Wow stuck on it for 7000 hours! What did you do wrong? In the 50 years I have been flying I never built over 3000 hours in one airframe always upgrading. Or was it FedEx Feeder?😀🛫
@@TheFalconJetDriver Stayed with the same company, where conditions were good... Later in KLM on the 50, and even later almost 10.000 hours on 737-800 and Max... and now happily retired.
My dad worked for an oil company in Alberta, Canada back in the 1960s called Banff Oil and they had a Fairchild F-27. I got a chance to fly on it a few times as a kid, and yes I always sat opposite the landing gear so I could watch it go up and down. Today everytime I fly on a Dehavilland Dash 7 or Dash 8 I sit in the same seat. It still thrills me to see the landing gear and I'm now in my 60s.
The F-27 is an aircraft near and dear to my heart. I flew on many Piedmont Airlines F-27 flights while serving in the USAF in the 1970s. Easy to board, comfortable, powerful and fun to fly on. I enjoyed watching the main landing gear come down and the steep angle of attack when landing. Thanks Mike for paying tribute to this fine aircraft.
I remember flying on the F27 Friendship when i was a kid (mid to late 70's) in Australia when my father worked for Ansett Airlines at the time, He would take me and my brother (i was about 8 and my brother was 15) to work with him and we would go on what was then called a "mystery flight" which is where they would put you on a flight with no idea of the destination until the last minute and you fly out and fly back on the same aircraft just for the fun of flying. OMG to think how much fun it was and sad to think it could never happen these days.
You might be interested to know that two Australian operated Fk27's - MMA (Anset subsidiary) VH-MMS was the first Fk27 to reach 50,000 hours and not far behind was the East West VH-EWA. Although I often get replies from New Zealand - NAC and Aerlingus that their Fk27 achieved the mark first.
Thank you for this presentation on the F-27 in its various incarnations. I experienced this aircraft from back in the mid-1980s when I was "working the ramp" at the Commuter Terminal of National Airport in Washington DC. Those big Dart turbos had a distinct sound to them and we could always tell when the F-27 was coming in due to its particular howl. This, was quite distinct even from all the other turboprop commuter planes the regional airlines operated from that terminal. We took to calling it "Godzilla" due to the plane's size - much larger than the other commuter birds that operated from the terminal - and that unique engine noise. My particular memory of the F-27 involved the time I was "kicking it off the ramp" - that is, marshalling the plane from start up through its taxying away from the terminal and off to meet its departure time. This was a routine thing for us guys working as "ramp agents," and was something I'd done plenty of times. I'd first pull the chocks and then stand off to the left of the cockpit so the pilot could see me clearly. Then I'd hold up my left hand with my index finger extended and start making a circular motion with my right forearm pointed upward. This, to signal the pilot to start the number one engine. That started I'd extend two fingers on my left hand for him to start up the number two engine. Very routine and nothing at all unusual about all that. It's something seen every day at airports worldwide. On one particular summer's day I was doing exactly those signals with that F-27. The plane was fully loaded and buttoned up. I pulled the chocks and then stood out to the left of the cockpit. Everything looking ready I held out my left hand and extended my index finger while circling my right forearm for the plane's captain to start up the F-27's number one engine. I heard the usual whir of the pump motors going and was anticipating having the bird off the ramp in but a minute or so. The whirring of the pump continued and then came the clicking of the igniters within the Dart turboprop engine. And then... Well, then came the fuel. Not fuel ignition nor any power flowing through the engine. No, the fuel flowed through the engine alright - but it flowed straight out the engine's exhaust. Pouring out of the engine, in fact. And it began to form a pretty heft puddle of fuel under the engine pod. And I was standing there watching this happen with my arm still circling for engine start. This, as I'm standing within about a twenty or so feet from the turboprop engine that was pouring fuel out of itself while desperately trying to ignite it all. I was pretty quick about stopping the Start Up signaling and switching over to the crossed arms "Stop" hand signal. There being a growing pool of highly flammable aviation fuel just a few feet from me was a good motivation for that. Whatever it was that was broken in that engine was more than the mechanics at National could fix with the parts on hand. The F-27 wound up parked on the tarmac for the couple of weeks it took the airline - Allegheny / US Air, if I recall correctly - to find a replacement Dart turbo. That engine apparently was located out in Africa somewhere and had to be expedited Stateside to get "Godzilla" back in the skies. The event still brings a smile when I think of it any time I see anything about the F-27. Thanks for "igniting" that memory.
