Handpainted 737 Honors Humpbacked Whales

What is it with whales, and airplanes? First it was "Shamu", of Sea World fame, painted on a series of Southwest 737s. Next came the Airbus A380, a plane some refer to (either fondly, or derisively) as the Whalejet. And now comes Aloha Airlines, which unveiled this week a Boeing 737-700 aircraft hand-painted by marine life artist Wyland.

In a traditional blessing ceremony, Aloha bestowed the name Koholalele on the jetliner, which will go into service on May 10 between Hawaii and the West Coast.

The name Koholalele (which literally means "flying or leaping whale") honors the humpback whale, an ancient visitor to Hawaii, considered by Hawaiians to be a kupuna, or elder, in its own right. Koholalele also is a place name for an area along the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island and the name of a wind that "leaps over the land" like a flying whale.

Each of the eight aircraft in Aloha's fleet of Next Generation Boeing 737-700 aircraft is named for a Polynesian navigator. The name Koholalele recognizes the humpback whale as one of the great navigators of the ocean.

"Since 1946, Aloha Airlines has proudly served the Islands, and graciously helped share Hawaii's beauty, culture and spirit of Aloha with the world," said David A. Banmiller, Aloha's president and chief executive officer. "Over the years, Aloha has looked beyond the business of flying to recognize the importance of giving back to our community, and preserving the many things that make Hawaii so special. The 3,500 men and women of Aloha Airlines care about the well-being of our home state, as well as the beauty of the natural land and sea environment we enjoy so much."

Wyland's design, which spans the length of the plane, includes approximately life-size depictions of humpback whales, bottle-nose dolphins, spinner dolphins, tiger sharks, Hawaiian monk seals and green sea turtles as well as Hawaiian reef fish and a Laysan albatross.

Wyland (shown at right) painted N748AL, working day and night, over a two-day period.

A pioneer in the environmental movement for more than 30 years, Wyland previously painted an America's Cup racing yacht but this is his first plane. Back on land, the famous muralist has completed 95 of his ocean murals and is closing in on his goal of creating the 100th of his landmark Whaling Walls, a massive, pre-Olympics project being planned in Beijing.

Aloha says it undertook the project as a symbol of the community's commitment to preserving the ocean environment. The carrier has served Hawaii for 61 years.

FMI: www.alohaairlines.com, www.wyland.com