Rear Entry

[rog747]

Using the ventral airstairs

Using the ventral airstairs.
I was just wondering when my very First, and my Last ''Rear Entry'' (LOL) boarding using the ventral stairs were (usually under the very LOUD APU running)

I think the firsts have to be either a British Eagle, or a Channel Airways BAC 1-11 in 1967 (I was 10).
Then I recall so many more BAC 1-11's from 1968 of Autair, Caledonian, BUA, Laker, Court Line, BMA, Bavaria Flug, Cambrian, BCAL, Dan Air, Inex Adria, Monarch, BIA and Airways Cymru.

A Sterling Airways Caravelle 12 - brand new in 1971.
Dan Air 727s when they first got them from 1973.
Sterling, and Pan Am 727's
Air Florida and Eastern 727's into and out of Key West - that WAS COOL.
Inex Adria DC-9s and Super 80's
Aviogenex 727.
Iberia 727
KLM DC-9
Aviaco DC-9
Martinair DC-9 33RC
BMA DC-9 32
Canafrica, Lineas Aéreas Canarias (LAC), Oasis, BIA, Airtours International, Airtours International/Finnair lease, Aero Lloyd, and Spanair MD-83s


I really cannot recall though when was my last boarding was - could be a Spanair MD-83 in the noughties?

My most notable rear airstair entry was a PBA Provincetown-Boston Airlines Martin 4-0-4 from Key West to Miami - that was awesome - in the 1980's.
Possibly the first ever type to have ventral airstairs >?

Sorry for the nostalgia (wipes eyes)

[PAXboy]

I agree with TCU that walking across the tarmac at CPT - in either direction is always good. My early experience of rear stairs was in SAA 727s in the 1970s. Then a couple in the USA but I cannot recall details.

I had no idea rog747 that any propliners had ventral stairs. I found pictures online.

[longer ron]

My last use of 'Rear Entry' was a couple of flights LGW - Faro in good ole Sabre Airways 727's circa 1997/98 ?
No idea who I booked the flights through though

[Asturias56]

Aberdeen has always been a great place for using the back door.........................

[treadigraph]

Wish I'd had the money to do a flight in a PBA Martin 404 when I was at Miami in 1984 - trip was rather a tight budget though. I don't suppose it would have been expensive at all...

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by treadigraph

Wish I'd had the money to do a flight in a PBA Martin 404 when I was at Miami in 1984 - trip was rather a tight budget though. I don't suppose it would have been expensive at all...

Only time I've ever seen one was not a million miles away from yours, and round about the same time.

Nassau, mid-80s, not sure if it was airworthy or WFU. Sadly, didn't have time to investigate it as I was being paid for being there - rotten job, but somebody had to do it.

[rog747]

Originally Posted by treadigraph

Wish I'd had the money to do a flight in a PBA Martin 404 when I was at Miami in 1984 - trip was rather a tight budget though. I don't suppose it would have been expensive at all...

I was on Staff Travel - Non Rev - we got near freebies with Laker, Air Florida and on PBA at the times (1980's).

I used to go on holiday flying out from Gatwick to MIA, and then go down to Key West quite often back in the 1980's -
Awesome quaint place for a sunshine holiday back then. especially in the winter months. Roasting hot anytime after April or May.
Great cheap rustic B&B's and one rented a bike and we cycled everywhere.
Conch Fritters and Lime Margaritas was de rigueur for sunsets.

I either drove down from MIA in a Rental Car (so cheap back then for airline staff) on the Overseas Highways, stopping for Lobsters at one of the Keys, such as Marathon or Key Largo.
Usually then flew back to MIA to go home to LGW, or sometimes took the plane both ways.

One evening after an amazing 2 weeks holiday I went out to the tiny Key West Airport to get the PBA flight back to MIA (then we were standby on Air Florida to London - got First Class on that one, awesome!).
I was expecting the DC-3, but we were walked out from the little Terminal to the Martin and boarded using the rear ventral stairs.
Such a nice old plane.
Lovely balmy tropical evening to get on an old prop plane and take off over the blue seas and fly low level up the Keys to MIA.

The Air Florida and Eastern 727s in and out of Key West was quite a white knuckle ride.
40 flaps and loads of power on, for landing on the very short runway, I recall they had nose wheel brakes too.

[PAXboy]

Never heard of nose brakes but the 727 was well liked by flight crews. Certainly beat the pants of the trident - for well known reasons. For me, I have never liked the look of tri-jets. I don't know why but they have always seemed less than a 2 or 4.

[treadigraph]

Originally Posted by DaveReidUK

Only time I've ever seen one was not a million miles away from yours, and round about the same time.

Nassau, mid-80s, not sure if it was airworthy or WFU. Sadly, didn't have time to investigate it as I was being paid for being there - rotten job, but somebody had to do it.

As I recall, that visit in '84 fielded a respectable number of surviving 404s, all the PBA and Marco Island Airways aircraft at Miami, Naples and Marco Island (I recall two dismantled PBA aircraft at KAPF), plus a number of others at various eastern Florida airfields - possibly a 202 as well. Memory says there was an example in faded USCG colours at Opa Locka - not sure if there was or if I've remembered someone else's pic. It was exactly 40 years ago, arrived at Miami on 24th February - almost the first thing I saw was my first Connie, Clipper Dick!

