View Full Version : First Air 727s in Europe
Spenda
31st May 2002, 09:32
Recently I've seen a couple of First Air 727s sitting on the ramp at Cork and at Edinburgh. These aircraft seem a long way from home. Can anyone tell me what they are doing over here. Are the crews Canadian, or are the aircraft dry leased to someone in Europe. Thanks
monkey lover
31st May 2002, 10:03
They are operating for Air Contractors on behalf of EAT/DHL etc etc
OnTheStep
31st May 2002, 10:35
won't be there for much longer, they've lost the contract and are pulling out of europe. talk of a bunch of crews(6-8) getting sacked as a result as well.
JW411
31st May 2002, 19:08
One of them gave a whole new meaning to "express parcel delivery" at ORK last year. They took off with the rear belly door unsecured and as VR was called, the aircraft rotated and so did the rear belly door!
The nets weren't up either and so it was that DHL's parcels got distributed all the way to the coast at Kinsale. Some of them also took out the right engine.
Amazingly, the cargo door was still attached to the aircraft when they landed but the hinges were a tad bent!
They were very lucky that the door didn't come off.
ehwatezedoing
1st Jun 2002, 18:03
A bit of topic but First Air is not alone with this kind of mistake/malfunction
take a look here (http://airliners.net/open.file?id=203157&WxslERv=RG91Z2xhcyBEQy04LTYzQUY%3D&WdsYXMg=VGFtcGEgQ29sb21iaWE%3D&QtOD):o
ehwatezediong:
Many thanks for that - what an amazing picture!
Mind you, if the door had come off the Diesel 8 it might have done a hell of a lot less damage to the crew in the end than the rear belly door on a B727 with its T-tail configuration?
ehwatezedoing
2nd Jun 2002, 01:13
Hmmmmm...... I don't think so.
A mishap like this in cruising speed with the DC-8 & the cargo door will probably act like a
"can opener" before living the airframe :eek: