Note how the videographer changed seats during the flight with, I presume, the express purpose of capturing the reverse thrust action (and dust kick-up on the runway).
Not sure it's the "most discount" - those tractors are very expensive, I would guess a regular pushback tug of similar capability but only able to push airplanes (a very specific but simple task) would be much cheaper. My guess is that it happened to be available, or they use it for other purposes (probably snow removal) as well, and it made sense to use only have one machine for both uses.
I wonder how is there even a market for not only this flight but also the other airplanes there. Even with mining activities or whatever, it's still what, 2-3% of the towns population on each flight?
@@alecbasba I don't know if that's the case here, but these kinds of flights are probably operated on contract for the government to keep the small communities connected to the outside world and would't make money otherwise. Also check out Christmas Island and Cocos Islands in Australia, combined population: 2000, 90 seater (Embraer E190) operates twice a week.
Thank you very much for shooting and sharing this video. I finished High School in Dawson City in 1994, and back then, the largest plane into YDA was a DC-4. I was taken back to my youth with the shots of the scenery into Dawson... Most flights into the airport back then were using DC-3’s. To say I was shocked to see a 737 in Dawson a few years ago is an understatement. I’m jealous for you flying on a 737-200. The majority of my flights were on that model of aircraft and it’s amazing how the sounds and sights of the plane bring back massive numbers of memories. Lastly, you’re really lucky to have done the flight when you did. The runway at Dawson was paved a couple weeks ago due to the very real possibility that Air North couldn’t use the 737-200 anymore into Dawson due to Boeing ending support for the gravel kit. Now, with the runway paved, they can use their 737-500 into and out of YDA for their Holland America charters to Fairbanks, Alaska.
At 14:01 you can see the gravel kit. Behind the front wheel is a big plate that prevents gravel from being flicked up into the fuselage, and then on the left engine, you can see a little boom underneath it, right next to the orange cone. This is a vortex dissipater. It blows out bleed air from the engine to prevent gravel from being sucked up from the ground.
After flying the big boys for 15 years I don't know how I could have miss that - thank you. The only other thing I wondered about is the wear and tear on the the stay-tors and the fan. They have to have some kind of maintenance staff that spends a lot of time with the jewelers files and florescent die looking for dings and cracks on those on GE fans
Better shot of these is at 0:53 in the video. Those 'vortex dissipater's' were commonly known and called 'dog peckers'. And yes, landing on unimproved runways (dirt, gravel, etc.) required these aircraft to be equipped with these items which makes this airplane unique, not only for its age but for the specialized equipment it has. Great little airplane serving a special purpose!
Lol, lots of interest on this kit. I think I have found the trump card though. Here is a little youtube video showing a gravel kit being installed and tested, and how it works! th-cam.com/video/IH_dOK3df44/w-d-xo.html
That view of the wing brought back childhood memories of flying Aloha Airlines in Hawaii. I was wondering where the vapor trail off the outer corner of the flap was until it appeared later. I guess it's more humid in Hawaii.
The -200 is still in service?! That's awesome. My favorite model of the airliner. I remember when Midway Airlines first acquired their fleet waaaaay back when I was a kid in Chicago. Thank you for posting this.
RedLP5000S Its crazy they’re still flying em. The 732 is still one of the best aircrafts to fly up north in Canada. Gravel equipped, reliable, short runway usage, cargo configurable. All of Canada’s major northern airlines have one. Nolinor also just bought a few more and installed digital displays in the cockpit, so they’ll be staying for a while.
I drive past a decommissioned -200 every day on my way to work, its just chilling in a farmers field for the last few years. Really wish i could fly in it. Still has the Canadian western livery on it, last one I think.
Love this classic jet. Like my 2002 Benz ML500, it's a classic piece of engineering that is now aged, still runs strong & true and to its designers credit, has influenced the course of design for scores of following models, from many manufacturers. Thanks for filming your great flight, Bruh !
I live in Las Vegas. I see Air North at McCarran from time to time. Very nice, informative video. I grew up in Windsor, Ontario and learned to fly at the Windsor Flying Club. The items most in need at the Windsor Airport is parallel taxiways and an air bridge for passengers at the terminal. I landed on gravel runways at St. Thomas, Ontario back in the 70’s. Nice to see a 737 land on one. Thanks for sharing.
One of the Boeing 707 Jets that was in the Air Force One fleet had a gravel kit as well. Henry Kissinger used this plane to fly into England and land on a gravel runway. He would then take a boat across the channel to meet with the North Vietnamese to negotiate an end to the Vietnam war. Several of these meetings took place. Great too see a 737 200 in this video. Vintage planes are like vintage cars. Lots of history and great to remeniss. Plate C
Thank you for this video, some of my best memories of traveling are from the Boeing 737-200! I always loved the landing, the sound of the hydraulics when the flaps deployed and most of all the reverse thrust! The magic of the two cowls coming together to form the reverse thrust will always be a classic!
Gravel runways... truly the last frontier. I liked the video! Also most efficient baggage claim I have seen. Love the "eye level" pilot and tug driver setup!
