Fedex down in LBB

[filejw]

Glad that the crew is okay.



I never flew the F-27, but my dad did. I just rode around on them as a kid. By the time I was old enough to be asking the right questions he had retired after 12 or more years on the DC-9 (which he loved) and he didn't seem that enthralled with the Fokker.

I did inherit his F-27 manual though...in one of those old fashioned, blue cloth covered three ring binders nith "Fairchild F-27" embossed on the cover. His airline slipped their first orders to West Coast so they could get the next series with bigger engines...I always thought the f-27 "looked right".

But when I watched the ATR's on the ramp in STL they looked like just what they are. A good idea that spent too much time being engineered by too many people who had lost sight of what the hell they were trying to do in the first place!

No doubt an Air West guy... many a great memory with those guys.

 

[LowlyPropCapt]

Thats too bad. Although I don't have all the info on my friends accident, I do think it would have been less likely to happen in the good ol' solid F-27. Even though it doesn't have a lick of glass or anything in it designed past the 1940's, there is rarely a pilot who doesn't list it as one of the best airplanes he/she ever flew.

As for the ATR, it's all sorts of screwy, impossibly labor intensive to hand fly and because of it's many incidents and accidents has been modified over 10,000 times. It's an o.k. fair weather transport but when its really bad outside I think every pilot wishes he was flying something different.

I have flown both the Dash 8 and the ATR42/72.

While I admit readily that the ATR is not as forgiving in the ice as the Dash 8 (and ostensively the F-27 as well), I disagree that the ATR is difficult to hand fly. It is heavier on the controls than the Dash, which I found a help rather than a hinderence when hand flying- It just seemed more stable. The electric trim was nice too.

Neither the ATR or the Dash is particularly difficult to handfly. The ATR is not, however, as robust as the Dash for sure.

 

[ksu_aviator]

I haven't flow the ATR, but surely it can't be as hard to fly as the JS31.

 

[ATRCAPT]

I have flown both the Dash 8 and the ATR42/72.

While I admit readily that the ATR is not as forgiving in the ice as the Dash 8 (and ostensively the F-27 as well), I disagree that the ATR is difficult to hand fly. It is heavier on the controls than the Dash, which I found a help rather than a hinderence when hand flying- It just seemed more stable. The electric trim was nice too.

Neither the ATR or the Dash is particularly difficult to handfly. The ATR is not, however, as robust as the Dash for sure.

I've flown all three and can say the Dash is the rightful heir to the F27 legacy. Both wonderful airplanes. The ATR is a piece of poo-poo.

 

[belchfire]

No doubt an Air West guy... many a great memory with those guys.

Yep...

 

[Chief Pilot]

I agree with the sentiments about the F. If you haven't flown it, you simply have no idea.

Glad to hear the crew made it out safely. The captain is a terrific guy and an outstanding pilot. I was sim partners with him in Miami shortly before his upgrade in the F, and he was truly a joy to fly with and sip suds with afterwards. Hopefully he's got the CYA down because knowing Empire, they'll try to crucify him.

 

[414Flyer]

I agree with the sentiments about the F. If you haven't flown it, you simply have no idea.

Glad to hear the crew made it out safely. The captain is a terrific guy and an outstanding pilot. I was sim partners with him in Miami shortly before his upgrade in the F, and he was truly a joy to fly with and sip suds with afterwards. Hopefully he's got the CYA down because knowing Empire, they'll try to crucify him.

Empire would never throw anyone under the bus! Nor would they ever fire anyone they upgraded to captain for not retroactively signing a training contract.

 

[ATRCAPT]

Empire would never throw anyone under the bus! Nor would they ever fire anyone they upgraded to captain for not retroactively signing a training contract.

Sweet.

 

[colt27to42]

the F did my ears no good, but most of my ears capability was lost in the Jetsream...most if not all the F's carried less hours and cycles than the ATR's, Fred could have retrofited Pratts on the F's and saved so much money that glass could have been installed and still probably less than acquiring the ATR, which is a MX budget buster

 

[fokkers&beer]

the F did my ears no good, but most of my ears capability was lost in the Jetsream...most if not all the F's carried less hours and cycles than the ATR's, Fred could have retrofited Pratts on the F's and saved so much money that glass could have been installed and still probably less than acquiring the ATR, which is a MX budget buster

You must have worked at Mountain Air, it seemed like most of Empires F's were higher times. Its been a few years though since I was over there.

 

[refplusnone]

As far as F times goes anything less than 50,000 hours was a baby.

Long live the F!!!

Ref

 

[refplusnone]

I haven't flow the ATR, but surely it can't be as hard to fly as the JS31.

I don't think this is a contest of stories thread. Run along boss, run along.

Ref