Zantop at YIP

[jafo20]

Do any of you Kalitta or USA jet guys know if Zantop is still around? I remember seeing their DC-8s sitting in disrepair on the ramp at Willow Run, and most of their Electras were being cannibalized to keep a few ships airworthy. Is anything happening over there, or have they closed up shop?

 

[PCL_128]

I thought they closed everything up a couple of months ago. Could be wrong though. pilotyip should know for sure.

 

[jafo20]

Yeah, I haven't been into YIP for a while. It's a shame to see 'em go. They were pretty huge back in the day.

 

[Spooky 1]

Old timer

Boy there is a name from the past. When I was a fledging airman, Zantop was one of the fisrt places you went to get some heavy aircraft time. DC6's and C46's were the mainstay of this airline. A lot of Navy QuickTrans contracts that came and went overnight, but helped you get your foot in the door for something better. Used to see the crews at Alameda NAS going out at night about the same time we were leaving there in the 1049H for the east coast. Fond memories, but I would not want to go there again.

 

[jafo20]

Yeah, those DC-6s were super-cool. They are, super cool, actually. There are still a few of 'em moving around in Alaska. I'm not sure who's still running C-46s.

Did the Zantop C-46s have those funky props? I'm a nerd, and I remember reading about how the Curtiss C-46 Commando had propellor control issues.

Too bad I can't remember my new cell phone number.

 

[Spooky 1]

Props

I never flew the C46 so I can't really comment other than I seem to recall they sported a Curtiss electric prop which was notorious for problems like runaways. I did fly the DC4/C54/DC6B/DC7C and the 1049H/1649 Constellation and they were a hoot even though they were pretty old by the time I got to them. As a mtter of fact, some were really old! (early 60's)

 

[jafo20]

That's cool. I was talking to a guy at Murray who used to fly the same ships. Do you miss the C-54? They had a buch of old PW recips on display at the engineering building of my college. They had some intelligent engineers.

Last time I was in YIP, I was stealing popcorn, and one of the lineguys told me they found a homeless dude sleeping in one of Zantop's old DC-8s. Is this true, or was he pulling my leg?

 

[pilotyip]

The Zipper planes have not moved in two months, there is an out of business sign on their door. So it looks like they are all done. However this is the same airline that would lay you off, send you home and then call you as you got home to tell you "Get your butt in here, you have trip". So who knows if they will come back from the dead. I think they ran out of L-188 props

 

[bafanguy]

pilotyip,


I've heard nothing but high praise for their former CP Bob Weir. By all counts, a first-class guy and airman who stood by his pilots as best he could under the circumstances he was faced with.

Having someone like in your corner makes things just a bit better.

 

[WillowRunVortex]

The Zipper planes have not moved in two months, there is an out of business sign on their door. So it looks like they are all done. However this is the same airline that would lay you off, send you home and then call you as you got home to tell you "Get your butt in here, you have trip". So who knows if they will come back from the dead. I think they ran out of L-188 props

"However this is the same airline that would lay you off, send you home and then call you as you got home to tell you "Get your butt in here, you have trip".

Good Riddance (finally)

 

[pilotyip]

Zipper the classic YIP non-sked, goes back to the 60's. A lot of guys, present company not included, launched some very successful careers out that place.

 

[WillowRunVortex]

Zipper the classic YIP non-sked, goes back to the 60's. A lot of guys, present company not included, launched some very successful careers out that place.

I know. Taking all the personal opinion out of it, I still find it amazing , the number of guys that stayed there and spent their whole career there even when civilization lay a meer 10 miles away.

 

[wmudriver]

Tmc

Is TMC still running out of YIP?

 

[WillowRunVortex]

Is TMC still running out of YIP?

TMC,,,Trans Con?

 

[wmudriver]

TMC was operating electras out of YIP last summer. They had some kind of agreement/arangement with Zantop to fly electras. I really don't know the details just seeing if someone else does.
Is Zantops boneyard getting cleaned up or those planes just still rusting away over there on the west side?

 

[pilotyip]

TMC call sign "Willow Run XXX" was a part 125 alter ego of Zantop. They both went down together. I saw them in the pattern at YIP giving checkrides in the L-188 in May

 

[convair007]

Currently flying Zantop's old Convairs out of ELP. Old, but fun as well.

 

[kingaira90]

The Zantop website is still up http://www.flyzantop.com/history.html. Kinda weird to see that still up when you know the company is gone. One of my old employers had their website up for a couple of years after the company was dead, and I know no one was paying the bills. -kingaira90