Having been a lifelong Alaskan born in Juneau where flying is the only option, this brings back memories. In Juneau, even today, for the most part, flying is the only option you have to get anywhere in any reasonable amount of time, especially back in the 70s. Flew on tons of these jets.
I was on the charter to Fairbanks the next day with about 40 or so Holland America cruise passengers. They limited the areas you could sit in, for about 95% of us, to landing gear back because Dawson has a 5,000 foot runway and takeoff speed and rotation is not very forgiving on one that short. Odd seeing a 737 with what looked like a tundra tire for the gravel runway. All went well on a beautiful flight. I heard stories about the old bus rides from Dawson to Fairbanks on the "Top of the World Highway" and it can be a little scary in bad weather so the flight was better for me. Hats off to Air North also. We flew from Vancouver to Whitehorse and the service and crew could not have need better. A well run airline. A shout out to Dawson too. A very unique town with unique people that are rugged and friendly at the same time. You don't accidentally make a wrong turn and end up in Dawson. As far as the off gridders living across the Yukon River, best wishes in the -20 F and below temperatures. I couldn't do it.
Except Boeing is discontinuing support for the Gravel Kit that makes the -200 able to handle gravel runways without much damage. Add to that the fact the -200 frames are getting up there in terms of cycles of landings and takeoffs which will mean those airports where that size of aircraft is essential are going to need to be paved.
Soviets/Russia used to have some too and i'm pretty sure the An-148 is gravel capable nowadays. But i like developing a gravel kit for like a A220 or a CRJ wouldn't be thaat hard, right? :D
I was hoping to see the front of the engine while landing, that's where the difference with a gravel runway is really noticeable. The high pressure air jet at the front of the engine keeping the dirt and gravel from entering the engine. I used to work at Resolute and it was a gravel runway as well, there were 4 flights per week, two from the east (Montreal) and two from the west (Edmonton) using those 737-200 aircraft. It is nice to see them still operating.
This is one of the most awesome videos I have seen this year! I love the -200. Thanks for getting the great view from behind the wing...I loved seeing the flap extension and the dirt pick up upon landing on the gravel runway. Truly a unique experience, thank you for recording it!!
Two things stand out: 1 the use of reversers on the gravel runway and flying around the mountain then down the valley to the approach end of the runway. This place would be really fun with a twenty knot breeze and I am certain requires a judicious application of the thrust reversers in order to avoid FOD ingestion.
@@MorganBrown The only birds I ever got to fly were the old B-52 (black belly D models - which I loved because they were so simple) and the Grumman crop duster I went to work for at Jade Air (If you followed any of the camp fires in CA this summer that is right where we were located) Anyway I never got to use thrust reverse only a really cool large parachute! lol. And the stories I could tell about stupid jet jockies that forgot to pull the chute and other things I could do a full blog about. Have a Happy and Safe New Year and thank you for your kind response. Dave happily retired in Florida
Hahahaha !!! my good friend .!! I can tell you stories about this !!! In my native country (in southamerica) , you can see planes that belonged to panam and braniff !! One of them is a DC9 and the plate shows 1968 !!!!!! 50 Y OLD !! those planes only flight domestically .I guess they don't pass any regulation for Intl flights. In Colombia., a couple of years ago , you could see DC3 flying with regular schedules !! Amazing how they endure !! sorry my poor English !
Air Nauru used to operate a couple of gravel kitted 737-200s C2-RN3 and C2-RN6. They also had the High Flotation tyres fitted (fats) for operation from coral runways on numerous tiny Pacific islands and atolls. They also had C2-RN8 and C2-RN9 which were not gravel kit airframes but one of then (can't remember which) was fitted with High Energy brakes for short field stopping performance. We used to do the maintenance on them at Air New Zealand in the 80's and 90's.
Enjoyed your video. Very few “unimproved” commercial airstrips left in the first world. Not unique thrust reverser. Antique thrust reverser. This is how all of the first gen jet engines generated reverse thrust. We called them clamshells. Newer jets use a sliding collar in the primary stage to generate reverse thrust.
Not antique really, just not common for current designs. The sliding collar type is better used for very-high bypass engine designs and can create more problems with runway debris as they are non directional; the clamshell type is used with lower bypass designs and can be angled to help direct debris away from the engine intake, combined with the increased ground clearance and reduced intake area of a low bypass engine the setup is far less susceptible to ingesting debris.
"Translating Cowl" is the term you need instead of sliding collar. Used with Cascade Reversers, also called Cold Stream Reversers, due to the fact that the reverse thrust air flow has been warmed only from the heat of compression (only the compressor section, and not compressor & combustion section). Don't get me wrong, it's still hot air, just not as hot as in a bucket-type (737-200) reverser. engineering.purdue.edu/~propulsi/propulsion/jets/basics/bigpic/thrustreverse1.html Cheers
At CYDA it's only a 5,000 ft runway and with gravel you have less braking effect, plus surrounding terrain its a very short final approach. Amazing an old 737 can land on such a short runway. Reminds me of the approach in Paro, Bhutan, look it up similar to this but harder!
Air North had 3 737-200s in the fleet at one time but the 737-200 combi with the gravel package is the last one flying. You can find the other 2 in Air Norths bone yard about a 1/2 mile south of the air terminal in Whitehorse. The ATRs are new as well the Dawson run was originally run by a pair of Hawker Sidleys.