G'day Mike, Before I left Tasmania to join the RAAF, we lived on the North Coast of Tasmania in the small city of Devonport. Our local airport was served by F27s flown by Trans Australia Airlines and Ansett Airlines which had twice daily flights from and to Melbourne on mainland Australia, across Bass Strait. Many people in Northern Tasmania used the F27s almost like commuter aircraft because it was only a little over an hour to Melbourne. Both of these airlines also flew Vickers Viscounts and during busy holiday periods we'd see the much larger Lockheed Electras at our little airport. During the same time a small air freight company was still flying WW2 vintage DC-3s and sometimes they would take on passengers. I was an early 'plane spotter' long before the term was popularly used. I was fascinated by all the aircraft that used our little gateway to the mainland. Because of the configuration of the runway -v- the terminal one could stand on the 'front yard' of the terminal and be almost level where most of the departing aircraft would 'rotate', so there were always great photos to be had using my little cassette style Kodak camera. I must have taken almost a thousand snaps over five or six years. I never tired of trying to catch the aircraft just after they lifted off the runway with my camera. I hung around the airport so much they pretty well let me wander and explore anywhere I wanted. No airport security back then. Then, one day, a RAAF C-130 A model landed at Devonport. I was transfixed and after the huge turbo props stopped turning, I strolled out onto the apron and started taking photographs. One of the RAAF crewmen came out of the rear ramp and I thought I was in trouble for a minute. But this man in a cool green flight suit came over and asked me if I'd like a look around, "his aircraft". I learned that he was the Loadmaster and before each flight he had to sign for the aircraft so, it truly was 'his'. That kind Loadmaster, didn't know it but he was my 'recruiting officer'. I did my first 'serious' drawings of the aircraft that fascinated me at Devonport Airport and continued drawing them until I became too busy with my jobs in the Service. That place also started me on a lifelong attraction to modelling aircraft kits; something I'm still doing at age 67. Thank you, Mike for bringing back so many happy memories for me with this video. Cheers, Bill H.
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 G'day Mike, your outstanding aircraft art and the work of other aircraft artists have been vital to growing the scale modelling kit industry. The box art is the point of imagination that makes us want to buy that kit and aspire to create a model based on the illustration. Thank you for your kind comments. I get a genuine kick from hearing from you; one so talented but also one that shares my passion for aircraft imagery, imagination and 'magic' All the best, Mike, take care. Cheers, Bill H.
As a youngster my first ever flight was on an F-27 operated by East-West Airlines from rural NSW to Sydney. What I didn't know at that time was a few years later I would be working as an aircraft mechanic maintaining F-27s.
G'day Bill, my first ever flight in any aircraft was a TAA F27, Melbourne to Wynyard and return a week later. I grew up under the base leg for Essendon Airport Rwy17, falling in love with the RR Dart as fitted to the F27, the Viscount, the Draggie on the odd occasion they ventured to Melbourne, and of course, the massive Armstrong-Whitworth Argosy. All passing directly over our house before turning final. Images in my head I treasure still.
Great history! I flew the FH-227B for Ozark Air Lines, 1978-1980, for 1,000 hours. It was a difficult airplane to fly, and was very solid/well built. I went on to fly for TWA and American Airlines, retiring after 40 years-ending up on the Boeing 767 for 28 years. Also, it was a FH-227 flying a rugby team, that crashed in the Andes in 1972. It held together pretty well, for hitting a mountain. Ultimately 16 survived, after being stranded 72 days! My mother in law’s boyfriend, from Montevideo Uruguay, went to high school and was friends with all of those aboard. The survivors never talked about their ordeal. A good movie was made about it, called ALIVE.
