The Capitol Fax Blog » Question of the day

Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008

Southwest Airlines today honored the State of Illinois with the unveiling of Illinois One, a Boeing 737 emblazoned with an artist’s rendering of the state flag. Southwest Airlines’ top Leadership celebrated the high-flying tribute to the State of Illinois at an event in a Chicago Midway hangar with Governor Rod Blagojevich, Mayor Richard M. Daley, and its Chicago-based Employees.

“We are thrilled to honor Illinois with this beautiful aircraft; it is truly a demonstration of the great relationship we have developed with our Chicago Midway Customers and a tribute to our local hard-working Employees,” said Southwest Airlines Chairman Herb Kelleher. “Our pride for Illinois will now fly high over the 64 cities Southwest serves.”

And here’s the plane…

Nifty.

* Question: Come up with a better name than “Illinois One.”

…Adding… Video is here.

- posted by Rich Miller

49 Comments

- Ghost - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:17 am:
Freebird!!

- BigDog - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:18 am:
“Illinois One as brought to you by Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor”

(Somebody had to do it)

- Cousin Ralph - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:21 am:
Flying Illini

- Reality Check - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:22 am:
How long now ’til someone suggests selling off the state planes to Southwest? Actually they’re really really lucky the helicopter that went over the prison wall a few weeks ago didn’t look like this.

- Irish - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:23 am:
It is difficult to soar with eagles when you are led by turkeys.

Or
The only thing with the State emblem on it that taxpayers don’t have to pay for.

- Anon - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:23 am:
AIRPLANE 2008

- Beowulf - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:26 am:
Wow! That really looks cool! How about “Illinois One–Megs Field 0″?

- Kevin Fanning - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:27 am:
Illinois “A”

- Sock Puppet Express - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:29 am:
How about Air Madigan — since he is really in charge

- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:30 am:
I hope Southwest Airlines is still financially solvent… otherwise “Bankrupt One” would be appropriate

- OneMan - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:32 am:
To go with Kevin’s idea

Public Aircraft ‘A’
Southwest Aircraft ‘A’

and…

Air Fed

- Arlington HTS Office - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:33 am:
The Shakedown shuttle seems appropriate

- Levois - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:35 am:
Pay to jet?

- Anonymoose - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:37 am:
“Con Air” with service to Terre Haute, Oxford, Duluth and Yankton, South Dakota.

- Kevin Fanning - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:38 am:
Lol I was waiting for someone to use Con Air

- Jake from Elwood - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:39 am:
I like the design.
Because I don’t feel like making another
“Governor Jet Fuel” reference, how about
“Just Plane Corrupt”?

- superficial - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:43 am:
It’s been done before. Eddie the Eagle had his mask with something similar done for the Blackhawks. Actually his was better.

It’s pretty nondescript and could really represent any one of a handful State flags that use an eagle/banner. Check the manifest as they’re probably using the same plane to fly around to those other states and telling them the same thing.

- datman - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:45 am:
Scud 1

- South Side Mike - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:49 am:
LOL Jake from Ellwood.

How about “Governor’s Pardon”? (*DING* “You are now free to contribute to my campaign.”)

- MOON - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:54 am:
Whats our destination

- Douglas M. - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:55 am:
Air Farce One

Wanna get away….from indictments?

- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:55 am:
ILL-conceived ONE

- Huckleberry - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 10:22 am:
Is this for real. Did we actually buy this thing. Cool looking plane, though.

- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 10:25 am:
The Big Bird.

- rep. john fritchey - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 10:35 am:
Hair Force One

Pingback Northwest Territory by Southwest « Illinois Reason - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 10:43 am:
[…] April 15, 2008 in Uncategorized by robnesvacil Nice. Blogroll […]

- pickles!! - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 10:46 am:
“The Screaming Mimi”

- Trapped In The Metro East - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 10:49 am:
Air Elvis (or Air-Vis) …love me tender, love my do….. it’s nice to see Illinois was 13th in line for such a plane.

- Trafficmatt - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 11:52 am:
If it is unveiled with the Gov. at the presentation, shouldn’t the eagle be re-painted to look like a turkey?

- JonShibleyFan - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 12:05 pm:
I was trying to be clever, but I have to second OneMan’s Public Aircraft A.

Too good.

- Northside Bunker - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 12:07 pm:
“It’s a BIG STATE ONE”
I’ll bet Rod’s salivating over having that plane for himself.

- Wacker Drive - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 12:26 pm:
For one thing it’s big enough to put Blagojevich’s entire cheerleading staff on.

- The Mad Hatter - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 12:29 pm:
Here’s Ours.

- Anon - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 1:24 pm:
Blago Hawk Down.

- One of the 35 - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 1:30 pm:
Raptor Illinois

- anon - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 1:52 pm:
Err Illinois?

- Collin Hitt - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 2:08 pm:
Con-Con Air

(For Bruno Behrend)

- Wumpus - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 2:31 pm:
Rezkowned
Corrupt-one
Actually, I prefer Illinois 2 as Blago already has his own personal (state) aircraft

- Cancion - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 3:26 pm:
Since the BRAC commission always wins, this must be “Rod’s Revenge”.

- montrose - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 3:31 pm:
When I logged into my yahoo account earlier today, there was an SWA ad with a picture of the new plane that had the caption above it:

STATE BIRD

They really should have had the plane standing on end.

- Concerned Voter - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 4:35 pm:
How about a new paint scheme, change the eagle to a waterfowl, honor the guv and call it the lame duck?

- Ahem - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 4:58 pm:
I can’t believe they really did that to a plane!

- Disgusted - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 5:53 pm:
Pen Express

- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 6:04 pm:
This may not be a name per se, but in light of recent aviation and other events:

ILLINOIS ONE: GOOD WIRES INSIDE AND OUT

- Rod is God - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 7:15 pm:
“Illllinoisssss… you put me in a crappy State!”

- Doctor Rumak - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 8:31 pm:
I just wanted to tell the governor and Southwest: “good luck, and we’re all counting on you”.

And, um, don’t eat the fish.

- Enemy of the State - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 8:41 pm:
Should be “Illinois, 10-15 Years” instead of One.

- the ole precinct captain - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 8:55 pm:
Flight From Justice

- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 15, 08 @ 9:07 pm:
“State of Illinois”

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