Back when I lived in Dawson in the early 90’s, the flights were operated with DC-3’s and occasionally a DC-4! Needless to say, I was shocked to see a 737 at the airport many years later at Dawson!
Did I see a Air North HS 748? I didnt realize they had such a variety in their fleet! Love love love the 737-200. My best flight ever was on an America West 737-200 from LAS to LAX. Only a 40 minute or so flight, and got First Class. What made the flight the best? The crew literally kept slapping drinks on my tray table, and served me an actual meal. The service was impeccable. I have flown all over, and first class alot. But, this short hop was something that had yet to be beat!
BOEING 737, THE BEST-SELLING JETLINER ON EARTH FOR 50 YEARS AND COUNTING! Since it's introduction in 1967, the Boeing 737 has been the best-selling commercial jetliner on Earth. It has a long history and reputation for it's reliability, durability, efficiency, performance, and range of uses. It made it possible for jets to travel to destinations thought to be inaccessible to jets due to shorter runways. It is cost effective, and efficient. It has served airlines the world over from the U S. to Norway, from Israel to Japan. From Russia to Argentina. This video is a testament to the longevity of the 737.
I flew from Whitehorse to Dawson City back in 1977, but that was only the first part of the trip, I was in the Canadian Military and we were building the Eagle River Bridge on the Dempster Highway, so after I met my ride it was 30 miles back down rhe highway to Dempster Junction and then 236.7 miles up the Dempster to the bridge site, the was 41 years ago and the bridge is still there and there still is no road into Old Crow, but that's they way they wanted it then and still do, I guess.
@@Sweetteawillie The highway is complete now all the way to Tuktoyaktuk, if you've got balls to drive it. I'd love to go back up there if I could. Read the article on the Dempster Highway on Wikipedia.
Great video. Thanks for uploading it. I was hoping you got a shot of the pilots. My Son flys for Air North and flew that route all summer to handle the clients coming in from Fairbanks Alaska cruise ships. I was hoping to see my Son in your video. He loves that gravel runway. 👍🏻🇨🇦❤️
Dawson. City was a grass a d gravel strip in 1969 when we were using a Bristol frieghter to haul full to Parkin Base Camp. The Dempster was not built yet.The old Dawson airstrip was much shorter between Bonanza creek and piles of gravel left from the steam drag line gold diggers of years before.
I regret not going to Dawson City in the late 90's while stationed at (not that far away) Fort Greely, Alaska. I had vaguely heard of the California Gold Rush but was not familiar with the Klondike Gold Rush and the trip over the Chilkoot Pass or White Pass and then down the Yukon to Dawson City and that there were 30,000 people encamped there in 1898. I was there 100 years later and Alaska and The Yukon Territories hadn't really changed that much.
During the 1970s I flew into Dawson Creek,BC on a Pacific Western Boeing 737, their runway was concrete but short, I am amazed that Air North 's Boeing 737-200 lands on a gravel runway like this.Dawson,Yukon is definitely a unique destination.
Great flight! This brings back memories for me, espacially the footage from your landing seat behind the righthand wing. I had my very first flight experiance in a B737 100 or 200 with these old engines back in 1984! We flew from Antwerps to Brussels in Belgium, only 15 minutes of flight.
Great video, well shot and showing some great things not often seen nowadays in general. A worthwhile trip, thanks for taking and sharing. Hope the marriage is going well without any CAT :)
Nope. The approach into YDA IS that close to the hills surrounding the airport, it’s a visual approach, no instrument landing system airport that is a daytime hours only airport...
You may have to go a little east. The Dawson City Airport was very recently paved to enable Air North to use their 737-500 on those charters. Canadian North I believe still flies the -200’s, but do it quick...
Yikes, those added rivets on the fuselage around 13:00 are a little unnerving. How many times did they have to repair for metal fatigue? But it's great to see a loud old cigar-engined 37 in action. The Stage One engines could wake the dead on takeoff. I used to fly those things everywhere.
Interesting and informative post. High AV-Geek content. Being a -200 must be near 40 years old! Great shot of the thrust reversers and how they direct the exhaust outboard!
Going way back in the long 737 history, complete with clamshell reversers. And certainly without the stability augmentation system (MCAS) that apparently caused some problems in the NG recently.
Unfortunately they only make gravel Kit's for 727's and 737-100 and 200. That's why the airline still flies these older 737-200 because there is no gravel Kit's for newer 737's. Another thing is these older 737's got less electronics then the new ones, so out in the middle of nowhere it's easier to repair then the new 737's that are loaded with technology. Here is some info on the gravel kit: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravel_kit
Hey baby, we need to go for a vacation to Yukon next summer. They have the most beautiful...mountains. No, it cant wait (I aint missing the chance to fly this beast!)
It's incredible to see a Boeing 737-200 still flying, you'll never see one operating in mainland United States. I believe the last Boeing 737-200 was manufactured in 1988. The aircraft in the video must have had what's called a gravel kit to prevent gravel from being ingested into the engines and prevent fuselage damage when landing on gravel runways. It has been decades since I flew on a 200.
