ATC "Deal" in the Tower

I was reading an interesting first-hand account written by an experienced and very seasoned air traffic controller. He was mentioning that he had a deal or "near deal" while working in the ATC Tower at a major US international airport about 15 years ago. What occurred was that the DC-9 departing had to maintain best rate of climb in order to maintain separation from a Navy C12 on Baseleg for landing at a nearby Naval Airbase. Everything would have gone as planned as the controller requested that the departing DC-9 climb through 3000 ft at best rate. The DC-9's climb was a bit sluggish and the transport jet and US Navy aircraft came close to minimum separation, and the ATC controller was handled as if it were a deal.

Evolution of an airline fleet

It is very interesting to see the evolution of Northwest's airline fleet from its beginning in 1926 as a mail carrier on into the Ford Trimotor, Orion, Connies, the luxurious Stratocruiser...
Then began the Douglas age with DC-3s, -4s, -6s and -7s with service to Seoul, Tokyo, and other Asian destinations - imagine flying across the Pacific Ocean in a four radial engine passenger airliner!
What is odd is that once the jet age came to be in 1960, Northwest quickly went away from the Douglas airliner models, as they ordered ten DC-8s, but once seeing the Boeing 707 they pared down their order to five DC-8s. Thus began the age of Boeing-dominated fleet in the 1960s, and 1970s. They began flying the 707, 720, 727 almost exclusively. With the advent of the succulent Boeing 747 - Wow! That's when things began to really happen for Northwest Airlines!

Northwest Airlines

I am currently reading an article chronicling the first 50 years of the airline in the lastest edition of "Airways" magazine. I will keep you updated as I read it.

What will the Delta/Northwest merger mean for Minneapolis, Memphis, Cincinnati, etc

I have been spending a lot of time over the last few months trying to predict what Delta's plans might be going forward in regards to their hubs Minneapolis, Memphis and Cincinnati.

I would be delighted to hear any of your thoughts and/or predictions on this.