Tribute To The BAe 146 In The USA

Matt D · Mon Mar 03, 2003 8:17 am

Gawd!!!! How I miss seeing these cute little birds. You just don't see them here on the Left Coast like you used to.

Oh well. Did I forget anyone besides Aspen? I could not locate any 146 pictures of them in the database.

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Photo © Bill Hough

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Photo © Brian Peters

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Photo © Richard Silagi

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Photo © Richard Silagi

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Photo © Richard Silagi

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Photo © AirNikon

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Photo © Brian J. Gore

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Photo © Eduard Marmet

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Photo © Mark Bess

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Photo © Bill Hough

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Photo © Tim Samples

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Photo © Frank Schaefer

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Photo © Tom Hildreth

lindy field · Mon Mar 03, 2003 8:20 am

Here's a nice photo of a -146 on sales tour to PSA, still wearing house colors but with a smile!
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Photo © John Kelly

HlywdCatft · Mon Mar 03, 2003 8:25 am

I could have sworn that I had seen a Bae 146 in Continental colors? perhaps after the Presidential merger?

Matt D · Mon Mar 03, 2003 8:32 am

Correct. There was. I have a picture of it in a book. But no picture of that plane could be located in he database either. That three color golden tail looked really sharp on the 146.

GDB · Mon Mar 03, 2003 3:57 pm

For an aircraft designed for city centre airports, hence what for many was an odd choice and number of engines, it did not do badly sales wise, with few exceptions like London City Airport, these airports never happened.
The real breakthrough in the US came in 1983 when PSA ordered 25, as then it was the only jet aircraft able to meet the stringent noise regs in some Californian airports.
After that, it was positioned for the RJ boom.

Guest · Mon Mar 03, 2003 5:07 pm

Here's a couple more you missed Matt

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Photo © Mark Durbin

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Photo © AirNikon

justplanesmart · Mon Mar 03, 2003 6:49 pm

Some others that I could not find pictures of in the database, but that flew the 146 include AirPac, based in Alaska, which operated a 146-100 on flights from Alaska to Seattle for a short time, and Empire (based in Idaho, not to be confused with the one that Piedmont swallowed), which had some 146-200 aircraft, and used them for charters, including some for cruise ship passengers from SEA to YVR.

Guest · Mon Mar 03, 2003 6:57 pm

According to http://www.smiliner.com, here is a complete list of 146 operators around the world

http://www.smiliner.com/operators/operators.shtml

gerardo · Mon Mar 03, 2003 7:56 pm

Well, at ZRH we're certainly not running out of those BAe 146, or "Jumbolino", how they are called overhere.

Sorry for the shameless plug coming right now, but actionally an interesting angle in my opinion is:

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Photo © Gerardo Dominguez

That USAir livery looks marvellous on the BAe 146, BTW Wow!

Regards
Gerardo

Guest · Mon Mar 03, 2003 10:56 pm

Someone just uploaded a shot to jetphoto of the Discovery 146's in Hawaii.

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=37531

KLAX · Mon Mar 03, 2003 11:15 pm

I really like that plane. Good post MattD. I saw an Air Wisconsin 146 at KSBA about 2 years ago (UA colors), might wanna go out there and check it out if you really have a fetish Matt. Smile

I had my first flight on one last summer from TLS to LHR, on BE. Quite a fun airplane, climbs quickly, and stops on a dime.

-Clovis

JetService · Tue Mar 04, 2003 12:13 am

I love flying in that bird. We get the Mesaba 146's here. Feels just like mainline inside. Comfy!!! BTW, my son has a little die-cast of the Continental 146.

DIA · Tue Mar 04, 2003 12:46 am

As JetService mentioned, there were Continental BAe146's in the new colors. My nephew has a little diecast of one of those as well.