Que recuedos y momentos viví en esos aviones con lan Chile en los años 80 y 90 👍👍cuando viajaba desde pta Arenas hasta Santiago excelente video desde Chile abrazo
mysock351C you should see Deer Lake Airport in Newfoundland. Three gates, three baggage claims, never more than two planes there. I like it though: security is always nice and it’s got great service for its size.
Everyone is always only fascinated by the reverser's mechanism.... pay attention to the flaps near the engine. It needed some marvellous engineering to extend the wing around the not yet gondola engines.
I came for the gravel runway.
I stayed for the 737-200.
I liked for the thrust reverser action.
Beautiful airplane isn't she? I enjoyed the thrust reverse action as well!
Best part of the old Rolls Royce turbojet package the 200 came with.. This is one of the last 737-200s flying regular commercial service.
@@selkirk4life Those are P&W JT8 engines.
JT8D, depending on how specific you want to be. Although I don't know the exact variant.
Note how the videographer changed seats during the flight with, I presume, the express purpose of capturing the reverse thrust action (and dust kick-up on the runway).
1:08 That must be the most discount pushback truck I've ever seen lmao.
Tal Ionescu ... Better than having a dozen ground crew pushing back a loaded and fuelled aircraft with their hands and legs
@@texasabbott yes.
some small airports use farm tractors. it has the power for the job
Not sure it's the "most discount" - those tractors are very expensive, I would guess a regular pushback tug of similar capability but only able to push airplanes (a very specific but simple task) would be much cheaper. My guess is that it happened to be available, or they use it for other purposes (probably snow removal) as well, and it made sense to use only have one machine for both uses.
Boy, there has to be someone that doesn't understand that IT'S A JOKE FFS, hence the "LMAO" at the end, and takes the comment seriously...
The moment when you realise the plane can carry almost 10% of the population of Dawson.
I wonder how is there even a market for not only this flight but also the other airplanes there. Even with mining activities or whatever, it's still what, 2-3% of the towns population on each flight?
@@GMNO_ fair enough, hadn't thought about that.
@@alecbasba I don't know if that's the case here, but these kinds of flights are probably operated on contract for the government to keep the small communities connected to the outside world and would't make money otherwise. Also check out Christmas Island and Cocos Islands in Australia, combined population: 2000, 90 seater (Embraer E190) operates twice a week.
Also, this is probably the best way out. Can't exactly pop into the car and drive to the nearest city on a decent road.
More like 20%. And I should know. I lived there😂😉
Thank you very much for shooting and sharing this video.
I finished High School in Dawson City in 1994, and back then, the largest plane into YDA was a DC-4. I was taken back to my youth with the shots of the scenery into Dawson...
Most flights into the airport back then were using DC-3’s. To say I was shocked to see a 737 in Dawson a few years ago is an understatement.
I’m jealous for you flying on a 737-200. The majority of my flights were on that model of aircraft and it’s amazing how the sounds and sights of the plane bring back massive numbers of memories.
Lastly, you’re really lucky to have done the flight when you did. The runway at Dawson was paved a couple weeks ago due to the very real possibility that Air North couldn’t use the 737-200 anymore into Dawson due to Boeing ending support for the gravel kit. Now, with the runway paved, they can use their 737-500 into and out of YDA for their Holland America charters to Fairbanks, Alaska.
At 14:01 you can see the gravel kit. Behind the front wheel is a big plate that prevents gravel from being flicked up into the fuselage, and then on the left engine, you can see a little boom underneath it, right next to the orange cone. This is a vortex dissipater. It blows out bleed air from the engine to prevent gravel from being sucked up from the ground.
Anthony Nicholson: Thanks for sharing that information. I was wondering how gravel/sand was not sucked in by the engine.
After flying the big boys for 15 years I don't know how I could have miss that - thank you. The only other thing I wondered about is the wear and tear on the the stay-tors and the fan. They have to have some kind of maintenance staff that spends a lot of time with the jewelers files and florescent die looking for dings and cracks on those on GE fans
Better shot of these is at 0:53 in the video. Those 'vortex dissipater's' were commonly known and called 'dog peckers'. And yes, landing on unimproved runways (dirt, gravel, etc.) required these aircraft to be equipped with these items which makes this airplane unique, not only for its age but for the specialized equipment it has. Great little airplane serving a special purpose!
Even better, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravel_kit. One of the photos attached to that article looks like this exact aircraft.
Lol, lots of interest on this kit. I think I have found the trump card though. Here is a little youtube video showing a gravel kit being installed and tested, and how it works! th-cam.com/video/IH_dOK3df44/w-d-xo.html
Long live the JT-8D-15!!!! Long live the 737-200!!!! Long live the offset clamshell thrust reversers!!!!
Gorgeous plane! Thats a JT8D-17! Classic!
Thats a -17? Even better!!!! @@heelswinagain
Love those old old 737-200 I miss them you don''t see to many out there
I believe those engines power the A6/EA6 Intruders/Prowlers - now just memories.
(from an old structural mechanic)
these are most likely 2nd or 3rd hand purchases from major lines phasing them out. likely tougher than what they're running now.
