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Where to fly a Convair 580??

  • Thread starter Thread starter QuasarZ
  • Start date Start date
  • Watchers Watchers 12

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QuasarZ

Well-known member
Joined
May 16, 2005
Posts
328
Just curious if anyone knows if there are some CV-580's still cruising around. I would love to fly one of those. I am not a big fan of this SJS crap, it makes me sick, cannot stand it. Anyhow, other than IFL group, is there anyone else?

Thanks a lot. I posted this in the majors cause I figure there would be some older folks in here that maybe appreciate the good ole' beast
 
Dont know if they have 580's, but a place in harligen, TX had some Convairs.
 
QuasarZ said:
Just curious if anyone knows if there are some CV-580's still cruising around. I would love to fly one of those. I am not a big fan of this SJS crap, it makes me sick, cannot stand it. Anyhow, other than IFL group, is there anyone else?

Thanks a lot. I posted this in the majors cause I figure there would be some older folks in here that maybe appreciate the good ole' beast
Click to expand...

There's always Air Tahoma. Let the flaming begin!


AK
 
IFL Group,is probably the best place to fly them in the lower 48.
 
Quasar,

I like the way you think, good man. I heard that the old 580 was one hell of an airplane. Ask a guy that has flown one about it and you can't whipe the smile off his face. I know ERA had a few of them.
 
580

Cv 240's, 340's, and 440's...Now people are smiling!
 
labatt said:
Quasar,

I like the way you think, good man. I heard that the old 580 was one hell of an airplane. Ask a guy that has flown one about it and you can't whipe the smile off his face. I know ERA had a few of them.
Click to expand...

haha yea, my dad has so many stories about them, said they were a blast to fly!
 
It has been over a decade ago for me now and I still get a smile on my face when I think of the mighty 580. 105 feet of wing and no hydraulic boost on the flight controls - it was all you baby, cables and pulleys. I can remember going home with sore arms after a long day of flying to Kodiak and Valdez and fighting the winter weather. We use to train in VDZ, do the LDA single engine, miss and what do you know hydraulic failure on the miss so the gear stays down - she would climb up out of the canyon without breaking a sweat. Water/meth takeoffs in the summer out of Kodiak were always a blast too. 4000 ponys per side - the only airplane I have ever flown with almost to much power. Here is to the "heavy equipment" operators - 580 drivers!
 
There is an outfit in Pontiac, Michigan that flies auto parts with 580's. I flew my first Capt's trip in an Allegheny 580 back in '69.
 
Theres a company in Puero Rico if don't mind flying older airplanes overwater. the name is Four Stars
they fly CV 240,440 also DC3.
 
I know you said no IFL (GCC), but that seems the way to go. Just started working for them and it is a blast. i love the CV. And the 5800s are icing on the cake.
 
If you come to Lubumbashi, Congo, where I've been working for approx the last 2 years with Air Serv, you can have your choice of old school airplanes to fly.

I've seen some CV-580s flying around this country.

The entire Congo, and especially my home airport of Lubumbashi, is like an aviation museum, with your pick of DC-3s (piston or turboprop conversion), G-I's, YS-11's, Nord 262s, HS-748s in civilian (+ ex-military Andover version), all types of Convairs, Illuyshin 18s, BAC-111s, B707s, B727s (100 and 200 series), B737-200s, DC-8's, DC-9s, Falcon 10s, and much much more to be flown. Of course airworthiness of the afore-mentioned equipment is not guaranteed, though they are all flying!

jt
 
I flew on a 580 when NWA had them..lots a power!
 
The 580 looks like it would be a beautiful machine.

Flew the Allison engines on Electras and the Convair airframe on a Convair 640.

The 640 was a PIG. But I bet that 580 would be one sweet BIATCH.

NWA was still flying them in pax service at the time (87-89?) and I envied those airplanes.

The radial versions I know nothing about. I bet they were nice too.

Again the 640 was a PIG. Not a good match with the Rolls-Royce engines. "The Whistling Sh*T-House" we called her...couldn't hear a dam n thing, and it handled like KrAp...with NO power to spare!

But, alas, I loved her...much as I did ALL my Ex-Wives. She was one of my "firsts"..

YKW
 
C&M down in ELP has couple doing 125 freight as well, IFL's are the best equipped and maintained I have ever seen. Even got EADI & EHSI in em'
 
Whine Lover said:
The 580 looks like it would be a beautiful machine.

Flew the Allison engines on Electras and the Convair airframe on a Convair 640.

The 640 was a PIG. But I bet that 580 would be one sweet BIATCH.

NWA was still flying them in pax service at the time (87-89?) and I envied those airplanes.

The radial versions I know nothing about. I bet they were nice too.

Again the 640 was a PIG. Not a good match with the Rolls-Royce engines. "The Whistling Sh*T-House" we called her...couldn't hear a dam n thing, and it handled like KrAp...with NO power to spare!

But, alas, I loved her...much as I did ALL my Ex-Wives. She was one of my "firsts"..

YKW
Click to expand...


I flew for Bar Harbor Airlines when they had CV600's.That was the original,smaller CV240 airframe with the Rolls Royce engines. Never had the opportunity to fly it,but non-reved in it quite a bit. I was surprised as to how little vibration there was in the pax cabin for a propeller- driven airplane. Sure wish I had stuck around there long enough to have flown her.


PHXFLYR:cool:
 
Duke of Ale said:
There is an outfit in Pontiac, Michigan that flies auto parts with 580's. I flew my first Capt's trip in an Allegheny 580 back in '69.
Click to expand...

Used to watch you guys come in and out of ISP many years ago while learning how to fly and working line service at the local FBO. Looked like one rugged airplane. I recently saw some pictures of the North Central CV580 that had a midair with a C150 somewhere over MKE back around the 1969-1970 time frame . The Cessna embedded itself into the right side of the fuselage aft of the cockpit and that ol' Convair landed safely at MKE with the 150 protruding from the side without so much as breaking a sweat. That must have been one tough old bird. Would have loved to have flown her in her day!

PHXFLYR:cool:
 
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