NAMC YS11 returning to the skies..?
 

It seems that's true indeed...:ok:

Fil-Asian Airways Takes Off June 22 ~ Philippine Flight Network

http://www.airliners.net/uf/19055/13714659175MUkH7.jpeg

Best of luck to them: they'll need it. I last drove that particular chariot 26 yeas ago and even then it was a dinosaur rapidly becoming something of a maintenance nightmare. Most airframes went to the bone yard.

Lots (very much lots) of TLC between trips was required to prevent unfortunate things happening to the RR Darts. RR sent a maintenance Rep from Derby - it didn't help because the equation could only be balanced by the application of manpower to the engines, but manpower equaled money - so it didn't happen.

High tech in its day, but that day has long since passed into history.

Engine failure after landing: pulling the props through on the successive preflight gave the sound of glass in a coffee grinder accompanied by considerable mechanical resistance.

Some engines failed in the air: shearing of the N2 drive shaft was a favourite as was the ancient wiring harnesses initiating an auto-feather in cruise flight. Darts don't like that scenario.

Single engine performance isn't as advertised. On one occasion I shut the fuel cock during a test flight to force an auto-feather at 8 degrees pitch and 95 knots (simulated rotation plus a bit for Mum). Very illuminating.

June 22nd ?

Website currently showing "Under construction". Hmmm.

FIL-ASIAN AIR | Under Construction

I always wonder why companies decide to fly such old aircraft from the perspective of cost. Romantic reasons, I understand, I used to fly on them regularly with MidPac Air N109MP Mid Pacific Air | Flickr - Photo Sharing! back in the day and the experience was always pleasant. However, the difficulties as ably explained by cvg2iln whilst operating them years ago spell out the challenges. I can't believe that it would make financial sense, but would be happy to be proved wrong.



SHJ