I have fond memories of the 9. I was in the first batch of f/o's in AN to be endorsed. The Capts were sent over to Air Canada to do simulator and then go to Long Beach for the endorsement.
Us f/o's were to be endorsed at Tullamarine using 09/27 which was scheduled to be completed and available for training but regrettably due to industrial action was subsequently not ready. The Company therefore had no option but to send us over to Long Beach as well. All this took place before the first two a/c arrived in Oz.
Some of us were endorsed by company check capts and some by Douglas pilots. I was fortunate to be with one of the DACO pilots. Dan was very laid back..he flew the 9 like he drove his Beetle. He was frequently heard to remark that we were going to" wear the a/c out checking everything'.
The endorsement was done flying out of LGB to Bakersfield for letdowns and Mojave for circuit work. I still have very fond memories of flying across the Mojave desert at 500 ft at clacker minus 1! Also the traffic around the LA area was very heavy and one very quickly got the head out of the cockpit as we weaved our way over and under traffic both civil and military. The 29 twin locator at LGB used to almost take you through the circuit area of a very busy Marines air base. On one occasion at around 1500 agl I was loking out the window and suddenly 3 phantoms flew beneath us!!
Regarding the 2/3 crew dispute it was as I remember AFAP policy to have 3 crew on jet a/c. It was agreed that during the introduction that there would be a survey done using 3 crew..3 pilots or 2 pilots n an f/e.
DCA had cerified it for 2 crew and as such would only allow the 3rd member to read the normal checklist and start the APU on the ground. Nearly all of us realised there were no problems operating 2 crew.After the Viscount it was a breeze..loved the cockpit lighting at night.
Eventually as more and more crews were checked out and there were not so many pilots doing supernumery and therefore automatically fulfilling the 3 crew req, the AFAP decreed that after a certain date the a/c was not to be crewed by 2 pilots only.
TAA began to roster 2 crew and the pilots refused to operate in defiance of an AFAP directive and so their 9,s were grounded. We at AN had a meeting of the 9 crews and agreed that we also were not going to defy the directive. A deputation went to see "RM' and asked that the Co continue to roster 3 crew so that we would have time to work within the AFAP to try and have the policy changed.
Subsequently it developed into a standoff. AN I think would have been happy to continue ad infinitem. Eventually the AFAP withdrew the Directive and the rest is history.
I remember one morning arriving in AD on the first flt from SYD on that day and having the Senior come into the office after the pax had disembarked and advising there was a bad smell in the forward entry area. Sure enough it smelt like something had died. It wasn't the catering!! it had all been eaten. The engineers were called and eventually found the remains of a cat that had been caught up in the retract mechanism ( chains n cogs from memory) and well and truly mangled.
Seems that the previous night said moggy from the Hangar area in SYD must have decided that the stairwell was a nice warm place for a nap and some one came along and retracted the stairs. Happened twice to me..the second time the Senior came into the office and reported a bad smell. I can still see the look on her face when I casually informed her it was probably a dead cat and I would get the Engineers to remove said cat.
Anyone else out there have a similar experience?
EMERITUS