Ansett and the Fokker Friendship
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Australia
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think the control lock incident happened to Captain Ian Strother of Airlines of New South Wales. His son was Russell, who passed on as described. Russell flew for Ansett in WA and may have been on the F50 but I am not sure. I believe Ian is still alive and still feels the loss of his son terribly.
From memory Vno was 223 kt for the F27 and the structure of the F 50 was basically the same, so makes sense. My logbooks show 7200 hours in command on it. Can't say I either loved it or hated it, but it was a good little meal ticket at the time.
I had the privilege of ferrying several of the 'Yellow Canaries' that were still in Air NSW colours across the Pacific to the USA. We put extra tanks in them to give them a (relatively safe) 2300 nm range for the hop from Hilo to Los Angeles.
I well remember handing one over to a Yank Chief Pilot, complete with Ansett manuals and checklists. He was astounded at the complexity in the SOPs etc that Ansett had created, making a comment along the lines of "how the hell did they ever get that thing airborne with all that bullsh!t?"
For an aeroplane that was designed as a DC3 replacement it was ideal at the time. A very simple thing to fly and operate, propeller system notwithstanding.
I had the privilege of ferrying several of the 'Yellow Canaries' that were still in Air NSW colours across the Pacific to the USA. We put extra tanks in them to give them a (relatively safe) 2300 nm range for the hop from Hilo to Los Angeles.
I well remember handing one over to a Yank Chief Pilot, complete with Ansett manuals and checklists. He was astounded at the complexity in the SOPs etc that Ansett had created, making a comment along the lines of "how the hell did they ever get that thing airborne with all that bullsh!t?"
For an aeroplane that was designed as a DC3 replacement it was ideal at the time. A very simple thing to fly and operate, propeller system notwithstanding.
Bottums Up
Drop down oxy at F310 not required if no pax, say a ferry flt. 
My first flight was in a TAA F27, Essendon to Canberra, aged 14. I already knew I wanted to fly but that flight was just mesmerizing.
My first flight was in a TAA F27, Essendon to Canberra, aged 14. I already knew I wanted to fly but that flight was just mesmerizing.
Fokker F.27 Friendship Australia
That website details the history of them all in Oz service.
Check out the data on VH-FNG -
Aircraft had flown 84,360 hours with 89,997 cycles
This aircraft had the distinction of having the highest number of cycles of all F.27s ever in service, withdrawn in 1999 after starting in 1961!
That website details the history of them all in Oz service.
Check out the data on VH-FNG -
Aircraft had flown 84,360 hours with 89,997 cycles
This aircraft had the distinction of having the highest number of cycles of all F.27s ever in service, withdrawn in 1999 after starting in 1961!
Geez ... you guys must be old.
I can remember, as an 8 year old, in the 60s, travelling SYD-WG in an ANSW F27 ... every school holidays ... to visit relatives.
Each flight nearly always included a trip to the cockpit. Special stuff.
And no, Captain, I don't like watching gladiator movies
I can remember, as an 8 year old, in the 60s, travelling SYD-WG in an ANSW F27 ... every school holidays ... to visit relatives.
Each flight nearly always included a trip to the cockpit. Special stuff.
And no, Captain, I don't like watching gladiator movies
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 484
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
As a kid living in Sydney in 1969, I paid $4 for a mystery flight with Airlines of NSW. In F27 VH-FNC the flight was Syd to Dubbo,but Dubbo was fogged in,so we went to Nyngan low level(I remember seeing cattle scattering as we hurtled along). Anyhoo,after sitting at Nyngan for an hour or so,it was reboarding,then Dubbo & Sydney..... what an adventure,one of those memorable times in life.
I remember well flying the F27 with scare uk (air uk) in 1986/87. The first thing the company did when acquiring an aircraft was sell the autopilot and l recall one arrived from Ansett complete with the autopilot which they left in place. Not sure if anyone knew how to use the thing. A regular run was a 6/7 sector day to the channel islands (jersey, Guernsey) and with no A/P , handflying the thing in the hold above jersey for an hour waiting for the murk to lift soon lost its appeal.
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: back of the crew bus
Posts: 1,312
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ah yes I flew for Air UK for a while too. G-BNCY and G-BVOM had autopilots if I recall correctly, they took a while to warm up but worked OK. Otherwise it was manual all the way, not too bad on the short sectors but we did Stansted to Cologne a few times and that was three hours.. no fun flying manually.
