967 DC-8-62 was introduced on this route.

Helsinki Airport 25.8.1959:

https://helsinkikuvia.fi/search/details/?image_id=hkm.HKMS000005:km0037qt

Muokattu: Heinäkuu 29, 2021, käyttäjä: Simo Lallukka

[Hans Jakobsson 7]

Simo,

Thank you very much for the information and links you sent. Combined with the replies I have gotten from the friendly people at Suomen Ilmailumuseo, I now have a quite clear picture of the SAS operations from New York to Helsinki