The sound of those flaps... I love it
Yep full flap as well
Not technically the noise of the flaps, but the hydraulic motors/ within the wheel well
@@EinkOLED
I am pretty sure that's what he meant by saying he loves the sound of these flaps.
That view of the wing brought back childhood memories of flying Aloha Airlines in Hawaii. I was wondering where the vapor trail off the outer corner of the flap was until it appeared later. I guess it's more humid in Hawaii.
longshot7601 Funny you should mention that. This 737 is actually a former Aloha machine,
The -200 is still in service?! That's awesome. My favorite model of the airliner. I remember when Midway Airlines first acquired their fleet waaaaay back when I was a kid in Chicago. Thank you for posting this.
RedLP5000S Its crazy they’re still flying em. The 732 is still one of the best aircrafts to fly up north in Canada. Gravel equipped, reliable, short runway usage, cargo configurable. All of Canada’s major northern airlines have one. Nolinor also just bought a few more and installed digital displays in the cockpit, so they’ll be staying for a while.
@@AviationWinnipeg How sweet is that! If only these planes could be paired with some 727s that would be epic.
I drive past a decommissioned -200 every day on my way to work, its just chilling in a farmers field for the last few years. Really wish i could fly in it. Still has the Canadian western livery on it, last one I think.
@@RedLP5000S It flies a lot in Venezuela.
I bet the news would still call it a tarmac
Ben Jared oh god that tarmac
Matthew Menotti that would just be too easy for this strange world
Ben Jared I mean if tarmac is asphalt then its tehnically correct When they say tarmac right?
I thought the original term was "Tar mat" and the media morphed it into "Mac".
@Matthew Menotti Someone needs to correct your grammar...
Love this classic jet. Like my 2002 Benz ML500, it's a classic piece of engineering that is now aged, still runs strong & true and to its designers credit, has influenced the course of design for scores of following models, from many manufacturers. Thanks for filming your great flight, Bruh !
That's thrust reverse😍
I thought only Tupolevs operated that kind....
There are other jets with these thrust reversers like the DC9, MD80, MD90, and more.
@@ryan8orph803 yes
I live in Las Vegas. I see Air North at McCarran from time to time.
Very nice, informative video.
I grew up in Windsor, Ontario and learned to fly at the Windsor Flying Club.
The items most in need at the Windsor Airport is parallel taxiways and an air bridge for passengers at the terminal.
I landed on gravel runways at St. Thomas, Ontario back in the 70’s.
Nice to see a 737 land on one.
Thanks for sharing.
One of the Boeing 707 Jets that was in the Air Force One fleet had a gravel kit as well. Henry Kissinger used this plane to fly into England and land on a gravel runway. He would then take a boat across the channel to meet with the North Vietnamese to negotiate an end to the Vietnam war. Several of these meetings took place.
Great too see a 737 200 in this video. Vintage planes are like vintage cars. Lots of history and great to remeniss.
Plate C
Thank you for this video, some of my best memories of traveling are from the Boeing 737-200! I always loved the landing, the sound of the hydraulics when the flaps deployed and most of all the reverse thrust! The magic of the two cowls coming together to form the reverse thrust will always be a classic!
Ladies and Gentlemen Welcome to the middle of nowhere, the bathroom is right beyond the treeline.
Ladies to the left and Gents to the right . . .
😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
Gravel runways... truly the last frontier.
I liked the video!
Also most efficient baggage claim I have seen.
Love the "eye level" pilot and tug driver setup!
Having been a lifelong Alaskan born in Juneau where flying is the only option, this brings back memories. In Juneau, even today, for the most part, flying is the only option you have to get anywhere in any reasonable amount of time, especially back in the 70s. Flew on tons of these jets.
Look at the amount of space inside! Truly incredible aircraft
They use a loader for a tug, that's badass!
ikr thats madd
I have witnessed aircraft taking the tug for a ride on a slick ramp before, scary stuff. I don’t think they have that problem here.
and probably a snow plough and any other job going lol
Cool...They can share with the road crew, cut costs!
I was on the charter to Fairbanks the next day with about 40 or so Holland America cruise passengers. They limited the areas you could sit in, for about 95% of us, to landing gear back because Dawson has a 5,000 foot runway and takeoff speed and rotation is not very forgiving on one that short. Odd seeing a 737 with what looked like a tundra tire for the gravel runway. All went well on a beautiful flight. I heard stories about the old bus rides from Dawson to Fairbanks on the "Top of the World Highway" and it can be a little scary in bad weather so the flight was better for me. Hats off to Air North also. We flew from Vancouver to Whitehorse and the service and crew could not have need better. A well run airline. A shout out to Dawson too. A very unique town with unique people that are rugged and friendly at the same time. You don't accidentally make a wrong turn and end up in Dawson. As far as the off gridders living across the Yukon River, best wishes in the -20 F and below temperatures. I couldn't do it.
Great video! I started my aviation maintenance career on Southwest Airlines back in 99 Those 200s looked ancient even back then
Those 200's aren't going anywhere soon. They're the only jet that can handle gravel landings.
Except Boeing is discontinuing support for the Gravel Kit that makes the -200 able to handle gravel runways without much damage. Add to that the fact the -200 frames are getting up there in terms of cycles of landings and takeoffs which will mean those airports where that size of aircraft is essential are going to need to be paved.
