330 and or Sherpa routes?

[TSR2]

With the coming 330 for MSFS, do we think we should put a couple of 330's and or Sherpa's in the mix?

[Vc Ten]

Didn't know they were developing the Sherpa as well as the 330 and 360 I see we have a few 360s and quite a few routes. Would or could we use the same routes for the 330 and Sherpa if range allowed. Or were they route specific. Sure we could pull some together. Joe could get airframes when the models become available.
I was sort of thinking the Atr 42 /72 could be added to our "modern fleet" Logan Air was (is) the biggest user, some interesting (and shortest) real world routes. Fokker F27 has similar routes which could be used as a template. Again what's the pilots thoughts??
Edit : Wikipedia tells me the Shorts 330 was based on the Sc7 so we could use the skyvan routes for the 330.
Dale

[TSR2]

The 330 was developed first and the 360 was a development of the 330. 330 and 360 routes would be broadly interchangeable.

The Sherpa wasn’t really used in the UK.

Both the 330 and 360 Cargo conversions are included too, the biggest user in the UK that I can think of was BAC Express. From memory they did the newspaper? runs from East Mids to Edinburgh, Aldergrove, Glasgow and others (a bit like Emerald and their 748’s)

[Motormouse]

First airline I worked for @1991 we had 3 330's; operating night mail and parcel freight routes,
G-BGNB, G-BHHU, G-BIYH, each taking up to 3.5 tonnes

Cardiff -Bristol- Liverpool-Newcastle ( 2nd aircraft did reverse route each night) Mon-Friday, Dep Cardiff 21.00

Bristol-Coventry -Luton -Bristol, Mon-Friday, Dep Bristol 20.30

Sundays/ Bank hol Mondays
A/c 1, Bristol-Coventry-Luton-Belfast-Bristol ( dep Brs 17.00)
A/c 2, Cardiff-Southampton-Luton-Newcastle ( dep Cardiff 16.30)
A/c 3, Newcastle-Luton-Southampton-Cardiff ( dep NCL 20.30)
Luton was a hub for newspaper flights

When we got 4th A/c ,G-BNYA that did Stansted-Coventry-Norwich ( Coventry was Parcel Force hub, Liverpool was letter mail hub), timed so that if required we could swap a/c in Coventry

In early part of 92, we got 3 Fokker 27's, that freed up the 3-30 fleet for other work, one route for them being Bristol, Cork, Shannon,Dublin and back to Bristol, Dep Bristol 18.00 , Cargo was wet fish! ( very smelly)

Passenger-wise, one of our regular substitute routes was the Birmingham-Gatwick service for Brymon, during day.
A/c would dep Brs,@ 08.00, BHX- LGW , shuttle, I think they could get in 3 rotations before having to be back at Bristol by 18.30, so I could take all seats out and re-role for the mail flight.

Ttfn

Pete

[Vc Ten]

FSA list the 330 as 30 pax, not sure if we could get converted ones, Joe can advise. Maybe just use the 360 routes to start. The Sherpa is listed as freighter (0 pax) , so we can make some routes and include Pete's if we wish.
Dale

[TSR2]

Sounds good to me Dale. Thanks for that Pete. Can you remember if they were native 330 cargo, or converted ex pax ones?

[Motormouse]

See above, I used to have to pull all seats out and replace with spreader boards and cargo nets for the mail, then the opposite when it finished the mail, spreader boards and nets out, 30 seats back in.

Officially each role swap was a modification, and certified as such.

When our company went bust in early 93, the chief pilot (and a couple of others) formed BAC Express

Oh, and there was also Streamline Aviation, had 1 3-30, on night mail, doing Exeter-Bristol-Stansted and return

And Gill Air as well. ( Ncl-Norwich-Stansted and return, plus Aberdeen to Newcastle and return, and Newcastle-Liverpool-Coventry and return

JEA ( forerunner of Flybe) used their 330/360 on Exeter-Jersey-Bournemouth-Jersey-Exeter route, and IOM- Blackpool, and Blackpool-Belfast

Manx ( another company I worked for in the past) used
360 on IOM to Liverpool shuttle, IOM to Glasgow shuttle,
IOM to Belfast (City) ; as well as IOM-Dublin-Cwl-Jersey and return Jersey-Cwl-Dublin-IOM in winter season ( summer season was an ATP route)


That should give you something to play with

Cheers

Pete

Ps..I still have the type rating for 3-30/360 on my licence, but last one I worked was one of BAC's back @ 1998

[TSR2]

Thats Brilliant Pete. I remember the first time watching a rapid role change was on a Titan 146. watching from the fence behind the ramp. Then obviously Channel Express with the 737’s. Around the same time BAC Express at Edinburgh in with the 360’s and F27’s. I remember meeting a guy who was a 360 captain with BAC and he got his “dream” job as FO on Easyjet… Always said he much preferred doing the freight runs for BAC.

[Motormouse]

I remember meeting a guy who was a 360 captain with BAC and he got his “dream” job as FO on Easyjet… Always said he much preferred doing the freight runs for BAC.

Wonder who that would have been...Jon Stratfull would probably know..he was BAC ops before they got taken over by IIRC ; Air Contractors Ireland

Ttfn

Pete

[TSR2]

His name was Michael (if I remember correctly), must have been early 30’s back in 2003 or 2004 I think and he was from Northern Ireland. Air Contractors of Air Bridge Carriers ancestry? Now ASL? The Air Bridge Carriers book is superb if you get a chance to pick up a copy.