By Gary C. Orlando

All photos by the author.

As promised and thanks to Ms. Penny Sandahl, Douglas P. Fulton (Mesaba Public Relations) contacted me in early September 1995 with an invitation to take part in the two final revenue flights of Mesaba’s Fokker F.27, N278MA.

Mesaba would provide a free space-available ticket from Moline, IL to Minneapolis/St. Paul and then once again, over to Wausau/Central Wisconsin where I would overnight. I’d fly on the final flight back to Minneapolis/St. Paul the next morning and then back to Moline. I was also invited to take part in the festivities afterward.

The flights were to take place September 14-15, 1995. I drove down to Moline the morning of the 14^th and waited to board a Mesaba Dash 8-100, N824MA, for my ride to Minneapolis/St. Paul. The Dash 8s were replacing the Fokkers which had been providing dependable service with Mesaba since late 1984.

Soon we would land in MSP around 650pm and I would sit and wait for the flight over to Central Wisconsin which was scheduled to depart on flight NW3260 at 9:30pm.

Upon arrival in MSP, and as I walked across the ramp, there it was: my 30-year-old ride over to the C-WAY that night.

With my boarding pass in hand, I anxiously waited to walk out and get settled in. Once aboard, I took a seat 5C which was an aisle seat. It was night time so nothing could really be seen outside.

Once we were settled in and with the passenger door still open, the pilots started up the number two engine.

From outside the door I could hear some whistles and cheers and applause as these ground agents would be saying goodbye to the plane for the last time on their shift.  I’m not sure if it was because they were happy or sad about it being retired. I chose to take it as a fond farewell gesture on their part.

We had maybe a third to a half of the seats taken on this flight. Our flight attendant, I would later find out was Miss Nancy Bingham, the number one seniority flight attendant who purposely bid this trip to fly the last Fokker.

Oddly enough, the galley on this F.27 was in the front rather than in the rear of the passenger compartment like later-built Fokkers.

Since it was the second-to-last flight for this F.27, Nancy gave out free drinks to the passengers who wanted them.

I eventually did get up and take pictures of all of the passengers looking front to back and then a shot from back to front. Some of the passengers were characters and having a good time. I’m not sure they realized the significance of this flight. If I recall, I think Miss Nancy or one of our pilots mentioned it to everyone before our departure.

All too soon we were making our approach to Central Wisconsin Airport. One leg down, with the last one to go in the morning. We blocked in at 10:29pm.

Ironically, I ended up booking myself into the same hotel that the flight crew was staying at. I had a nice conversation with them. I explained to our pilots the purpose of my trip. Needless to say, both thought it was neat that I took such an interest in the airplane. On the flight from the Twin Cities, I had explained the purpose of my trip to Miss Nancy.

Bright and early the next morning we would be back out to the airport for the first flight back to Minneapolis/St. Paul. We were scheduled to depart at 600am on NW3261. I rode back to the airport with the flight crew. Our pilots were Captain John Schmoll and Captain Will Waldo, the two highest seniority pilots at Mesaba. Both had purposely bid the trip as Miss Nancy did.

Since I was considered a VIP guest of Mesaba, I was ushered into the back office of Mesaba’s C-WAY operations and I was given the okay to board early with the crew on the plane even skipping the security checkpoint! Remember, this was 1995 and security rules back then were very different than they are today.

I settled into seat 3C and once all the remaining passengers were aboard, I looked around and actually felt very sad on two accounts. First, this would be the last revenue passenger flight for Mesba or ANY Fokker or Fairchild F27 in the upper Midwest, and secondly, because there were so few passengers on this flight to the Twin Cities.

I thought to myself, “Where are all of the Fokker F.27 fanatics?” Was I the only one?

We were shortly underway with engines screaming and blocked out five minutes early. The flight back to the Twin Cities was over way too soon. I was kind of teary-eyed because I knew this might be the very last F.27 I would ever fly on.

We touched down and were soon back where we had started the night before, blocking in at 6:55am. I lingered on the aircraft wanting to take in the sights I might never see again as I made my way up to the flight deck to get a few pictures of the control panel and talk to the pilots and thank them.

Before getting off the airplane, I had Captains John and Will and Flight Attendant Nancy all sign my log book, and Captain John gave me the total time and landings as of our block-in.

Total Time (Hours): 53,371 hours and 3 minutes.

Total Landings (Cycles): 54,058 landings.

Well, that’s it; the end of an era at Mesaba. I was very blessed having been given the chance to take part in this little bit of airline history. Unfortunately, I had to miss the festivities afterward and had to bust a move to get back home as my part-time job at Great Lakes Airlines at the Rock Falls Airport had a shift waiting for me.

