The Hand of Friendship

The ubiquitous F27 seen droning through Australian skies is not the colourless machine it appears, but a complex set of systems integrated to perform reliably and efficiently. Although it is a very successful aircraft and the mainstay of many domestic airlines, to the aviation enthusiast the Fokker Friendship is not the sort of aircraft that quickens the pulse and raises the blood pressure.

However, as we strode out on the tarmac, the hive of activity around EWO and its sister craft, the refuelling tankers, the lights and ground movement, and the personnel going about their work created an atmosphere that was far from dull.

Mike took me around the aircraft as he checked the various external items – props, wheels, tyres, undercarriage and pointed out the ram air inlets for cabin pressurisation, water-methanol tanks in those pointy fairings aft of the engine nacelles and the fact that there is a large proportion of fibreglass in the hull aft of the pressure bulkhead.

With a design dating back to the late 1940s, there are many systems that would not be found on an aircraft designed in the eighties.

The Rolls-Royce Dart engines do not have the turbine metals capable of withstanding high temperatures and have to be constantly monitored so that they do not overheat. There are no hydraulics in this aircraft; brakes and undercarriage are air-operated, and before each flight cycle the pneumatics are given an extra boost with compressed air.

Mike checks with the ground engineer that this r done, and that the water-methanol tanks have been appears OK so we climb aboard via the passenger stairs and make our way forward to where Richard is firmly ensconced, setting up the instruments for our departure at 6. 45 am.

I am given the jump seat between the pilots and from here I get an uninterrupted view of the cockpit proceedings and the splendid view through the cockpit glazing.

Richard had already filed his flight plan at 0530 and over an early morning coffee, we discussed the flight, and how Mike and Richard both got into aviation. Now the flight plan is being put into action.

The route will be made up of 1 O segments – SY, WMD, ROG, PLO, GFN, KMP, ERG, SGT, MOD, HWK, and SY. Each beacon will be separately tuned as we make our way around the traps. We have two alternate routes and the total miles to GFN are 270, and a further 80 to Kempsey, thence a further 204 back to Sydney.

A glance outside sees the tarmac clearing of ground support equipment; the two large undercarriage legs are our only visible means of support, nitrogen-filled to give a softer ride on rough field landings. All flying surfaces have anti-icing boots and the engine inlets, specially prone to the formation of ice, are electrically heated. In the tail cone, the combustion turbine provides heated air to the cabin.

Total endurance is planned for 261 minutes, and total fuel is for 3400 kg. Airfield forecasts showed that GFN wind was 220/12, so our planned route was FL (Flight Level) 150 (15,000 feet) and our FL 140 back. The Gratton-Kempsey sector is to be flown at 7500 feet.

Cockpit workload is intense; a typewritten checklist in a plastic holder is read out to check out all systems, prior to the scroll checklist mounted on top of the glare shield being read out as preflight control checks. Every system and operational piece of equipment is checked.

Total fuel on board is 2800 litres. Our speed card is calculated for V1 110 kts, V2 115 kts. Vcl – single-engine rate of climb – 121 kts.

The radios are then turned on, and the ATIS (Airfield Terminal information Service) from the Tower broadcasts information Bravo – Runway 16, wind light and variable, QNH 1012, temperature 4.

Richard calls up for airways clearance on 127. 5 megahertz, and the prompt reply is, “Echo Whisky Oscar, Clearance,-16 West Maitland One departure, cruise flight level one five zero. ”

Through the cargo area comes the hostess with a passenger manifest – 32 plus 1 – and added to our total weight is some extra cargo which necessitates more power for take-off, so Mike selects a water-methanol take-off which means reselecting a t/o horsepower of 480.

Now we are ready to start. Procedure is – 1, Start button. 2, High-pressure cocks forward. 3, Ignition.

At 4300 rpm the starter cuts out, and the familiar high-pitched whine of the Darts increases in crescendo until it reaches the almost unbearable 100db. The ground power unit is removed.

Richard calls for taxi clearance on 121. 7 and time is 6. 42; “EWO clear to taxi”; throttles are moved forward, the engines howl in protest and as we move forward the nose wheel shimmies a little.

A taxi check is now carried out; anti-ice fuel heat – on; oil temps, flaps, cabin blower, and the hostess confirms the cabin is ready for take-off. Seat belt signs and no smoking signs are on.