I thought the 727 could do gravel runways?
Soviets/Russia used to have some too and i'm pretty sure the An-148 is gravel capable nowadays. But i like developing a gravel kit for like a A220 or a CRJ wouldn't be thaat hard, right? :D
greendude96 The engines are too large to mount an effective vortex dissipator. You may be able to get one on a CRJ or a Dash-8...
BAE146, AVRO RJ can as well, and they can seat around 108 passengers
So cool to see these 732’s still flying. Great video.
I've flown on the 737-200 back in the late 70's. I've always marveled at the "simplicity" of the reverse thrusters.
I was hoping to see the front of the engine while landing, that's where the difference with a gravel runway is really noticeable. The high pressure air jet at the front of the engine keeping the dirt and gravel from entering the engine. I used to work at Resolute and it was a gravel runway as well, there were 4 flights per week, two from the east (Montreal) and two from the west (Edmonton) using those 737-200 aircraft. It is nice to see them still operating.
This is one of the most awesome videos I have seen this year! I love the -200. Thanks for getting the great view from behind the wing...I loved seeing the flap extension and the dirt pick up upon landing on the gravel runway. Truly a unique experience, thank you for recording it!!
Great video! She's a true classic, still doing her thing 👍 IMO, the -200 was was the best looking, purest version of the immortal 737.
BOEING All terrain 4X4
É verdade! É um excelente avião. Já voei em um desses na década de 90.
I remember flying on these when i was a kid. Nostalgia vibe is strong in this video.
Two things stand out: 1 the use of reversers on the gravel runway and flying around the mountain then down the valley to the approach end of the runway. This place would be really fun with a twenty knot breeze and I am certain requires a judicious application of the thrust reversers in order to avoid FOD ingestion.
My first ever jet flight was in a 737-200. The biggest & fastest plane I'd been on before that had been a Fokker F27 so the 737 was hugely exciting!
Now that I have seen everything that the Internet has to offer, I’m going to go have a beer...
Darrell Parkhill same, get me some pal
Have 6
wow, 737-200. That's some flying archaeology!
sure was a good looking bird though, the skin was a bit saggy but the inside impressed me
David Vincent as a kid, the thrust reverser cowls never ceased to amaze me. I love the 200!
@@MorganBrown The only birds I ever got to fly were the old B-52 (black belly D models - which I loved because they were so simple) and the Grumman crop duster I went to work for at Jade Air (If you followed any of the camp fires in CA this summer that is right where we were located) Anyway I never got to use thrust reverse only a really cool large parachute! lol. And the stories I could tell about stupid jet jockies that forgot to pull the chute and other things I could do a full blog about. Have a Happy and Safe New Year and thank you for your kind response. Dave happily retired in Florida
Hahahaha !!! my good friend .!!
I can tell you stories about this !!! In my native country (in southamerica) , you can see planes that belonged to panam and braniff !! One of them is a DC9 and the plate shows 1968 !!!!!! 50 Y OLD !! those planes only flight domestically .I guess they don't pass any regulation for Intl flights. In Colombia., a couple of years ago , you could see DC3 flying with regular schedules !! Amazing how they endure !! sorry my poor English !
Perro Oceaniko su ingles es muy bien! Looks like a DC-3 at 3:10
Amazing video!!!! . What memories the Boeing 737-200 brings to me! Thank you for sharing! 👍👌👏
Air Nauru used to operate a couple of gravel kitted 737-200s C2-RN3 and C2-RN6. They also had the High Flotation tyres fitted (fats) for operation from coral runways on numerous tiny Pacific islands and atolls. They also had C2-RN8 and C2-RN9 which were not gravel kit airframes but one of then (can't remember which) was fitted with High Energy brakes for short field stopping performance.
We used to do the maintenance on them at Air New Zealand in the 80's and 90's.
Enjoyed your video. Very few “unimproved” commercial airstrips left in the first world.
Not unique thrust reverser. Antique thrust reverser. This is how all of the first gen jet engines generated reverse thrust. We called them clamshells. Newer jets use a sliding collar in the primary stage to generate reverse thrust.
Not antique really, just not common for current designs. The sliding collar type is better used for very-high bypass engine designs and can create more problems with runway debris as they are non directional; the clamshell type is used with lower bypass designs and can be angled to help direct debris away from the engine intake, combined with the increased ground clearance and reduced intake area of a low bypass engine the setup is far less susceptible to ingesting debris.
"Translating Cowl" is the term you need instead of sliding collar. Used with Cascade Reversers, also called Cold Stream Reversers, due to the fact that the reverse thrust air flow has been warmed only from the heat of compression (only the compressor section, and not compressor & combustion section).
Don't get me wrong, it's still hot air, just not as hot as in a bucket-type (737-200) reverser.
engineering.purdue.edu/~propulsi/propulsion/jets/basics/bigpic/thrustreverse1.html
Cheers
@@adamreznik6374 thanks for the link
Dad flew these for decades. One tough machine.The clam bucket has been worked on with the sheet metal on the top and side of the reverser.