It was sad to think that no longer would any F27/FH227 Rolls Royce Dart turboprop engines be piercing through the air or on the ramp at Minneapolis/St. Paul or any other Midwest airport. This was the very last!

As for N278MA, this was not the end for this aircraft as it and a few of the other Mesaba Fokkers that were retired earlier were sold to Las Vegas, Nevada-based Eagle Canyon Airlines. They would fly for a few more years taking tourists to and from the Grand Canyon and operating casino charter flights.

Unexpectedly, I would run into N278MA one final time in 2005 at the Opa Locka Airport in South Florida. The aircraft was parked without engines but, still wore its Eagle Canyon colors. The last I knew it is now a fire trainer at a central Florida location.

Well, that’s all. I hope you enjoyed my little two-part tale in this edition of Tail Chasers.

By Gary C. Orlando

All photos by the author.

In 1994 I sadly learned Mesaba Aviation, dba Northwest Airlink, had shrunk its Fokker F.27 fleet down to just one aircraft. Their once proud fleet of 15 Fokkers had been slowly replaced with DeHaviland Dash 8-100s. Their last F.27 in the fleet was N278MA, a vintage 1965 series 200 model originally built for Ansett Australia. It flew for Ansett, Airlines of South Australia, Air Niugini, back to Ansett, and then to Luxair. Mesaba took ownership of the aircraft in November 1989. With that in mind, I aimed to fly on their last Fokker F.27.

I accomplished that feat with a flight on February 2, 1995. I flew from Rockford, IL (RFD) to Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) on an Express I/NW Airlink Jetstream J31. I used my travel agent pass privileges for both Express I and to fly on the Mesaba Fokker, which had a mid-afternoon flight between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Wausau/Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA).

The flight would be a quick trip over and back to “C-WAY” as the Mesaba agents called it. This would not be my last time flying ole N278MA, as later in 1995 I would be invited as a guest on its final revenue flights. I’ll share more about that trip in Part Two.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my photos of the roundtrip to C-WAY.

Stay tuned for Part Two.

By Phil Brooks

My wife Pam and I were planning a trip to the Traverse City, MI area to visit friends and enjoy the beautiful scenery. On our second day there, since she was going to the town of Charlevoix to go shopping with her friend, I decided to sample the two airlines that fly from Charlevoix Municipal Airport (KCVX) to nearby Beaver Island. The plan was to ride on Fresh Air Aviation to Beaver Island Airport (KSJX), find my way to Welke Airport (6Y8), and fly back to Charlevoix on Island Airways.  

I had called ahead to both companies to find out how things operated. The two airlines don’t have a published schedule. They operate “on demand” but a couple of weeks out,  I found that Fresh Air had an 11 am departure planned, which would work well with our hosts and the shopping trip, so I made a reservation. The cost was $68.50, and I would be charged on the day of departure.

When making my reservation, the planned aircraft type would be a Partenavia P-68. Not a traditional airliner, but a new type for me, which is my yearly goal, along with at least one new airport. If all went well, I would get three of those that day! The only uncertain things were the weather, and getting myself between the two Beaver Island Airports, which are 4.7 miles apart. I could walk, but I didn’t want to keep Pam waiting as we had plans for later.

The weather dawned cloudy on July 16, 2024, but, was forecast to improve at 11 am. It actually cleared out at 10 am – perfect. After a quick look at Charlevoix, the ladies dropped me off at Fresh Air’s office, just down the road from the main terminal at CVX.  I arrived an hour before departure (even though they want passengers to arrive 30 minutes before departure. I was greeted by Lori, who weighed my carry-on bag (I brought my laptop to get some work done in case I got stuck somewhere) and charged my credit card.  I took advantage of the extra time and went back outside to call Island Airways and see how things looked for a return flight later that day. I was advised there was space on the 1 pm departure and that I should be able to get a taxi between airports. If not, they would send someone to pick me up!

There was good news: we had seven passengers so they would be operating a Beechcraft Queen Air on the route – also a new airplane type for me! And since the Partenavia is a much newer aircraft, I figured I would have other opportunities to fly on one. I had tried to get a Queen Air ride in the 1990s on Bemidji Airlines, but the flight was canceled and I never had the time to try it again. 

This Fresh Air Queen Air was powered by Twin Lycoming IO-720 eight-cylinder engines (An Excalibur 800 conversion from the original design). The plane has a very distinct and wonderful sound!