G-BVOM is now in a museum I think, G-BNCY was lost in a landing accident at Guernsey.
We never bothered holding at Jersey, we just went back to Southampton for a coffee and sticky bun...
G-BVOM is now in a museum I think, G-BNCY was lost in a landing accident at Guernsey.
We never bothered holding at Jersey, we just went back to Southampton for a coffee and sticky bun...
The first two F27s operated by Air UK when it was still Air Anglia were G-BAKL and G-BAUR. The Chief Pilot of the time 'Spud' Murphy did not believe that we needed autopilots. Aberdeen to Amsterdam and back at night became a bit tedious. At the time they also had two DC3s remaining in the fleet which retained the original hydraulic autopilots - probably because it was virtually a no-maintenance item. I much preferred the DC3 anyway, but the autopilot sealed the deal for me, and I continued to fly it at every opportunity in preference to the F27.
laying on the nostalgia now a bit chasps . . . . (p'raps it's all we now have to look forward to)
RE - close calls . . . . nothing comes near the DC-4 and the Airspeed Ambassador holding in thick cloud over Paris. The first that was known of their proximity was someone later on a walk round noticed some scrape marks.
RE - close calls . . . . nothing comes near the DC-4 and the Airspeed Ambassador holding in thick cloud over Paris. The first that was known of their proximity was someone later on a walk round noticed some scrape marks.
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Devonport Tasmania Australia
Posts: 1,837
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Fantome
TFB was in fact the 1st delivered. TFA was originally built with the slightly shorter solid nose and was being retrofitted with the radome and weather radar.
Fathom
Did the DPO WNY run many times as living in Devonport and working in Burnie Wynyard if I was on early and ovgerslept I woulod tear out and catch TN990 to work and TN997 home.
A few mornings 500 coastal minma got down to 150 and it was always on the jump seat.
Great days on the F27.
16.5 wet - and away we go.
Best all.
EWL
TFB was in fact the 1st delivered. TFA was originally built with the slightly shorter solid nose and was being retrofitted with the radome and weather radar.
Fathom
Did the DPO WNY run many times as living in Devonport and working in Burnie Wynyard if I was on early and ovgerslept I woulod tear out and catch TN990 to work and TN997 home.
A few mornings 500 coastal minma got down to 150 and it was always on the jump seat.
Great days on the F27.
16.5 wet - and away we go.
Best all.
EWL
TFB ('Abel Tasman') all sparkling new with her dayglo fin and rudder looked a picture of Dutch fine lines and that certain purposeful just rightness.
Flew SYD-CBR in her, would have been '57 or '58. On arrival took several B & W photos with the old 620 camera. Twenty years on and
endorsed on type by Sutto, (former FAA Firefly pilot - he who spoke of once flying in close proximity to a great stately galleon, the Saro Princess). TFK was that baptismal Frugal . SYD-TMW, empty, then straight into s/e circuits.
Ah EWL . . . . the jump-seat tales! . . . .. next winter old cockalorum . .. round the fire. ("What should we be doing now Michael? . . .. . . "
Or prising off the four inch diameter round plastic cover styled "FOKKER" in cursive from the wheel that looked like an early Holden steering wheel centre piece (and horn) and finding cryptic notes tucked inside, mostly highly offensive. Or taxying out and finding the steering far too sensitive and twitchy and being tapped on the shoulder by a certain Naomi and told "Jerky Jack - cabin's ready")
Flew SYD-CBR in her, would have been '57 or '58. On arrival took several B & W photos with the old 620 camera. Twenty years on and
endorsed on type by Sutto, (former FAA Firefly pilot - he who spoke of once flying in close proximity to a great stately galleon, the Saro Princess). TFK was that baptismal Frugal . SYD-TMW, empty, then straight into s/e circuits.
Ah EWL . . . . the jump-seat tales! . . . .. next winter old cockalorum . .. round the fire. ("What should we be doing now Michael? . . .. . . "
Or prising off the four inch diameter round plastic cover styled "FOKKER" in cursive from the wheel that looked like an early Holden steering wheel centre piece (and horn) and finding cryptic notes tucked inside, mostly highly offensive. Or taxying out and finding the steering far too sensitive and twitchy and being tapped on the shoulder by a certain Naomi and told "Jerky Jack - cabin's ready")