Bulldog Airlines

[kscarbel]

Since someone mentioned Bulldog Airlines and Zenon Hansen in my post over the Mack-Bernards, I’d like to share my knowledge on Mack's corporate aircraft. Flying in the Lear 24 was a thrill, like a fighter enlarged for passengers. I regret not having more color photographs of the helicopters, jet and turboprop aircraft.

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Mack Trucks’ corporate aircraft department was established shortly after Zenon C.R. Hansen took the company's helm in January 1965.

Mr. Hansen, a proponent of corporate aviation to enhance company efficiency, hired White Motor Company’s chief pilot (Bill Sapp) to become the head pilot at “Bulldog Airlines”, the two having met while Mr. Hansen was executive vice president of White (1958-1965).

In the years to come, Mack's corporate flight department grew to become one of the largest fleets of its kind in the nation.

The aircraft of Bulldog Airlines

(This list is indeed incomplete, but to the best of my knowledge)

Mack I Beechcraft H-18 (original N1021B)

This aircraft, which started life as a G-18S, was the company’s first and appropriately given the company call sign "Mack I." The FAA registration number N1021B would later be transferred to the company's first Lear jet, a Model 23 ("Mack IV").

Mack II (1966-1968) Beechcraft H-18 (original N1031B)

Built as E-18S which had 6 inches of additional headroom, and later modified to H-18 standard with the tri-cycle landing gear developed by Volpar.

Mack II (1968-1974) Volpar Turboliner II (second N1031B)

The second “Mack II” began life as a Beech E-18S, but was ordered as a conversion from Volpar Aircraft Corp. in Van Nuys, California with 705hp Garrett TPE331 turboprop engines in the late summer of 1968.

This aircraft replaced the original N1031B, a Model H-18 ("Mack II"). Mack operated the aircraft until 1974. The paint scheme is typical of the Mack fleet in 1969, colors matching Zenon Hansen's personal Cadillac.

Mack IV Learjet 23 (second N1021B) (*1969 crash)

Bell 206 JetRanger helicopter

Mack VIII Learjet 24B

Mack X Dassault Falcon 20F (N10MT)

Mack XI Piper PA-24-260 Comanche (N11MT)

Mack XII Bell 212 Twin Huey helicopter (N12MT)

Mack XV Beechcraft E-55 Baron (N15MT)

Mack XVI Piper Navajo PA-31-350 Chieftain (N16MT)

Swearingen Merlin Metro (N111MT)

Swearingen SA226-AT Merlin IVC (N3114Y) Registered 9/84. Leased from Teterboro Aircraft Service

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'69 Crash Claimed Mack Executives

October 27, 1999 | by FRANK WHELAN, The Morning Call

At 8:07 a.m. on November 6, 1969, “Mack IV”, a 1968 Learjet 23 (registration N1021B) owned by Mack Trucks Inc. took off from what was then Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Airport.

Three hours later, it soared into dense fog and plunged into chilly Lake Michigan, killing all seven aboard.

The cause of the crash has never been determined.

Along with pilot James S. Simmons and co-pilot George K. Strunk were some of the leading engineering talents at Mack:

• John Lehoczky, 45, vice president-engineering;
• Chatwin A. Sharfenberg, 57, chief-engineer highway trucks;
• John "Jack" Richards, 43, manager-vehicle design;
• David W. Steltz, 37, manager-vehicle design;
• Luther Haus, 58, senior project engineer.

They were on their way to meet with representatives of the Modine Manufacturing Co., which produced radiators for Mack, based in Allentown.

"They were headed out to Michigan as part of a special project the company was working on," says historian John Montville.

The first part of the flight was apparently uneventful. But when the jet got to Lake Michigan, there were problems.

An attempt was made to fly across the lake and land at the Horlick Racine Airport in Racine, Wis. But a thick, cold fog had wrapped the huge body of water in a cloud bank.

What should have been a 15-minute hop across the lake proved impossible. After one try, the pilots decided to return to Ross Field in Benton Harbor, Mich.

For two hours, the plane sat on the ground. The Mack executives went off to eat lunch. The pilot and co-pilot stayed with the plane as 468 gallons of fuel was pumped aboard.

Les Meiners, a Benton Harbor airport employee, later told The Morning Call that conditions on the ground were considered "good."

A little before 11 a.m. the plane rose over Lake Michigan and disappeared from view. It was headed for Racine, but it never got there. At 11:08 a.m., it dropped into the lake two miles offshore.

It was noon of the next day before the fog had lifted enough for rescue efforts to begin. They went on for six days. The nose of the plane and a yoke were discovered floating in oily water.

The first body, Sharfenberg's, was found in the lake in June 1970 by the Kenosha, Wis., Sheriff's Department. Later that summer the remains of Lehoczky, Simmons and Strunk were recovered. The others were apparently never found.

Mack's chief executive officer, Zenon Hansen, who had created the Mack air fleet in 1965, was shaken.

"A multiple tragedy such as occurred in our Mack family requires the utmost in resolute strength, courage and prayer for help to the Almighty," he said.

The reason for the crash remains unclear. Both Simmons and Strunk were highly experienced pilots.

They knew how to handle an instrument landing. The plane had been cleared for landing, and visibility was said to be about 3 miles.

Almost a year after the crash, on Oct. 21, 1970, the National Transportation Safety Board ended its inquiry, reporting it was unable to determine the cause.

The craft "continued descent below the prescribed approach path profile for reasons unknown," the investigators wrote.

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[umodelnut]

Man those are some cool pictures!!! I've never seen them except for one. Would you maybe have any un-known to me U model pictures? :-)

Thanks for the Bulldog aircraft pics!!!

