The history of TAME in color

Let's review the history of the now defunct Aerolínea histórich Ecuadorian TAME, with a count of his fleet and increíbeautiful color photos.

Performed by: Historian Aeronáutico Guido Cháonce with informationón personal and other sources.
Photographerías: Guido Ch's personal archiveáturn, thanks to the authors. And some photos of Nicolás Larenas

For almost six daysérock, Transport AéEcuadorian Military Prisoners (TAME) was a fundamental pillar of the sectoréprisoner of Ecuador. Unlike aerosolsítraditional civil lines, TAME nació and remainedó under the auspices of Force AéEcuadorian area (FAE), representing a distinctive model of aviationón military at the service of civil needs. This double identity allowedó TAME performsñplay a crucial role in the integrationónational, connecting the diverse landscapes of Ecuador from the Andes to the Pac coastífico, and from Amazoníto the Gal Islandsápaid. As a military entity operating in the ácivil scope, TAME incarnatedó Ecuador's innovative approach to harnessing defense resources for the benefit of public serviceúwar and national development.

The story of Tame that shouldó follow

The 4 from December to 1962, TAME nació of the visionary proposal of Colonel Luis Ortega of Force AéEcuadorian area. Ortega's comprehensive plan for an airlineínot inclíto detailed organizational schemesón, finance and administrationón. With the crucial support of the Commander General of the FAE, Guillermo Freire, the dreamñOrtega's transformsó ráactually ask.

The operations of the new Aerolínea started at Base AéMariscal Sucre area in Quito, home of Transport Wing N° 11 of the FAE. Only trece díundress themés of his creationóofficial, the 17 from December to 1962, the inaugural flight of TAME surcó the heavens, ushering in an era to reconfigureíto the transportation panorama in Ecuador.

The Initial Fleet: The Douglas era

TAME's journey beganó with a fleet of Douglas C-47s, aircraft that epitomized versatility in both military and civilian roles. These sturdy workhorses, already tested in FAE service, they made a transitionón seamlessly to TAME operations while maintainingíeven his military status. The C-47 fleet expandedó a través of various media: some came throughés of United States military aid programs, others were acquired in civilian markets, and several were reassigned from other FAE tasks. for december 1963, TAME operations were supported by ten C-47s, with nine actively flying.

The C-47's service with TAME was marked by both triumphs and challenges.íos. The 6 September 1969, dos TAME C-47 (FAE-4341 and FAE-1969) They were kidnapped in an operationón coordinated terrorist. the aircraft, kidnapped under the name of «Operationón Ho-Chi-Minh», They were forced to fly to Cuba vía Panamá and Jamaica. This event highlightedó the risks úonly ones that an air force facedímilitary operated line that servedíto civil routes.

As TAME's ambitions grewían, spaghettiéI don't do itíto your need for aircraft with greater range and capacity. Between 1963 and 1975, the airíI did not acquire itó layeréyou are obviously Douglas DC-6B, marking a significant leap in its operational capabilities. These planes of héfour engine license, with its pressurized cabins and impressive range of 4,000 miles, They were a turning pointón para TAME. Some of these DC-6Bs were former United Airlines aircraft, providing a touch of aviation historyóInternational flight to the skies of Ecuador.

The DC-6Bs performedñThey played a fundamental role in establishing and maintaining routes to the Gal Islands.ápaid, a challenging flight of 600 miles over water from continental Ecuador. This new service not only boostsó there is industryística of the país, but alsoén fortressesó connections with the archipélago ecológicamente crucial. With a capacity of up to 102 passengers and a cruising speed of 315 mph, These aircraft significantly improved TAME's ability to meet growing demand on popular routes..

La modernizationón begins: The turboprop era

The dawn of theños 70 marcó a new phase for TAME, characterized by the introductionónumber of turboh aircraftélice mámodern s. On 1970, TAME beganó to integrate Hawker Siddeley aircraft 748, spaghettién known as Avros, in his fleet. These turbohémanufacturing listsón británica represented a technological leapósignificant game. With its pressurized cabins and improved speed, The Avros allowed TAME to offer a más cómanner and efficient. Throughout the prówe go toños, TAME acquireíto a total of five Avros, gradually replacing the aging C-47.

La modernizationón continuousó Come in 1974 and 1975 when TAME acquiredó seis Lockheed L-188 Electra. These turbohéFour-engine lices played a crucial role in the expansionón of TAME's national and international services. The Electras were particularly suitable for serving Ecuador's coastal routes and increasingly more destinations.ápopular galsápaid. Their long range and high speed made themíIdeal for connecting the main cities of Ecuador with the islands, consolidating theún más the role of TAME in the growing tourism sectorístic of the país.

The Jet Age: Boeing y más allá

TAME's entry into the jet age beganó on 1981 with the introduce youón del Boeing 737-200, affectionately nicknamed «City of Loja» in honor of the southern cityñfrom Ecuador. The 737 becameó ráask for a workhorse of the TAME fleet, serving both domestic and short-haul international routes.

