Turboprop airliners are particularly useful for interisland travel in an archipelago like the Philippines. Although jet-powered commercial aircraft came to dominate Philippine skies after the 1970s, turboprops remained a mainstay. Up to this day, they are still in service with Philippine Airlines. Therefore, let’s focus on the turboprop planes that PAL has used in the past, and that it still uses today.
First and foremost, there is a difference between a turboprop plane and a typical propeller plane. Earlier propeller-powered planes like the DC-3, DC-6, and so on, were piston-powered planes. This means that pistons and a crankshaft spun the propellers to produce thrust. In the case of turboprops, the propellers are directly spun by a turbine to produce thrust. This, the DC-3 cannot be considered as a turboprop.
It’s now time to look at the turboprops that served in the fleet of PAL beginning with the world’s first turboprop, the Vickers Viscount.
Vickers Viscount
The first turboprop in the PAL fleet is the Vickers Viscount. PAL received the first of two Vickers Viscount it ordered in 1957. In order to make way for this more modern turboprop, the Convair 340 was taken out of service between Manila and Hong Kong. PAL’s first Vickers Viscount was issued with the PI-C770 registration. PAL received it completely new in 1957. PI-C771 was the registration number for the second PAL Vickers Viscount.
In 1967, PAL’s first short-range jet aircraft, the BAC One-Eleven series 400, replaced the Vickers Viscount and was eventually decommissioned from service. Hawker Siddeley HS 748s were purchased by PAL in 1967 and quickly became the airline’s regular turboprop aircraft.
Hawker Siddeley 748
The second turboprop plane in the history of the PAL fleet is the Hawker Siddeley 748 also known as “Jet Prop”. PAL’s fleet included Hawker Siddeley 748-2A aircraft beginning in 1967 and operating practically regularly until the 1980s. The HS748 and the BAC-111 both served as pillars of PAL’s domestic fleet. The Rolls Royce Dart turboprop engines provide thrust for the HS748’s midsize turboprop configuration. The trip from Manila to Baguio was one example of a frequent domestic use. The HS748’s track record, however, was not spotless. All told, the HS748 was involved in seven accidents.
NAMC YS-11
The third turboprop plane to join the PAL fleet is the Japanese-made NAMC YS-11. While the YS-11 is somewhat larger than the HS748, it bears some resemblance to that aircraft. This plane was manufactured in Japan by the Nihon Aircraft Manufacturing Company and is propelled by two Rolls-Royce Dart Mk.542-10K turboprop engines. The YS-11 entered service with PAL in 1974 and remained in operation until 1984.
If they already had HS 748s, then why did PAL buy YS-11s? PAL acquired three YS-11 planes along with Filipinas Orient Airways in 1974. Filipinas Orient Airways purchased these planes in 1966, which were built in the postwar era. Six further planes were purchased by PAL from NAMC, though.
Shorts SD360-300 “Sunriser”
This became the fifth turboprop in the PAL fleet. The SD360-300, more often known as the “Sunriser,” was instrumental in facilitating travel between remote locations and smaller airports in the Philippines. Then why do we call it “Sunriser”? Some people refer to the current PAL livery as “sunriser,” and it’s been reported that the SD360 was the first PAL plane to sport the Eurowhite “sunriser” livery. If or whether the SD360 was the first PAL plane to sport the new livery remains to be confirmed. PAL acquired the “Sunriser” in 1987.
Fokker 50
The sixth PAL turboprop is the Fokker 50. PAL bought the Fokker 50 in 1988 to replace the aging HS748s. PAL certainly recognizes the need in retaining the connectedness between tiny airports and rural communities that need a larger capacity than the sunriser but could not support aircraft. This was not the first time though that PAL used Fokkers. In 1966, they operated Fokker 27 Mk.100. The F50 is actually a wholly different and more sophisticated aircraft than the F27. It had a 54-passenger seating capacity.
Bombardier Q300 / Q400
Used Bombardier Q300 and Q400 turboprops were purchased in 2008 by what was then called Air Philippines in order to more efficiently transport passengers between major cities and smaller airports like Caticlan. Later on, Air Philippines was rebranded as PAL Express. These planes carried a special livery like ” Nemo” which had a Clownfish painted on the plane’s fuselage rear area.
After purchasing pre-owned A320s from Philippine Airlines in 2010, PAL Express changed its name to AirPhil Express. Even when AirPhil Express changed its name to PAL Express and eventually Philippine Airlines, Air Philippines Inc. continued to use the Q300 and Q400 in its fleet. New Generation (NG) variants of the Q400 were bought by PAL in 2017. These planes are now known as the De Havilland Canada DHC Dash 8-400.
As of today, PAL’s lone turboprop aircraft is the DeHavilland Canada DHC Dash 8-400. A total of 86 passengers can fly in the plane’s two classes, Comfort Class and Economy. It serves key interisland destinations with small airports like Cebu to Baguio and Cebu to Borongan, and Tawi-Tawi.
Turboprop planes in the PAL fleet indeed continue to play a major role in connecting the Philippines, especially at small airports. They are essential in tourism and economic growth.
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Turbo props are actually jets with unenclosed fans. Most commercial airliners today are not pure jets but fan jets which are more efficient. Ail Airbus and Boeing planes today are fanjets. The last pure jet of PAL was the BAC 111 which was very noisy.