The dash 8 hold a special place in my heart, as a kid my mom was a flight attendant on the dash 8 based out of New Bern North Carolina and my father was a dash 8 captain based out of Roanoke Virginia. This is my all time favorite plane over anything, it always kept my family safe and ensured a safe return home every time. I remember many time landing on a dash 8 in Hilton Head or Charlotte while my dad was flying and me with my family were in the back. I will NEVER forget the dash 8.
The Dash 8 is an iconic aircraft. I lived in the Caribbean for years and "island hopped" for work up and the islands. LIAT flew the Dash 8 for years. Great plane except for the AC. My son flew Dash 8's for two years in Afghanistan in air lift operations.
Probably the one of the best jobs I ever had. I was a structures and composite mechanic in Norfolk for 8 years. After the Norfolk closure I went to to Elizabeth City North Carolina the next morning and got a job working for the USCG on the HU-25, H-60, C-144 and C-27 aircraft. At 67 I'm still at it and look forward to retirement in 2 years, but will always remember my time at Piedmont and working on the -8 as one of the best aircraft and best times in my 50 year career in aviation.
Very Sad moment in time. Loved the Dash !! No other plane like it in the world. The sounds, the way the airplane reacted to inputs, STOL, !! Just no other Bird like her. She will be missed.
I'm glad that the "Little Plane That Could" from Up North gave you such good service, and helped you to provide a high level of service and reliability to your customers, as well as giving you all such a good experience that you have such wonderful memories to share. From all who built her in Downsview, with love! XOXOXOX
Can't believe I'm just now watching this, but I do miss the Dash 8! As a kid I regularly made flights from BHM to PGV through CLT. My dad's side of the family living in Greenville, NC. Flying on a Dash 8 meant I was almost to my grandmother. It will always hold that special memory for me.
We still fly the Dash 8 at air New Zealand...she is a classy, classy girl. Loved by passengers over the ATR... Capable, powerful and can get through the weather.
I love planes, especially Turboprops. When flying in/out of Charlotte, for New Bern, I would hope and pray to get the Dash 8 instead of the ERJ. One of my favorite evening activities while in New Bern is to sit at the marina and watch and listen to those turboprops turning base to final for 22 over the Neuse. I will miss that. Thank you, Piedmont for such a great share of your special memories.
With ya on that; back when I use to fly ILM to PSP and return I always tried to get flights on Dashes when I could. Yes I'm old school but just love seeing (hearing!) a prop Vs a fan. I guess now I'm stuck with CRJs or (ick) ERJs.
A fantastic video. Well done and a fitting tribute to a fine aircraft. I had the privilege of dispatching Dash-8's for Piedmont in the late 90's and early 2000's. It was the first aircraft I ever dispatched and I learned so much and am so grateful. I'll always love the Dash!
Flew the Dash 8 for 10 years from CLT to FAY as a regular passenger for business. Hands down a great aircraft. I agree with many of the sentiments. I remember people boarding perplexed and nervous about it, but it was fast off the ground, and into to CLT ahead of the jets. Distinct sound and feeling. Will miss this aircraft for sure. I appreciate this video. Thanks Piedmont.
I remember Piedmont Airlines back in the 80s. The stewards gave out the coolest swag from Piedmont: decks of cards and these cool little foam airplanes you put a penny on and they glided. Never forget that. Flying was much better back then. Prolly not quite as safe as today but still.
What a cool video! Anyone missing the thrill of flying in the Dash should come to New Zealand and ride ours ... Air New Zealand still flies twenty three Q300s across the nation. Better yet my youngest son is a FO so I get the opportunity to ride jump seat on legs he's flying!
Had a pleasure refueling the Dash 8s in Middletown, PA (KMDT) where I live nearby. Excellent aircraft to fuel, absolutely LOVED the APU in the winter time. Kept us quite warm :). Thank you, Piedmont, for this incredible story. I’m sad that I won’t be able to fly the Dash 8 by the time I get to fly commercially. Godspeed!
I worked the B99, Shorts 330, and Dash7 when it was introduced by Henson at PHF . I wish you had a bit more about the Dash7. That aircraft was a game changer for passenger comfort and piloting into short runway airfields for Henson as well. Will never forget a flight I took as a jumpseat rider on a ferry flight with Frank Glawson...he demo'ed some of its STOL capabilities into D.C. from PHF on that flight. I was blown away and have loved that aircraft ever since. I will always be grateful to Henson Airlines for my first airline job. Great video...wonderful memories...I left just prior to the purchase of the Dash8s. Dave Moreau, Memphis Shelby County Airport Operations Duty Manager
D Mor • Great to see a “neighbor” in Tennessee! We live about halfway between Nashville and Memphis (southeast of Jackson) and usually fly out of Memphis. Nashville is more expensive for basically the same flight.
Yep, that's what we called them too (and we got annoyed at how loud they were when they flew over) but now they're gone and I never knew I loved the Dash 8 until Piedmont let it go!