I love going to Aspen and seeing this (You've got to enlarge it to see it):
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Photo © Søren Geertsen

I also liked these others as tribute photos:
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Photo © Mark Garfinkel

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Photo © Gary Watt

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Photo © Bart Noëth

DIA

azjubilee · Tue Mar 04, 2003 1:21 am

Nice tribute to the chubby... but to be totally correct - Mesaba, SWISS and others don't operate the Bae146 - they operate the Avro Rj85/Avro146. The Avro has more powerful engines, can fly higher, has a mostly glass flightdeck, flies a little faster, has a digital pressurization system and a few other minor details.

AZJ

DIA · Tue Mar 04, 2003 1:43 am

I just noticed your post said tribute to the USA -146s. Two of those pics I posted above showing window views are in Europe. My fault.

Left Coast. . .LOL, DIA

mirrodie · Tue Mar 04, 2003 7:36 am

MattD, you always come up with these great tribute threads!

I love the BAe146. I had the opportunity to jumpseat it in Australia with my fiancee and the experience was fantastic.

Sabena332 · Tue Mar 04, 2003 7:39 am

Leopold,

your tribute topics are getting annoying.

Just my 0,02 €

Patrick

Guest · Tue Mar 04, 2003 7:52 am

Matt,

Here are a couple more photos of 146 operaters in the US. These photos I recieved in trade and are part of my collection and unfortunately I do not who who shot them so I cannot give proper photocredit.

Aspen

Empire

Richard

HlywdCatft · Tue Mar 04, 2003 8:24 am

I think these tribute topics are great. It is great to see a tribute to an underated airliner like the 146

BH346 · Tue Mar 04, 2003 8:41 am

Great tribute to a wonderful plane. I had the pleasure of flying on the Avro twice on Mesaba. Hope to fly on it more, definitely one of my favorite planes.

AerMickey · Tue Mar 04, 2003 8:46 am

Great aircraft, practically impossible to ever have a bad landing in that thing as well. That elbow landing gear makes for a nice touchdown.

By the way, Hollywood, nice tribute. This is worthy of a tribute.

As for now, I am off to enjoy my time on a UA 737, UA A319, UA 777 and a EI A320.. IRELAND OR BUST!!!

Mickey

Guest · Tue Mar 04, 2003 9:01 am

Also Matt, Any tribute to the 146 in the USA would not be complete without a mention of Pacific Express. Before PSA or anyone else in the US had ordered the 146, the first order came from a new upstart called Pacific Express. Pacific Express ordered the 146 for it's new operation here on the west coast. Those BAC 1-11's Pacific Express had were part of a special deal that they had with BAe.

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Photo © Ted Quackenbush

BAe leased Pacific Express the 1-11's as an interim measure until their 146's could be built. Pacific Express had to get a special exemption to operate the 1-11's into SFO since they did not meet SFO's strict noise guidelines. The airport granted Pacific Express the exemption since they were to be replaced with the 146's as soon as they were built. Of course we all know Pacific Express did not last very long and it was at that point that PSA came along and picked up Pacific Express's initial order.

Richard

DIA · Tue Mar 04, 2003 9:15 am

By the way, where in the USA can you still see these -146s?

I'll tell you, here in Denver, we have quite a few! I would assume MSY or DTW has quite a bit as well.

DIA

Guest · Tue Mar 04, 2003 9:17 am

CORRECTION to my previous post, Air Wisconsin was apparently the launch customer for the 146 and ordered before Pacific Express. I forgot about them. Here is some info on the Pacific Express order from the 1982 edition of World Airline Fleets

Richard

AndrewAir · Tue Mar 04, 2003 9:19 am

Does United still have BAE-146 flights to San Francisco?

The first time I went on an 146 was in 2000, Gatwick to Belfast City on British European. The flight was great.

Guest · Tue Mar 04, 2003 9:52 am

The only 146's flights these days at SFO are a daily United Express (Air Wisconsin) SFO-Aspen flight. The Westair/United Express 146's are long gone.

