Category: NAMC YS-11

PBA Maxes Out: Provincetown-Boston in the 80s

28/4/2017

Provincetown-Boston Airways (PBA) started operations in 1949 and was consistently profitable for over 30 years. In 1980 its founder John Van Arsdale reluctantly handed over control to his sons and with deregulation in full swing everything was changing. The future looked bright, but over expansion coupled with a series of fatal crashes led to the death of the airline; although many of its routes and fleet continued on in new colours.

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Cherry Blossom Pacemakers: Piedmont YS-11s

26/4/2017

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In the mid-60s the local service airlines were well into their graduation from DC-3 centric fleets to those based predominantly around Martins and Convairliners and in fact most were beginning to look at jets as well. Piedmont had retired its last Dc-3 in 1963 and had been operating 8 Fairchild F-27s since 1958. It had added a sizeable number of Martin 404s since 1961, but was in the market for fleet renewal. It was interested in jets but also needed new prop-liners and found them in an unusual location.

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Starting from Scratch: The NAMC YS-11

23/4/2017

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The YS-11 programme remains something of a controversial topic in its native Japan. Some see it as an epic adventure and fabulous idea, a monument to Japanese industrial policy; whereas others see it as a folly doomed to failure from the start. Regardless it is clear that the aircraft itself was capable and although it clearly never met the financial targets set for it it sold 182 aircraft, a decent number, and continued in service into the 2010s.

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PBA Maxes Out: Provincetown-Boston in the 80s

Cherry Blossom Pacemakers: Piedmont YS-11s

Starting from Scratch: The NAMC YS-11

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