This brings back many fond memories... I used to take flight lessons at Bay Land (KSBY) from Capt. D. Harrell whom I think went on to fly Piedmont Dash 8's for a while. Capt. Harrell taught us to always allow Dash-8's to go ahead of us when we were in the pattern. I've also fueled Dash 8's and flown on them many times for work prior to 9/11. My wife and I moved to NC in '99 and I'm sorry to hear about the hard times after 9/11. I always loved those 'US Air' (Piedmont) Dash 8's. They were my first leg of the journey when I was excited to get somewhere and my last leg of the journey when looking forward to coming home. They represented 'home' for me and I always felt safe in them. Thanks, Piedmont - you have always been fair to me as a passenger and I wish you terrific success with the new ERJ-145's. Terrific video! SSU Alumnus.
I was glad to come across this. Living in WV some of my first commercial flights were Dash-8 and Shorts. I am always a little resistant to change. This made me a little sad as well. Thanks
Beautiful, great film for a great plane, very sad I won't see these babies anymore at Charlotte. I am blessed I had the opportunity to fly a 300 to Roanoke and a 100 to Philidelphia. I also had a blast fueling these things at Charlotte, despite them being slow at taking fuel. I will always remember these titans.
THIS DEHAVLIAN DASH-8 TURBO- PROPELLOR HAVE TAKEN ME FROM PENSACOLA FLORIDA TO TAMPA FLORIDA AS USAIRWAYS B4 IT WAS PART OF AMERICAN AIRLINES/AMERICAN EAGLE (FORMERLY PIEDMONT AIRLINE) AND MESA AIRLINE RETURN ME FROM TAMPA FLORIDA BACK TO PENSACOLA FLORIDA AND THIS AIRCRAFT IS AWESOME THANKS TO Y'ALL AT PIEDMONT AIRLINE FOR PLACING THIS ON TH-cam!
This plane literally shaped my childhood and my love of aviation. My dad got a job at Henson because of the Dash 8's being bought, and working at Peidmont was my first job out of high school. I'm going to miss the hell out of these birds.
The first time I flew , it was on a piedmont dash 8 from sby to phl , so it's bittersweet to see an aircraft that I spent my childhood on , being phased out
What an amazing airplane that will continue to serve as an icon and legacy to all that fly. Long live the Dash 8! I will most certainly miss hearing those load their feathering propellers in the F gates at Philadelphia!
What a lovely film! Thanks for downloading. Have flown the Dash 8 as a passanger a number of times in Canada (always in the winter; even experienced an aborted take off due to a low oil pressure indication. It fault turned out to be a faulty light) and absolutely love the aeroplane!
My home is a few miles from a regional airport in east Tennessee. I miss watching the Dash 8 puttering by on its way in from Charlotte. It had a distinct "hum"--you could always tell when a Dash 8 was flying overhead without having to look up in the sky.
Omg!!! I love this video. It captures the beauty of prop technology, the passion of the people who really know it and are able to love it for what it is. It also shows the contribution this aircraft made to the lives of people and communities, plus the true spirit of regional aviation, where everything is about coziness and intimacy. Thanks for this awesome homage! You all deserve it.
Pablo Postigo Olsson • And you have written a very eloquent and much-appreciated memorial to what must have been a truly wonderful plane and the same kind of people to run it 😊
Great job on this video! The Dash 8 provided me with many safe rides in and out of ROA ... as I am a mainline commuter. Always loved the Piedmont crews.
My first flight on a dash 8 was a flight from Austin Texas to Chicago 10 years ago. It was wild bumpy ride loved the noise from the turbo prob.the airlines was us airways
SBY maintenance will always be special for me. It was my start in aviation. Awesome people I worked with. Cool to see some familiar faces. Feb 2005 to fall 2006.
In Norway Dash 8 is still alive and well. In my hometown they are the only ones flying because of the short airport. They are very important for my town and 30+ airports in Norway. And they probably will be the next 10 - 20 years. Check out Widerøe in Norway.
This was a very heartfelt video. I remember flying on Piedmont in the early 80's on a B737 into Asheville and was so impressed with the airline. I was a flight attendant for Northwest Orient and was jealous of what Piedmont offered compared to us.
Different Piedmont from the one in the 80s. That one was headquartered in Winston-Salem, NC and flew mainline ops out of Smith Reynolds Airport, once the busiest airport in the state, now with no airline service, as well as my home base. The current iteration of Piedmont is an airline owned by American Airlines, it was founded as Henson Airlines in 1962 and was bought out by the original Piedmont. It was transferred to US Airways and then to AA. The name was changed to Piedmont in 1993 to protect the Piedmont brand name, because others could use it if the name was not used in trade for a certain period of time.
I’m from Winston-Salem. A Piedmont 737 took me on the 1st leg of my journey to boot camp in 1978. We were justifiably proud of our homegrown awesome airline. Before Piedmont became just another gem swallowed up by greedy mediocrity. Before Winston-Salem became just another excellent medium-sized Southern city ruined by a bunch of snowbirds and big-city-wannabes.
As a kid,I remember flying one of their 737's from Balto-Greensboro-Charleston,SC.The entire cabin was filled with five abreast first class seats.The front two rows even had tables.Pretty impressive for a smaller airline and cheap price.Jesus,have times changed.Dash 8's were such comfortable smaller planes.
Holy shit. My dad was the airport manager of the salisbury airport for about 26 years. Was not expecting that. Grew up on that airport watching these the dash 8.