I rode in F-27's on Ozark back in the 70's. Routes around Iowa and always winding up in Chicago. I think they had a few Martin 404's as well. My first-ever airplane ride was in an Ozark DC-3 from Mason City to Minneapolis back around 1964. I liked those F-27's.
@@Vico649 yes I know, but they had no other choice to survive! That’s why my friend said his high school classmates in Montevideo never spoke about it.
Nice video. The F-27 was hugely popular here in Australia and in Papua New Guinea. Both Ansett Airways and TAA (Trans Australia Airways), primarily, flew them here. My dad flew them for Air New Guinea in the 70's as well as the F-28 jet as many expat Australian pilots did. The distinct RR Dart noise was a favourite of mine. And you are right, the true believers always sat near the undercarriage so we could watch it retract and extend then touch down. Thanks for the memory hit.
My family lived in Page, AZ in the 1960's during the construction of Glen Canyon Dam. Bonanza Airlines had morning and late evening flights and it was a thrill for a plane crazy kid to see the F-27s land and take off. I can still hear the engines' shrill whistle. Bonanza's color scheme was the best. Thanks, Mike.
Bonanza flew their F-27’s into San Diego when I was growing up. They made a very quick stop on their way to Los Angeles. They always kept the no 2 engine running during the brief stop and they were loud. I thought their livery was one of the best, always liked orange. Once got to speak to a first officer and he said they were a very good airplane and perfect for Bonanza. I miss the sounds of the Dart engine, a nice whine.
I have traveled in F-27 lots of times. We who work in aviation nickname it "dogs spreader" as the R&R Dart engine, with its high pitch sound, makes all dogs go away from the airport vincinity.. 😂
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 hi Mike, could you do a video on the history of the Blue angles please (if you haven't already)... Only the other day I acquired the Hasegawa 1/72 scale "history of the blue angels" box set and while it does NOT include the 2 prop aircraft type the team flew IT DOES include a panther, a cougar, a tiger, a phantom and a Skyhawk.... It doesn't include the F/A-18 hornet as the set was released sometime between 1974 and 1986 when the Skyhawk was their then current aircraft.
I lived in Amsterdam as a boy and I have heard and seen those lovely F-27s pass overhead many times (many times distracting me from penning my homework of course). Their Rolls-Royce Dart engines produced a slightly whining sound, quite pleasant actually and I distinctly remember the eventual F-50 being test flown around the north of Holland, which at the time I assumed to be a 'disguised" F-27, its characteristic oval portholes masked off by adhesive foil or something, and with subsequently painted-on mock, smaller, rectangular ones. Don't know if this was really so, but to this day I regret the deletion of the former window style with the advent in production of the F-50.
Interesting point, and much like the large widely-spaced windows on the Douglas DC-8 vs. smaller closely-spaced windows on the 707 and 880/990, the Fokker 50's window spacing is based on the need for different seating configurations for specific airlines as well as the ability to change seat pitch for passenger density. That way, every row has a window near a seat. Thanks for watching!
Hello Mike, thank you for the memories. I was fortunate enough to fly on a Malaysian Airlines F-27 in April 1974 at Subang Airport (Malaysia), a treat from my parents for doing well in my exams. I can still remember walking from the terminal to plane. I still fly from Subang these days on business flights but on ATR-72.
As another aviation geek, I appreciated this video Mike, as always. I especially liked the reference to Ozark which flew out of my home town of Peoria, IL. I rode in an FH-227 one time, by the window to watch the gear. My lasting memory was how noisy the cabin was with those turboprops right outside the window.
You ever seen that meme of Hitler losing it from the film 'Downfall'? That's a Dutch aircraft enthusiast being asked about the demise of Fokker. 20 - 30 minutes of pure rage. An impressive sight to behold.
