My wife flew for United and they used to call OZARK, KRAZO Airlines.
Weirdest Airliner You Ever Flew On?
- Thread starter THE PILGRIM
- Start date
My wife flew for United and they used to call OZARK, KRAZO Airlines.
dave holl
Absent Comrade
A Ford Tri-motor from Catawba to Put-In-Bay in Lake Erie. Huge balloon tires and the fuselage of the plane looked like corrugated metal. Half the seats faced forward and half faced the aisle. Round trip cost in the 70's was about $75 if I remember correctly. Dave
nachogrande
Member
"AIRLINERS", NOT EXACTLY.
Several small OLD prop planes from Norfolk to Philly. One was just the pilot, stew, and me. The pilot called back for me to change seats to balance the plane. I asked if we were in a canoe?
Several small OLD prop planes from Norfolk to Philly. One was just the pilot, stew, and me. The pilot called back for me to change seats to balance the plane. I asked if we were in a canoe?
The only way for tourists in and out of Brooks Camp in Katmai National Park is by float plane.
The is the six person de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver from the late 40's or early 50's that brought us there and back:
The pilot trimmed the wings with hand knobs on either side of the cabin roof. We needed a running start to clear the hill in the background.
This is the twelve seater that we took to the gravel landing strip next to the lake where we picked up the float plane:
You can see the wing tip of the 12 seater in the bottom of the following photo. In the background sticking up from the clouds is one of the active volcanos that we passed after we left the Anchorage airport in the 12 seater on the way to pick up the float plane.
I am not making this up
The is the six person de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver from the late 40's or early 50's that brought us there and back:
The pilot trimmed the wings with hand knobs on either side of the cabin roof. We needed a running start to clear the hill in the background.
This is the twelve seater that we took to the gravel landing strip next to the lake where we picked up the float plane:
You can see the wing tip of the 12 seater in the bottom of the following photo. In the background sticking up from the clouds is one of the active volcanos that we passed after we left the Anchorage airport in the 12 seater on the way to pick up the float plane.
I am not making this up
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carpriver
US Veteran
I flew in a C-141 we sat backwards, the C-141 was trying to have sex with a KC-135, but couldn't make a connection.
vonn
US Veteran
Never flew any strange airlines but rode in the back of a C141 with trucks and howitzers and other assorted gear from Kentucky to RVN with 4 or 5 guys from my unit. We refueled in Alaska was the only stop. Strange trip for sure. Never had landed in an airplane before but had about 10 or 11 jumps though. Can't remember anything about the trip back a year later,seems like I should but nothing comes to mind.
The strangest 'airline' flight I was on was back in the mid 1960's. I was on a business trip for the air force. Washington DC to Biloxi,MS to Dayton, OH, to New York City and back to DC.
From Dayton we took off in a 727. The pilot must have been a jet fighter jocky in a previous career. On takeoff he climbed UP UP UP. Got settled down and he announced: We have a great tail wind - cruising now at 620 knots!!! WHAT?? Make it from Dayton to New York in a little over an hour!!!
From NYC back to DC was my only trip in a super Constellation. Exhaust glowing bright red all the way down... Hmmmm??
From Dayton we took off in a 727. The pilot must have been a jet fighter jocky in a previous career. On takeoff he climbed UP UP UP. Got settled down and he announced: We have a great tail wind - cruising now at 620 knots!!! WHAT?? Make it from Dayton to New York in a little over an hour!!!
From NYC back to DC was my only trip in a super Constellation. Exhaust glowing bright red all the way down... Hmmmm??
Y'all ain't lived until you fly in a Russian cargo plane or helo, piloted by drunken Russian pilots, crossing the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan, in the wintertime.
One of the helos I rode in had a extra fuel tank in passenger compartment. Did I mention that it leaked?
One of the helos I rode in had a extra fuel tank in passenger compartment. Did I mention that it leaked?
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S&WIowegan
US Veteran
I flew on a Grumman Beaver out of Ketchikan Alaska. I sat copilot seat and the pilot told me to watch for floating logs when we took off. I think he was pulling my chain but I damn sure looked. The motor noise and vibrations felt like they loosened my teeth. Guys in the back slept the whole flight.
I flew on the same plane Toyman described above but it wasn't a Fokker; it was an Irish-built plane with a name something like Shorts Brothers(boxcar with wings). They were replaced during the 1980s by Fokkers which looked like a real airplane; either F27 or 28 I mis-remember.
A friend flew out of Alpena, Michigan way back in the 60s and his plane hit a deer....everything but the deer survived. Out west the airports worried about antelope on the runways.
I flew on the same plane Toyman described above but it wasn't a Fokker; it was an Irish-built plane with a name something like Shorts Brothers(boxcar with wings). They were replaced during the 1980s by Fokkers which looked like a real airplane; either F27 or 28 I mis-remember.
A friend flew out of Alpena, Michigan way back in the 60s and his plane hit a deer....everything but the deer survived. Out west the airports worried about antelope on the runways.
VaTom
Member
Not weird but every time I fly on a small Embraer jet I think about my brother (a commercial pilot with major carrier) calling them "jungle jets".
DC-3 in South Africa.
Martin 404 from DC to somewhere in South Carolina. I was the only passenger. I mentioned to the pilot when we landed that engine #2 had oil pouring down the wing most of flight. He told me it was the last leg before retirement. Next leg was a jet.
Ford Trimotor somewhere in North Dakota. Stewardess wore a carpenter's apron.
Lockheed Electra. DC shuttle to NY, it had a semi-circular couch at the aft end of the cabin. Teddy Kennedy joined us there on that shuttle flight. Wouldn't speak to any of us, not even a "Thanks" even after we squeezed in tighter to make a seat for him.
