Four Star

[El Piloto Chido]

Anyone know how things are with their recent mgmt changes? They're apparently looking for Capts. and a D.O.

Any ideas on pay? Where do they send their engines for overhaul- someplace decent, (like Tulsa), or to the lowest bidder?

Any info would be appreciated.

 

[avbug]

Down to one airplane and one being built up, they were shut down a couple of months ago (shut down voluntarily under FAA pressure--FAA had concerns about their motors), and recently lost an airplane when the cockpit burned off.

Best to stay far away.

 

[phr8dawg]

They said in their recruitment ad: "FLY IN PARADISE!

I pondered the idyllic bliss of pushing bug-infested wooden pallets up a 20 degree
deck angle (rough guess...) in 100 degree heat and decided that, no, it didn't sound like paradise. Even with real live radials.

 

[727C47]

Hardest work I ever put in this profession was behind the yoke of the 3,the flying was awesome, the lifestyle exhausting, i think i was "fatigued",for a decade.

 

[El Piloto Chido]

Roger on all the above. The last cargo outfit I saw that took halfway decent care of their -3s was Rhoades. They had an oldish guy work on them, sometimes falling asleep on his ladder, but he really cared for those engines. Their piston Convairs were a different story though.

 

[DC3Flyer]

Miami Valley Aviation, no longer in business, had very nice airplanes.....some of the best. I flew 1,000 hours in them and didn't have a single engine failure.

 

[WabiSabi]

Roger on all the above. The last cargo outfit I saw that took halfway decent care of their -3s was Rhoades. They had an oldish guy work on them, sometimes falling asleep on his ladder, but he really cared for those engines. Their piston Convairs were a different story though.

I beg to differ. At Rhoades in the 3, I had 6 inflight engine shutdowns in 150 hours. The old mechanic, "Granny" is indeed a radial guru. However, Rhoades' parts dept. wasn't very supportive. We operated with what we so endearingly called "bushel basket engines".

 

[727C47]

it all depended on who did the overhaul,precision engines ,out of everett,wa. was hands down the best,we almost always made tbo,especially with r2800s on the cv340,at the end we switched to some cheap place out of oke city for the 1830s,and the 3s suffered,those pos engines crapped out at about 600 hrs,nose case failures,etc.,it was a merciful thing to sell the fleet back in '97,God's grace no one ever got hurt at my outfit, everyone was always able to limp to a runway single engine.

 

[Waldom]

God's grace no one ever got hurt at my outfit, everyone was always able to limp to a runway single engine.

Which says a lot for the airplane.....and the pilots

 

[727C47]

Which says a lot for the airplane.....and the pilots

Thanks amigo,during those years we were flying in excess of 100 hours per month,those airplanes were imprinted in our DNA,still are,the DC3 is the finest ship ever known to man,and it was the grace of God we never hit the wrong equation of bad load,high density altitude,too short runway,bad weather plus engine failure all at the same time. God's grace,we all survived a graduate level education right out of the Ernie Gann,and St.Ex school of hard knocks.Awesome flying,horrible lifestyle,but truly awesome flying.

 

[BlueRidger]

When my family started Four Star in 1981 it was the best becuse we took care of the MX first. The engines went to Miami for overhauls then to some place in OK. Over time these engine places shut down as there were fewer and fewer operators of DC-3's and other radial engined AC. After they cleaned out "Cockroach Corner" at MIA. The availability of parts and mechanics dried up. When 4star used to buy a new airplane. they would by 3 and part 2 of them out to keep the operation running smoothly. Sadly, there are not many of these type of purchases left. Four Star was sold in 2005 to a man who wanted to use the operation to take advantage of tax loopholes in the VI law, Not to run an airlines. They hired the worst CP Atlantic Coast Airlines had seen to run the operation. I am not surprised to see that the operation has collapsed. It is really sad to see.

 

[727C47]

When my family started Four Star in 1981 it was the best becuse we took care of the MX first. The engines went to Miami for overhauls then to some place in OK. Over time these engine places shut down as there were fewer and fewer operators of DC-3's and other radial engined AC. After they cleaned out "Cockroach Corner" at MIA. The availability of parts and mechanics dried up. When 4star used to buy a new airplane. they would by 3 and part 2 of them out to keep the operation running smoothly. Sadly, there are not many of these type of purchases left. Four Star was sold in 2005 to a man who wanted to use the operation to take advantage of tax loopholes in the VI law, Not to run an airlines. They hired the worst CP Atlantic Coast Airlines had seen to run the operation. I am not surprised to see that the operation has collapsed. It is really sad to see.

You all bought some of our 3s in '97,when we sold our fleet,I believe 303SF was one, with the Snoopy nose art.

 

[lansen]

Was in San Juan recently and got to see the 3 that lost it's nose

 

[brokeflyer]

They're apparently looking for Capts. and a D.O.

and what does that tell ya?

 

[Spoolingbyu]

7 minute abs

Was in San Juan recently and got to see the 3 that lost it's nose

If they need capts and a DO I would run away as fast as you can...

The best airplane to replace a DC-3 is a DC-3....

And every time I taxi by that -3 with the nose burned off I get the chills. N3 N S to 08 takes you right by it and it looks as if someone took a hot wire to a piece of Styrofoam and just pushed straight down through it.

Stay safe.

 

[El Piloto Chido]

Agreed. 4- Star, in it's present state, sounds like a place to stay the @#$% away from! I'm curious though, how do those guys (Everts, and until recently NAC) keep those old DC-6s and C-46s going. From a distance- those airplanes look pretty well taken care of. Whereas down around MIA, the round engined planes (most of em anyway) look rather shoddy, as one would expect.

Not to change the course of this thread, but does the aviation gov't subsidy (if any) help the guys in Alaska with MX, parts ect.? Just wondering how they keep em going in such a rough environment.

 

[avbug]

It's not that companies like Four Star can't keep equipment running or perform proper maintenance. it's just that they don't. Big difference.

 

[727C47]

It's not that companies like Four Star can't keep equipment running or perform proper maintenance. it's just that they don't. Big difference.

Amen.

 

[freightdogfred]

If they need capts and a DO I would run away as fast as you can...

The best airplane to replace a DC-3 is a DC-3....

And every time I taxi by that -3 with the nose burned off I get the chills. N3 N S to 08 takes you right by it and it looks as if someone took a hot wire to a piece of Styrofoam and just pushed straight down through it.

Stay safe.

I spoke to the guy, today in fact, that was drivin that three when she caught on fire. Apparently when he did a fire loop test, the panel caught on fire. (Not good) Damndest thing I've ever heard. When Curtiss ran the show as DOM those A/C were in pretty good shape. When a bean counter gets hold of an airline the end is always the same-It's the end.