NAC New Zealand ran the Fokker F27 as replacement for the DC3. I recall as a child, the difference of sitting on the ground facing "uphill" in the DC3 compared to sitting flat in the F27. Also, it was so much more comfortable than the noisy, shaking DC3. I later travelled on the Viscount and really liked that experience.
The opening of Wellington Airport at Rongotai in1959 came with an air display. An opportunity was there to show case two of the DC3 replacements the Government owned Corporation, NAC were evaluating. The two main contenders were the Fokker F27 Friendship and the Handley Page Herald. Because the country, Aotearoa New Zealand, was still then dependent on exporting agricultural products to the United Kingdom, prior to their joining the EU, or EEC, as the trading block was then known, central government and local Anglophiles favoured the HP Herald. However, the choice of the Fokker F27 was made. These proved to be a robust and reliable aircraft until they were replaced with Boeing 737s in 1968. Not forgetting that in 1958 Vickers Viscount prop liners were introduced on the trunk routes of New Zealand.
Glad to see a fellow Kiwi mention NAC and later Air New Zealand Friendships. While I never got to ride on one I watched them takeoff and land many times at New Plymouth airport in the 1970's. They had a presence in Aotearoa/New Zealand for 30 years (1960 - 1990).
Actually the Boeing 737s from 1968 replaced the Viscounts. The Friendships flew on untill 1990. My first flight was on a Friendship, Wellington to Christchurch in 1973. The return flight was a 737. I don't think aircraft choices in NZ were unduly influenced by 'Anglophile preferences'. As, in both civilian and military roles, NZ operated many US, along with British aircraft. And for that matter, also NZ built aircraft. While the Friendship, was of course from the Netherlands. However, to the extent there were 'Anglophile influences'. Well, although not all. Nevertheless, the majority of NZrs had British ancestral ties. And like other Commonwealth countries. NZ, as a nation, was largely based on British cultural foundations. But also with many Maori cultural influences and factors. Love it or hate it. That is the reality.
Thanks for taking me down memory lane. The F227 was my first big break at flying for a new airline Connect Air out of Santa Barbara, CA. It was my first part 121 Captain job, that later helped finding a job with Braniff. I loved the the F227 that were prior Champion Spark Plug corporate airplanes. Yes the Dart engines earned their names as Dog Whistles. Not well suited for the hot Las Vegas route in the summer. The water meth injection system was a very brief takeoff thrill, but it lack any performance when its hot. Had my first turbine engine fire in this plane on takeoff out of San Jose. The accessory gear drive shaft came loose and broke a burner can that started the fire. We reported earlier of the vibration issue weeks prior but it was never found by the mechanics in time. I will always remember this special plane as my first Type Rating, and my first 121 job.
I'd like to thank Mike for making Monday mornings much better by making these videos. Nobody looks forward to going to work after the weekend (especially in June) but at least we have these videos to look forward to. Also, I can't recall if Mike mentioned this in an earlier video, but has he seen and is he going to do a review, or just give his thoughts, on Top Gun: Maverick? I've noticed a bunch of other aviation channels have talked about it and wanted to hear Mike's take. Cheers!
Appreciate the comment, thanks Jon, and yes, I plan a commentary on TOP GUN Maverick in the weeks ahead. Overall, a real Hollywood blockbuster film - highly recommended!
These were very popular for regional air travel in Australia and I was lucky enough to be a passenger a few times. In those days I asked if I could see the cockpit and was taken forward just before landing at Sydney right on sunset. I'll never forget the clouds from above with unimaginable colours and sadly I had to return to my seat.
For anyone who wants to know, in the Netherlands there is an F27 near the Fokker Technic company. Converted into a Bed and Breakfast. So if you can no longer fly in it, sleeping is still possible. b&b friendship in the village of Hoogerheide. Thanks for the amazing tribute To this Fokker F27!
