Shorts 360 Ex-Flight Crew Required
@ SFCC, ditto 
My favourite trick was telling the Captain that the coffee was just arriving - if you were flying you could feel the change of CG when the CC walked along from the rear to the cockpit.
My favourite trick was telling the Captain that the coffee was just arriving - if you were flying you could feel the change of CG when the CC walked along from the rear to the cockpit.
Many years ago, I was walking alongside a Gill Air captain from the security post to the apron one morning. The based aircraft he drove was a 360 but he was confronted with the sight of a 330 as we walked round the corner. His jaw dropped a mile as the words "You have got to be effing joking!' echoed all around.
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Many years ago, I was walking alongside a Gill Air captain from the security post to the apron one morning. The based aircraft he drove was a 360 but he was confronted with the sight of a 330 as we walked round the corner. His jaw dropped a mile as the words "You have got to be effing joking!' echoed all around.
How it every got a CofA beats me.
Suffice to say they were great fun days and if you offered my a trip tomorrow I would jump at it.
Back before the ending of the cold war, I used to work C23As in and out of Greenham Common every day; what happened to them, were they sold off or are they parked 'somewhere in Arizona'?
Wikipedia is quite clear about the history of the Sherpa’s after the Cold War.
After some work back in the States and a bit in Iraq most of them are sold of.
According Aironline.nl one was now doing jail house rock as Con Air 2.0.
After some work back in the States and a bit in Iraq most of them are sold of.
According Aironline.nl one was now doing jail house rock as Con Air 2.0.
Shorts 330 (mcneelycharter.com)
I believe some civi 360s were converted to twin tail and freight to become extra C23As for the USAF .
Used to hear them down at the bottom of Green 1 as we staggered upstairs on an Istanbul or such like . Short conversation wondering 'wot it was ... we then were a bit mean giving USAF the nicknames , of which they'd not heard .
rgds dave f.
Used to hear them down at the bottom of Green 1 as we staggered upstairs on an Istanbul or such like . Short conversation wondering 'wot it was ... we then were a bit mean giving USAF the nicknames , of which they'd not heard .
rgds dave f.
condor17
"I believe some civi 360s were converted to twin tail and freight to become extra C23As for the USAF"
Yes, although the converted 360s were designated C-23B+ (some subsequently converted to C-23C).
"I believe some civi 360s were converted to twin tail and freight to become extra C23As for the USAF"
Yes, although the converted 360s were designated C-23B+ (some subsequently converted to C-23C).
When passing through Belfast City from time to time I would always look across the runway to see if there were any Shorts parked at their old factory there. Last must have been about 10 years ago. And probably 20 years for the last Skyvan (the only Shorts I have been in; I did the takeoffs but didn't land in it. You can probably guess the rest).
The conversion involved cutting off both the front and back end of a 360, then reattaching the front end with a frame removed (presumably for C of G reasons).
The back ends of the converted aircraft weren't from retired 330s, bearing in mind that the 330 didn't have the rear loading ramp, so easier to manufacture a new back end from scratch.
As for why the 360 was used as a basis, I assume it was to take advantage of the 360's higher AUW, even allowing for the added complication of shortening the forward fuselage.
When passing through Belfast City from time to time I would always look across the runway to see if there were any Shorts parked at their old factory there. Last must have been about 10 years ago. And probably 20 years for the last Skyvan (the only Shorts I have been in; I did the takeoffs but didn't land in it. You can probably guess the rest).
BEA replaced their Heron Mk 1s (fixed undercarriages) at Glasgow with these (probably having seen the performance of the Loganair Skyvan at Glasgow which, on the run to Stornoway, would reach FL90 - its cruising level - just north of Glasgow if given continuous climb) but I think their service was comparatively short lived.
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BEA/BA's two Skyvans were gone by mid 1975.
Don't forget after the Skyvan and before the '330 there was the 'Skyliner', basically a Skvan without the rear loading ramp.
BEA replaced their Heron Mk 1s (fixed undercarriages) at Glasgow with these (probably having seen the performance of the Loganair Skyvan at Glasgow which, on the run to Stornoway, would reach FL90 - its cruising level - just north of Glasgow if given continuous climb) but I think their service was comparatively short lived.
BEA replaced their Heron Mk 1s (fixed undercarriages) at Glasgow with these (probably having seen the performance of the Loganair Skyvan at Glasgow which, on the run to Stornoway, would reach FL90 - its cruising level - just north of Glasgow if given continuous climb) but I think their service was comparatively short lived.
My abiding memory of the Skyvan was sitting in the RHS alongside Shorts' chief test pilot, who demonstrated a steep approach and tooth-rattling short field landing at GLA. The landing on the next leg, at Aldergrove, was a greaser - probably because the back of the aircraft was by then loaded with missile rocket motors destined for Blowpipes/Javelins, whose transport by overland/ferry was considered too risky in those troubled days.
The 360 was modified with the twin tail and loading ramp for the USAF and called Sherpas.
The 360 fuselage was a bit longer than 330 fuselage, and could carry missiles from one base to another.
There was a number of Sherpas based at Guam in the mid 90’s.
In Australia the 330 was operated by Sunstate Queensland, Sunstate Mildura, Pelair and Airnorth.
Likewise the 360 was operated by Sunstate Queensland, Sunstate Mildura, Murray Valley Airlines, Hazeltons,
Airlines of Tasmania and Commodore Airlines.
The 360 fuselage was a bit longer than 330 fuselage, and could carry missiles from one base to another.
There was a number of Sherpas based at Guam in the mid 90’s.
In Australia the 330 was operated by Sunstate Queensland, Sunstate Mildura, Pelair and Airnorth.
Likewise the 360 was operated by Sunstate Queensland, Sunstate Mildura, Murray Valley Airlines, Hazeltons,
Airlines of Tasmania and Commodore Airlines.
The correct designation for the Short/Shorts 330/360, is "Shed"
Happy times, although the cockpit pre-flight test and set-up, (performed by the F/O of course), was a bit of a chore. We got it down to a minute or so though
Happy times, although the cockpit pre-flight test and set-up, (performed by the F/O of course), was a bit of a chore. We got it down to a minute or so though
Re missiles, you may be thinking of the four second-hand SD3-30s bought for the US Army in FY85 which, as former civilian aircraft, lacked the rear loading ramp and therefore couldn't accommodate the outsize loads that the C-23 could.