I loved the Dash 8 and I love the Q400. During my Alaska days, I particularly enjoyed and felt safe on the ERA Aviation, now Ravn, Dash 8s into Kodiak, Kenai, and Homer. And most importantly, no matter the weather, even Alaskan winter weather, I felt safe. I can say the same for my Air Canada Jazz jaunts between Calgary and Edmonton. Great video. And I flew Piedmont as a kid. Wish Piedmont could have stayed Piedmont.
Christopher N I think Canadians invented cold weather, so when it comes to operating aircraft in severely cold weather their top notch, how bout those same "Ice-Pilots" Canadians, cold weather, and aircraft go hand in hand..
Very Kool. I am an instructor at a one of the training facilities for the Dash 8. I also work with a gentlemen who put in a lot of hours at Piedmont Airlines. I have always said the Dash 8 is a small scale C130 work horse. There are a number of Public Use, Part 91 and 135 operators still using the Dash 100/200/300.. She's a great platform. All you gotta do is take care of her.
What an amazing, beautiful video. Moist eyes for the whole video and as a proud Canadian, even more moist eyes. Aviation people are very special. Thank you all for sharing your love.
Just watched this, amazing job, amazing tribute! I flew the Dash-8 for YV, but we had several of HA’s old birds, including 449. The Dash-8 was the best flying experience I’ve had, and it’s in no small part due to the people who flew and worked on it, the communities it severed, that comradeship is unmatched in any other realm of the US airline Industry IMHO. Thanks for making and sharing this!
Thank you to all of the Piedmont team who have taken great care of these amazing birds over the years 💖. I have always considered these birds my best friend because I have had many wonderful memories planespotting them from my backyard. When I was having a stressful day with school, all I had to do was go outside and look for her :) . I can relate with Liliana completely because I also gave these birds their own nickname. All of them I called dashbirds, but I always told them apart like dashbird N333en or dashbird n330en :) . They are like a part of our family for their reliability, their stories, and most importantly, their love. I have seen this in my two flights I have been a part of as a passenger (1-1-2018 was my first flight 💖). I have seen this in my planespotting adventures. I have seen this with all the posts I have seen on Instagram , Twitter,and Facebook in the last week. Most importantly, I have now seen this with your documentary. Everything I have seen is very heartfelt. I think all of us gave these dashbirds the best gift we could ever give them.... our love of travel and bringing people together :) . Dashbirds will always live on through our legacy of memories :D . I know we will never, ever forget them :) . Thank you guys for a fantastic documentary on these wonderful dashbirds 💗.
Amanda House • You’ve written, straight from the heart, a most eloquent and much - appreciated piece on what must have been an awesome aircraft and, most importantly, the family of employees who made it all happen.
gomphrena Thank you so much 💖. I know all of us still miss them all very much 💖. I know that one thing is for sure.... we will always thank them for bringing everyone closer together 💗. From the employees, to the passengers.... we all loved them...💗
As a current Dash 8 endorsed avionics tech, at 8:12 when he mentions Autofeather and Beta Lockout troubleshooting, he’s not kidding. The Dash 8 either makes you a great technician if you can troubleshoot or it makes you look foolish if you’re inept. Solid plane though and very rewarding to rectify snags on!
My mom and I got to fly a Piedmont Dash 8 from CLT-AGS in its final days. And I flew an Air Canada Jazz one from BWI - YYZ. Glad I got to participate in some aviation history!
Thank you for this well done story. While I am not a pilot, I appreciate aircraft, and became familiar with the Dash 8-100, Q200, and the Q400 flying with Horizon Air (Alaska Horizon now) out of PDX. They were busy with the short flights, and served the communities very well.
Yeah, and it's amazing how different the Q400 is from the original Dash 8... it's almost like it's from a completely different family of regional turboprops!
My North Carolina license plates are Piedmont, one is B767PA & the other is DHC8PA! I worked on a lot here in Greensboro & Raleigh. Miss those planes. Now all I work on is 767-200 & 300’s.
One of my favorite flying memories was leaving Philadelphia for Roanoke in a Dash-8 one winter night. Taxiing out to the runway the pilot announced conditions in Roanoke winds at 35 gusting to 55. I said to my buddy, "and we're still going!" Starting to descend into Roanoke the turbulence was the worst I had ever experienced. Overhead doors were opening and stuff falling down. Cans from the galley were rolling down the isles. People were screaming when we'd hit an air pocket. Stewardess had buckled in long before. A pilot riding home in front of me was white knuckling the armrest. I could tell they were nervous. That plane was taking a beating. It felt like being in a can that was getting beat with hammers. I remember thinking I didn't know how much it could take but I sensed there was a limit. We landed hard but it stuck to the runway. We got out on the tarmac and I remember the pilot that was riding shaking the pilot's hands and laughing a laugh of relief. As I walked away I thought to myself that I sure hoped I never rode that plane again, it was bound to be wore out after that!
The dash was the very first plane i ever flew on. Not a single time have i not had a smile on my face when entering a dash 8. This video is very nostalgic, my home Airport never felt the same after the dash was replaced with the atr
I remember it well. I miss Piedmont Airlines and flew in and out of LYH on the Dash 8 so many times, also the Shorts 330. But the Dash 8 was my favorite non jet AC !!!!!