Thanks for another great video! This one hits close to home as it was the first plane I worked on as an A&P starting in the late 80's with Britt Airways. Our nickname for them was the 'whistle-pig'. Lots of memories. It was such a change going from those historic water-methanol eating, push-pull tube controlled Rolls Royce Darts to the 'fly-by-wire' P&W 120's on Embraers and ATR's when Britt was bought by Continental Express.
Mr. Machat I am a 58-year old, lifetime aviation enthusiast who grew up in Southern California and it’s amazing what I have learned from some of your videos. This is one of my favorites episodes so far. It is amazing how much interesting and insightful information YOU can convey in 13 minutes! This series would be a wonderful series for the History Channel or some other outlet. You sir are a wonderfully talented individual and your love for the subject matter is evident in what you do. Thank you sincerely for your time and efforts putting these wonderful pieces together. It truly is a celebration of aviation.
Thank you, Mike, for honoring one of my favorite airplanes. The F-27 has always held a special place, as I have fond memories flying on an Indian Airlines example in the 1960s. I was struck how fast the take-off seemed, so close to the runway. And I remember seeing the landing gear come down as we approached (then) Bombay. Alas, the type and airline had a less-than-stellar safety record, as I have recently found out. However, those flights are forever in my mind. Later in life, I lived in an apartment that was on the approach to Schiphol (Amsterdam, Netherlands). I loved the distinctive sound of those Rolls-Royce Darts. Lovely airplane!
The Fokker F27 was one of the first planes that had glue technology used in stead of riveting. Also most F27s used pneumatic systems rather than hydraulic systems for various controls. While the glue technique was very advantages, the pneumatics proved to have a few drawbacks.
Australia loved the Fokker Friendship. It was our regional plane of the 60s till the 80s ! Flown by Ansett-ANA, TAA , East-West Airlines, Airlines of NSW, Macrobertson-Miller, and others. Noisy. Bumpy But incredibly reliable and safe !
In 1984 my first A&P job out of the military was at Midstate Airlines out of the Central Wisconsin Airport. We operated the Metroliner and F-27 aircraft. The F-27 was very interesting with the pneumatic landing gear. As I recall you could lock 2 of the 3 and swing 1 gear to save air. The can annular Dart engines seemed very crude. I remember changing the burner cans with a 2x4 piece of wood. The prop was "torqued" using a very large dead blow hammer. Many years ago with some fond memories. Thanks for the video Mike, nice work!
Thank you again for another wonderful video Mr. Machat! I'm not very familiar with the Fokker aircraft line save for a few WWI planes and the newer regional jets. Amazing history well done once again. Love the channel and all of your presentations! As always God bless you and yours and thanks again for all you do! Take care always Sir!
Thank you for sharing, Mike. I loved to hear the Ozark F-27s power up for take off. I always thought that the plane was singing, because of the pitch of the engine roaring through the propellers. I'd tell my grandfather that, "it was happy because it was going to fly." :)
I knew the late William (Bill) F. Mellberg who was the author of the book, "Famous Airliners." He, at one time, worked for Fokker Aircraft in the 1970s and was in charge of the promotion of the VFW 614 twin jet airliner in North America. Bill once told me that in terms of interchangeable parts between the Fairchild F-27 and the Fokker F.27, the only items common between the two aircraft were the landing gear assemblies and engines. Great video on the Fokker/Fairchild Friendship airliners and thanks for sharing!
Were the American aircraft "built" from a kit (supplied by Fokker), or built outright by Fairchild? Got to fly a F27 on MAS (Malaysian Airline System) KUL - PEN (RT) in '85, and then flew Kota Kinabalu - Sandakan (Malaysia) in 92. Great view of Mt. Kinabalu.
I flew on many an F-27 in my childhood on Bonanza airlines, the company my father worked for. My brother and I would always fight over the window seat next to the landing gear! Fond memories indeed.
