Memories...National Airlines

When I caught a glimpse of this hat in the rear window of a car parked at Target, I had to take the shot with my iPhone. The logo on the cap is that of National Airlines. The now defunct airlines was founded in 1934 by George T. Baker and for most of it's existence was headquartered in Miami, Florida...my hometown. My father worked for National as a Lead Mechanic from the late '40s until he retired in the early '80s. He met my mother in the George T. Baker Office Building where he was taking classes and she was a secretary.

I grew up around the airline industry, holiday parties at the hangers, stories of repairing the 'big birds'. My father was a staunch union man, and in my memory he was out on strike and walking the picket line more than he was at work...at least that was how it seemed to me. National Airlines ceased operations in 1980 and was acquired by Pan Am. My dad retired shortly after that, having been 'demoted' to repairing the automatic coffee machines on board the planes. Decades of traveling 'on pass' anywhere National planes flew, getting to know airports intimately during the sometimes very long 'layovers', popping ears, airplane 'food' and all the rest of it...I know he missed horribly. I didn't!