[2stacksuperdog]

With this website you learn new things everyday! i like the bulldog on the side.

[Maddog13407]

300+ in that sweet ass R model i see. wonder where it is now....

[umodelnut]

300+ in that sweet ass R model i see. wonder where it is now....

Matt you should paint your R model like that and make a replica. Yours has a hood scoop don't it?

[Maddog13407]

nope, i put took the oil bath air cleaner off and put the junky new style on with the two inlets BUT i do have a hood scoop. just have to figure out how to make up some mounts for it under the hood as it was not meant to mount to an old style radiator

[umodelnut]

nope, i put took the oil bath air cleaner off and put the junky new style on with the two inlets BUT i do have a hood scoop. just have to figure out how to make up some mounts for it under the hood as it was not meant to mount to an old style radiator

I'm sure you can make it work.

[Mike]

This is very interesting to me since i'm also a pilot. Too bad the NTSB reports do not give the probable cause of this accident. My first guess is weather related.....fog and spatial orientation. When we have safety meetings at BNA, several times per year, it is an extensive event. But the knowledge has to be applied, the next time a pilot flies. Problem with this is......did the safety meeting soak in to the brains of a pilot?And how much did the pilot learn at the meeting? It is fact, that majority of the time it is pilot mistake or error and not maintenance related.

Thanks for sharing.

mike

[maxidyne237]

What a waste, owning and maintaining a fleet of aircraft. This and other corporate overspending helped put Mack in to serious trouble by the late 1970's

[kscarbel]

What a waste, owning and maintaining a fleet of aircraft. This and other corporate overspending helped put Mack in to serious trouble by the late 1970's

I couldn't disagree with you more. Corporate aviation used properly, and Mack's aviation unit indeed was, particularly under President Zenon C.R. Hansen, allows companies to gain vast efficiencies in operation. For example, being able to quickly move between Allentown, Bridgewater and Hagerstown allowed for better management of operations.

[kscarbel2]

.

[rsb502]

Seems like an awful lot of money to me to fly such short distances. I will agree it is a great tool for management, however it seems there was a lot of hardware sitting on the ground.

[57 bcr]

I remember reading a story about a trucker that had a wiring problem with his LJ (I think) and needed a new harness. Mr. Hansen dispatched one of the planes to land at a local airport and deliver the much needed part. Don't know all the particulars,but it sounded like damn good P.R. to me! Know anything about that, kscarbel?

[kscarbel2]

I remember reading a story about a trucker that had a wiring problem with his LJ (I think) and needed a new harness. Mr. Hansen dispatched one of the planes to land at a local airport and deliver the much needed part. Don't know all the particulars,but it sounded like damn good P.R. to me! Know anything about that, kscarbel?

I recall an incident involving one of the many Macks that the U.S. Arrmy once operated, but this was much further back, in 1931. As in your recollection, the parts required were expedited via aircraft.

Note the parts were expedited directly from the Plainfield, New Jersey plant (http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/34219-mack-trucks-the-facilities/).

.

[kscarbel2]

Speaking of the above article, when I think of U.S. Army Mack six-cylinder, six-wheeled trucks in 1931, the truck in distress was quite probably a T2 Artillery Prime Mover.

The T2 was based on the Mack AP and equipped with a six-cylinder 150 horsepower 706 cu.in. engine. With a 4-speed transmission and low gearing, it had a top speed of 20 mph.

These trucks were purchased by the Army in 1929.

A beautiful example of the AP, the Mack T2's duties for the Army included troop and ammunition haulage, and gun towage.

Note the side-mounted winch for pulling guns into position.

The disc wheels with 40x8 pneumatic tires made for a sharp looking truck.

The Mack T2 was rated at 8 tons and had a curb weight of 22,380 pounds.

.

[rickykarenpr]

woa nice arline

[MackMann85]

Can you imagine Uncle Sam letting a civilian on a plane to fix a truck these days? It would cost a million bucks and take 6 months to approve it! My how times have changed.

[aabeck]

Hi all—new user interloping on this very old thread to share something neat I found today: a cloisonne Bulldog Airlines lapel pin. It was in an odds-and-ends bin at a rummage sale and I loved the look of the bulldog's scarf flowing in the wind. Never having heard of Bulldog Airlines, I got home and did some googling, and this thread was the first (and pretty much only) relevant thing to pop up. So thanks for the info, kscarbel—it's cool to know the origin of this little guy.

 

[Brian71583]

Look in the grass you can see the helipad is still in the front yard at Macungie.

[macks in nigeria]

Can I rob you of that pin?

[mrsmackpaul]

Wow I have had a quick glance at this thread before but that pin is pretty cool looking thing to me 
And welcome to the forum aabeck 

Paul

[110669bulldog]

My father was one of the men killed in the November 6, 1969 crash of the Mack Learjet.  This year will mark the 50th anniversary of that tragic event.  Anyone out there remember any of them?  I would love to hear any stories you may have.

[mackdaddy]

I have only read about the unfortunate accident. I did get a copy of the official FAA accident report. I am a pilot as well as a Mack collector so it is of interest to me as well. Was your father a Mack employee? How old were you then?

[Linda J]

On 9/24/2019 at 9:46 PM, 110669bulldog said:

My father was one of the men killed in the November 6, 1969 crash of the Mack Learjet.  This year will mark the 50th anniversary of that tragic event.  Anyone out there remember any of them?  I would love to hear any stories you may have.

My uncle was on that plane as well. Never found his remains. Lots of unanswered questions. He left six children behind

[COL911]

50 years ago today I learned of the crash when I arrived home from middle school to see the Mack executives at my front door telling my Mom the news. Miss you every day, Dad! Holding up our end still in the employ of Volvo and Mack Trucks to this day.