Air Pictorial 1992-02
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'Skymaster' production prototype, became DC-4 in civil use first flew 26 March 1942.
Hawker Tempest II PR536, ex Indian AF HA457.
The Caribou prototype first flew in November last year and completed initial test flying without a hitch.
The TU-154M is Sichuan Airlines’ first jet aircraft, and is seen at Chengdu (their home base) immediately after its arrival fresh from the Tupolev factory on the 25th November 1991. Unfortunately the weather was rather dull and misty for photography.
Prototype Focke-Achgelis Fa330 first flew in March 1942, U-Boat observation kite.
Cessna 180 N591NC photographed recently at Exeter by R. J. Sayer. It was on a round-the-world flight.
Saturday, 4 January 1992 marked the final Highland Division HS748 flight from Sumburgh. All 'OE' services to and from Aberdeen are now operated by BATPS. Kim Benson's picture shows a sight no longer to be seen. From left to right: G-BCOF HS748 BAW/BP charter; G-CSZB VC8 BAF/Shell charter; G-AOYN VC8 BAF/Shell charter; and G-BCOE HS748 BAW mainline scheduled flight to Aberdeen. G-BCOE is special as she operated the first HS748 flight of BAW into Shetland on 4 August 1975 and the last "budgie" flight to Aberdeen on 4 January 1992.
Australian charter airline Compass has ceased trading. The two Airbuses leased from Monarch will be returned to Monarch. VH-YMK is seen just prior to delivery in November 1990
FOLLOWING Peter R. Foster’s interest­ing article Elliniki Aeroporia in the January 1992 issue, readers may be interested in these pictures of the Royal Hellenic Air Force Canadair CL-13 Sabre 4 team, six of which gave a display of formation aerobatics at the 1963 Paris Salon Internationale. They were drawn from ten Sabres with the following serials: 278, 294, 347, 377, 382, 392, 395, 409, 448 and 452.
Resplendent in Kuwait Airways colours once again 9K-AGA after full refurbishment by HPB at London-Luton.
British Airways "Project Dragonfly" rises from the ground on the northern perimeter of Cardiff/Wales airport. Staff recruitment is already underway for this major new Boeing 747 maintenance base (BAMC - British Airways Maintenance Base, Cardiff). It will feature three fully equipped maintenance bays, the first of which should be operational by mid 1993. Nos 2 and 3 Bays are projected for 1994.
Bristol Beaufort DD931 in 42 Squadron colours.
Anson roll-in at Newark Air Museum recently.
Tim Reed's CASA 1-31 Jungmann G-BTDT arrived from Dunkeswell in Devon.
Twin Commanche N808NA c/n 30-1498. The picture was taken at Fox Field, California by Brian Roffee. The aircraft is fitted with radio control equipment and used regularly around Edwards AFB.
The famous Auster G-AGYD photographed at a PFA annual rally at Cranfield.
The same weather conditions were to be found at Shanghai on the 30th November 1991 when China Easterns newly delivered MD-11 was seen departing on that airline’s new route to Los Angeles.
Sikorsky S-61N G-BBHM of Bristow Helicopters departed Aberdeen on 16th December '91 on a delivery flight to the Maldives which would take approximately two weeks. The aircraft leased to Hummingbird would take up its new marks when it arrived in the Maldives. The delivery flight was a distance of 6,201 nm, its routing was: Aberdeen - Redhill - Gatwick - Lyon - Bastia - Naples - Kerkyra - Heraklion - Alexandria - Luxor - Jeddah - Riyadh - Dhahran - Dubai - Muscat (SEEB) - Turbat - Karachi - Ahmadabad - Bombay - Mangalore - Trivandrum - Male (VRMM).
Flown from Blackbushe there was speculation that G-PPPP had become a KitVixen!
One of a pair of CFM Shadows, this one G-MJE flown from Clench near Marlborough, by Nigel Ramsey.