Screenshot

Between 1984 and 1985, the airínea introduced the Boeing 727-100 in his fleet, significantly improving its medium range capabilities and passenger capacity. Based on this ésuccess, TAME updateó aún más your fleet between 1991 and 1999 with the acquisitionónumber of Boeing models 727-230. These advanced variants offeríThere are notable improvements in fuel efficiency and range compared toón with his predecessors.

At the beginning of the déeach of 2000, TAME operó briefly a Boeing 757-200 (foodíMexican Butt XA-RLM) to meet urgent capacity needs on specific routesíyou stay. Although it was not meant to be an additionón long term to the fleet, the temporary deployment of 757 demonstratedó TAME's agility to adapt to sudden changes in the market.

The connectionódutch n: Fokker F-28

To cover routes with lower demand, TAME incorporó to his fleet in 1985 two Fokker F-28 Fellowship aircraft. These small jetsñThey proved valuable to regional operations, particularly in the Quito-Tulc corridorán-Cali. Despite a revés in January 2003, when an F-28 sufferedó andñirreparable injuries in an accident Quito Mariscal Sucre Airport, TAME replacedó ráask for the avión lost, maintaining the capacity and operational flexibility of the fleet until its retirement in 2009.

Towards the new millennium: a European flavor

As we enter the 21st century, TAME beganó to rent Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft. These modern fuel-efficient aircraft represented a major step forward in téterms of passenger comfort and operational efficiency. In the añthe following, TAME increaseíto gradually its Airbus fleet, coming to operate until 12 of these types.

On 2013, TAME rentó an Airbus A330, his first avión widebody, intended to cover long distance routes, in particular to the United States. This measure reflected the ambitionóTAME's ability to compete in the international market.

Engineersíin brazilña: the Embraer era

From 2006, TAME beganó to incorporate aircraft from the Brazilian manufacturerñthe Embraer, añadding two ERJ170 and five ERJ190. These modern aircraft provided a perfect middle ground between modern aircraftás smallñthose of TAME and his fleetás big from Boeing and Airbus, improving network flexibility and economicsíto airline operationsínea.

In a related development, TAME if you are a memberó with SAEREO, a smallña aerolíecuadorian nea, to operate TAME Express services using a turbohélice EMB120 Brasilia. This agreement allowedó a TAME serve markets más smallños and maintain connections with communities that could notían support aircraft service más large.

You introduce herón of these Embraer planes betteró aún más the flexibility of TAME's network and its ability to adjust capacity to demand. On grandparentsóadvanced technology and fuel efficiency as wellén they contributed to improving the economyíto airline operationsínea.

In a related development that expandedó TAME's regional reach, the airíwe associateó with SAEREO, a smallña aerolíecuadorian nea, to operate TAME Express services. As part of this agreement, a couple of turbohs were usedélicenses EMB120 Brasilia on behalf of TAME Express. These aircraft 30 seating, although they are not directly part of the TAME fleet, allowed the airlineínea provide services to m marketsás smallños and maintain connections with communities that could notíhave supported a jet service más large, fulfillingí aún másend it to meóTAME's goal of providing comprehensive national connectivity.

The ATR and Kodiak Era

The úThe last stage of TAME's history was marked by the introductionónumber of ATR aircraft 42-500, turbohémodern licenses offeredíGreater fuel efficiency and lower operating costs. Between 2011 and 2012, TAME incorporó three ATRs 42-500 to your fleet, aimed at optimizing operations on national and regional routes.

Nevertheless, the airíswim in frontó various challengesíyou in your úlast toños, including financial difficulties, management problemsón and competition in the market. Despite restructuring effortsón y modernizationón, TAME finally ceasedó its operations in 2020.

End of an era

The journey of 58 añTAME's arrivedó ending in May 2020, amid financial difficulties exacerbated by the global COVID-19 pandemic. During theños, TAME habíbeen dealing with financial problems, accumulating a debt of $500 million in 2018. The pandemic asestó the final blow, what i tookó to I decidedón of the Ecuadorian government to liquidate the airlineínea as part of measures mábroad measures to reduce state spending.

The closure of TAME leftó a vacationíor significant in the aviation sectorón of Ecuador, particularly in the m route serviceás smallñas and less profitable. Spaghettién markó the end of Ecuador's experiment with an aerosolímilitary-run line that served civilian needs, a model that hasíhas been innovative and challenging throughout the history of TAME.

TAME's legacy as a pioneer in connecting the diverse regions and people of Ecuador will beá long remembered. Their journey from a military-backed startup to an airlineímodern line with international ambitions remains a testament to Ecuador's progress during the second half of the 20th century and the early years.ñaxis del XXI. As Ecuador looks to the future of its aviation sectorón, the lessons learned from ésuccesses and challengesíTAME's will definitely followán influencing and shaping the approach of the país towards transportation toéreo and national connectivity.

The entire Tame fleet

Finally, The author shares an incredible list with usíble of all the aircraft that were part of the history of TAME in a collaborationón with Diogo da ConceiçãO (rotate the screen if it isán watching on cell phone):

Originally published in LAAHS in August 2024: www.laahs.com/tame-colors