What's in a number?

Air Classics, Feb 2002 by Weber, Joe

In reference to the Lockheed Electra article in the November issue, the photograph on page 58 of Tiburzi Airways Model 10 Electra (N72GT) brings back memories of past correspondence with Bonnie Tiburzi who learned to fly with her father's airline in the early 1960s, got her commercial ticket in 1971, and became America's first woman pilot for a major airline in 1973. She referred to a "Lodestar" that her father owned as "that enormous Lockheed" that could carry 20 passengers on large charter flights.

An interesting fact that Bonnie relayed about N72GT was that GT stood for "Gus and Gunvor" Tiburzi, her mom and dad. Also, 7 was her dad's lucky number. She also though Tiburzi Airways had a N70GT and a N7 IGT.

In 1996, "Captain Bonnie" had 23 years with her airline flying 757s and 767s.

Joe Weber

24072 Country View

Trabuco Canyon, CA

92679

Editor's Note: Tiburzi Airways operated a charter, instruction and sightseeing service and regular flights from Danbury Airport were begun in July 1959 with three Model lOs which continued until the early 1960s. We have been able to confirm two construction numbers. N72GT is c/n 1015 which is the aircraft Linda Finch flew around the world in 1997. Construction number 1145 was a Model 1 OA originally delivered to LAN-Chile as CC-226 on 5 June 1941. Withdrawn from further use in 1955, the plane eventually made it back into the States as N201 PC in 1956 with Inlet Airlines. It became N10310 in March 1962 and was with Tiburzi by July 1964. Canceled from the register in 1970, the plane was withdrawn and stored before being transferred to the Alaska Historical and Transportation Museum in 1988. On 31 August 1998, the plane was reregistered as N72238 and sold to Rob Mackley in New Zealand where it was registered ZK-AWR.