Atlantic Gulf Airlines
Encyclopedia
Atlantic Gulf Airlines was a regional airline
in Florida
that began operations in October 1983. Service started with two British Vickers Viscount
four engined tubroprops. The airline began with service from Miami to St. Petersburg, Florida
. By early 1984, the airlines had added Convair 580 turboprops to the fleet. The fleet grew to three of the Convair 580s and cities such as Tallahassee, Fort Lauderdale and even Atlanta, Georgia were added.
planes were returned to their lessors while the airline reorganized. In an unheard of move by a small airline in the 1980s, Atlantic Gulf continued to operate using a BAC 1-11 jet it acquired through a merger with the also bankrupt Air Illinois
. The airline was also moved from St. Petersburg to Tallahassee.
BAC 1-11s and began running service from Tallahssee to Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Atlanta. This schedule was pared back when the FAA grounded the two former Cascade jets claiming that the stage one noise waiver
s from Cascade did not transfer to Atlantic Gulf. The FAA also threatened Atlantic Gulf with heavy fines because the Cascade jets were BAC 1-11-400
series planes. The original Air Illinois
plane and subsequent training program were for the less powerful and slightly different BAC 1-11 200
series planes. This, combined with a heavy D check due on one of the Cascade jets, left Atlantic Gulf with one serviceable BAC 1-11
jet for its entire system.
In addition, Piedmont Airlines
had started its well equipped and well funded dedicated Florida Shuttle using comparable Fokker-28 jets. Atlantic Gulf responded to this by moving its routes to the Caribbean
. The main route was from Atlanta to Tallahassee to Miami to Grand Turk
. Other Island destinations were added but the entire system had become dependent on one airplane.
To add more trouble to Atlantic Gulfs woes, the BAC 1-11 that was getting a heavy check had work on it stopped when an unexpected high priority contract for a foreign carrier unexpectedly popped up. The battle over the stage 1 waivers and the training issues had still not been resolved. The remaining airframe
proved stalwart and did all that was asked of it but it was flying over 400 hours a month.
Taking off from a newly resurfaced runway
in Miami, a piece of debris (a roughly 2 inch piece of rebar
) was thrown into an engine. The takeoff was rejected without incident but the jet was grounded. Only three suitable engines were located but none were available for lease. The different and more powerful engines of the 400 series jets were not compatible. With crushing competition inside Florida, a grounded fleet and dwindling cash resources the airlines ceased operations in 1986.
. Years after it folded, in a case that went before the U.S. Supreme Court, Atlantic Gulf won their lawsuit against the FAA over the transfer of Cascade Airways Stage 1 noise waivers.
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
that began operations in October 1983. Service started with two British Vickers Viscount
Vickers Viscount
The Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
four engined tubroprops. The airline began with service from Miami to St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
. By early 1984, the airlines had added Convair 580 turboprops to the fleet. The fleet grew to three of the Convair 580s and cities such as Tallahassee, Fort Lauderdale and even Atlanta, Georgia were added.
Chapter Eleven
The St. Petersburg market did not work out for Atlantic Gulf and the airline went into chapter eleven. The turbopropTurboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
planes were returned to their lessors while the airline reorganized. In an unheard of move by a small airline in the 1980s, Atlantic Gulf continued to operate using a BAC 1-11 jet it acquired through a merger with the also bankrupt Air Illinois
Air Illinois
Air Illinois was a commuter airline based in Carbondale, Illinois.-History:Founded in 1970 in Carbondale, Illinois, Air Illinois primarily operated small twin turboprop aircraft such as the DeHavilland Twin Otter...
. The airline was also moved from St. Petersburg to Tallahassee.
Downfall
The airline also acquired two former Cascade AirwaysCascade Airways
Cascade Airways was an airline which flew primarily regional air routes out of Seattle, Washington, USA. It was founded in 1969, but later shut down in 1986.-Operations:The headquarters for the company was in Spokane, WA...