Originally Posted by rog747

I used to go on holiday flying out from Gatwick to MIA, and then go down to Key West quite often back in the 1980's -

Drove down to Key West a couple of times (and had a ride with Fred Cabanas in his UPF-7!) and also later flew down in a C152 with a friend, with a brief stop at Marathon on the way back. Beautiful. Got a photo of sunset with a vintage sailing vessel heading out of the harbour area - what you can't see is the DC-6 rumbling overhead SW towards Central America...

[rog747]

Originally Posted by treadigraph

As I recall, that visit in '84 fielded a respectable number of surviving 404s, all the PBA and Marco Island Airways aircraft at Miami, Naples and Marco Island. It was exactly 40 years ago, arrived at Miami on 24th February -

Drove down to Key West a couple of times and also later flew down in a C152 with a friend, with a brief stop at Marathon on the way back. Beautiful. Got a photo of sunset with a vintage sailing vessel heading out of the harbour area - what you can't see is the DC-6 rumbling overhead SW towards Central America...

Awesome days...

My Martin 404 flight was when Air Florida (QH) was still around and we still got very good Staff Travel Standby deals with them on their Gatwick-MIA run.
Air Florida would go under by summer 1984, so I think my PBA 404 flight was around between Feb and April 1984, or possibly one year earlier...1983.
My last holiday to Key West some years later, I recall going on a Bandeirante.

Provincetown-Boston Airlines (PBA) was founded in 1949 by John C. Van Arsdale in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod.
Seasonal expansion at PBA and contraction was the norm, but with year-round service to all locations.
The larger aircraft were flown in New England during the busy summer months, with the smaller aircraft operating in Florida.
In the winter months, the fleet would be swapped, with the DC-3s and Martin 404s migrating to Florida.
This expansion and the integration of all the new routes, aircraft and personnel, along with the purchase of Marco Airways in 1984 where PBA expanded into the Bahamas, but this brought about technical, safety and administrative shortcomings, which culminated in 2 crashes in July and September 1984.
One pilot was killed when a PBA C402 went down in the sea near Boston Logan, and then the crash of another C402 after take off at Naples FL where one passenger was killed.
An investigation revealed that the aircraft had been refuelled with Jet-A fuel rather than Avgas.
In November 1984, the FAA grounded the airline for this and many other safety violations.
In December 1984, the airline was allowed to return to the skies, but then days later came another fatal crash, when on December 6, 1984, 13 people were killed when a PBA Bandeirante crashed shortly after takeoff from Jacksonville FL. Mechanical problems were to blame for this crash.
Confidence in the airline was lost, the Company was losing money, which then saw the airline in big trouble, and PBA filed for bankruptcy.
PBA clung on with various bail out buyers, eventually merging with Bar Harbor Airlines and operating flights as Eastern Express before closing down in 1988.
The demise of the Airline that had boasted the Nation's oldest continuously operating airliner with a DC-3 N38PB built for American Airlines in 1939.
PBA also flew a DC-3 N136PB that was delivered to Eastern in 1937, she was the pride of the PBA fleet and was then the highest time airliner in the world.
PBA was one of the last U.S. airlines to operate the classic 40-passenger Martin 404 built in 1951 for TWA.



A great shame was when Air Florida went under and so another airline was lost on the Gatwick-Miami run (Laker had gone in 1982).
At their peak of 4 x DC-10 30's, QH would be busy at LGW with often 3 of their DC-10 aircraft seen a day at peak times.


I recall the chaotic scenes at Miami check-in just after the New Year holiday when I was trying to get home to London on Staff Standby, maybe 1982?
Laker had 3 DC-10 flights to Gatwick and all were chock full, so no chance there, and Air Florida had 2 to LGW and 1 to MAN but again no joy!
So I had to go back to my accommodation, and repeat the process on the next two evenings ----
Both GK and QH by now only had one flight each to LGW and again all were full - UGH!

So on night 3, I was running around like a maniac at MIA Terminal E trying to find an airline to get home on...
GK had just one flight, and the QH was delayed 12 hours.
BA and Pan Am were going to LHR but both their check-ins were at ''close-out''.
PAA said Yes we have a seat, but we cannot take your bag here, you have 5 minutes, so you will have to run like hell and take your bag with you to the gate and you may have a chance....Oh!
So, I thought I'm not gonna make that.
A nice lady at BA was just taking down the ''Heathrow'' signs (sigh) above the BA check-in desks and I ran up to her, where she said ''You were here last night!''
I replied Er Yes, and the night before...She said ''Hang on a minute''...
By now the Terminal and check-in areas were almost empty as all the Europe departures were leaving or had left already.
The nice BA lady came back with a Boarding Card and said ''There you go, I can take your bag here, but you do have to run!''
It was a Boarding Card for a seat in Super Club!
I've never run so fast before LOL.
The Fillet Steak was rather nice.

[treadigraph]

My trip to Miami in '84 was with Air Florida... thoroughly enjoyed it, first airline flight in quite a while - recall looking out of the window and seeing Norfolk and Oceana NAS below and Cape Hatteras off the wingtip...

PBA, apart from the 404s there were DC-3s, YS-11s, 402s and the Bandits - past its heyday for propliners but still plenty of them. Mentioned N136PB in the |Telegrapg comments the other day, she's still flying.

As for Self Loading Freight using rear airstairs... one extricated one's self from a Dan-Air 727 at Munich in 1986!