We were transported on a van from their office to their hangar, just south of RW09-27, about halfway down the runway. Their Queen Air in an ex-US Army paint scheme was jacked up in the hangar, so we were assigned to N5078G, painted white with brown trim, and small Fresh Air Aviation titles. We stood by while the cargo was loaded (Fresh Air and Island Airways do a large freight business) and then we boarded through the aft airstairs. I was assigned the right seat, next to pilot Jackson. I think Lori
knew I would enjoy that, and I did!

We departed one minute early and were airborne in two minutes from Runway 27. In addition to the six adults, there was a baby girl (on her first flight!) and a small dog in the row behind me. Cruising altitude was 1,500 feet, and the flight time was 13 minutes. We landed on Runway 27 at Beaver Island Airport (SJX) and were in the blocks three minutes later. I deplaned, took some pictures, and waited in the terminal for one of the agents to return after the aircraft departed for Charlevoix. 

I asked if anyone was going to town or the other airport, and was told no. I was referred to several taxi service phone numbers on the wall. I was calling one of them when a man (he had seen off some passengers for the outbound) walked by and asked if I needed a ride into town. Welke Airport was on the way, so I accepted his kind offer.  I learned his name is also Phil, so we got a kick out of that! He’s a longtime (since 1979) resident of the area and a former private pilot, so we had a nice talk. The 2.6 mile ride took less than ten minutes. I wouldn’t have minded walking, but had to catch the 1 pm departure.

Island Airways was departing for Charlevoix when I arrived, but I didn’t inquire about getting on it. I wanted to look around during the one-hour wait. There was another Islander in the hangar, and some cool 1970s cars in the long-term parking lot to photograph! I recorded the departure, which was good and loud! I checked in and paid the $72 fare. As with the Fresh Air flight, there was no ticket. A steady stream of customers were dropping off and picking up their freight shipments.

Soon the Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander (N80KM, former LIAT- Leeward Islands Air Transport Services) returned from Charlevoix with more passengers, and after it was unloaded, we boarded for my return to CVX.  I was assigned the right rear seat (1B) by pilot Brian upon boarding. 

The man next to me was a business traveler- a healthcare worker from the mainland, returning from one of his visits to care for residents. A couple ahead of us was using this service for the first time, versus taking the ferry. The ferry costs $32.50 per passenger, one way, and takes two hours – that would be an easy decision for me!

We had five passengers and departed seven minutes early, taking off from Runway 27 one minute later. Flight time was 16 minutes and I couldn’t view our altitude. We passed one of the ferries on the way! We made a left downwind arrival to Runway 27, and blocked in at the modern terminal after a two-minute taxi.

I noted that the right seat’s occupant was walking toward another Islander on the ramp – it was Paul Welke, the airport and airline’s owner, who had deadheaded there to pick up an aircraft for another mission!

I was told about this operation by the owner of New England Airlines, another Islander operator, flying from Block Island, NY to Westerly, RI in 2019. I was glad to have finally experienced this operation and highly recommend this excursion if you find yourself in Northern Michigan. I plan to return to Beaver Island to check out the non-aviation sights!

All photographs courtesy of the author.

By Phil Brooks

Note: All photos are courtesy of the author.

In the mid-1980s, Fred Erdman, from Springfield, OH, and one of the original World Airline Hobby Club members, told me there was a DC8 restaurant near the town of Hillsboro, OH. I flew over it (I don’t remember who the pilot was, but it wasn’t me) shortly after that in the spring of 1986, but it was several more years before I could visit it. It turns out the DC8 was actually northeast of Mowrystown, OH, but Hillsboro was used as a reference since it was the nearest town of any size. The actual location was at the intersection of US Hwy 62 and OH Route 321, where the two roads form a “Y”.

I told my friend Pete Crawford about it, and he learned there was an airstrip nearby. Pete got permission from Fred Kay, the strip’s owner, to land his flying club’s Cessna Cutlass there on January 3, 1988. We flew over from Eagle Creek Airpark (now KEYE) in Indianapolis.

Our party of three walked to the Highland South restaurant, and while I don’t remember eating a meal there, we did get access to the DC8, which was not in use at the time. I found this old newspaper article that mentions the owner had difficulty heating it, so it was mainly being used for private parties: follow this link to read the Cincinnati Enquirer DC8 article.

Fred recently told me that he carpeted his attic floor with the original Eastern blue carpet from the plane!

The aircraft came south by road from the former Clinton County AFB in Wilmington, Ohio, where it was used as a “spares” source by Overseas National Airlines at their maintenance base, which is now Wilmington Air Park (ILN). 