My Father Capt. Howard Charles Thompson was a long time pilot for Piedmont flew the DC 3 Martian 404 Ys-11 737-100 200 300 after 28 years of service with Piedmont I remember the sadness I felt as the Piedmont colors slowly phased out. it makes me proud to see there colors again.even to date greatest Airline ever second to none.thank all who made this possible it certainly would be great if jets were also painted in piedmont colors by far my favorite aircraft is the Ys-11
On the one hand these planes felt almost neglected on the inside and I'm glad to see them retired. On the other, I'm sad to see them go. I'm grew up in the 90s and flying Dash 8 and the Beechcraft 1900s was a regular thing. They did make flying more nervewracking for me than a 737, but the experience was more special.
I worked in RM and Scheduling. The dash definitely had its own flavor. You have to hand it to maintenance for keeping these things in the sky. Seeing the interviews reminds me of the pros I met in the industry, their careers were practically ruined after 9/11 but they still had their pride in their work. The whole operation was hanging by a thread. Dedicated and skilled people carried it through. I never saw anything like that again. Thanks for the video.
Thanks. I've worked 16 yrs in BGM. Still a few guys in the area who found work in manufacturing, but I believe I can speak for them in saying we loved the airline and actually performing maintenance & troubleshooting the discrepancies.
Indeed. My late father was one of the original engineers that worked on the engine for the Dash-8. Thank you to Piedmont for posting this so that I get a chance to see something he helped create.
OMG. Where are the tissues. I must admit I’d never even heard of the Dash-8 (sorry!) but having honked and blown through this absolutely heart-wrenching but superb video, I grieve with all of you, too, because I learned of her demise only post-mortem, and I never even got to meet her. May God bless you and keep you all! Fran
The Dash 8's manufacturer, de Havilland Canada, now has a sister company based near Victoria, B.C. called Viking Air, which is doing a great job in keeping alive the earlier aircraft the former built over the years, especially the DHC-2 Beaver and the DHC-6 Twin Otter.
August 7, 1999 - flew on a Dash 8* from DC-Reagan to Norfolk, VA. That was my first time, and to date only time, I flew on a turboprop, and as an aviation geek, I loved it. That day was also my first and last time on a Boeing 727-200 on US Airways Shuttle, on the NY-LaGuardia - DC-Reagan leg. :( Don't recall if it was a Dash-8-100, or Dash-8-200, definitely not a -300 though.
The dash 8 hold a special place in my heart, as a kid my mom was a flight attendant on the dash 8 based out of New Bern North Carolina and my father was a dash 8 captain based out of Roanoke Virginia. This is my all time favorite plane over anything, it always kept my family safe and ensured a safe return home every time. I remember many time landing on a dash 8 in Hilton Head or Charlotte while my dad was flying and me with my family were in the back. I will NEVER forget the dash 8.
❤❤❤
The Dash 8 is an iconic aircraft. I lived in the Caribbean for years and "island hopped" for work up and the islands. LIAT flew the Dash 8 for years. Great plane except for the AC. My son flew Dash 8's for two years in Afghanistan in air lift operations.
Nice!
Probably the one of the best jobs I ever had. I was a structures and composite mechanic in Norfolk for 8 years. After the Norfolk closure I went to to Elizabeth City North Carolina the next morning and got a job working for the USCG on the HU-25, H-60, C-144 and C-27 aircraft. At 67 I'm still at it and look forward to retirement in 2 years, but will always remember my time at Piedmont and working on the -8 as one of the best aircraft and best times in my 50 year career in aviation.
Very Sad moment in time. Loved the Dash !! No other plane like it in the world. The sounds, the way the airplane reacted to inputs, STOL, !! Just no other Bird like her. She will be missed.
Yep, the Dash 8 has by far the most iconic sound in the world.
Please send one across the ramp to the aviation museum in Charlotte. These need to be preserved.
The retro Piedmont livery with Farrow's name would be fitting.
toldt sadly I think that one was scrapped.
I'm glad that the "Little Plane That Could" from Up North gave you such good service, and helped you to provide a high level of service and reliability to your customers, as well as giving you all such a good experience that you have such wonderful memories to share.
From all who built her in Downsview, with love! XOXOXOX
Can't believe I'm just now watching this, but I do miss the Dash 8! As a kid I regularly made flights from BHM to PGV through CLT. My dad's side of the family living in Greenville, NC. Flying on a Dash 8 meant I was almost to my grandmother. It will always hold that special memory for me.
Proud to have been a Piedmont. I will never forget the thousands of hours I spent in that amazing airplane.
Speechless. Just an absolute phenomenal tribute to the Dash 8 and Piedmont for making it such a great success in their own way.
I spent 5 years as a flight attendant for Piedmont based out of Roanoke. It was nice seeing some familiar faces.
And the old Dash 8
We still fly the Dash 8 at air New Zealand...she is a classy, classy girl. Loved by passengers over the ATR... Capable, powerful and can get through the weather.
