LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The old National Airlines, which was headquartered in Miami had a long and happy history with South Florida's bowling family before it faded into oblivion.
National Airlines offered bowlers attractive rates and drew many teams headed for Las Vegas to compete in the 1973 Women's International Bowling Congress' National Championship Tournament.
I remember joining 20 women bowlers and 10 husbands on a National flight to Las Vegas for largest WIBC tournament in history. Included in the group was Larry Seiple of the Miami Dolphins, who dazzled even the pilots with his first Super Bowl ring after the unbeaten season.
Then there were the three enjoyable years that I bowled with Kathy and Dan Pfaff, fellow Herald writer Al Messerschmidt and my wife Jodie in the old National Airlines League at defunct Airport Lanes. It was a fun league, until Pan-Am bought National in the late 80s.
While watching the PBA Senior Tournament last month in Las Vegas, I discovered a new National Airlines was back in the sky and with new bowling connections.
Mike Conway, chairman/president and chief executive of National Airlines, was there bowling in the tournament. And this was no publicity gimmick, this guy is good and loves to bowl. More important, he is looking into the possibility of having National Airlines and the PBA team up on some new adventures.
One afternoon Conway, who lived in Miami during the ‘70s, bowled nine games in the tournament and then stuck around to bowl his regular three league games at the Orleans. He put in almost nine straight hours on the lanes, which you won't find many CEOs doing.
Like most first-time bowlers in a pro tournament, Conway saw his 208 league average plunge to 188 under the PBA's tough lane-conditioning policy.
"It was a good learning experience, I wanted to get a first hand look at the tour," Conway said, who averaged a respectable 188 in his PBA baptism.
By accident, Miami's Paula and Don Carter got a first-hand look at Conway's new National Airlines.
"We were not scheduled to fly National home, but after TWA had trouble with one of its planes they moved us over to National," said Don Carter. "We had an excellent non-stop trip home."
Added Paula, "the flight, food and service were wonderful. You know I don't like long flights, but this one was good."
If you know Paula and Don Carter, no flights are "good"—they both hate to fly.
So that was a ringing endorsement of National Airlines, which offers two non-stop flights from Miami to Vegas each day.
Just like the old days, National Airlines is back in Miami and back in bowling.
Dick Evans is a member of the ABC and PBA Halls of Fame.