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| Fairchild Metroliner | |
|---|---|
| Name | Fairchild Metroliner |
| Type | Regional airliner / commuter aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Fairchild Aircraft |
| Status | Retired / limited service |
Fairchild Metroliner The Fairchild Metroliner was a twin-turboprop regional airliner developed in the United States during the 1960s and produced by Fairchild Aircraft, designed to serve commuter and corporate markets linked to airlines such as United Airlines, American Airlines, Trans World Airlines, and regional carriers. It competed with types operated by De Havilland Canada, Embraer, Fokker, and British Aerospace on short-haul routes connecting airports like Chicago O'Hare International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, and O'Hare International Airport. The type was noted for its pressurized fuselage, six-abreast seating, and use by operators including Wheels Up-era charters, feeder airlines tied to Continental Airlines and Delta Air Lines affiliates.
Developed from the utility designs emerging in postwar United States civil aviation, the Metroliner traced lineage to projects influenced by Curtiss-Wright innovations and earlier commuter designs from Cessna and Beechcraft. Fairchild Aircraft assembled design teams drawing on personnel from Grumman, Lockheed, McDonnell Douglas, and consultants with experience on projects for NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration. The airframe featured a low-wing monoplane configuration, pressurization systems comparable to types certified under Civil Aeronautics Board and Federal Aviation Regulations standards, and turboprops from manufacturers such as Allison Engine Company and later Honeywell Aerospace. Avionics suites integrated components from Collins Aerospace, BendixKing, and navigational aids compatible with Instrument Landing System, VOR, and TCAS systems.
Production models evolved through multiple certified variants to meet orders from regional carriers like Piedmont Airlines, Mesa Airlines, CommutAir, and Air Wisconsin. Early versions were produced as corporate executive conversions appealing to operators associated with Perkins Engines and Garrett AiResearch powerplants. Subsequent certified variants incorporated extended fuselage configurations, higher gross weights approved by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors, cargo conversions used by logistics firms connected to Federal Express, and military-friendly versions adapted for roles similar to aircraft procured by United States Air Force liaison units.
Service entry saw deployment on feeder networks orchestrated by major hub carriers including Eastern Air Lines and Pan American World Airways to link smaller communities like Telluride, Aspen, Dayton, and Toledo with primary hubs. The aircraft operated in scheduled commuter operations overseen by regional authorities and joined charter fleets serving corporations headquartered in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Dallas. Over decades the type appeared in operations intersecting with air traffic centers such as Chicago Center, Los Angeles Center, and procedures defined by Air Traffic Control sectors influenced by FAA rulemaking, while maintenance programs referenced standards promulgated by organizations like Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and International Civil Aviation Organization.
Several governments and military organizations adapted the type for VIP transport, liaison, surveillance, and utility roles, paralleling procurement patterns seen with Royal Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force multi-role conversions of other types. Agencies in United States federal and state governments operated the type for personnel transport and calibration tasks akin to missions flown by aircraft in Department of Homeland Security and National Transportation Safety Board support roles. Export sales placed aircraft with civil aviation authorities and small air arms in countries aligned with Foreign Military Sales frameworks and allied logistics programs.
As with many regional types, the Metroliner experienced accidents involving factors investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, and jurisdictional civil aviation authorities. Investigations frequently examined crew resource management, maintenance records traceable to approved Airworthiness Directives and service bulletins issued by component manufacturers, and operational challenges at airports such as Sierra Blanca Regional Airport and Stapleton International Airport. Findings contributed to industry-wide safety improvements championed by organizations including the Flight Safety Foundation and initiatives by International Civil Aviation Organization working groups.
Typical specifications covered seating for commuter configurations comparable to contemporaries from Short Brothers and Fokker, pressurized cabin altitudes regulated under Federal Aviation Regulations Part 25-derived standards, and performance metrics influenced by powerplants from Allison Engine Company or Honeywell with propellers by Hamilton Standard. Range, speed, and payload figures were used by regional planners at airlines such as Comair and SkyWest Airlines for network scheduling and aircraft utilization studies conducted with assistance from firms like Booz Allen Hamilton.
Civil operators included numerous regional and commuter carriers such as Piedmont Airlines, Mesa Airlines, CommutAir, Air Wisconsin, Horizon Air, Colgan Air, PenAir, Wright Air Service, and corporate operators based in Boston, Miami, Seattle, and San Francisco. Military and government operators encompassed small air arms, civil aviation authorities, and executive transport units tied to ministries and agencies in multiple countries that procured aircraft through brokers and defense export channels involving Defense Logistics Agency-style arrangements.