This page shows my collection of postcards from Northwest Airlines.

Quoted from Wikipedia:

Northwest Airlines, Inc. (often abbreviated NWA), was a major United States airline headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota, near Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Northwest Airlines was founded on September 1, 1926 under the name Northwest Airways, a reference to the historical name for the Midwestern United States that derived from the Northwest Territory. Like other early airlines, Northwest's focus was not in hauling passengers, but in flying mail for the U.S. Post Office Department.

Northwest began flying passengers in 1927. In 1928, the airline started its first international route with service to Winnipeg (Canada). The airline's operations were expanded to smaller cities in the region by the end of the decade. In 1933, Northwest was designated to fly the Northern Transcontinental Route from New York City to Seattle, Washington. It adopted the name of Northwest Airlines the following year.

In 1947, Northwest became the first airline to operate a commercial passenger flight from the U.S.A. to Japan, using a Douglas DC-4 aircraft named The Manila. With its new intercontinental routes in place, the airline re-branded itself as Northwest Orient Airlines, although the legal name of the company remained Northwest Airlines. In 1949, Northwest took delivery of its first double-deck Boeing 377 Stratocruisers, which allowed the airline to offer a higher standard of service and reduce flight times. The Stratocruiser was introduced on the U.S.-Tokyo route from 1952, while DC-6B aircraft began serving Tokyo and Manila from the U.S.A. from 1954.

In 1959, Northwest took delivery of its first turboprop jet aircraft, the Lockheed L-188 Electra. In 1960, Northwest put the Douglas DC-8 into service, offering the shortest flight times on routes to Asia. In 1960, Northwest retired the last Boeing 377 Stratocruiser. The airline took delivery of the Boeing 720B in 1961, and in 1963, with the new Boeing 707, and the retirement of the last propeller aircraft, Northwest became the first U.S. airline with an all-turbofan jet fleet, hence the slogan "Northwest Orient: The Fan-Jet Airline." Northwest began operating the Boeing 727-151 in 1964.

I collect the airline issued series with the numbering scheme "PF 16-X-YY" or "TRAD XYZ".

Current number of postcards on this page:
42

This page was last updated on March 4, 2012
PF 16-A-49
Northwest Airlines Stratoscruisers

Old postcard size 14x9 cm

Printed by: Northwest Airlines.
(No: PF 16-A-49)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-A-53
Northwest Orient Airlines Stratoscruisers

Old postcard size 14x9 cm

Printed by: Northwest Airlines.
(No: PF 16-A-53)

Photograher: Unknown

Posted 1955
PF 16-B
Northwest Passage
Coast-to-coast

Old postcard size 14x9 cm

Printed by: Northwest Airlines.
(No: PF 16-B)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-B-49
Northwest Airlines Martin 2-0-2's
World's Most Modern 2-Engine Airliner

Old postcard size 14x9 cm

Printed by: Northwest Airlines.
(No: PF 16-B-49)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-B-50
Northwest Airlines Martin Luxury Liners - Coast To Coast

Old postcard size 14x9 cm

Printed by: Northwest Airlines.
(No: PF 16-B-50)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-C
Top Flight ... coast-to-coast

Old postcard size 14x9 cm

Printed by: Northwest Airlines.
(No: PF 16-C)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-C-50
Waikiki Beach
Overnight via Northwest Stratocruisers to Hawaii

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-C-50)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-D
Northwest Passage
Above the Clouds

Old postcard size 14x9 cm

Printed by: Northwest Airlines.
(No: PF 16-D)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-E
Northwest Passage
Top Flight . . . coast-to-coast

Old postcard size 14x9 cm

Printed by: Northwest Airlines.
(No: PF 16-E)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-E-51
Mt. Fuji, Japan
Northwest Airlines "Orient Express"

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-E-51)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-F
80 Passenger Boeing Stratoscruiser
Northwest Airlines

Old postcard size 14x9 cm

Printed by: Northwest Airlines.
(No: PF 16-F)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-F-52
MANILA
on the route of NORTHWEST AIRLINES "Orient Express"

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-F-52)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-G
Lower Deck Club Lounge
Northwest Airlines Stratocruiser

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-G)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-G-52
HONG KONG HARBOR
NORTHWEST AIRLINES "Orient Express"

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-G-52)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-H
Northwest Orient Airlines
Coast-to-Coast ... Alaska ... the Orient

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-H)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-J
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Northwest Orient Airlines

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-J)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-J-53
Hong Kong
via NORTHWEST ORIENT AIRLINES "Orient Express"

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-J-53)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-K
Matanuska Valley, Alaska
Northwest Orient Airlines

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-K)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-K-52
NEW YORK
via NORTHWEST AIRLINES "Manhattan Express"

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-K-52)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-L
Boeing Stratocruiser
Northwest Orient Airlines

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-L)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-L-53
HAWAII
via NORTHWEST Orient AIRLINES "Hawaiian Express"

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-L-53)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-M
Street Scene in Shanghai
Northwest Orient Airlines

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-M)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-N
The Manila Hotel
Northwest Orient Airlines

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-N)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-O
Winter Palace Grounds, Peiping
Northwest Orient Airlines

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-O)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-O-54
Interior of Northwest Orient Airlines DC-6B's

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-O-54)

Photograher: Unknown

Written on back
PF 16-P
The Heian Shrine
Northwest Orient Airlines

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-P)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-Q
Mt. Fuji from Hakone Lake
Northwest Orient Airlines

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-Q)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-R-55
Skyline of Seattle
Northwest Orient Airlines

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-R-55)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-S-55
New York City
Northwest Orient Airlines

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-S-55)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-U-55
Surfing at Waikiki
Northwest Orient Airlines

Old postcard size 14x9 cm

Printed by: Northwest Airlines.
(No: PF 16-U-55)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-V-55
Northwest Orient Airlines Lockheed Constellation

Old postcard size 14x9 cm

Printed by: Northwest Airlines.
(No: PF 16-V-55)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-W-55
Anchorage, Alaska
Northwest Orient Airlines

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-W-55)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
PF 16-Y-58
Hawaii - Playground of the Pacific
Northwest Orient Airlines

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. PF 16-Y-58)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
TRAD 241-AD-496
The Boeing 727 - newest addition to Northwest's Fleet

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. TRAD 241-AD-496)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
TRAD 335
Japan, the land of picturesque gardens
Northwest Orient Airlines

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. TRAD 335)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
TRAD 337
New York City
Northwest Orient Airlines

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. TRAD 337)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
TRAD 342
Northwest Orient Airlines Imperial Service DC-7C

Old postcard size 14x9 cm

Printed by: Northwest Airlines.
(No: TRAD 342)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
TRAD 389
WAIKIKI BEACH, HAWAII
NORTHWEST ORIENT AIRLINES

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. TRAD 389)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
TRAD 390
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
NORTHWEST ORIENT AIRLINES

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. TRAD 390)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
TRAD 393
RELAXING IN HAWAII
NORTHWEST ORIENT AIRLINES

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. TRAD 393)

Photograher: Unknown

Post marked July 17 1960
TRAD 396
ALASKA
NORTHWEST ORIENT AIRLINES

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. TRAD 396)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused
241 TRAD 454
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
NORTHWEST ORIENT AIRLINES

Old postcard size 14x9 cm
Color photography

Published by: Northwest Airlines.
(No. 241-TRAD-454)

Photograher: Unknown

Unused