That approach is absolutely stunning!
Great shoot. The best experience was sitting directly behind the wing. The noise intensity from the jet pipes of those JT8Ds was inspirational.
At CYDA it's only a 5,000 ft runway and with gravel you have less braking effect, plus surrounding terrain its a very short final approach. Amazing an old 737 can land on such a short runway. Reminds me of the approach in Paro, Bhutan, look it up similar to this but harder!
Air North had 3 737-200s in the fleet at one time but the 737-200 combi with the gravel package is the last one flying. You can find the other 2 in Air Norths bone yard about a 1/2 mile
south of the air terminal in Whitehorse. The ATRs are new as well the Dawson run was originally run by a pair of Hawker Sidleys.
Back when I lived in Dawson in the early 90’s, the flights were operated with DC-3’s and occasionally a DC-4!
Needless to say, I was shocked to see a 737 at the airport many years later at Dawson!
Great video. But it's all over now. We got paved runway about 3 weeks ago and newer 737 doesn't need gravel kit. And it's way more quiet!
Awesome upload gravel strip clam shell thrust reverser landing thanks!!!! Miss the 737-200s and flying as a kid into my adolescence.
This flight is on my bucktlist! Such a cool approach and interesting little airport. Gotta love aviation in our territories!
Same here!
I love how you can hear the hydraulics operating the flaps on the old planes! Can’t hear any of that on the new stuff.
Wow!! I've seen thousands of these videos and this one is up there. Great approach and views. How cool what a great experience!
11:30 - Plane be Like.. "Cigarette Lighter anyone?"
I had forgotten about the distinctive whine of the flaps actuator on these. Thanks for posting.
Did I see a Air North HS 748? I didnt realize they had such a variety in their fleet! Love love love the 737-200. My best flight ever was on an America West 737-200 from LAS to LAX. Only a 40 minute or so flight, and got First Class. What made the flight the best? The crew literally kept slapping drinks on my tray table, and served me an actual meal. The service was impeccable. I have flown all over, and first class alot. But, this short hop was something that had yet to be beat!
BOEING 737, THE BEST-SELLING JETLINER ON EARTH FOR 50 YEARS AND COUNTING!
Since it's introduction in 1967, the Boeing 737 has been the best-selling commercial jetliner on Earth. It has a long history and reputation for it's reliability, durability, efficiency, performance, and range of uses. It made it possible for jets to travel to destinations thought to be inaccessible to jets due to shorter runways. It is cost effective, and efficient. It has served airlines the world over from the U S. to Norway, from Israel to Japan. From Russia to Argentina.
This video is a testament to the longevity of the 737.
I flew from Whitehorse to Dawson City back in 1977, but that was only the first part of the trip, I was in the Canadian Military and we were building the Eagle River Bridge on the Dempster Highway, so after I met my ride it was 30 miles back down rhe highway to Dempster Junction and then 236.7 miles up the Dempster to the bridge site, the was 41 years ago and the bridge is still there and there still is no road into Old Crow, but that's they way they wanted it then and still do, I guess.
Charles Damery
The bridge to nowhere?
@@Sweetteawillie The highway is complete now all the way to Tuktoyaktuk, if you've got balls to drive it. I'd love to go back up there if I could. Read the article on the Dempster Highway on Wikipedia.
Charles Damery
Thanks for the reply and update.
Happy new year!
Great video! Filmed at the right zoom, at the right angle ... I felt like I was on board.
Grade 10 !!!!!!
The Boeing 737, workhorse of the Airlines, a Pilots Airplane goes where You want it to and anyplace You want it to. I loved it !!!
Nothing more beautiful than an OC Southwest 737-200
Great video. Thanks for uploading it. I was hoping you got a shot of the pilots. My Son flys for Air North and flew that route all summer to handle the clients coming in from Fairbanks Alaska cruise ships. I was hoping to see my Son in your video. He loves that gravel runway. 👍🏻🇨🇦❤️
The best sound from the old 737,thank you so much
Dawson. City was a grass a d gravel strip in 1969 when we were using a Bristol frieghter to haul full to Parkin Base Camp.
The Dempster was not built yet.The old Dawson airstrip was much shorter between Bonanza creek and piles of gravel left from the steam drag line gold diggers of years before.
I regret not going to Dawson City in the late 90's while stationed at (not that far away) Fort Greely, Alaska. I had vaguely heard of the California Gold Rush but was not familiar with the Klondike Gold Rush and the trip over the Chilkoot Pass or White Pass and then down the Yukon to Dawson City and that there were 30,000 people encamped there in 1898. I was there 100 years later and Alaska and The Yukon Territories hadn't really changed that much.
During the 1970s I flew into Dawson Creek,BC on a Pacific Western Boeing 737, their runway was concrete but short, I am amazed that Air North 's Boeing 737-200 lands on a gravel runway like this.Dawson,Yukon is definitely a unique destination.
Great flight! This brings back memories for me, espacially the footage from your landing seat behind the righthand wing. I had my very first flight experiance in a B737 100 or 200 with these old engines back in 1984! We flew from Antwerps to Brussels in Belgium, only 15 minutes of flight.
Thank God its not Frontier Airlines! Awesome footage of a Boeing Legend!
