Fokker Jets in the USA

[hiss srq]

I am a bit of a softie for Fokkers. I always thought they were great little jets. I spent many hours flying aboard them with USAir than USAirways and one or two AA flights as a kid. I was wondering where one might catch them doing somthing other than taking up ramp space here in the states. The last ones I can recall flying around in the US was JetsGo from Canada and Ford's Fokker. I know Ford's Fokker is gone and obviously JetsGo is gone but are any private operators flying them around? I used to really be amazed at JetsGo Fokkers and their ability to do SRQ to points in Canada fully loaded.

[SengaB]

The F100/70?
Yes the Ford 70 N322K was the last one in the U.S. I always loved seeing Fokker jets. They had a very distinct engine sound when flying overhead. Nice shape, look and all around classy looking aircraft. The almost straight wing was also nice. The F28s were equally as exciting to me to see. The last Fokker jet I shot was the ford one.

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=F100+or ... &s=int&z=m (http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=F100+or+F28&w=25793825%40N06&s=int&z=m)

Senga

[hiss srq]

Senga. Those shots rock. Espes. the USAir bare metal ones. I love the 28 also. Straight jet, small cabin and all. Such a little can do airplane.

[Mayi757]

The last domestic Fokker operator might have been Horizon (F-28s) until 2002. Not sure when US Airways and American last flew their F-100s. Midway got rid of theirs in 2001.

JetsGo's were definitely the last commercial F-100s to be seen in the US until they went out of business. Mexicana sent them to MIA for a short time during 2003.

Another foreign airline that used to fly F-100s on charters to MCO and FLL around 1990-91 was Intair (Canada).


I loved seeing the deployed tail cone air brakes on those short USAir F-28s that were so common at MCO back in the early 90's. What also made them cool was the peculiar whiny sound landing overhead. I even taped the sound on a cassette :D

[hiss srq]

Yeah, those airplkanes could do everything. You could make those things fall out of the sky like a turboprop from accounts I have heard. Those speedbrakes must have been somthing else to fly with. Plus it had those big lift dumps on the wings (undeployable in flight).

[SengaB]

Thanks Ryan,
I agree the USA Fokker jets looks really nice in the bare metal colors. It seem most airline colors just look good on the Fokkers.

Mario did you get shots of the MXA Fokkers?

Senga

[hiss srq]

I agree. All Fokkers look glorious. There is a saying as I am sure you know about airplanes. They usually fly the way they look and the Fokker looks like it would be a joy to fly. A little slow at the altitudes from what I am reading elsewhere but an airplane with a wing like that has to be a total blast to fly low and slow in.

[jerslice]

Picked up this pretty one in LAX in 2008...the Ford one I think.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3328/3275764014_b37a94f76d_o.jpg

[Mayi757]

Mario did you get shots of the MXA Fokkers?

Senga

Yes i did.


The Ford one doesn't look like an F-100 to me. Looks more like a F-70 or F-28 Mk4000.


Wish the Rekkof project to revive production of the F-100 would have gotten somewhere, pity.


ps: just remembered another airline that had to have flown F-100s at least occasionally to the western US was Aviacsa (Mexico) during mid-90's, in a real nice livery too. Shame that paintscheme was replaced by rather mediocre one by the time they started flying to Miami (Fokkers long gone by then).

By the way it's awesome to be able to talk old-skool planes among fans of these older, much more interesting jets. GROUPHUG! (jump in Senga)

[hiss srq]

N324K is a F70. I got to work on her once. Grand little airplane.

[SengaB]

Looks like I was wrong,
N324K is still flying for Ford. It been ages since it flew last sheesh.

N324K Currently planned KDTW-KBDL

Senga

[hiss srq]

Oh man, I am going to be on the hunt for this airplane now to catch it. I cant get to BDL today though. ARGH! Anyone gets it I'll defineately take a copy. :borat:

[SengaB]

Maybe they will be there for a few days.

Senga