Surface movement control tells us to call the Tower, on 120. 5. We do and are told to hold short of the runway. We have to anyway, as our oil temperatures are below 50°C with a constant speed prop power is governed by the oil pressure to the propeller.

A large queue builds up behind us, mainly Ansett and TAA Fokkers and a Masling Queen Air; 50°C is quickly attained and we call ready. The Tower tells us to line up behind a landing Singapore Airlines 707 which is appearing rapidly on our right in the breaking dawn.

Airlines of NSW Fokker FCD calls ready. The smoky exhaust of Singapore 81A gets closer and then the 707 touches down and disappears in a cloud of reverse thrust exhaust. He takes the taxiway on the right, and as soon as he clears the active, we are cleared for take-off.

Mike pushes the throttles fully forward and we hurtle down the runway, the instrument panel shaking furiously. At 110 kts Mike eases back on the control column and we are airborne before the 07 intersection.

Botany Bay slips beneath our wings and Mike, his hands in leather gloves, carefully swings the big 500 series F-27 into a left bank to intercept the WMD Beacon. The radar screen is on and the skies ahead are clear.

The sun is not yet above the horizon and the city and northern and eastern suburbs are still covered in a light mist. We call departures, and are identified. At 1800 feet we carry out another take-off check – wheels, flaps, power, and are then instructed to climb to flight level 150 on a heading of 360 degrees.

We aim for a TGT of 730C. As we climb, IAS on the climb is 150 kts.

To calculate our TAS (true airspeed) we calculate as follows: Indicated Air Speed (IAS) = 210 kts+ (3x altitude) =42= 252. On the clock, we read off 36 seconds (1/100 hour) while the DME (Distance Measuring Equipment) shows 2. 2 miles, x 100.

Therefore 252-220 = 18 kts headwind.

At 7. 10 am we reach the top of the climb at 180 kts and 15,000 feet. Control requests we call on 130. 9.

Meanwhile the hostess brings us in a hot breakfast of steak, eggs, rolls, jam and coffee. Sitting up front enjoying a cooked breakfast would surely have to be one of the finer things in life . . .

At 7. 53 we are on the descent into Grafton, throttles having been pulled back to approach speed of 180 kts. The sun streams into the cockpit and the misty and hazy countryside becomes more defined as we commence a left base to Runway.

With runway in sight flaps are lowered to 16½ degrees, then to 22½ and finally full flap on short finals. The runway looms closer and the threshold comes up to meet us; we touch down to a glorious Grafton morning at 8 am.

As the brakes are applied the release of air is not unlike the sound of a railway loco’s Westinghouse brake valves.

We taxi up to the terminal and the crew and the Grafton agent exchange some very humorous banter, each seeing who can outdo the other with some clever oneliners. The freight door is opened and unloading commences.

We climb out and inspect the aircraft, noting by the gauges that we have burnt 2000 lb of fuel since we left Sydney.

Typical of the country town atmosphere, there is a large crowd of classmates to farewell a young lass who has won a US field scholarship. Her parents are there too, and they all gather around EWO to have their photos taken.

There is a freshness about the whole atmosphere which says a lot about the less hurried way of life found away from the big metropolis.

The morning is so beautiful and the surroundings of the airport so inviting that Richard and Mike wish they had a golf club to at least hit a birdie across the freshly mown grass.

We are soon back on board as the loading of baggage and cargo is completed, and pre-flight checks are commenced again. Richard will fly this sector to Kempsey. V1 is calculated at 102 kts, V2 at 108 and a flapless take-off is selected.

Start procedure is carried out and as soon as the engines are running the throttles are brought back, a new move to conserve fuel, some two litres. On every start, on every flight, every day, it adds up to a considerable quantity by the end of the year.

Brakes are released, and we move forward, turn left and taxi up the runway; swing to the right, line up and open up the throttles for a dry take-off at 307 hp.

Charging down the runway, we rotate and climb away from Grafton heading for Kempsey at 4800 ft.

This gives a superb view of the north coast and ranges. Below are small hamlets, and Mike gives the passengers a commentary on the intercom.

Crossing the coast, we swing right over Trial Bay, the wreck of the Sydney Queen lying on the foreshore, and descend to 1500 ft. We make a visual approach left base to Kempsey’s Runway 22. Touch down, apply air brakes, taxi off the runway and stop in front of the terminal at 9. 03 am. Mara Jenkins, the Kempsey agent, comes out to meet us and more good humour sallies forth. Mara has prepared a load and trim sheet and this is checked by Richard.

