Blog Alumni

blusk
Author Since 2006

Brian Lusk

Corporate Historian
Dallas, TX  | 

Of all our bloggers, I am probably the oldest, but I don’t feel my age. I was born in 1952, just a couple of blocks from the Santa Fe Railway’s main transcontinental line in Clovis, New Mexico to an airline father, so transportation (planes and trains) got in my blood at an early age. As a child, my fondest memories are spending days at work with my dad on the ramp in Amarillo, Texas and on the old observation deck at Dallas Love Field. After graduating from Southern Methodist University in Dallas as a journalism major, I got my first airline job with Delta in 1976. During my time at Delta, I worked at Dallas/Fort Worth (during three separate occasions), Detroit, Oakland, Atlanta (at the old terminal), Portland, Oregon, Paris Orly, and Dayton, Ohio. My 18½ years with Delta were split between ramp/operations and ticket counter/gates. I joined Southwest (thankfully!) in 1995, as a Reservations Sales Agent, but then I moved to the communications group in the Executive Office, where. I corresponded with our Customers on a wide variety of topics, but I also got to work on different projects like this blog. About five years ago I moved into the Communication & Strategic Outreach Department and worked primarily in our social media area. Then in 2011, I got my dream job as Southwest's Corporate Historian. I enjoy sharing and preserving Southwest's past with our Employees and the public at large.

Fun Facts

Languages

English and Blog

Hobbies

Aviation and Railroading

Pets

My basset, Annabelle

High School

El Segundo High School, El Segundo, Ca and WT White in Dallas

College

Southern Methodist

Favorite Sports Teams

Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars, Dallas Mavs, SMU, Cowboys

Favorite Travel Destinations

Scotland

Your Favorite Southwest Story

The current week's Flashback Fridays

Recent Activity:

Recent Activity Posts

Flashback Fridays: The Last Boeing 717 Ends a Proud Era

By: Brian Lusk blusk

Oct 28 2011
Take a look at the postcard photo above from Los Angeles International in the 1950s.  Do you see a pattern?  Well, obviously there are no jets, but look again.  Every airplane in the photo was made in Southern California.  The Douglas DC-6s and DC-7s were made at Santa Monica, the TWA Lockheed Super Constellation at Burbank, and the American and Western Convair 240s at San... read more

Flashback Fridays: The Start of Southwest's Halloween Tradition?

By: Brian Lusk blusk

Oct 14 2011
This coming April, I celebrate my 17th year with Southwest Airlines, and for all of my tenure, Halloween has been a big deal.  In my new role as Corporate Historian, I’ve been asked, “When did Southwest start celebrating Halloween?” and I don’t have a concrete answer.  I wish I could quote the exact date of that, but to now, that certainty has eluded me.  I did find a reference... read more

Flashback Fridays: Is That a Southwest Airlines Airplane?

By: Brian Lusk blusk

Oct 07 2011
A while back before "Flashback Fridays" began appearing on our SWALife Employee blog, I took a look at some Southwest airplanes that wore Southwest titles but kept the basic livery of their previous operator.  Thanks to Phoenix Flight Attendant Les Isaacowitz, I can both share some additional photos of one of those aircraft for both audiences.   Keep in mind that, back in the early... read more

Flashback Fridays--Interim Liveries Part Two

By: Brian Lusk blusk

Feb 19 2010
As promised, here is another look at some more interim liveries used here at Southwest.  As I mentioned in an earlier Flashback Friday post, airlines sometimes operate aircraft in the color scheme of their previous carrier, but with modified titles.  This can happen in a merger or during a shortterm lease.  For example, the old British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) used to... read more

Flashback Fridays: Dayton before AirTran

By: Brian Lusk blusk

Sep 30 2011
After the merger with AirTran was announced, two of their cities took on special interest for me because I worked in both Atlanta (ATL) and Dayton (DAY) for Delta.  I wrote about ATL before AirTran a while back, and today, it’s DAY’s turn.   Dayton lays legitimate claim to being the birthplace of aviation because, even though the Wright’s first flight was in North Carolina, Orville... read more

Flashback Fridays: Early Landmark Events in Houston

By: Brian Lusk blusk

Sep 23 2011
As I have mentioned in other Flashback Fridays, photos from our early days in Houston are kind of rare, although I have been fortunate enough to uncover more material as I dig deeper through our archives.  This week we don’t have any creepy characters in fur costumes, but we have uncovered some important events in the relationship between Southwest and Houston.   Before we look at... read more

Flashback Fridays: Love Field Operations

By: Brian Lusk blusk

Sep 16 2011
In past editions of Flashback Fridays, I’ve written about our early 10-minute turns, an operational procedure that helped secure our survival.  Today, we go back to that period, specifically the year 1974.  To be honest, I couldn’t tell exactly what I had here in these photos—was it an originating flight, or instead, was it another photographic record of a quick turn, this time at... read more

