Photos of the Week: State of Mind

For nearly 30 years, Southwest Airlines has been celebrating various states they serve in the U.S. with custom liveries for their aircraft.

The first was Lone Star One, way back in 1990, honoring the airline’s home state of Texas. The most recent was Louisiana One, which debuted in 2018.

Three years before Louisiana One, Southwest chose to recognize the Show Me State on a Boeing 737-700. Missouri One features the seal of the state on the fuselage and engine cowlings, but its most notable feature may be how the rest of it looks.

The aircraft was the first new state-inspired paint job to incorporate elements of Southwest’s standard “Heart” livery, unveiled in 2014. (Illinois One, which debuted in 2008, was updated with these details first; unfortunately, it left the fleet in 2020.)

Of particular interest is the tail, where the red and yellow ribbons were reduced in size to fit the “Southwest” wordmark, as there’s no room for it on the fuselage.

Alex Tait caught Missouri One with his lens as it departed Pittsburgh International Airport for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport — leaving one state for another.

But when you get on a plane, you can switch states more than just geographically, even if your aircraft is named for one. There’s a mental shift that happens up in the air: you’re no longer tied to the land; the lines delineating communities and commonwealths are no longer visible.

You’re soaring miles in the sky faster than you will ever go on the ground, but it’s peaceful and quiet. Your very state of mind changes.

Luke Ferralli captured that unique mood with a photo looking out over the wing of his flight from PIT to Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

Thanks, Alex and Luke!

Our readers continue to pass along shots of unique aircraft, international airports, historical events, gorgeous views and even family vacation photos for this feature. We love them! Keep them coming—you can click here for submission guidelines.

The view from the wing of an American Eagle E175 on a flight from Pittsburgh to Raleigh-Durham. (Photo submitted by Luke Ferralli)