By 9. 13 we are starting again, and at 9. 18 are charging down Run”. May 22, heading back to Sydney. We climb to our cruising altitude of FL 140 at 200 kts. Any deviation of altitude is immediately brought to notice by the altitude alert horn.

The sun is now behind us and the cockpit environment is darker and more sombre than on the way north when the sun flooded in. Noise levels in the cockpit reach 100 db, and this is damaging over a period. Mike inserts earplugs to get some relief.

It is well known that many pilots who spent most of their lives on heavy piston types have some form of hearing impairment, and with the propellers of the F27 so close to the cockpit windows, it would seem like good hearing insurance to use headphones at all times.

We are now under Sydney Control and Flight Services advised us that there are a couple of F111s at 1500 ft and sister-ship F-27 500 EWP calls up that he is on the descent to Grafton heading SW; he is too far away from us to be seen, but nevertheless, all eyes scan the horizon for a sighting.

Continually through the flight the VOR tunes in to the ‘Jear 1s at ERG, SGT, MOD, and HWK, with both pilots setting up the frequencies as the needle points to and then from the relevant beacon.

Sydney Control advises that we will be required to enter a holding pattern, but as soon as we commence our right turn, the “hold” is cancelled, we are given a heading of 210 degrees, then 179, 182, and then the magic 156 degrees which brings us on to the Runway 16 ILS. We set up the ILS at about 40 miles DME inbound.

Richard is to make a practice ILS and set up flap and power settings under the strict guidance of Mike, who is instructing him in the finer points of making a copybook instrument approach which will satisfy the most demanding check captain, or OT examiner.

We tune into Sydney ATIS; Information Echo – Runway 16, wind 240 degrees 10 to 15, QNH 1014, temperature 12.

It’s warmer now, but with a westerly blowing not quite hard enough to necessitate runway 25. Noise abatement procedures require the use of runways 16/34 or 07 for arrivals until conditions are such that the maximum crosswind component has been reached.

Continuing on the descent, Richard’s side of the windscreen is blanked out by a piece of opaque paper so he really is flying on instruments.

Our speeds are placarded as follows: 1. 3 Vs is 91, V fr 106, Vcl 111. We check TGT and Richard maintains the speed at 160 kts, holding the ILS needle steady, one hand on the control column controlling speed, the other carefully manipulating the throttles to maintain altitude.

Sydney is now in sight.

To the left, the harbour bridge and commercial area, in the distance some 30 miles away, Sydney airport and the runway 16 extension, looking no larger than a football field.

As we descend on the ILS, Control tells us to call Approach on 124. 4. The controller requests we maintain speed and query our speed on finals. We advise him that we’ll be making 135 kts. The WPBL (West Pymble) beacon is interrogated; the outer marker indicator flashes and gives out a loud intermittent tone which fades away to be replaced by the middle marker indicator alerting in a similar fashion. This is quickly taken over by the inner marker.

We are now at Sydenham. Runway 16 lies straight ahead; the paper covering the righthand side of the windshield is whipped away and we make a visual approach onto the runway.

We are told to call the Tower on 120. 5 and are cleared to land. An Air New Zealand DC-8 bound for Wellington holds short of the runway; the threshold markers pass beneath us as the main wheels grease the runway – it’s 10. 28 am; power levers are brought back, brakes applied, the crosswind sways the aircraft and the nose wheel shimmies on the ground.

The instrument panel vibrates gently as we take runway left, take the next taxiway left and call on 121. 7 ground control or, to use its official name, Surface Movement Control.

Taxiing instructions bring us into the East-West terminal apron, on the company frequency we are given Bay 18 and Flight 84 from Kempsey to Sydney terminates.

Brakes are applied, engines shut down, another checklist is carried out, passengers disembarked, and the crew pack up to do it all again another day.

It could be to Norfolk Island, Alice Springs, or down to Tasmania. The ubiquitous Fokker Friendships of East-West Airlines will continue to serve New South Wales proudly until they are replaced by their larger and faster counterparts, the twin-jet F28s.

To Captain Mike Rigg and F/O Richard Blatchford, I thank you for your hospitality and good company. Many thanks to East-West Airlines and charming cabin staff for a truly professional operation.

NEXT ISSUE: John Vogel heads north again, this time in G-AWNM, a British Airways Boeing 747. Join the flight crew for an interesting comparison between the F-27 and the largest of airliners, the 747.