BAC 1-11s and began running service from Tallahssee to Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Atlanta. This schedule was pared back when the FAA grounded the two former Cascade jets claiming that the stage one noise waiver
Noise regulation
Noise regulation includes statutes or guidelines relating to sound transmission established by national, state or provincial and municipal levels of government. After the watershed passage of the United States Noise Control Act of 1972, other local and state governments passed further regulations...
s from Cascade did not transfer to Atlantic Gulf. The FAA also threatened Atlantic Gulf with heavy fines because the Cascade jets were BAC 1-11-400
BAC One-Eleven
The British Aircraft Corporation One-Eleven, also known as the BAC-111, BAC-1-11 or BAC 1-11, was a British short-range jet airliner of the 1960s and 1970s...
series planes. The original Air Illinois
Air Illinois
Air Illinois was a commuter airline based in Carbondale, Illinois.-History:Founded in 1970 in Carbondale, Illinois, Air Illinois primarily operated small twin turboprop aircraft such as the DeHavilland Twin Otter...
plane and subsequent training program were for the less powerful and slightly different BAC 1-11 200
BAC One-Eleven
The British Aircraft Corporation One-Eleven, also known as the BAC-111, BAC-1-11 or BAC 1-11, was a British short-range jet airliner of the 1960s and 1970s...
series planes. This, combined with a heavy D check due on one of the Cascade jets, left Atlantic Gulf with one serviceable BAC 1-11
BAC One-Eleven
The British Aircraft Corporation One-Eleven, also known as the BAC-111, BAC-1-11 or BAC 1-11, was a British short-range jet airliner of the 1960s and 1970s...
jet for its entire system.
In addition, Piedmont Airlines
Piedmont Airlines
Piedmont Airlines is an American regional airline operating for US Airways Express. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the US Airways Group, headquartered in unincorporated Wicomico County, Maryland, near the city of Salisbury, it conducts flight operations using De Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft...
had started its well equipped and well funded dedicated Florida Shuttle using comparable Fokker-28 jets. Atlantic Gulf responded to this by moving its routes to the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. The main route was from Atlanta to Tallahassee to Miami to Grand Turk
Grand Turk
Grand Turk may refer to:* Grand Turk * Grand Turk Island* Cem, a Turkish prince made famous by his extended captivity in the West* an informal western name for the Great Sultan of the Turkish Ottoman dynasty...
. Other Island destinations were added but the entire system had become dependent on one airplane.
To add more trouble to Atlantic Gulfs woes, the BAC 1-11 that was getting a heavy check had work on it stopped when an unexpected high priority contract for a foreign carrier unexpectedly popped up. The battle over the stage 1 waivers and the training issues had still not been resolved. The remaining airframe
Airframe
The airframe of an aircraft is its mechanical structure. It is typically considered to include fuselage, wings and undercarriage and exclude the propulsion system...
proved stalwart and did all that was asked of it but it was flying over 400 hours a month.
Taking off from a newly resurfaced runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
in Miami, a piece of debris (a roughly 2 inch piece of rebar
Rebar
A rebar , also known as reinforcing steel, reinforcement steel, rerod, or a deformed bar, is a common steel bar, and is commonly used as a tensioning device in reinforced concrete and reinforced masonry structures holding the concrete in compression...
) was thrown into an engine. The takeoff was rejected without incident but the jet was grounded. Only three suitable engines were located but none were available for lease. The different and more powerful engines of the 400 series jets were not compatible. With crushing competition inside Florida, a grounded fleet and dwindling cash resources the airlines ceased operations in 1986.
Transfer of noise waivers
The airline did have one Pyrrhic victoryPyrrhic victory
A Pyrrhic victory is a victory with such a devastating cost to the victor that it carries the implication that another such victory will ultimately cause defeat.-Origin:...
. Years after it folded, in a case that went before the U.S. Supreme Court, Atlantic Gulf won their lawsuit against the FAA over the transfer of Cascade Airways Stage 1 noise waivers.
External links
- http://www.sunshineskies.net/atlanticgulf.html
- http://www.crazedfanboy.com/npcr/laflapcr218.html
- http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/zy1.htm
- http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?airlinesearch=Atlantic+Gulf+Airlines