They originally flew with the National Airways Corporation (NAC) which was amalgamated into Air New Zealand to become their domestic operation. Mount Cook being an Air NZ subsidiary. My first ever flight was on one in NAC livery in 1975
Thanks. I remember seeing these at the Cincinnati airport as a kid. Mom would take to the Sky Galley Restaurant where we would watch them. Good memories.
I flew Hughes Air West F-27's from Orange County, CA to Las Vegas every week. Good ride, dependable aircraft and a great performance history. Fairchild has a history of designing and producing some very fine aircraft.
Another great video on aviation history Mike! I worked for Northeast Airlines (NE) when we had 6 FH-227s. I got to ride jump seat one night with a captain I knew, LGA-EEN-LEB round-trip. A great airliner and loved the sounds of the RR Darts.
Great article on the Fokkers. As an east-Malaysian, we flew intercity on F27s and F50s operated by Malaysian Airlines MAS from the 1980s to 2000s until replaced by ATRs. Thanks for bringing back the memories on this reliable workhorses for us South East Asian viewers.
a joy and great childhood memory. I loved to sit by the window next to gear and look at it retracting and extending. Most of all, the sound of the engines and prop, it's unique!
The Friendship was flown extensively in Australia. I just read in Wikipedia that an F27 crash in Queensland was pivotal in the development of the concept of a black box for commercial aircraft. I flew on the friendship a few times as a child. I'm pretty sure that one flight was from Sydney to Cooma for a skiing trip. Now, many of the routes flown by the Friendship are flown by the Dash 8 Q400, a similar high wing twin turboprop. Another aircraft which I don't think you mentioned was the Hawker Siddley HS748. I think we flew on one from Nadi to Suva in Fiji.
@@mjr320 Ansett were still flying Electras in and out of Brisbane as freighters in the early 80's. There were four of them, with registration VH-RMx, where x = A to D inclusive. One of those aircraft is/was still used as an aerial fire-fighting tanker in Canada, but it had a wheels-up landing not so long ago. I heard that the damage was repairable, though, so hopefully it's still flying!
@@DavidHembrow Ahh! I remember the signs for the Fokker factory at Papendrecht when I used to stay in a hotel there whilst visiting my company's facilities in Dordrecht.
Loving your videos! I remember flying on an Ozark Airlines F-27 flying from San Antonio, after finishing basic training at Lackland AFB, flying to Champaign, IL. I was heading to Chanute AFB for Air Force Firefighter training. Thanks for the memory!
Thanks Mike. I first flew the F27 in Papua New Guinea in the 1970s. Great aircraft except for the screaming engines. I spent a lot of time with my fingers in my ears while waiting in passenger terminals. Hush kits did help a lot when airport noise restrictions became an issue many years later. Flew the F27-500 again from the mid 1990s until my retirement (and the retirement of that particular aircraft) in 2011. A solid reliable aircraft capable of quite long distances when fitted with long range tanks.😊
Great presentation, Mike. I was privileged to fly in an F-27 from San Diego to Palm Springs for a company seminar. Very comfortable, and the cockpit door was kept open all the way.
Very interesting video, thanks! I remember those Swift Aire F-27s flying over my school in San Luis Obispo when I was in sixth grade in 1980. I loved airplanes and it was so exciting to see such big planes flying into little old SLO! I never got to fly on one, but I sure dreamed about it!
When the aircraft was built it crabbed 3 degrees. Fokker's engineers spent 6 months, under lots of pressure, trying to rectify the problem. They couldn't do it. It didn't stay that way of course - the means of resolution was offsetting the tail 3 degrees to compensate. I got that from my father who after being made redundant by Qantas returned to the Netherlands. He worked for Fokker as did his brother. My father's involvement was research on rust in the fuel tanks (which his boss claimed as his own work - where my old man typically decked him and left the company.)
Rode it on Aloha Airlines, in Hawaii. I always wanted the under wing window seat, so I could watch the landing gear go up/down. Thanks for the memories.