Flashback Fridays: An Early Promotion Gone Wild

By: Brian Lusk blusk

Sep 09 2011
Back in the time before satellite programming, small town radio stations lived on remote broadcasts from “Joe’s Market,” or the town’s one Chevy-Olds-Pontiac-Buick-Cadillac-GMC dealer.  Basically, those AM stations were doing anything to squeeze an advertising buck out of a small market, and they would go wherever an advertising customer might be.  Southwest’s marketing approach was a... read more

Flashback Fridays: A Building Fit for a Sim

By: Brian Lusk blusk

Sep 02 2011
At the time, it seemed enormous, and it was truly state of the art.  On August 28, 1986, our original Flight Operations Training Center opened.  Tucked between Hangar 5 and the three-story portion of Headquarters, the building actually predates the Headquarters Building, which opened in 1990.  Today, the building serves as the Maintenance Training Center and Engine Shop, and our... read more

Flashback Fridays: A BIG Weekend in 1974

By: Brian Lusk blusk

Aug 26 2011
This photo couldn’t be taken today, or at least, a major company couldn’t use it in a promotion, advertisement, or advisory.  And, it’s not because of our early 70s uniforms.  No, the reason is because the big honchos of pro football would be on the phone to protect the name of the championship game.  However, back in January 1974, they weren’t as possessive, and I think the... read more

Recent Activity Luvs

Smokin' Spirit Party

By: Steve Heaser sheaser

Oct 28 2008
Length: 20:09 This is the spirit party to end all spirit parties. Taking up four hangar bays, 6000 Employees, former Employees and friends attended this Smokin' Spirit Party to celebrate two Southwest legends Herb Kelleher and Colleen Barrett. read more

But It's Only 8,300 lbs. Each!

By: Steve Heaser sheaser

Oct 22 2008
Length: 21:32 This episode of Red Belly Radio was recorded at the Dallas Maintenance Center at our 6th annual, 2008 Southwest Airlines Pigskin Plane Pull—pulling one of our Boeing 737s with human power! It is all part of the event known as the Red River Rivalry. Photo of Jim from Maintenance on the Tug and the nose of the plane. read more

A Map, a Blindfold, and Some Darts

By: Steve Heaser sheaser

Oct 13 2008
Length 15:14 Have you ever wondered what things are considered when picking a new city? In this episode of Red Belly Radio, we hear Chairman, President, and CEO Gary Kelly announcing the newest Southwest Airlines destination ,and then I interview Nicholas Haan from our Schedule Planning department about how we pick new cities. To answer your obvious question, it does not involve a map, blindfold... read more

Will Golf For $10,000,000

By: Steve Heaser sheaser

Oct 08 2008
Length: 16:03 This episode is about the fall 2008 LUV Classic on Friday, October 10. I interview Barbara McDermott, executive director of the Dallas Ronald McDonald House and Lori Skinner an event specialist currently working on the LUV classic golf tournament. Over the years, Southwest Airlines, through the LUV Classic, has donated more than $9.5 million to multiple Ronald McDonald Houses and... read more

Lord of the Dance (Video)

By: Steve Heaser sheaser

Oct 01 2008
Length 7:41 This episode of Red Belly Radio is about viral video, specifically YouTube and the interview with the man who's video has now crossed the 100 million view mark, Judson Laipply. read more

How To Get Hired At SWA 101

By: Steve Heaser sheaser

Sep 24 2008
Length: 17:37 This episode of Red Belly Radio features a collection of several stories on what some employees did to get their feet in the door. Pictured right: Catherine with her response (lower right corner) of "Try Me!" to the "You Are Free To Be Yourself" billboard. read more

It seems it really does take a rocket scientist

By: Steve Heaser sheaser

Sep 17 2008
Length: 12:08 About the Heide Cayouette/Southwest Airlines Space Camp scholarship and the 2008 winner, Hannah Heaser. Pictured right: Hannah working the batteries out of every possible device. read more

Podcasting History

By: Steve Heaser sheaser

Sep 03 2008
Length: 7:45This episode of Red Belly Radio is about the history of this great company. The photo of the Three Shamu aircraft is believed to be the only time all three were together at the same time. read more

Fly Me To The Moon

By: Steve Heaser sheaser

Aug 27 2008
Length: 13:35 Extreme stand-by travel and Parents Day sponsored by the Southwest Airlines Pass Bureau. read more

Backpack Brigade: Operation Homefront

By: Steve Heaser sheaser

Aug 20 2008
Length: 11:21 This cake, made to look like one of our peanut bag wrappers, for the guests at the triple event. New Denver service, a new Denver Provisioning base, and we handed off backpacks with school supplies to some great kids who have a parent serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. read more