REVIEW - JustPlanes First Air Aviation Video

Review

by Marlon Carter

Description: FIRST AIR

Format:
Blu-Ray/Download

INTRODUCTION

+ Company Presentation & Tour of Company Headquarters

+ Visit of Flight Operations, Flight Dispatch, Flight Watch...

+ Cockpit filming using up to 6 cameras for great views on takeoff & landing!

+ Pilot Presentations +Briefings & Checklists + Cockpit set-up

+ Cockpit Presentations of Boeing 737-400, ATR-42 & Hercules

+ External Walkaround of Boeing 737-400

+ Amazing scenery!

Flight Information
A/C	Reg	Flight	Route	Flt Time	Destinations
B737-400	C-FFNF	7F 860	YOW-YFB	2h53	YOW Ottawa, CANADA YFB Iqaluit, CANADA
ATR-42	C-FIQR	7F 824	YFB-YXP YXP-YVM	0h50 0h37	YXPPangnirtung, CANADA YVM Qikiqtarjuaq, CANADA
ATR-42	C-FIQR	7F 825	YVM-YXP YXP-YFB	0h32 0h51	YVM Qikiqtarjuaq, CANADA YXPPangnirtung, CANADA
ATR-42	C-FTJB	7F 644	YFB-YTE YTE-YZS	0h58 0h51	YTE Cape Dorset, CANADA YZS Coral Harbour, CANADA
ATR-42	C-FTJB	7F 644	YZS-YCS YCS-YRT	0h56 0h18	YCS Chesterfield Inlet, CANADA YRT Rankin Inlet, CANADA
L-382 HERC	C-GUSI	7F 705 7F 706	YRT-CMB2 CMB2-YRT	0h31 0h38	YRT Rankin Inlet, CANADA CMB2 Meadow Bank, CANADA
L-382 HERC	C-GUSI	7F 701 7F 702	YRT-CMB2 CMB2-YRT	0h45 0h39	YRT Rankin Inlet, CANADA CMB2 Meadow Bank, CANADA

HIGHLIGHTS

With 65+ years of rich history, First Air is by all mean one of the most popular airlines operating in Northern Canada. The program captures the daily operations of this airline with a focus on the essential service it provides to isolated communities and the thrill of flying in the north. We begin with a presentation by the President and CEO of First Air who highlights some of the details on the airline’s history and the day to day challenges of its operation. An interesting aspect of this airline is that it operates its own Engineering Department which is instrumental in making modifications to the aircraft within its fleet. Having an Engineering Department has proved to be invaluable to this airline since it allows them to modify its fleet to be more versatile and safe when flying in the north.

Next, we take an in-depth look at the operations center which focuses on the work of the Dispatchers and Maintenance & Crew schedulers. For those of you interested in what takes place at an Operations Center, you will be quite impressed with this presentation and the opportunity to be a fly on the wall at one of the daily Operations briefing.

As we move away from the office, we being our journey onboard the 737-400 which has been converted into a Combi aircraft. This means that in addition to flying a limited number of passengers, this aircraft is also capable of flying a significant amount of cargo on the main deck. Our flight to Iqaluit from Ottawa gives viewers an opportunity to experience a thorough aircraft walkaround, view of the cargo area of the main deck, view departure and flying procedures and be enlightened by a presentation of the 737 cockpit.

After landing at Iqaluit, we switch over to the ATR42 for flights that take us to Pangnirtung, Qikiqtarjuaq, Coral Harbour and more. While many of the highlights are similar to our previous 737 flight, this segment of the program also features some of the most stunning scenic views from the cockpit. One example of this is the approach to Pangnirtung which requires special training for a 5 degree approach. This airport, along with other northern destinations offers viewers the unique opportunity to see Northern Canada from a perspective seldom seen by the average person.

The final highlight of this program features an aircraft which has proved to be a true workhorse over the years. The C130 is an aircraft rarely seen in civilian airline operations, but it has proved to be a valuable tool to First Air in moving large volumes of freight. For fans of the C130, this program is a must have since it not only features the flying procedures associated with this aircraft, but it also features a detailed cockpit overview that explains many of the daunting switches and gauges that allows this aircraft to fly.

To conclude, we certainly want to thank First Air for opening its doors to aviation enthusiast around the globe and providing a closer look at the fun and challenges of flying in the North. Personally, it would have been an amazing opportunity to film the operations of their former 727 fleet, but I am sure that everyone will enjoy this program and any future program to come from this intriguing airline.