Missing the Tiger

After all these years, I still miss the logo of the Flying Tiger Line.  Founded in 1945 at the end of World War II, the airline was named after the Flying Tigers fighter unit of the War, officially the 1st American Volunteer Group.

Although Flying Tigers was well known for its military contract services, it was also such a large scheduled cargo airline that it flew to six continents and served 58 countries. By the mid-1980s it had become the world’s largest cargo airline.

But the 1980s were not so kind to the all-cargo airline, and airline deregulation created competition that the Tiger could not fight. In 1988, Flying Tigers was purchased by Federal Express and by mid-1989 the Flying Tigers name disappeared. 

Shown is the Flying Tigers logo and a Tiger Boeing 747. It took delivery of its first 747 in 1974.