I flew the F27 and the FH 27 and the FK 50 and the CV580 fun airplanes to fly.the weak point of the F27 was the pneumatic landing gear system in the winter seals would shrink and the air would leak past the seals. Making the gear extensions slow! More than once In the winter I had to make a go around due gear issues. The CV 580 was a great airplane! One thing I will never forget about the Fokker! 80 degrees temp F and 80 degrees PLA gave you water meth injection for take off! And the propeller stops! This engine was the most complicated prop to learn! More than the CV580!
As a kid I flew on Bonanza Airlines from Orange County to Tucson and back. At Orange county there was a single room wooden building with one employee to sell tickets and take your bags. It was at the base of the original rotating beacon. I think the one-way price was either $35 or $40. The flight would go to Yuma, Phoenix and then to Tucson. I loved the window seat as well to watch the gear cycle and the tries skid along the runway on touchdown. This airplane has beautiful memories for me because it was the only time I was away from my feuding divorced parents and could dream of being an airline pilot. It was magic for a 12 year old. Thanks
I worked for Mohawk Airlines at JFK and LGA in the late 60s until they merged with Allegany Airlines in the early 70s. Mohawk operated the F-227 version only. It was the replacement for the Convair 440. It was at about the same time the Bac-111 jets were being added to their fleet. When the Conairs were retired and operating only F-227s and Bac-111s they referred to the airline as the only all jet fleet in the industry at that time. Because of it’s large windows and great passenger visibility the plane was called the Vista Jet. Working for any airline back then was a hoot!
Awesome video, Thanks so much for the memories. Living under the JFK area the Pilgrim Airlines Fokkers were very popular. Later still I would travel on those same Fokkers from my Navy Homeport in Groton CT. to JFK. Back in those days Regional airlines flew at low altitudes and the feeling of speed was very noticeable, before the FAA ordered everyone up in altitude over Long Island. Great stuff Mile
The F 27 was a great plane I travelled on the then new Nigeria Airways planes as a child. It was a popular aircraft in that continent and replaced the DC3 . Nice video
Mike, superb video, as always! Here in Israel, the regional skies were initially ruled by Heralds and Viscounts, later to be succeeded by Dash-7s and ATR’s. There was a single F27 which managed to find its way into one of the fleets for a year or two, could always be detected by the typical Dart whine as it was taxiing, compared to the super quiet Dash’s and ATR’s. Re the old F35’s 2 and 3 bladed props, my guess is that the rear had to have 3 blades (although typically less efficient than 2), due to the limited vertical clearance under the wing. Keep those great videos coming!
I travelled in 1974 in a F27-Friendship with Royal Air Maroc, from Malaga,Spain to Cacablanca in Morocco, wit a stop in Tangier, nice ride, passed the rock in Gibraltar, got a great sight of it, at all a good nimble airplane.
Never flew on the F-27 but it was a regular at our local airport with Bonanza, PSA, and Air West for most of my youth and early adult till I moved away and lost touch with the goings on there. Turboprops were shrilly nuisances on the ground with the king of shreik being the Garret AiResearch TP331 equiped Fairchild Swearingen Metroliners that use to fly for Ameriflight bringing UPS cargo into our local airport(not where I grew up). When one of those came taxing up, I use to go into the bathroom and lock it till it shutdown. Working around that plane constantly would guarantee permanent hearing loss even with ear protection. Always felt sorry for the crews as their answer to any question when departing was usually "What?" But it was a hotrod and the pilots loved that.
Great stuff Mike! I never flew the F-27, but I rode jump seat on it fairly often. The first time, very shortly after leaving the gate, I heard a quick psssst. I asked, "What was that?" I was told that the F-27 didn't use hydraulics; it used pneumatics. I thought that was pretty cool!
As a born and raised amsterdammer i fondly remember the 50/70 and 100 flying over my house as a kid. Flown on them as well. As well as on the Md11 which KLM retired not that long ago.
