Airline Flybe Ceases Trading 28 Jan 2023

Way back many years, I flew with Jersey European airlines. This later became British European and eventually Flybe. There are many other Regional carriers that have gone out of business. Another one that I used frequently was Suckling Airways (later Scot airways). They were great with a very friendly approach and comfortable aircraft (Dornier 328) They eventually became part of Loganair ("Scotland's airline") which after some difficulties is now a profitable company.
 
Ah thanks @Capt Lightning new one for me. I didn't know the name of the plane's model. Dornier 328.

When I built up my fictional characters aircraft fleet out of my husband's books, I've missed that one. I'm not a fan of the rotary blades on the outside. I'm much prefer jet engines lol!

So my choice was the BBJs.

It's still sad to see good companies disappear for unimportant reasons. Not a great flyer to begin with, I do leave finger prints in seat's handle ehehehe...

Thanks for commenting.
 

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Regional Airlines here in the U.S. for the most part have done well. If you live in a smaller city and need to fly to a larger city, it only makes sense to take a regional flight to the larger city and have your choice of airlines and schedules.

When I first started flying, I flew for a regional carrier Air Wisconsin. Almost always, my planes were full. Of course as a pilot, I enjoyed flying the larger jets, but I know several pilots who have flown for many years and prefer flying regional flights. I never cared for flying 4-6 legs a day.
 
Supernatural said:
Ah thanks @Capt Lightning new one for me. I didn't know the name of the plane's model. Dornier 328.

When I built up my fictional characters aircraft fleet out of my husband's books, I've missed that one. I'm not a fan of the rotary blades on the outside. I'm much prefer jet engines lol!

So my choice was the BBJs.

It's still sad to see good companies disappear for unimportant reasons. Not a great flyer to begin with, I do leave finger prints in seat's handle ehehehe...

Thanks for commenting.
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Supernatural, as (I assume) a Brit, you'll understand this one......
The Flight from Southampton to Amsterdam with Scot airways was often flown by Captain Hull, who looked like Captain Birdseye on the fish fingers packet. The flight attendants used to introduce him as Captain Rod Hull and his co-pilot Emu. :LOL:

BTW, Suckling airways was named after their owners, Roy and Merlyn Suckling.
 
Capt Lightning said:
Supernatural, as (I assume) a Brit, you'll understand this one......
The Flight from Southampton to Amsterdam with Scot airways was often flown by Captain Hull, who looked like Captain Birdseye on the fish fingers packet. The flight attendants used to introduce him as Captain Rod Hull and his co-pilot Emu. :LOL:

BTW, Suckling airways was named after their owners, Roy and Merlyn Suckling.
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LOL 🤣🤣🤣 Good one @Capt Lightning
 
One of the best things to happen in aviation in the U.S. is that all carriers of all size planes fly planes with jet engines. Prop planes, even “if” they were powered by jet engines were just too inconsistent. People don’t understand the real difference in prop planes. The blades must be positioned at the proper angle. They need to be constantly checked and maintained. Jet engines require less maintenance and last longer hours.

When I first interviewed for a job with Air Wisconsin, during my interview, they told me I would be flying a Fokker 30, which was a prop. I told them I wasn’t interested in flying prop planes and ended the interview. I knew 2 guys from school that took a job with U.S. Air flying turbo props. They both liked flying them. I think one of them flew turbo prop for quite awhile before moving up to a Boeing 737.

Two weeks later, Air Wisconsin called me and asked if I would be interested in flying a new Boeing 707. They said they had just purchased two of them and expected the first one in about a month. I had to spend a week at Boeing in a simulator learning the plane. At school, we learned to some extent about flying jets on an older Fokker jet. Big difference between the Fokker and a U.S. made plane at that time, but I took to it like a duck takes to water. And so for the next 33 and a half years, I flew Boeing jets. Never flew an Airbus, but flew in them. They use a completely different style of piloting an aircraft. Airbus uses what is called “fly by wire” technology. Instead of using manual flight controls. Boeing does use the fly by wire on their Triple 7. I have never had the opportunity to try it, but would like to.
 
The first commercial planes I flew in (Back in the 60's) were Vickers Viscounts powered by 4 turboprops.
In later years I flew a good number of times with KLM Cityhopper on Fokker 50 and Saab 340 planes, both turboprop. The Fokker was a case of a thousand rattles flying in close formation. They also had a reputation for the landing gear collapsing on landing.
I think KLM Cityhopper now fly Embraer jets.
Loganair used to fly Bae Jetstream turboprops. They sounded like an angry bee trapped in a tin can.