I love planes, especially Turboprops. When flying in/out of Charlotte, for New Bern, I would hope and pray to get the Dash 8 instead of the ERJ. One of my favorite evening activities while in New Bern is to sit at the marina and watch and listen to those turboprops turning base to final for 22 over the Neuse. I will miss that. Thank you, Piedmont for such a great share of your special memories.
With ya on that; back when I use to fly ILM to PSP and return I always tried to get flights on Dashes when I could. Yes I'm old school but just love seeing (hearing!) a prop Vs a fan. I guess now I'm stuck with CRJs or (ick) ERJs.
A fantastic video. Well done and a fitting tribute to a fine aircraft. I had the privilege of dispatching Dash-8's for Piedmont in the late 90's and early 2000's. It was the first aircraft I ever dispatched and I learned so much and am so grateful. I'll always love the Dash!
Flew the Dash 8 for 10 years from CLT to FAY as a regular passenger for business. Hands down a great aircraft. I agree with many of the sentiments. I remember people boarding perplexed and nervous about it, but it was fast off the ground, and into to CLT ahead of the jets. Distinct sound and feeling. Will miss this aircraft for sure. I appreciate this video. Thanks Piedmont.
I remember Piedmont Airlines back in the 80s. The stewards gave out the coolest swag from Piedmont: decks of cards and these cool little foam airplanes you put a penny on and they glided. Never forget that. Flying was much better back then. Prolly not quite as safe as today but still.
What a cool video! Anyone missing the thrill of flying in the Dash should come to New Zealand and ride ours ... Air New Zealand still flies twenty three Q300s across the nation. Better yet my youngest son is a FO so I get the opportunity to ride jump seat on legs he's flying!
I had the sincere pleasure of meeting Mr. Henson back in 1992. A gentle giant.
Had a pleasure refueling the Dash 8s in Middletown, PA (KMDT) where I live nearby. Excellent aircraft to fuel, absolutely LOVED the APU in the winter time. Kept us quite warm :). Thank you, Piedmont, for this incredible story. I’m sad that I won’t be able to fly the Dash 8 by the time I get to fly commercially. Godspeed!
I’ve flown the CLT-HHI many times on Piedmont and never had an issue and was always on time. The Dash will forever be one of my favorite aircraft.
Awesome story. I understand the feelings. I worked the Dash 8 for 10 years at another airline. Was an amazing airplane.
Sup
I worked the B99, Shorts 330, and Dash7 when it was introduced by Henson at PHF . I wish you had a bit more about the Dash7. That aircraft was a game changer for passenger comfort and piloting into short runway airfields for Henson as well. Will never forget a flight I took as a jumpseat rider on a ferry flight with Frank Glawson...he demo'ed some of its STOL capabilities into D.C. from PHF on that flight. I was blown away and have loved that aircraft ever since. I will always be grateful to Henson Airlines for my first airline job. Great video...wonderful memories...I left just prior to the purchase of the Dash8s. Dave Moreau, Memphis Shelby County Airport Operations Duty Manager
D Mor • Great to see a “neighbor” in Tennessee! We live about halfway between Nashville and Memphis (southeast of Jackson) and usually fly out of Memphis. Nashville is more expensive for basically the same flight.
Awesome airplane. Always got me home to the small regional airport nearby. My buddies and I affectionately called them “puddle jumpers.” So long.
Yep, that's what we called them too (and we got annoyed at how loud they were when they flew over) but now they're gone and I never knew I loved the Dash 8 until Piedmont let it go!
This brings back many fond memories... I used to take flight lessons at Bay Land (KSBY) from Capt. D. Harrell whom I think went on to fly Piedmont Dash 8's for a while. Capt. Harrell taught us to always allow Dash-8's to go ahead of us when we were in the pattern. I've also fueled Dash 8's and flown on them many times for work prior to 9/11. My wife and I moved to NC in '99 and I'm sorry to hear about the hard times after 9/11. I always loved those 'US Air' (Piedmont) Dash 8's. They were my first leg of the journey when I was excited to get somewhere and my last leg of the journey when looking forward to coming home. They represented 'home' for me and I always felt safe in them. Thanks, Piedmont - you have always been fair to me as a passenger and I wish you terrific success with the new ERJ-145's. Terrific video! SSU Alumnus.
Sad to see the beautiful birds go! What a blessing to the aviation community! Thanks piedmont
I was glad to come across this. Living in WV some of my first commercial flights were Dash-8 and Shorts. I am always a little resistant to change. This made me a little sad as well. Thanks
Beautiful, great film for a great plane, very sad I won't see these babies anymore at Charlotte. I am blessed I had the opportunity to fly a 300 to Roanoke and a 100 to Philidelphia. I also had a blast fueling these things at Charlotte, despite them being slow at taking fuel. I will always remember these titans.
Nice code-name.
Sup
Hi
@@StsFiveOneLima Thanks, I had to change it though
THIS DEHAVLIAN DASH-8 TURBO- PROPELLOR HAVE TAKEN ME FROM PENSACOLA FLORIDA TO TAMPA FLORIDA AS USAIRWAYS B4 IT WAS PART OF AMERICAN AIRLINES/AMERICAN EAGLE (FORMERLY PIEDMONT AIRLINE) AND MESA AIRLINE RETURN ME FROM TAMPA FLORIDA BACK TO PENSACOLA FLORIDA AND THIS AIRCRAFT IS AWESOME THANKS TO Y'ALL AT PIEDMONT AIRLINE FOR PLACING THIS ON TH-cam!