Great video, well shot and showing some great things not often seen nowadays in general. A worthwhile trip, thanks for taking and sharing.
Hope the marriage is going well without any CAT :)
Nice job on the flight filming ,, Love this -200 shame there is only a handful left in operation.
How the hell do those little struts keep the reversers from getting blown off by over ten thousand pounds of force?
getting those old school vibes from that Boeing 737-200. also beautiful scene at the beginning of the video! :)
you can SEE the air flowing arround the flaps! amaizing video :)
Must be fun to work at this airport. Gorgeous scenery around you, cool planes moving about...
Can't believe how low it looked flying over those mountains. Hopefully flying higher than it seemed.
Nope. The approach into YDA IS that close to the hills surrounding the airport, it’s a visual approach, no instrument landing system airport that is a daytime hours only airport...
The good thing about such a small airport is that you always have an eye on your luggage and can see the treatment they give to it!
No people!
Also, in many small airports you can keep an eye on your plane and it's loading progress while swill from the bar
beautiful scenery, and an absolutely fantastic approach!
I do miss the 200 series! I may have to take that flight just to fly on one again.
Eldon Triggs I flew on one just before Southwest got rid of them. The 300 they normally used was being repaired at the time.
You may have to go a little east. The Dawson City Airport was very recently paved to enable Air North to use their 737-500 on those charters. Canadian North I believe still flies the -200’s, but do it quick...
Yikes, those added rivets on the fuselage around 13:00 are a little unnerving. How many times did they have to repair for metal fatigue? But it's great to see a loud old cigar-engined 37 in action. The Stage One engines could wake the dead on takeoff. I used to fly those things everywhere.
That exact tail registration used to belong with us at Aloha Airlines. Glad to see her still going strong!
I miss flying on those.
I wonder how feasible in the future it is to make a B737-600 or B737-7MAX fuselage get JT8D Engines equipped with the gravel kit...
Cool flap sounds. Fight instructor told me drop the flaps in increments not all at once.
Love how you can see the dirt and see the actual reverse thrust 👌👌👌
Don't know how I found this video, but it's great. Well done!
Interesting and informative post. High AV-Geek content. Being a -200 must be near 40 years old! Great shot of the thrust reversers and how they direct the exhaust outboard!
@13:24, is that still dust from the landing?
Going way back in the long 737 history, complete with clamshell reversers. And certainly without the stability augmentation system (MCAS) that apparently caused some problems in the NG recently.
Only the max, not NG
Nice to see fluorescent lighting still being used on this plane with Pre-heat tube start!
Great video.
The ground tractor was interesting. It closely resembled a dirt mover. Lol.
That'll build confidence in your flight for sure.
Unfortunately they only make gravel Kit's for 727's and 737-100 and 200. That's why the airline still flies these older 737-200 because there is no gravel Kit's for newer 737's. Another thing is these older 737's got less electronics then the new ones, so out in the middle of nowhere it's easier to repair then the new 737's that are loaded with technology. Here is some info on the gravel kit: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravel_kit
Also no security checks in Dawson. If you fly out of Whitehorse south to Vancouver or Calgary you must go thru security.
Engine Pratt Whitney JT8D?
Hey baby, we need to go for a vacation to Yukon next summer. They have the most beautiful...mountains. No, it cant wait (I aint missing the chance to fly this beast!)
Hey, you can still see the dust cloud from the rev. thrust in both shots...
That old plane shows the quality of the airline. They take care and maintain their plans well.
It's incredible to see a Boeing 737-200 still flying, you'll never see one operating in mainland United States. I believe the last Boeing 737-200 was manufactured in 1988. The aircraft in the video must have had what's called a gravel kit to prevent gravel from being ingested into the engines and prevent fuselage damage when landing on gravel runways. It has been decades since I flew on a 200.
Cool perspective on the thrust reversers.
Is the fusselage reinforced in some way? I see over the windows row what looks to be a thicker band with many rivets. Amazing approach BTW.
Que recuedos y momentos viví en esos aviones con lan Chile en los años 80 y 90 👍👍cuando viajaba desde pta Arenas hasta Santiago excelente video desde Chile abrazo
I'd take one look to that repair next to the door, and head straight back to the terminal. It goes halfway across the fuselage
Nice video! What's involved in making a 737-200 "gravel" capable? I see the thrust reversers blowing dust up a bunch of dust or gravel.
Flying in Canada's wilderness is great and you gotta love those clamshell thrust reversers -
Flew on these more then a few times thruout the 80's, & 90's in the form of Western, Delta America West, Southwest, US Airways, & United.
Simplemente hermoso, la sinfonía de los flaps y los deflectores de gases de los turborreactores...
Love how they say "terminal" when its really a truck stop.
There isn’t a runway and a bunch of aircraft at my local truck stop.
Made me laugh!
mysock351C you should see Deer Lake Airport in Newfoundland. Three gates, three baggage claims, never more than two planes there.
I like it though: security is always nice and it’s got great service for its size.
Everyone is always only fascinated by the reverser's mechanism.... pay attention to the flaps near the engine. It needed some marvellous engineering to extend the wing around the not yet gondola engines.