Eastern Airways (a small UK regional airline) fly Jetstream 41 and ATR72-600 series turboprop aircraft.
 
oldman said:
One of the best things to happen in aviation in the U.S. is that all carriers of all size planes fly planes with jet engines. Prop planes, even “if” they were powered by jet engines were just too inconsistent. People don’t understand the real difference in prop planes. The blades must be positioned at the proper angle. They need to be constantly checked and maintained. Jet engines require less maintenance and last longer hours.

When I first interviewed for a job with Air Wisconsin, during my interview, they told me I would be flying a Fokker 30, which was a prop. I told them I wasn’t interested in flying prop planes and ended the interview. I knew 2 guys from school that took a job with U.S. Air flying turbo props. They both liked flying them. I think one of them flew turbo prop for quite awhile before moving up to a Boeing 737.

Two weeks later, Air Wisconsin called me and asked if I would be interested in flying a new Boeing 707. They said they had just purchased two of them and expected the first one in about a month. I had to spend a week at Boeing in a simulator learning the plane. At school, we learned to some extent about flying jets on an older Fokker jet. Big difference between the Fokker and a U.S. made plane at that time, but I took to it like a duck takes to water. And so for the next 33 and a half years, I flew Boeing jets. Never flew an Airbus, but flew in them. They use a completely different style of piloting an aircraft. Airbus uses what is called “fly by wire” technology. Instead of using manual flight controls. Boeing does use the fly by wire on their Triple 7. I have never had the opportunity to try it, but would like to.
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Congratulations! Boeing company is my aeroplane of choice.... The 747. I've had the pleasure to be on a 747 a total of 3 times since my first flying days as a passenger back in 82. I'm a firm fan of AIRPORT film series with the actor, George Kennedy, who plays Patroni.

I was given a pair of wings from the copilot as I've answered every questions the pilot asks during my visit in their cockpit. Yes, I'd studied these films 🤣🤣🤣

If I had the money (as my fictional family in my stories do) I'd love a BBJ plane for hoping around. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_Business_Jet
 

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In my early days of business travel, we were allowed Business class, and this meant upstairs in the 747. Initially there were only 16 seats with a dedicated flight attendant. Eventually we lost these perks and many airlines started flying wide bodied 2 engined jets. I'm retired now and only travel for leisure. My daughters have taken over as "Jet setters".
 
Supernatural said:
Congratulations! Boeing company is my aeroplane of choice.... The 747. I've had the pleasure to be on a 747 a total of 3 times since my first flying days as a passenger back in 82. I'm a firm fan of AIRPORT film series with the actor, George Kennedy, who plays Patroni.

I was given a pair of wings from the copilot as I've answered every questions the pilot asks during my visit in their cockpit. Yes, I'd studied these films 🤣🤣🤣

If I had the money (as my fictional family in my stories do) I'd love a BBJ plane for hoping around. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_Business_Jet
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Good to know some people are still liking aviation. Even the B-747 has now outlived its usefulness as a passenger plane here in the U.S., several foreign and a few domestic airlines have converted these gentle giants into freighters. I flew the 747 for two years departing Chicago and flying to Honolulu and occasionally over to Kauai. Easiest plane I ever flew.
 
oldman said:
Good to know some people are still liking aviation. Even the B-747 has now outlived its usefulness as a passenger plane here in the U.S., several foreign and a few domestic airlines have converted these gentle giants into freighters. I flew the 747 for two years departing Chicago and flying to Honolulu and occasionally over to Kauai. Easiest plane I ever flew.
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Must have been your bestest 2 years, hey? Even though I'd watched many Airport films I still felt the safest as a passenger in those 747.

Do you remember the events with Flight 243 of Aloha Airline in April of 1988? Gosh the airflow going plus the cabin pressure lost must have been difficult to handle that plane. Whoa!
 
Capt Lightning said:
In my early days of business travel, we were allowed Business class, and this meant upstairs in the 747. Initially there were only 16 seats with a dedicated flight attendant. Eventually we lost these perks and many airlines started flying wide bodied 2 engined jets. I'm retired now and only travel for leisure. My daughters have taken over as "Jet setters".
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My plane of choice was the B-767. Wide body (2 aisles), two engines. Not a lot of them flying anymore either. Seems like a lot of 737’s and 777’s in the air these days. Not sure about Airbus. I know their A-300 and 330 are popular. Their big A-380 used mostly for International flights. Boeing competes with it with their B-787 Dreamliner, but the Airbus carries almost twice as many passengers.
 
