Jeremy Double wrote:

I've only flown once on a Fokker 50 about 20 years ago (although I've
flown on F27s slightly more recently), so I can't make comparisons.


Are many F27s still flying? I recall them from the same era as the
Viscounts, all of which appear to be long gone, alas.

I particularly liked the Fokker F27 "Friendship" because of the high
wing which meant great views from every window. If I recall correctly,
as a child I flew from Speke to Dublin via Ronaldsway on Aer Lingus in
the 1960s. My return flight from Aldergrove to Speke was in a Cambrian
Airways (BEA) Viscount.

"Tony Polson" wrote in message
...
Jeremy Double wrote:

I've only flown once on a Fokker 50 about 20 years ago (although I've
flown on F27s slightly more recently), so I can't make comparisons.


Are many F27s still flying? I recall them from the same era as the
Viscounts, all of which appear to be long gone, alas.

I particularly liked the Fokker F27 "Friendship" because of the high
wing which meant great views from every window. If I recall
correctly,
as a child I flew from Speke to Dublin via Ronaldsway on Aer Lingus in
the 1960s. My return flight from Aldergrove to Speke was in a
Cambrian
Airways (BEA) Viscount.

They're a few years newer than the Viscount (production ceased in 1987,
vs 1964 for the Viscount), but I don't think many remain in pax service
(some were converted for use as DC-3 freighter replacements).

My experiences in them weren't great: once was on a flight from JFK to
Ottawa. It was a stormy day, and the F27 couldn't climb over the clouds,
so we lurched and bounced all the way there. I suppose it was safe
enough, but was probably the most uncomfortable flight I've ever had. I
hadn't realised that the JFK-YOW route was so quiet that it couldn't
support a jet.

On another occasion a few years later, I was flying from Nairobi to
Mombassa, via Malindi. I'd over-indulged on the flight from London, and
was therefore very hung-over throughout. Landing at Malindi was rather
lively, thanks to a stiff cross-wind, so I was not in good shape by the
time we finally bumped down in Mombassa (promptly throwing up that day's
anti-marial pill).

The experience wasn't helped by the steady trickle of oil flowing out of
the number 1 Dart engine just to my left (one snag with the high wing is
the ability to closely scrutinise the engine for the whole flight). I
just hoped the oil wouldn't run out before we got there.

On Apr 3, 1:34 pm, "Recliner" wrote:

Viscounts, all of which appear to be long gone, alas.

The experience wasn't helped by the steady trickle of oil flowing out of
the number 1 Dart engine

I moved to Luton in 1987.

Before then I took no interest in aircraft, never flown until then.
Luton was new job, international travel, flying. Started taking
interest in planes. Discovered Viscounts fron Luton airpirt to Dublin
and Maastricht, did some trips on both, incl. day trips to Dublin, and
one LHR-IOM return trip. IIRC almost every flight there was a oil
flowing out engines, a small thin brown trail in a neat air swept line
along the engine nacelle. I just thought it was a Dart characteristic.

--
Nick

wrote in message
...
On Apr 3, 1:34 pm, "Recliner" wrote:

Viscounts, all of which appear to be long gone, alas.

The experience wasn't helped by the steady trickle of oil flowing out
of
the number 1 Dart engine

I moved to Luton in 1987.

Before then I took no interest in aircraft, never flown until then.
Luton was new job, international travel, flying. Started taking
interest in planes. Discovered Viscounts fron Luton airpirt to Dublin
and Maastricht, did some trips on both, incl. day trips to Dublin, and
one LHR-IOM return trip. IIRC almost every flight there was a oil
flowing out engines, a small thin brown trail in a neat air swept line
along the engine nacelle. I just thought it was a Dart characteristic.

Yes, you're probably right. I have little experience of studying Darts
in flight, so wondered if it was the symptom of a more serious problem.
It certainly wasn't reassuring in my hung-over condition after the boozy
red-eye flight from London.

On Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:18:46 +0100, Tony Polson
wrote:

I particularly liked the Fokker F27 "Friendship" because of the high
wing which meant great views from every window.

Same with the F50.

When I was regularly using them from LCY, I thought of the F50s as
flying as it probably used to be. Most civilised, if extremely
rough-riding (fun once I got used to it!).

Neil

--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the at to reply.

(Neil Williams) wrote:
On Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:18:46 +0100, Tony Polson
wrote:

I particularly liked the Fokker F27 "Friendship" because of the high
wing which meant great views from every window.

Same with the F50.

When I was regularly using them from LCY, I thought of the F50s as
flying as it probably used to be. Most civilised, if extremely
rough-riding (fun once I got used to it!).


As it used to be before my time, then! I took my first flight in 1959,
in a Douglas DC-3, and the seats consisted of canvas on an alloy frame.
The noise of the radial piston engines had to be heard to be believed.
It was both frightening and exhilarating to a five year old.

My trips in the early 1960s were in Viscounts, a Vanguard, an
Elizabethan, an Argosy and more DC-3s. The Viscounts and Vanguard were
smooth and comparatively quiet; the others were extremely noisy.

My worst flight of all time was in the 1980s in an RAF Hercules, 17.5
hours between Ascension Island and the Falklands. My best would have
been any of my several trips in VC-10s belonging variously to British
Airways, Gulf Air and the RAF.


..

On Apr 4, 9:39 pm, Tony Polson wrote:

Argosy


Idle curiosity, what route and when [or was it a military flight ?].

I assume you mean the 1950/1960s AW Argosy pass/cargo twin fuselage
4xDart device, not the 1920s AW Argosy biplane.

Dunno why airplane makers recycle names for very different products -
Lockheed Electra was another one.

--
Nick

wrote:

On Apr 4, 9:39 pm, Tony Polson wrote:

Argosy


Idle curiosity, what route and when [or was it a military flight ?].


I didn't keep notes, so from memory I think the route was probably Lydd
to Le Touquet and this would have been in the 1962-65 period. It was a
scheduled flight, either by BEA or a subsidiary. The return trip was by
ferry. My grandfather did a lot of work with BEA and the family got
some cheap fares with that airline and its subsidiaries, especially
Cambrian Airways.


I assume you mean the 1950/1960s AW Argosy pass/cargo twin fuselage
4xDart device


That's the one. The nose of the fuselage opened to allow vehicles to be
loaded on and off via ramps. As a small boy I found it absolutely
fascinating.

On Apr 5, 8:39 pm, Tony Polson wrote:

to Le Touquet


Shoreham to le Touquet ceased in Feb.2009 when SkySouth cased
operations. Not sure but think that might have been the only recent
schedlued service itno Le Touquet, and certainly SkySouth the only
routes from Shoreham.

I had had an idea to go and do the route some tme just for the novelty
value of a Piper PA-31 Navajo.

--
Nick

Tony Polson wrote:

wrote:

On Apr 4, 9:39 pm, Tony Polson wrote:

Argosy


Idle curiosity, what route and when [or was it a military flight ?].


I didn't keep notes, so from memory I think the route was probably Lydd
to Le Touquet and this would have been in the 1962-65 period. It was a
scheduled flight, either by BEA or a subsidiary. The return trip was by
ferry. My grandfather did a lot of work with BEA and the family got
some cheap fares with that airline and its subsidiaries, especially
Cambrian Airways.


I assume you mean the 1950/1960s AW Argosy pass/cargo twin fuselage
4xDart device


That's the one. The nose of the fuselage opened to allow vehicles to be
loaded on and off via ramps. As a small boy I found it absolutely
fascinating.


As a postscript, could it have been another similar type of aircraft
with an opening nose? A Google search revealed the Carvair (a converted
Douglas DC-4) and the Bristol 170 Freighter, both operated by Silver
City Airways, later British United Air Ferries, on the Lydd-Le Touquet
route.