New sign just completed by Steve. TPA-the Aloha Airline

Steve has just completed a new Trans-Pacific Airlines sign. Very colorful. It features a DC-3 flying over diamond head. The DC-3 it is generally regarded as one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made.
Trans-Pacific Airlines was founded as charter carrier by publisher Ruddy Tongg with its first flight on July 26, 1946, with a single World War II-surplus DC-3. It's goal was to compete with Hawaiian Airlines. During the WW-II many non-Caucasians felt discriminated against by Hawaiian airlines. Mr.Tongg was a successful Honolulu businessman but had a hard time getting on Inter-Island Flights. When a huge surplus of DC-3s became available cheap, he thought it made sense to just start his own airline. Getting permision to run an airline was difficult in the days before deregulation, so they ran charter flights for a number of years until they finally got CAB (Civilian Aeronautics Board) approval in 1949.
It soon earned the nickname "The Aloha Airline" and was flying four aircraft by the end of the year.Eventually the TPA part of the name got dropped and Aloha Airlines became their official name.

More about Inter-Island Air and the S-38

When most people hear the name Sikorsky they think of helicopters, but 75 years ago Igor Sikorsky designed one of the most reliable and thus successful planes of the era. Having worked on airplanes for 11 years now, I assume that the engines are not going to quit while we are flying. Airplane engines in the 20's needed constant maintenance to keep going and were woefully underpowered. Airfields were few and far in between. The S-38 was a twin engine flying boat. Having two engines was a rarity at that point in aviation history. It gave passengers a sense of security. Being able to land on the water opened up new markets where there were no airfields and gave the added peace of mind of being able to land in the water in case of emergency. These qualities made it the perfect choice for the Hawaiian Islands.

This is how passengers arrived in Kona.

It was a very ungainly looking aircraft. It looked like a Frankenstein cut and paste combination of a canoe with wings and an engine attached. Boarding the aircraft was accomplished through the roof. There was room for 8 passengers.

Howard Hughes owned an S-38 and can be seen in the movie The Aviator.

Pan Am used and S-38 for its Caribean flying.

The first flight with Inter-Island Air was from Honolulu to Hilo with two stops on neighbor islands on November 11, 1929.

Who is Steve Neill

Steve Neill was raised in Southern California. While he was still young his family moved to the South pacific. He also spent much of his formative years in Hawaii. To help the family business out Steve joined his father in the sign painting business at the age of 12. Much was to be learned as far as lay out font, choices, colors, materials and customer service. Many of his projects included painting replica airplanes for movies, such as Catch-22. In 1967, Ryan Air the company that built the original "Spirit of St. Louis" was contracted out to build a replica. They chose Steve and his father Clyde to paint the airplane.
Moving to Hawaii his interests moved him farther away from commercial sign and he turned that part of the business to his son Jeremy. Steve could now focus on painting the signs that inspired him. The art deco travel related signs that could be found throughout the Islands. A sin painter from that ere could walk into Steve's Studio today and begin work. Steve uses the same techniques of yesteryear. To this day Steven still does not own a computer.
Steven Neill now live a stones throw from the ocean on the Hilo side of the Island of Hawaii
His websites can be found on www.vintageaviationsigns.com and www.stevenneillart.com

Steve Neill's Inter-Island Airways sign

Inter-Island Airways is the predecessor to Hawaiian airlines. Its parent company was Inter-Island Steamship Company. Stan Kennedy son of the Steamship's CEO was a WWI aviator who saw that aviation was the future of inter island travel. It was a hard sell to the rest of the company. Airplanes were crashing all the time. No one had made a go in the business without government subsidies. Boats were reliable and safe. The old boy network was eventually convinced to pony up some money to start the airline. The inaugural flights took place on November 11, 1929, just as the country was entering the great depression.

The airplane featured is the eight passenger Sikorsky S-38. Being able to land in the water helped to allay fears of flying over expanses of oceans. Also since the airports were so primitive conditions sometimes warranted a water landing.

This graphic is taken from a brochure that Steve was given. Not how the word "principal" is spelled. Not sure is this was a common spelling at the time. Any insight on this would be appreciated. Also note that Hawaii was not a state at that time. You will often see the initials T.H. in Steve's work as most of his art is based on logos, graphics and signs from the 30's and 40's. More of Steve's airline based art can be found at www.vintageaviationsigns.com. His other Hawaiiana art can be seen at www.stenneillart.com