Supernatural said:
Must have been your bestest 2 years, hey? Even though I'd watched many Airport films I still felt the safest as a passenger in those 747.

Do you remember the events with Flight 243 of Aloha Airline in April of 1988? Gosh the airflow going plus the cabin pressure lost must have been difficult to handle that plane. Whoa!
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I do remember that event. Must have scared the crap out of a lot of people. Like flying in a convertible.

Flying was/is my passion and I would still be flying today, if the FAA would change the rule. Older pilots could fly, but if they would raise the age limit above 65, which it is now, I would recommend that the other pilot have at least 5000 hours in the plane they are flying.

Today’s avionics have become so advanced that flying has become a joy, at least it is for those in the cockpit. I think most people have issues with the airports. If you want to find rude people, just go to the airport. Even I don’t like all the hubbub that goes on inside the airport. When I started being a passenger again, I would think about the people that flew a lot for a living, like sales people. Once onboard and seated, life becomes good again. If you’re lucky and get on a meal flight, it’s even a better day. I have no problem with airline food. When I flew, we used Sky Chef. I thought most of their food was good, except I don’t eat sandwiches.
 
The days of getting a meal on a plane (except long haul) seem to be over. I remember my early days flying with BEA as was, and there was even a menu card. Even in later years, you got breakfast on the early flights with BA. KLM tended to serve cheese sandwiches, and this became a bit of a joke with them. KLM is still one of my favourite airlines.

Some of the the best food was on the Loganair flights in their little 16 seat Jetstreams. Smoked salmon and a dram of whisky - that's real food!

I preferred smaller planes and many of my business flights have been on 40 or 50 seat aircraft. I tend to feel a bit 'lost' on larger jets. I think the biggest plane I felt comfortable in was the 737-100. Not much choice these days, most of the leisure flights I take are in Embraer E190 or Airbus A321.
 
So many big named Airlines have gone 'under' in my short lifetime, one more doesn't make much of a mark.
Many merged, some did not.
I've flown all of the list below and are now gone.

Pan Am
Braniff
Eastern
Swissair
Aloha

For me, a few trips stand out:

Long haul - Virgin from LAX to Heathrow (gave my youngest his own backpack filled with fun things to do during the flight)

Mid-haul - British Air from Heathrow to Athens, Greece (treated like royalty, best food ever!)

Worst overall flight - Olympic Air from Athens to Crete (Ignored the entire flight, but so was everyone else)
 
I use to fly with Flybe to an off shore Island , its nick name was Maybe,, there was one time my flight was delayed while the pilot flew in from France ..The little plane I first flew in was same as that on Cpt Lightening post . You felt the turbulance, Later on it went with jet plane still the smaller type .Also flown with Babe , that was very cheap flights but went bust quick ..
 
The first long haul flights I made were with another 'disappeared' airline - Northwest Airlines. I flew with them a number of times to Minneapolis.
I believe they merged with Delta. I agree with Feelslikefar about Virgin which I used for flying to Miami. Lots of nice little touches that helped make the flights a bit more enjoyable. I've used American Airways a few times - one time they showed the same films both there and back. Not good.
 
The 737-1 is probably obsolete. Boeing is making the -8 now and the -8 Max. I think Embraer makes a really nice, comfortable, safe regional jet. I wouldn’t think Brazil would be able to build such a nice plane. I flew the earlier models of Embraer. The only thing that I had an issue was that back when they first started building their jets, they had issues with the rudder pedals malfunctioning, but with the help of Boeing, they were soon able to correct whatever was the issue.
 
One that was great but gone now.

Wardair

First class throughout the plane (747, of course). The food was delightful. Served on proper fine bonechina and silver cutlery. My one problem that made everyone smile. Quirky request, sort of: "if you insist on serving red wine, please put ice cubes in it and lemonade please?" I prefer my wines cold 🤣🤣🤣then I'd get a wonderful glass of white, chilled to perfection. Ooh was a lovely airline, truly a huge lost to the industry.
 
Ah Sunday mornings. Enjoying a cup of coffee, freshly brewed, looking over videos of model aeroplanes.

This man has an Air France Concorde and two Red Arrows. Amazing!
 


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