ents . ▁ ▁During ▁this ▁era , ▁Eastern ' s ▁fleet ▁was ▁split ▁between ▁their ▁" sil ver - color ed ▁hockey ▁stick " ▁li very ▁( the ▁lack ▁of ▁paint ▁reduced ▁weight ▁by ▁ 1 0 0 ▁pounds ) ▁and ▁their ▁" white - color ed ▁hockey ▁stick " ▁li very ▁( on ▁its ▁Air bus - man ufact ured ▁plan es , ▁the ▁met all ur gy ▁of ▁which ▁required ▁paint ▁to ▁cover ▁the ▁aircraft ' s ▁composite ▁skin ▁pan els ). ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁Eastern ▁became ▁the ▁launch ▁customer ▁of ▁Bo eing ' s ▁ 7 5 7 , ▁which ▁was ▁ordered ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 . ▁B orm an ▁felt ▁that ▁its ▁low ▁cost ▁of ▁operation ▁would ▁make ▁it ▁an ▁in valu able ▁asset ▁to ▁the ▁air line ▁in ▁the ▁years ▁to ▁come . ▁However , ▁higher ▁oil ▁prices ▁failed ▁to ▁material ize ▁and ▁the ▁deb t ▁created ▁by ▁this ▁purchase ▁couple d ▁with ▁the ▁Air bus ▁A 3 0 0 ▁purch ases ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁February ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁sale ▁to ▁Frank ▁Lorenzo ' s ▁Texas ▁Air . ▁At ▁that ▁time , ▁Eastern ▁was ▁pay ing ▁over ▁$ 7 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁interest ▁each ▁day ▁before ▁they ▁sold ▁a ▁ticket , ▁fue led , ▁or ▁board ed ▁a ▁single ▁aircraft . ▁ ▁Starting ▁about ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁Eastern ▁offered ▁" M oon light ▁Spe ci als ",