POSITIVE RATE · Tue Mar 04, 2003 10:31 am

Here in Australia we're certainly not running out of 146's either! Ansett used to operate a whole bunch of them. QF still operate a large number so does Australian Air Express who use the BA-146 for air-freight duties. I always wanted to fly on one of these babies. They have got somewhat of a bad reputation i've heard- they fly slow, they fly low, and they have 4 very small underpowered engines sometimes referred to as having 4 APU's in formation lol. But i still love this little whisperjet- especially thr -300 version which is nearly the same length as a 737. I love the high wing arrangement and t-tail- looks so cool.

sccutler · Tue Mar 04, 2003 11:54 am

A few months back, when I flew to Austin, Texas (KAUS), there was an exceptionally nice 146 in private rig which landed right after me. I'll admit it- I had no idea what kind of plane it was until I saw it, as the controllers were calling it "Bock Jet 123Y (or whatever the number was...)"; as soon as I saw it, of course, I realized it was "BAC Jet."

He parked at Signature, just like me; I don't understand why the other guy got better service than I did in the 172?

BR715-A1-30 · Tue Mar 04, 2003 12:48 pm

It sure would be nice for some start-up airline to start up, and get those (Fairly new) BAe-146s out of the desert and put them to some good use.

DIA · Tue Mar 04, 2003 2:29 pm

FYI: Just read in an Airways magazine that six of Continental's -146-300s are with Buzz.

DIA

Guest · Tue Mar 04, 2003 2:56 pm

That private 146 seen in AUS was probably this one:

E1068 146-100 HTF 1986 N114M Moncrief Oil

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clipperno1 · Tue Mar 04, 2003 7:51 pm

Can't believe hoiw old the 146 already is.....20 years! It still has such a modern styling. Breaks my heart when I see those sitting in some desert in Australia or USA waiting for the blow torch! Still have a lot of these Bbabies here in FRA in active mode. (i.e. LH+EW+Albanian)

azjubilee · Wed Mar 05, 2003 2:24 pm

DIA - those are Ex CO 733's not 146s... that are headed towards the buzz fleet.

AZJ

LMP737 · Wed Mar 05, 2003 3:08 pm

Some of my co-workers are ex-Air Cal A&P's and they have some interesting terminology to describe the 146. Big grin

POSITIVE RATE · Wed Mar 05, 2003 4:39 pm

I wonder why the 146 was never adopted for freight use like it is in Australia. The 146 makes a pretty good freighter with a dedicated freight loading door. How come FedEx never got any for an intermediate freighter in between the MD-11 and the 727?? They aren't restricted to noise curfew because they are so quiet which is a big bonus for night ops.

eg777er · Wed Mar 05, 2003 6:30 pm

Having just arrived back from BRU on a SN Brussels RJ-85, I must say they are a very nice aircraft to fly in - although a bit bumpy in high winds! The RJ-100s that British Airways operate not as nice though, as they have 3-3 config, rather than the more comfortable 2-3.

Also, you must remember the finest 146 of all..........

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azjubilee · Thu Mar 06, 2003 2:05 am

Positive Rate - the 146 is used by TNT for cargo operations in Europe. Hence one of the nicknames... "The quiet trader."

AZJ

IslandHopper · Thu Mar 06, 2003 3:17 am

Here is a sad day in US BAe-146 history.

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Photo © Andy Martin

These planes were parked for up to six years before they returned to service. A shame what USAir did to PSA...

Matt D · Thu Mar 06, 2003 5:13 am

Geez....does that mean I should stop doing my tributes?

Of course no one is forcing you to read them, and these tense times, a trip down memory lane seems welcome.

NWA ARJ · Thu Mar 06, 2003 6:03 am

I really do like the ARJ in NW colors!!

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brett80211 · Thu Mar 06, 2003 6:09 am

I have flown the BAe many times on Air Wisconsin....I will again soon from MSN-ORD. It is a fun plane to fly on. I cant wait.
How much longer will airlines hold on to them?-Brett

[email protected] · Thu Mar 06, 2003 6:55 am

Oh don't worry, the 146's will be around for a good few years, a lot of NW's RJ-85's are still brand new.

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