This plane literally shaped my childhood and my love of aviation. My dad got a job at Henson because of the Dash 8's being bought, and working at Peidmont was my first job out of high school. I'm going to miss the hell out of these birds.
They'll be missed forever and ever!
The first time I flew , it was on a piedmont dash 8 from sby to phl , so it's bittersweet to see an aircraft that I spent my childhood on , being phased out
Very Nice. 20 years of my life and 18,000 hours in turbo-props; most of those on the -8. Sorry I missed the last one.
Hi any PDF's reading material for the dash i would really appreciate
What a wonderful tribute to the staff who made the Airline and “the Dash” which is a great Aircraft
What an amazing airplane that will continue to serve as an icon and legacy to all that fly. Long live the Dash 8! I will most certainly miss hearing those load their feathering propellers in the F gates at Philadelphia!
What a lovely film! Thanks for downloading. Have flown the Dash 8 as a passanger a number of times in Canada (always in the winter; even experienced an aborted take off due to a low oil pressure indication. It fault turned out to be a faulty light) and absolutely love the aeroplane!
A very safe and reliable aircraft, enjoyed flying it for many many years. Really miss flying this honest pilots airplane.
I have never have flown on a dash 8 , but as a GSA at a smaller airport I get to work with them on the daily. they just work and they work well
Well done! A great tribute and legacy of family and machine. Thank you!
Simply awesome guys. Great job. Long live the Dash 8!
My home is a few miles from a regional airport in east Tennessee. I miss watching the Dash 8 puttering by on its way in from Charlotte. It had a distinct "hum"--you could always tell when a Dash 8 was flying overhead without having to look up in the sky.
Amazing aircraft; I flew the Piedmont Dash for 10 years (07-17), and this is a great tribute you have here. Thank you for doing this!
Omg!!! I love this video. It captures the beauty of prop technology, the passion of the people who really know it and are able to love it for what it is. It also shows the contribution this aircraft made to the lives of people and communities, plus the true spirit of regional aviation, where everything is about coziness and intimacy. Thanks for this awesome homage! You all deserve it.
Pablo Postigo Olsson • And you have written a very eloquent and much-appreciated memorial to what must have been a truly wonderful plane and the same kind of people to run it 😊
Thank you :-). In Europe we still have some of them, and I like them indeed.
Great job on this video!
The Dash 8 provided me with many safe rides in and out
of ROA ... as I am a mainline commuter. Always loved the Piedmont crews.
My first flight on a dash 8 was a flight from Austin Texas to Chicago 10 years ago. It was wild bumpy ride loved the noise from the turbo prob.the airlines was us airways
A truly amazing aircraft. It will forever have special place in my heart. Thank you Piedmont!
SBY maintenance will always be special for me. It was my start in aviation. Awesome people I worked with. Cool to see some familiar faces. Feb 2005 to fall 2006.
I watched Dash-8's zoom in and out of DCA for almost 40 years. Lovely memories.
Great video. My grandfather designed the landing gear for this plane.
Great video, hope to fly for Piedmont one day soon.
In Norway Dash 8 is still alive and well. In my hometown they are the only ones flying because of the short airport. They are very important for my town and 30+ airports in Norway. And they probably will be the next 10 - 20 years. Check out Widerøe in Norway.
This was a very heartfelt video. I remember flying on Piedmont in the early 80's on a B737 into Asheville and was so impressed with the airline. I was a flight attendant for Northwest Orient and was jealous of what Piedmont offered compared to us.
Different Piedmont from the one in the 80s. That one was headquartered in Winston-Salem, NC and flew mainline ops out of Smith Reynolds Airport, once the busiest airport in the state, now with no airline service, as well as my home base. The current iteration of Piedmont is an airline owned by American Airlines, it was founded as Henson Airlines in 1962 and was bought out by the original Piedmont. It was transferred to US Airways and then to AA. The name was changed to Piedmont in 1993 to protect the Piedmont brand name, because others could use it if the name was not used in trade for a certain period of time.
algorithm, thank you for the clarification. I'm sorry that you have no service left in your hometown.
I’m from Winston-Salem. A Piedmont 737 took me on the 1st leg of my journey to boot camp in 1978. We were justifiably proud of our homegrown awesome airline. Before Piedmont became just another gem swallowed up by greedy mediocrity. Before Winston-Salem became just another excellent medium-sized Southern city ruined by a bunch of snowbirds and big-city-wannabes.
As a kid,I remember flying one of their 737's from Balto-Greensboro-Charleston,SC.The entire cabin was filled with five abreast first class seats.The front two rows even had tables.Pretty impressive for a smaller airline and cheap price.Jesus,have times changed.Dash 8's were such comfortable smaller planes.
exeuroweenie Different Piedmont...
Holy shit. My dad was the airport manager of the salisbury airport for about 26 years. Was not expecting that. Grew up on that airport watching these the dash 8.
