One for the West Aussies (if you're older than 35)

Lee G · #1 13th February 2010, 07:45 PM

Came across this today - apologies for the scan quality but it's a rather old photo and was taken around April 1983.

Grahame Hutchison · #2 13th February 2010, 08:17 PM

Lee, I am over 35 but not a Sandgroper, and have a photograph similar to your Airlines Of WA F28 shot above, this one is at Parabadoo WA in December 1983. I will scan it tomorrow and post it also.

Lee G · #3 13th February 2010, 08:39 PM

Grahame,

That would be great. Brings back a lot of memories from my first job in aviation up in Karratha. I still have a soft spot for those F28's!

Raymond Rowe · #4 14th February 2010, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee G

Grahame,

I still have a soft spot for those F28's!

Unless you had to fix the flaming things.Nice aircraft but shocking to fix.

Grahame Hutchison · #5 14th February 2010, 01:53 PM

Lee, Here are a couple of the Airlines of Western Australia F28s at Parabadoo, and an East West F28 at Mascot. I also found the East West F28 Safety On Board Card from my collection.

Airlines of Western Australia F28 VH-FKC at Parabadoo on 23/11/1983

Airlines of Western Australia F28 VH-FKJ at Parabadoo in December 1983

East West F28 VH-EWB at Mascot on 4/3/1984. I flew on a couple of the East West F28s and they were comfortable and well equipped
for the day.

Robert Zweck · #6 15th February 2010, 11:45 AM

The F-28s were great performers and is why they were known as the "The Pocket Rocket "

In the mid 1970s I regularly had to fly on the MMA F-28s, commuting from Darwin to Kununurra, Gove and Groote Eylandt.

My only gripe was MMA charged the equivalent of First Class fares, the seating was 12 rows of 5 abreast ( like a DC-9 ) and certainly wasn't First Class seating. Especially if you were in Row 12 near the engines

For that cost you didn't always get a bite to eat, either.

Just coffee and biscuits....not good value!

But the crews were always down to earth and very friendly and that made up for it a bit. Jump seat travel was common. ( unlike today )

Bob C · #7 15th February 2010, 07:18 PM

I agree with Robert's comments as in the early 80s I also flew on the F28s from Darwin to Gove and Groote Eylandt.

They made a pleasant change to the Herons, Cessnas and other types that I flew in to Aboriginal communities.

Tony G · #8 15th February 2010, 08:11 PM

I like the shot of eastwest Grahame, I spent a lot of time as a kid taking photos with my first camera on the eastwest terminal ( thanks to Brian Chidlow for taking me to the airport most weekends). Great location for early in the morning. There were also the red and yellow coloured F27s that parked there ( AIR NSW i think)

If I am not wrong I remember seeing an old control tower there. Not sure if it was KSA first. Maybe someone on the board might know.

Grahame Hutchison · #9 15th February 2010, 09:35 PM

Tony, you are probably refering to ....

and there was also ...

Peter Agatsiotis · #10 16th February 2010, 10:20 AM

Memories, I flew on FKJ as Ansett WA on Anzac Day 1987. We landed at Ayres Rock and because of runway length, temperature, full load etc we had to go to Alice Springs to fuel up and got to Sydney about 2hrs late.
At Alice everyone else headed for the terminal, I headed straight for the hangars and logged around 20 a/c.
Very friendly, got up to the cockpit and managed a few shots of the Olgas and the Rock.

I have scanned a few old negatives and have most of the EW. series in a variety of schemes including 4 of them at Tulla in 1997 awaiting their fate.

If interested visit:

http://paggsy.smugmug.com

and choose 'pre-digital'

The only other F28's I flew on were Air NSW FKA & FKD when they used to do the Dubbo run.