The left (public) side was painted in different colors, maybe so it wouldn’t be confused with any specific airline. The “wings” were not original to the aircraft.

It was far from any population center or major highway, so we were probably among the few airline enthusiasts to visit. Nice that they left the registration on the right side!  

I wonder how long it lasted there, before being broken up? The restaurant still exists; it’s now called “The Old Y.”

Here are a few overhead shots of the DC8 Restaurant and “the Old Y.”

By Gary C. Orlando

It wasn’t until 1987 that I would actually get to fly on the Fairchild Hiller FH-227 having been obsessed with this aircraft since before I entered Kindergarten in 1972. It was first introduced to me serving our local airport of Rock Falls, IL (SQI) by Ozark Air Lines. Afraid of it at first because of its screaming-loud Rolls-Royce Dart engines, it soon became my favorite airplane of all time.

On September 25, 1987, I took a 25-minute flight from Moline, IL (MLI) to Burlington, IA (BRL) and back. The outbound flight was Continental Express/Britt flight 4723, scheduled to depart at 12:35 PM arriving at 1:00 PM. The aircraft that day was N378NE, the same plane that graced the skies over Rock Falls six years earlier while operating a charter flight for Britt. N378NE was originally delivered on November 2, 1966, to Northeast Airlines where it flew until Northeast merged with Delta in 1972. N378NE was one of only two FH-227Cs that Delta actually used in regular service before selling all of the former Northeast FH-227s to Air New England in early 1975.

Back at Moline with my ticket in hand, I walked across the ramp to climb the airstair door. I was giddy with excitement! As I entered the aircraft I noticed the interior was just the same as it appeared in the Air New England article written by my friend Rand Peck, that I had read many years earlier in an issue of Airline Quarterly magazine. There were no overhead bins; only racks for coats, hats or small carry-on items. Another curious thing was the seat numbers started with seat row number One in the rear of the plane, getting higher in number going forward, up to row number Twelve. I had my tape recorder with me and I took my seat: 10A, by the propeller on the left-hand side of the aircraft.

Since I was the only person getting on the plane in Moline, Sheri, our flight attendant, came directly over to give me a personal safety briefing. She didn’t announce who our pilots were. I guess I should have asked but, I was just too excited!

I had actually flown on my first Fokker F.27 flight a year previously with Chicago Air Lines to and from Moline to Chicago Midway Airport (MDW). Engine startup was much the same on the FH-227 as it was the F.27; the only noticeable difference was the 227 was a lot louder. However, the real difference came at takeoff time. While the newer Fokker F.27 had been quieter, almost a muffled sound, the FH-227C was very loud. The typical staccato sound emitted by the pointed props was clearly heard in the FH-227. The F.27 was much quieter with its square-tipped props. I like loud, so I was happy.

After we landed in Burlington, the Britt agents allowed me to do a little walk-around photoshoot of this big ol’ bird that I had just flown on. I only wish we had digital cameras back then because I would have hammered that plane with pictures. Enjoy the shots of my walk around of N378NE.

Between the two flights, my time in Burlington was spent hanging out at the airport and exploring. I made quick friends with one of the Britt agents named Gary Freitag. We had a nice conversation about Britt and my interest in the airline and especially the Fairchilds. All too soon it was time to climb back aboard for my return to Moline.

Our return flight was Continental Express/Britt flight 4756. It was scheduled to depart at 3:15 PM and arrive back in Moline at 3:40 PM, where it would then return to Chicago.

As I boarded the airplane I would again be welcomed by Flight Attendant Sheri, along with Captain Wiles and First Officer Munson as our pilots. On this leg back up to Moline, I took a more central spot under the wing (Seat 7A) to get a different sound, which indeed it was. The sound wasn’t as “proppy,” as I coined the term. The row of seats was even with the center of the engine nacelle, providing an excellent vantage to hear the characteristic in-flight whine of the Rolls-Royce Dart engines and to watch the main gear cycle up and down. That whine really becomes more pronounced after takeoff when the pilot reduces engine RPM by opening up the props to take a bigger bite of the air. The approach for landing is interesting, to say the least. It’s almost a “dive bomber” approach, especially on short final. Altogether, it’s a different ride than in a low wing plane because it feels like the plane is hanging on the wings instead of sitting on the wing.

After my arrival back in Moline, I quickly headed back outside with enough time to record audio of N378NE starting up and taxiing out for its departure back to Chicago.

It was a great little adventure that I would repeat a month later on October 27, 1987, but next time on Britt Fairchild F.27, N386BA.