TO THIS AIR PASSAGE CEO THRU STAFF, THOUGH A WRITTEN HISTORY, THIS DASH 8 FLIGHT SERIES IS STLL #1!!
These beautiful machines are just as iconic in Norway also, as well as the twin otters and dash-7 that served before them
I loved the Dash 8 and I love the Q400. During my Alaska days, I particularly enjoyed and felt safe on the ERA Aviation, now Ravn, Dash 8s into Kodiak, Kenai, and Homer. And most importantly, no matter the weather, even Alaskan winter weather, I felt safe. I can say the same for my Air Canada Jazz jaunts between Calgary and Edmonton. Great video. And I flew Piedmont as a kid. Wish Piedmont could have stayed Piedmont.
Christopher N
I think Canadians invented cold weather, so when it comes to operating aircraft in severely cold weather their top notch, how bout those same "Ice-Pilots" Canadians, cold weather, and aircraft go hand in hand..
Very Kool. I am an instructor at a one of the training facilities for the Dash 8. I also work with a gentlemen who put in a lot of hours at Piedmont Airlines. I have always said the Dash 8 is a small scale C130 work horse. There are a number of Public Use, Part 91 and 135 operators still using the Dash 100/200/300.. She's a great platform. All you gotta do is take care of her.
very neat video fun to watch and hear the story of mr henson and the aircrafts life good job guys i love the dash
What an amazing, beautiful video. Moist eyes for the whole video and as a proud Canadian, even more moist eyes. Aviation people are very special. Thank you all for sharing your love.
Thanks for making this! It really helps give this new guy a sense of Piedmont history!
This is a great story! I'm glad to say that I've seen many Piedmont Dash 8s.
Same here buddy!
Just watched this, amazing job, amazing tribute! I flew the Dash-8 for YV, but we had several of HA’s old birds, including 449. The Dash-8 was the best flying experience I’ve had, and it’s in no small part due to the people who flew and worked on it, the communities it severed, that comradeship is unmatched in any other realm of the US airline Industry IMHO.
Thanks for making and sharing this!
You just felt a sense of nostalgia whenever you flew on a dash. It was definitely noisy, but it was so calming.
Thank you to all of the Piedmont team who have taken great care of these amazing birds over the years 💖. I have always considered these birds my best friend because I have had many wonderful memories planespotting them from my backyard. When I was having a stressful day with school, all I had to do was go outside and look for her :) . I can relate with Liliana completely because I also gave these birds their own nickname. All of them I called dashbirds, but I always told them apart like dashbird N333en or dashbird n330en :) . They are like a part of our family for their reliability, their stories, and most importantly, their love. I have seen this in my two flights I have been a part of as a passenger (1-1-2018 was my first flight 💖). I have seen this in my planespotting adventures. I have seen this with all the posts I have seen on Instagram , Twitter,and Facebook in the last week. Most importantly, I have now seen this with your documentary. Everything I have seen is very heartfelt. I think all of us gave these dashbirds the best gift we could ever give them.... our love of travel and bringing people together :) . Dashbirds will always live on through our legacy of memories :D . I know we will never, ever forget them :) . Thank you guys for a fantastic documentary on these wonderful dashbirds 💗.
Amanda House • You’ve written, straight from the heart, a most eloquent and much - appreciated piece on what must have been an awesome aircraft and, most importantly, the family of employees who made it all happen.
gomphrena Thank you so much 💖. I know all of us still miss them all very much 💖. I know that one thing is for sure.... we will always thank them for bringing everyone closer together 💗. From the employees, to the passengers.... we all loved them...💗
As a current Dash 8 endorsed avionics tech, at 8:12 when he mentions Autofeather and Beta Lockout troubleshooting, he’s not kidding. The Dash 8 either makes you a great technician if you can troubleshoot or it makes you look foolish if you’re inept. Solid plane though and very rewarding to rectify snags on!
My mom and I got to fly a Piedmont Dash 8 from CLT-AGS in its final days. And I flew an Air Canada Jazz one from BWI - YYZ. Glad I got to participate in some aviation history!
Great to see this tribute to the dash 8 they care more than United express did
WOW! Very well done Guys and Gals!!! Bravo....Bravo. End of an Era. Thank you for putting that together!
Mr Henson a true aviation visionary great job on the video.
Thank you for this well done story. While I am not a pilot, I appreciate aircraft, and became familiar with the Dash 8-100, Q200, and the Q400 flying with Horizon Air (Alaska Horizon now) out of PDX. They were busy with the short flights, and served the communities very well.
Yeah, and it's amazing how different the Q400 is from the original Dash 8... it's almost like it's from a completely different family of regional turboprops!
Great video of a great aircraft and airline! I was there for blip in Henson history but it was a
big part in my life. Great group of people!
Well if u ever wana buy one there like everywhere for sale now lol
Fitting tribute to the Dash8 and the wonderful people. Very well made film. Quality.
My North Carolina license plates are Piedmont, one is B767PA & the other is DHC8PA! I worked on a lot here in Greensboro & Raleigh. Miss those planes. Now all I work on is 767-200 & 300’s.
