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Post by 747braniffplace on Aug 6, 2012 18:33:15 GMT
Hello, Please forgive me if this request had previously been made... www.airliners.net/photo/American-Flyers-Airline/McDonnell-Douglas-DC-8-63CF/1785447/&sid=c8d82a29e3458a33692861b78c7f6d8b While tooling across the southwestern US today, with my recently-acquired (and very much appreciated!) AFA 727-185C I started wondering about this carrier. A little digging revealed some Super Sixty-Three's in their fleet...a couple of them were leased from FT while Douglas was finishing their order for two new-builds. Interesting, I learned that Universal later bought AFA and just a year later that carrier was purchased by Trans International. At one point, they had a leased 727 from BN that was Panagra Green...that must have been a sight with AFA's titles. I wish I could find a picture of that. THANKS for the recent excellent update, btw!!! James DFW-TX |
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Post by aerofoto - HJG Admin on Aug 6, 2012 20:04:01 GMT
A quick trip to our "DC8-63F" downloads page will certainly put you out of your misery  .... as follows ....  AMERICAN FLYERS AIRLINE DC8-63CF N124AF (1970) This particular textures was one of the last ever produced for us by my friend .... the late John KEANE .... prior to his tragic passing. AMERICAN FLIERS AIRLINE were a US supplimental carrier which later specialised primarily in charter services .... mostly to the UK and to European destinations. It was formed during 1960 and based at Fort Worth, Texas .... and then later based at Middleton, Pennsylvania, USA. It began flying DC3 aircraft .... and progressively re-equiped with CONSTELLATION and then L188 ELECTRA aircraft. The B727-100C became its first pure jet equipment during the late 1960's .... and which were followed by the purchase of 2 DC8-63CF .... aircraft ordered "NEW" from the production line .... N123AF (C/N # 46108 L/N # 522) delivered April 24th 1970 and N124AF (C/N # 46140 L/N # 528) delivered May 19th 1970 .... although the airline had leased DC8-63CF aircraft from FLYING TIGERS prior to the delivery of its own DC8's .... AMERICAN FLIERS AIRLINE was merged into UNIVERSAL AIRLINES (which had been born out of ZANTOP AIRLINES) on May 25th 1971 .... and whose DC8-61's had been struggling to cope with charter work due to the early 1970's boom in the long haul IT travel market .... and whom also flew freight charters on behalf of GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION. UNIVERSAL AIRLINES ceased ioperations during late April of 1972. Mark C AKL/NZ |
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Post by 747braniffplace on Aug 6, 2012 22:39:24 GMT
Sorry about that! I knew I should have looked at the Download page before I made that post...
That's a good looking livery!
Now I'm off to grab that AFA Eight!
Mark, curious if AFA would have operated out of Meacham Field, or Amon Carter in Fort Worth?
Many thanks,
James
DFW-TX
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Post by aerofoto - HJG Admin on Aug 6, 2012 23:55:16 GMT
"NO PROBLEM" James .... We appreciate that it's sometimes very easy to miss something with so many aircraft/livery options available .... especially if one's maybe not too sure what to search for, and where, in the first instance. I'm not too familiar with some of the US ports .... but .... my research indicates that AFA were, originally, based in the Fort Worth area, but, they seem to have relocated to Pennsylvania later on .... and maybe before they acquired jets. Maybe someone else has "more definitive" information on this .... and in particular information on specific AFA routings beyond what I've indicated above. Mark C AKL/NZ |
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Post by 747braniffplace on Aug 7, 2012 0:53:32 GMT
Greatness, Mark! I wondered if it were KFTW - Meacham, as a home base, whether a fully loaded and fueled DC8-63 could make it off the ground on one of our legendary hot, humid summer afternoons? The main runway is 16 / 34, which is (according to what information I've found) only 7,501 feet X 150 feet, with a DDTW of 350,000. I have seen heavies there before, at one time a maintenance company there had a pair of DC10's on the ramp but I realize that those were probably lacking any load other than fuel when they left... I do remember back in the mid-eighties, Fort Worth Air brought commercial service back to KFTW, serving (at least) San Antonio, Austin, and Houston Intercontinental with YS-11 aircraft. Fully loaded with pax, we still seemed to only use about half of the runway at 3 in the afternoon...but I didn't mention it took more than one starter cart to get #2 fired up...we were sweating... James DFW-TX
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Post by aerofoto - HJG Admin on Aug 7, 2012 3:51:30 GMT
I wouldn't think so .... at least not fully loaded  .... since the FAA minimum field requirement for a fully-laden DC8-63 (depending of RWY surface condition/alitude/ambient temperature etc) is normally up to around 10,500 FT .... or more !!!!  Can't, really, compare DC8 performances with those of the other, more modern, "HEAVIES" .... like the A300B, B747, DC10, or L1011 A B727 could certainly "get up" within that 7,500 FT RWY length though. Mark C AKL/NZ |
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Post by aerofoto - HJG Admin on Aug 7, 2012 4:11:18 GMT
Middletown, Pennsylvania, is what keeps on comming up in my own AFA research .... but .... that appears to be where the company was actually based. The DC8's flew tourist/IT charters etc .... so .... they could, realistically, have gone from anywhere they were contracted/chartered to fly from/to .... and which wasn't necessarily their own home base. Here's a little more AFA information .... AFA DC8 HISTORYwww.dc-8jet.com/afadc863cf.htmMEMORIES OF AN AFA FLIGHT ATTENDANTwww.dc-8jet.com/afa-dc8-addl-history.htmMark C AKL/NZ |
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.... as follows .... 
.... since the FAA minimum field requirement for a fully-laden DC8-63 (depending of RWY surface condition/alitude/ambient temperature etc) is normally up to around 10,500 FT .... or more !!!! 