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Post by expatkiwi on Feb 7, 2013 23:38:35 GMT 12
Sounds like when one flew in a BAe146, it was on a wing and a prayer, baronbeeza...
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Post by alexjc on Feb 8, 2013 0:34:04 GMT 12
I always thought they were too well made! Originally being a STOL aircraft, built to take heavy knocks...Prince Charles ran one hard off a runway and still walked away with only dented pride and a bent nosewheel. Investigaters said if it had been anything else, William would be first in line to the throne today. Wish Air NZ let Mt Cook keep them for a bit longer. They looked good in Pacific Wave colours...Just too dear to operate.
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Post by baronbeeza on Feb 8, 2013 8:25:51 GMT 12
The 146 was a good aeroplane. I have worked for several airlines that have done very well with them. The operating cost was not so bad as normally the capital expenditure was well down. I knew of one individual that spent his mother's money to buy and lease out a fleet of them.
National Jet in Aussie would be another example, they get an excellent run with theirs and yje Perth maintenace base has a Ansett Christchurch flavour to it. I was involved in helping set-up two start-up operations in Europe also, British Midland Commuter and Nat Jet Italia...
Hmmm, having said that I also was heavily involved of sorting out the ten Debonair aircraft after they folded in 1999.
The Islander is just as British as the others and many of us swear by them also. It is just some of the thinking is different, - try comparing an oleo job on an Islander to that of a Piper twin.
Then again I am the bloke that would not buy a Cessna single if a Piper could do the same job. I find Cessna seem to overcomplicate the construction process and are not as easy to maintain. Perhaps they just got more than their fair share of Brits working in the design dept back then.
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Post by alexjc on Feb 8, 2013 10:58:25 GMT 12
NZ still has the one operating, ZK-ECO, with Vincent Aviation...Always doing something, busy. A regular at Te Anau/Manapouri Airport on charter for Tauck.
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Post by expatkiwi on Feb 10, 2013 0:40:18 GMT 12
NZ still has the one operating, ZK-ECO, with Vincent Aviation...Always doing something, busy. A regular at Te Anau/Manapouri Airport on charter for Tauck. Was ZK-ECO an Ansett jet?
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Post by alexjc on Feb 10, 2013 6:46:54 GMT 12
I don't think it is, no...also it's a -200 and the recievers scrapped the stored AWAS -200 frames.
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