Don’t know if I read it wrong, or just typed it wrong?
Fixed.
from caricatureaircraftpictures.com/
I recall a FedEx Falcon taking off from Warwick RI in heavy fog, and attempted to depart from a taxiway - striking two airliners!! Nobody was killed, and all aircraft were repaired - but I don’t know which Falcon it was.
…
It was a B727…reported here…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._F._Green_Airport…
Total screw-up! Can easily see how it could happen though; brought back memories of Tenerife…
pp
Hmmm, that is interesting? 1999 not that long ago.
I was sure (not positive) there was a ground accident in the early 80’s involving a Falcon Jet - however???
Seems more plausible it’s your aforementioned incident - but!!, I’m going to have to go down to the Toronto reference library one day and look thru old newspapers.
I’m a biz jet guy, and a FedEx incident with a B727 wouldn’t really jar my memory - unless they hit a Falcon with it!!!
Either way thanks for the answer . . .
Great thread!
Cool to see the FedEx lineage
s/n 204 was the last 20 I flew w/ Ameristar.
Also s/n 50 and 221.
Great airplanes.
Cheers
ems…
In the case of the Brit reg Falcons (my babies) lets just say…
40 years on and still ‘kicking some serious ass’
pp
Saw this one: N15FE . . 229 . . . N229CK Kalitta - active, return a brave warrior killed in Iraq to his hometown last summer. Planeside/ramp services were very moving. Kalitta has further modified to handle caskets, and has a contract fly from Dover. Priority ATC service, and a quiet taxi to the ramp. Provides the families, friends, and loved ones with the level of respect and privacy all deserve.
Add 225, it was their corporate airplane. I flew it when it was N102AD it was N332FE when Fed-X had it
I see 225 was scrapped and used as parts to re-build another Falcon c/n 162 N911DG. Though I can’t seem to find any record that the aircraft is still flying??
First, VERY cool thread!! I also seem to remember reading, and I am not sure if it was at the Air & Space at IAD…or Wiki, but the reason for the numbers being in sequence is because Fred wanted to show the strength in numbers. Meaning, hey look at me I have X amount of planes, what do you have?!?
…but the reason for the numbers being in sequence is because Fred wanted to show the strength in numbers. Meaning, hey look at me I have X amount of planes, what do you have?!?
Or could it be the FAA were having what we in the UK would call a BOGOF sale…Buy one get one free!..no probably not!
But why not, consecutive numbering is a good Corporate marketing strategy, since used by many others…Only impressive in the US however or in countries using an alphanumeric combination.
Ryanair in Ireland have virtually consecutive registrations on their fleet of 200+ B737-800’s but they are not instantly recognisable because like most of Europe the registrations are alphabetical only.
On the subject of the FedEx Falcons however…to be honest, in my book 225 doesn’t count…FedEx only operated it for a short while and it was a bog standard non cargo aircraft. One of many such corporate jets in a long line of company hacks.
Lets face it…taking an angle grinder and chopping out a damn great chunk of the airframe was a pretty drastic thing to do and pretty revolutionary in the early seventies…but it worked and the aircraft so assaulted continue to work today some 38 years on. The base aircraft is / was built like a tank unlike a lot of later more stylish biz-jets.
pp
Had the privelege to help unload N204TW last night, and thought of this thread. Thought I would report it is still alive and flying.
Would have been cool to see a FedEx Falcon 10 - would have made a cool speedy delivery jet!!!
I recall seeing my first ever FedEx Falcon 20DC parked on the ramp in Buffalo - and back then seeing a purple biz jet was quite the sight!!
Back then the only wild aircraft in the skies was the Braniff ‘Calder’ DC-8 with the wild paint job that flew JFK - Rio every day.
I also worked on the ramp at YYZ back in 1981 when the first FedEx flight into Toronto came in. We knew for about 3 months in advance when they were starting service, we bid, and won the contract to look after their aircraft in Toronto. (Innotech Aviation)
We were supposed to park the aircraft in the back of the ramp, on a concrete pad - not me - I parked the first FedEx right in front of the VIP terminal - and I had an airline limo pulled right up to the plane to take the crew to the hotel!! Heh - they were VIP’s to me!!
Rob,
I found this discussion by accident and think I might be able to save you a trip to the library.
I worked in flight ops for FedEx from '72 thru ‘75. The accident you refer to was in Providence, RI in the dead of Winter. Providence had closed a runway due to heavy snow and had parked some towing equipment and other aircraft on the closed runway…but forgot to post notams. From what I remember, the runway lights were still on as well. Our crew started down the runway and spotted the parked aircraft too late, hitting the tow vehicle and one airliner. It took the wing off our Falcon but I don’t remember the tail number. The crew was not injured. Also, Fred had one Falcon that was for corporate purposes.(We once leased it to the rock group Humble Pie for a tour) All I remember of the tail number is 22Q. It was white with purple and orange pin striping. When we got to Memphis Fred decided to sell it and Elvis looked at it before buying the Lisa Marie. Rumor had it that 22Q had been bellied in at some time and repaired. Also, the first two Falcons were named Wendy and Laurie after Fred’s two little daughters…the rest got their names from our first pilots’ children in lottery fashion. Well…this is probably too much info, some of which I’m sure you knew, but thanks for letting me go down memory lane…that was a fantastic company and it was amazing to watch it grow in those first days!
DJones
For information the jets in the UK are still going strong. Of the 10 ex Fed-Ex aircraft one has been taken out of service and broken for spares (S/No. 207 G-FRAM/9M-FRA) but the rest are still active. G-FRAL (s/No.151) is currently in storage but serviceable. The rest of the fleet are showing their age with 40 year corrosion problems etc but they are still being repaired. The intersting thing is that recently we have reason to look at the cargo door installations and realised that the quality of workmanship upon original installation leaves a lot to be desired. Fitted in a hurry I would say. Lots of rework has been required to get three of the aircraft back to a decent standard. Having said that are fleet leader has flown nearly 26,000hrs and 17,000 ldgs so they haven’t done bad. They are planned to keep flying well beyond 2019 so you will see them for years to come.
S/No. 270 has recently had a runway excursion but it will be repaired and back serviceable in a matter of weeks.
Wish I knew about FlightAware years ago. I was crewchief/mechanic on S/N 20 from about !968 to 1971 for GE VP at Logan Int’l before it was sold to FedEx. Before that I was a mechanic for the Falcon 20 service center in 1965. What a beautiful solid aircraft that should fly forever. Only now (2023) I decided to track S/N 20 and amazed to find it still active in EU, G-FRAJ and bring back memories dear to my old heart. Almost tempted to go to EU to see it. Loved that plane.