Vickers Viscount type 700; Air Rhodesia - Johannesburg RSA to Victoria Falls. Nice big oval windows. Pilot did figure eights over the falls, tight enough he wrinkled the wing skin and gave me a headache. I have a pic somewhere of the wrinkles and the falls. Guess the plane had a pretty good G rating.
IL-14 Luxor to Cairo. A twin engine prop, configured for quick conversion to military use, it had no interior panels and was the noisiest, most vibrating aircraft I ever flew in. I was numb and near deaf by the time we landed.
Egypt was at war with Israel at the time, so Cairo was all blackout curtains and sandbags, but the pilots asked me to come to the cockpit and chat, even though I was an American, and America was a friend of Israel. Interesting times.
Martin 404 from DC to somewhere in South Carolina. I was the only passenger. I mentioned to the pilot when we landed that engine #2 had oil pouring down the wing most of flight. He told me it was the last leg before retirement. Next leg was a jet.
Ford Trimotor somewhere in North Dakota. Stewardess wore a carpenter's apron.
Lockheed Electra. DC shuttle to NY, it had a semi-circular couch at the aft end of the cabin. Teddy Kennedy joined us there on that shuttle flight. Wouldn't speak to any of us, not even a "Thanks" even after we squeezed in tighter to make a seat for him.
Vickers Viscount type 700; Air Rhodesia - Johannesburg RSA to Victoria Falls. Nice big oval windows. Pilot did figure eights over the falls, tight enough he wrinkled the wing skin and gave me a headache. I have a pic somewhere of the wrinkles and the falls. Guess the plane had a pretty good G rating.
IL-14 Luxor to Cairo. A twin engine prop, configured for quick conversion to military use, it had no interior panels and was the noisiest, most vibrating aircraft I ever flew in. I was numb and near deaf by the time we landed.
Egypt was at war with Israel at the time, so Cairo was all blackout curtains and sandbags, but the pilots asked me to come to the cockpit and chat, even though I was an American, and America was a friend of Israel. Interesting times.
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Hawker800
Member
I remember those four engine Heron's. Swift Air based out of San Luis Obispo.
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JimBianchi
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1981, Freedom Air, JFK to New London.
8 passenger, twin engine flying nightmare.
I was 18, in uniform, single, seated next to a fashion model doing a photo shoot in the woods somewhere near New London.
She was hot, friendly, smelled wonderful, and I was to sick to say more the 10 words.
The whole flight was flown at very low altitude for some un-godly reason. Even expereince flyers were stumped as to what was the problem.
Knowing what I know now, the cabin was not pressurized, the plane has an issue, but the pilot didn't want to cancel the flight.
The whole thing just sucked azz.
I took a train back.
8 passenger, twin engine flying nightmare.
I was 18, in uniform, single, seated next to a fashion model doing a photo shoot in the woods somewhere near New London.
She was hot, friendly, smelled wonderful, and I was to sick to say more the 10 words.
The whole flight was flown at very low altitude for some un-godly reason. Even expereince flyers were stumped as to what was the problem.
Knowing what I know now, the cabin was not pressurized, the plane has an issue, but the pilot didn't want to cancel the flight.
The whole thing just sucked azz.
I took a train back.
LVSteve
Member
BearBio
Member
Not an airliner but an airlines...........TACA in Central America. Flying in Central America was.............interesting?
After the Prinair flight from hell, I began flying with Antilles Airboats, then owned by Maureen O'Hara.
They had a fleet (?) of Grumman Geese:
They had a fleet (?) of Grumman Geese:
Wings Air from Wings Field outside of Philly to JFK. Britten-Norman Tri-islander. Only passenger, two pilots no stew and canvas covered fuselage! Dave_n
I've had a lot of "interesting" flights. I don't know about weird.
Southwest flight Boise to Salt Lake City someone asked the attendant
how long it took for the short flight. He said I don't know we've never
made it. Another flight the attendant announced that there was a
gentleman on board celebrating his 100th birthday. He said if you like
you may wish the Captain happy birthday as you de-plane.
On a Delta L1011 flight a cute young lady attendant took me down
on the elevator and showed me the "basement", what would
otherwise have been a long and boring flight.
Sitting in a bucket seat on the side of a C-124 Globemaster, an
Army Major courier in a rack above me lost his dinner and it dripped
over the bill of my hat.
I could tell of several flights that cinched up the pucker strap pretty
good, but I have probably bored you enough.
Southwest flight Boise to Salt Lake City someone asked the attendant
how long it took for the short flight. He said I don't know we've never
made it. Another flight the attendant announced that there was a
gentleman on board celebrating his 100th birthday. He said if you like
you may wish the Captain happy birthday as you de-plane.
On a Delta L1011 flight a cute young lady attendant took me down
on the elevator and showed me the "basement", what would
otherwise have been a long and boring flight.
Sitting in a bucket seat on the side of a C-124 Globemaster, an
Army Major courier in a rack above me lost his dinner and it dripped
over the bill of my hat.
I could tell of several flights that cinched up the pucker strap pretty
good, but I have probably bored you enough.
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BearBio
Member
WE were doing a "Kumbayah" branch trip (Camping with a bunch of people I didn't like in order to "bond"). We stayed at Lemoore Naval Air Station in the BOC for two nights. We got a tour of the base. We went out to the runways and the CPO guiding us started cussin': Seems the carrier jocks would do "touch-n-go" on the base (come in for approach, barely touch the runway and power off again). They thought it was funny to nick the coyotes or jackrabbits when the touched down. Trouble was, they would have to close the runway to clean up the mess. The jets would have to circle around, burning fuel and costing taxpayers money, while they hosed down the runway.