Great vlog as always! Good job on US side of things. You forgot to mention the two first airlines to buy the F-27, Aer Lingus and Braathens S.A.F.E of Norway. Australia and NZ also fell in love with the F-27. BU (Braathens) flew it above 80 deg. North! This was the bread and butter aircraft for many an airline. This was the money maker that made the same airlines able to buy small/medium jets 10 yrs later.
This is the first airplane I ever flew on. Circa 1964 from Fresno, CA to Hollywood Burbank, CA. I think it was Pacific Airlines precursor to PSA. So thrilling for a young boy of 8.
I live near London City airport, where several airlines used these aircraft and I've flown on them from LCY to Amsterdam with KLM. Great little aircraft, comfortable unless the weather was bad, when it could be rather 'lively'!
I flew on the F-27 many times when stationed in Turkey in the 1970s. Great memories of a great plane. My usual stops including Istanbul, Ankara and Samsun. F-27s were the backbone of all regional Turk Hava Yolari flights. My last flight in Turkey was on a new jet (I believe it was the Fokker 100) the fleet of which was to replace the F-27s.
I got the f27 maintenance endorsement almost 20 years ago. didn't work on it for very long, but it was an interesting aircraft, particularly in how it utilized pneumatics throughout its systems. We had one fh-227 and two f27's.
Thanks for posting this. Worked in the Fokker (not Fairchild) version many years ago in my first job out of highschool, ranging from flight line ("ramp" in the USA) operations through to heavy maintenance (e.g. "Check 3") in the hangar. I guess I had a "love / hate" relationship with this aircraft.
I used to planespot at Middleton St George in County Durham, UK. A European company called DanAir had a sizable fleet of F27s for domestic and short haul continental services. They were very popular with travelers. Thanks for a good video history. 👍👍👍🇬🇧
I flew on a "THY Fly & Die" Fokker 27 (Turkey) in the mid 60's, We had goats and chickens onboard as part of a wedding dowry. Actually the pilots were very good at diving for the runway between the mountains.
In the mid to late 1980’s, I flew on an Ozark F-27, or 227 (I can’t remember which now) from O’hare to Omaha. It was a milk run, with two or three intermediate stops. I could have chosen a direct flight on a DC-9, but had never been on an F-27 and wanted the experience. The flight was fine but for one problem. The cabin interior wall panels were held on with screws, many of them. Each screw had a thin metal washer. They looked fine and I really didn’t notice them until the engines ran up to power for takeoff. Then it was revealed that every one of those screws had backed out about half a turn, enough to make each washer slightly loose. All of those washers buzzed a high pitched buzz on their screws all the way from O’hare to Omaha. It was perhaps akin to flying inside a hive of angry bees.
As a kid I used to love watching the Air West multi-colored schemed F-27s fly into and out of Monterey, CA in the late '60s. Still liked them painted up as bananas for Hughes Airwest but not as much as the earlier versions.
One of my earliest flights was on this plane, the Fairchild-Hiller 227. They were sort of a stopgap for Piedmont Airlines, between the Martin 404 and the NAMC YS-11. My strongest memory of the first flight was losing the left engine just after takeoff, and seeing the big star on Mill Mountain in Roanoke, VA quickly go from the 6:00 position to 8:00 before the pilot got the plane leveled out. We swung around and went back in to Roanoke. Quite a thrill! We transferred to an old 404 and twenty minutes later, we landed in Lynchburg. The next day, Spiro Agnew was nominated for VP!
Fun ride for the passengers. With the high wing you had the best view of your entire route of flight, in addition to watching all the airfoils in action, as well as the main landing gear.
I travelled many times on F27 in Australia from Townsville to Mount Isa. They were operated by TAA there in the 1970's . Great views out of the windows but they smelt of kerosene.
Our Cessna has the registration of an New Zealand NAC/ Air New Zealand F27-500 ZK- NFJ. Always liked seeing them fly over into Timaru from Oamaru and Wellington. My first big plane trip and will always be a sentimental type.
