Regional Airliners #6--Fairchild Metro 23

[Herman]

The Metro 23, a sleek looking twin engined turbo-prop, also proved to be a very popular regional airliner, but was known to be quite tricky to handle.

Empire Airlines was a small regional airline that served smaller towns and cities in th North Eastern US.


Mohawk Airlines operated in several mid-atlantic US states.


Bearskin Airlines is based in Sioux Lookout , Ontario and operates services in northern Ontario and Manitoba, Canada


Key Lime Air operates charter and cargo services out of Centennial Airport near Denver,Colorado, USA


Western Air,based in San Andros, operates services to and from most western Caribbian islands.


Perimeter Airlines operates a fleet of 20 Metro 23's on schedueled, charter and medivac services in the province of Manitoba, Canada.


Flufelag Islands operates domestic services from Reykjavik,Iceland and also to Greenland and the Faroe Islands.


Arriving in Akureyri, NE Iceland.


Blue Crown Airways operates domestic services throughout Norway.




Provincial Airlines operates schedueled and cargo serives from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.




Herman

[christrott]

Flew with Key Lime Flights (Key Lime Air's Flight Training School) while I was in Denver, fueled their airplanes at DIA (they flew cargo runs for UPS), and got some nice shots over the years, but these are the ones that were the saddest -

www.jetphotos.net/photolink.php?id=196505
www.jetphotos.net/photolink.php?id=196501
www.jetphotos.net/photolink.php?id=196497
www.jetphotos.net/photolink.php?id=196490

The only other Metro's I saw regularly were those of Big Sky Airlines who flew out of Terminal C for US Airways.

[louross]

I had a friend who flew Metros. He had nothing nice to say about them.
lr.

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

We had qute a few METRO-LINERS here in New Zealand .... with AIR ALBATROSS, AIR NEW ZEALAND LINK, AIR NELSON, AIR POST/AIRWORK NEW ZEALAND (freighters), and ORIGIN PACIFIC AIRWAYS .... in both METRO 3 and METRO 23 form.

We called them "The Flying Pencil".

And I'm not sure whom disliked these aircraft most .... the pilots .... OR .... those PAX whom, like me, are of above average height ;D

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[christrott]

Basically, the Metros before the 23 were all a lot like the Piper Aerostar. They were/are fast but really underpowered and very sensitive in pitch and Center of Gravity. The 23 fixed the power issue, but nothing can fix the pitch sensitivity beyond a complete redesign. The fuel system was also something of an oddity, but true of Ed's designs in that they have an "automatic crossfeed" system that can cause you to actually over flow the tank in the opposite wing if you try to fuel one tank completely first and then do the other. It's a funny system and great in the air to prevent having an imbalance that can cause an accident, but it had a tendency to stick, not open at all, and catch unsuspecting fuelers unaware. Looks good nice though.

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

fueled their airplanes at DIA

and catch unsuspecting fuelers unaware.

Did'ja get "CATCHED" Chris ;D

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[christrott]

Thankfully, I was warned of this little "gotcha" before fueling my first Metro so I never got "catched", although I did have one open suddenly on me and give me a good scare when the fuel level in the tank dropped a couple inches in a few seconds and a big bubble of air came out the fill cap (that should really never happen in a fuel system).

[Herman]

Some pretty messed up airplanes there Chris.

I am sure it caused some hair raisind and embarrassing moments for the pilots in the aircraft involved.

Herman

[christrott]

Yeah, the guy in the green one was looking inside at paperwork and didn't see his buddy in front stop. Didn't help it was icy at the time.

[Dee Waldron - HJG]

I've had a lot of real life experience with the Metro. Both the II and the III. I've flown them both. I've wrenched on them both. And I also don't have much nice to say about either one. The San Antonio Sewer-pipe was designed and built on the cheap. And the Garrett engines? Don't even get me started!

Enjoy the airplane in FS and be glad you don't have to mess with the real ones.

Dee