One of my favorite flying memories was leaving Philadelphia for Roanoke in a Dash-8 one winter night. Taxiing out to the runway the pilot announced conditions in Roanoke winds at 35 gusting to 55. I said to my buddy, "and we're still going!" Starting to descend into Roanoke the turbulence was the worst I had ever experienced. Overhead doors were opening and stuff falling down. Cans from the galley were rolling down the isles. People were screaming when we'd hit an air pocket. Stewardess had buckled in long before. A pilot riding home in front of me was white knuckling the armrest. I could tell they were nervous. That plane was taking a beating. It felt like being in a can that was getting beat with hammers. I remember thinking I didn't know how much it could take but I sensed there was a limit. We landed hard but it stuck to the runway. We got out on the tarmac and I remember the pilot that was riding shaking the pilot's hands and laughing a laugh of relief. As I walked away I thought to myself that I sure hoped I never rode that plane again, it was bound to be wore out after that!
The dash was the very first plane i ever flew on. Not a single time have i not had a smile on my face when entering a dash 8. This video is very nostalgic, my home Airport never felt the same after the dash was replaced with the atr
Beautiful tribute. Thank you!
Beauty of a story. I promise I am adding a task to have a Piedmont livery to the one I am making in MSFS.
Great video about a great American company featuring a great Canadian-built airplane. Thank you!
I remember it well. I miss Piedmont Airlines and flew in and out of LYH on the Dash 8 so many times, also the Shorts 330. But the Dash 8 was my favorite non jet AC !!!!!
This is really bloody good.
My Father Capt. Howard Charles Thompson was a long time pilot for Piedmont flew the DC 3 Martian 404 Ys-11 737-100 200 300 after 28 years of service with Piedmont I remember the sadness I felt as the Piedmont colors slowly phased out. it makes me proud to see there colors again.even to date greatest Airline ever second to none.thank all who made this possible it certainly would be great if jets were also painted in piedmont colors by far my favorite aircraft is the Ys-11
On the one hand these planes felt almost neglected on the inside and I'm glad to see them retired. On the other, I'm sad to see them go. I'm grew up in the 90s and flying Dash 8 and the Beechcraft 1900s was a regular thing. They did make flying more nervewracking for me than a 737, but the experience was more special.
I never got the chance to fly on a Dash andI am really sad that I didn’t. Great video. It was amazing!
Well neither did I, but the memories of the Dash 8 far exceed its capacity for anything else!
Come out to New Zealand, we have loads here flying every day in the Air New Zealand fleet! Awesome plane!
Traveled frequently in the mid '80s SBY - DCA always with DHC-7s and 8s. Very enjoyable
I worked in RM and Scheduling. The dash definitely had its own flavor. You have to hand it to maintenance for keeping these things in the sky. Seeing the interviews reminds me of the pros I met in the industry, their careers were practically ruined after 9/11 but they still had their pride in their work. The whole operation was hanging by a thread. Dedicated and skilled people carried it through. I never saw anything like that again. Thanks for the video.
Thanks. I've worked 16 yrs in BGM. Still a few guys in the area who found work in manufacturing, but I believe I can speak for them in saying we loved the airline and actually performing maintenance & troubleshooting the discrepancies.
Amazing. I miss it already. No one is allowed to mention an E145 to me for the rest of the night.
Great CANADIAN plane. Just thought it needed to be said.
Indeed. My late father was one of the original engineers that worked on the engine for the Dash-8. Thank you to Piedmont for posting this so that I get a chance to see something he helped create.
Only surpassed by your bacon.
love this! amazing job, finally an airline acting like a real airline.
As a Pilot myself I found that to be very touching, thank you.
OMG. Where are the tissues. I must admit I’d never even heard of the Dash-8 (sorry!) but having honked and blown through this absolutely heart-wrenching but superb video, I grieve with all of you, too, because I learned of her demise only post-mortem, and I never even got to meet her. May God bless you and keep you all!
Fran
My right ear really liked this
Every single time I would hear those engines, I'd look up and say "Dash-8" will forever miss it
I feel you pal
Thank you for sharing this video ! Truly awesome that the whole company got together to create a memorable goodbye
The Dash 8's manufacturer, de Havilland Canada, now has a sister company based near Victoria, B.C. called Viking Air, which is doing a great job in keeping alive the earlier aircraft the former built over the years, especially the DHC-2 Beaver and the DHC-6 Twin Otter.
A really nice video to remember the Dash 8. Thank you sharing this video with the public on TH-cam.
My right ear loved this video
Wow, what an awesome tribute. I wish all airlines would do this when they retire an aircraft type.
Great work. Thank you!
I liked Piedmont. I'm more of a Northwest Airlines/Mesaba guy, but I was also fascinated by this airline's fleet in KPHL!
August 7, 1999 - flew on a Dash 8* from DC-Reagan to Norfolk, VA. That was my first time, and to date only time, I flew on a turboprop, and as an aviation geek, I loved it. That day was also my first and last time on a Boeing 727-200 on US Airways Shuttle, on the NY-LaGuardia - DC-Reagan leg. :(
Don't recall if it was a Dash-8-100, or Dash-8-200, definitely not a -300 though.
Thanks for telling that love story so well and with such, well, love.
I used to enjoy your service from Charlottesville to Pittsburgh. Great operation.
This was beautiful. Thank you and God speed.