Jet Was So Quiet You Could Hear a Blush

It may have been an aviation triumph, but it flirted with becoming a public relations disaster.

The sleek new Boeing 737-300 came in quietly, as advertised. But that’s about all that went right.

The landing was a little late for the media event being staged by America West Airlines Wednesday to publicize putting the new aircraft into use at Burbank Airport.

Airline representatives had invited the press and representatives of homeowners’ groups that have lobbied for years to reduce takeoff and landing noise at the airport.

“Here it is,” Boeing’s relieved 737 marketing director Wayne Willich exclaimed as a 300 model put down at 12:15 p.m., 20 minutes after the appointed time.

But then Willich gasped and muttered, “What is it doing here?” The aircraft was a 300 all right, but it was one owned by AirCal, a keen rival of America West.

The cameras kept rolling, however, as Willich struggled to recover his composure.

‘The Non-Sound’

“But did you hear the non-sound?” Willich asked as chuckles were heard among dozens of residents, airport officials, reporters and camera technicians at the far end of the airport’s runway.

Airport officials planned the champagne brunch celebration weeks ago, expecting America West to be the first airline to operate the aircraft at Burbank. Although AirCal got its new jet Feb. 9 and has since flown it to Burbank several times, no one wanted to cancel the already planned America West celebration, officials said.

The tardy 300 owned by America West arrived five minutes after the AirCal landing. As the plane touched smoothly down, employees of the aircraft manufacturer and America West cheered and tossed colored streamers.