DASH 7 STOL FEEDERLINER IN FOCUS

T H E PA S T, P R E S E N T A N D F U T U R E O F F L I G H T

RETURN
OF THE BLACKJACK
Russian Bomber Revival

CAL FIRE
AVIATION AIR MALTA
Golden State Small Airline,
Firefighters Big Ambitions

CLUSIVE
JUNE 2020 £4.90

EX
COLOMBIAN DC-3 REINFORCING THE UK
OPERATIONS
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forest
Workhorses of the Rain Cold War USAF Fighter Deployments
A4 full page.indd 1 23/04/2020 15:49:52
 Contents
FEATURES
14 Dynamic Manta: Huntung Subs in
the Med
Jim Winchester reports from Dynamic Manta ’20.
20 Reinforcing the UK – USAF Cold
War Fighter Deployments
Dr Kevin Wright examines the basing plans and
deployments to the UK during the Cold War by the
USAF’s Tactical Air Command.
28 Air Malta: Small Airline, Big
Ambitions
Lee Cross looks over the developments at Air Malta.
34 Return of the Blackjack
Piotr Butowski discusses how the Tu-160 fleet is being
modernised and returned to production.
42 Workhorses of the Rainforest:
Douglas DC-3 Operations in Colombia
Dr Andreas Zeitler joined a flight on the famous type
to experience jungle flying in Colombia.
50 Cal Fire Aviation: The Golden State’s
Flying Fire Department
California’s forestry and fire service has employed
aircraft to tackle wildfires since the 1950s. Tom
Kaminski reports on recent developments.
58 Cessna’s ‘Push-Me Pull-You’
Skymasters
Rod Simpson describes Cessna’s innovative design
which led to the Cessna 336 and 337.
64 Miami Sound Machines
Bob O’Brien presents a selection of photos from
Miami in the 1970s.
66 De Havilland Canada Dash 7 –
STOL Airliner
Malcolm Ginsberg traces the development and career
of the Dash 7 airliner.
80 Junkers Ju 252 and ’352 –
Replacing Aunty Ju
The successors to the famous Ju 52/3m trimotor were
the Ju 252 and Ju 352, as Chris Goss describes.
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03_contentsDC.mfDC.mfDC.mfDC.indd 3
p28
p10 REGULARS
04 Headlines
06 Civil News
10 Military News
18 Preservation News
p14 57 Flight Bag
72 Airport Movements
75 Air Base Movements
76 Register Review
We are able to report that, at time of
going to press, production and despatch
of our magazine is currently not affected
by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
p50 We will continue to update you as best
we can should this change. Some postal
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See pages 40 and 41 for details.
Cover (main image): A Russian Air Force
Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack blasts off
p66
from Kubinka Air Base. AirTeamImages.
com/Artyom Anikeev. Inset (lower left):
Allas Douglas DC-3, HK-3215, on which
the author flew – the article starts on
page 42. Dr Andreas Zeitler. Inset (lower
right): One of 12 USAF F-4D Phantom IIs
from the 170th TFS/Illinois ANG which
deployed to RAF Finningley for Coronet
Brave in June 1982. Peter R Foster.
3
11/05/2020 11:59
 Coronavirus Spreads Through Aviation
HEADLINES
The coronavirus outbreak continues to have
a wide-ranging impact on the worldwide
aviation industry, from passenger travel to
freight operations and general aviation.
The UK government issued new
travel guidelines on May 11, including a
mandatory 14-day period of quarantine
for travellers arriving in the country, who
would be required to self-isolate in their
accommodation. If unable to demonstrate
where they would self-isolate, they would
be required to do so in accommodation
arranged by the government. An exact date
for the introduction of this measure was not
given, but the official document said it “will
be introduced as soon as possible”, applying
to all travellers with the exception of those
coming from the Common Travel Area,
(Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel
Islands), and those supporting national
security or critical infrastructure and to meet
the UK’s international obligations.
Several airlines have been hit heavily
by travel restrictions and the decline in
passenger demand. Virgin Australia went
into administration on April 21, citing the
effects of the pandemic on operations, but
continued to operate a skeleton service
in early May as it sought a buyer. Several
aircraft retirements were announced,
including the McDonnell Douglas MD-88
and MD-90 fleets of Delta Air Lines which
will now cease operations in June. Air
Canada is retiring the Embraer 190s, Boeing
767s and Airbus A319s used by subsidiary Air
Canada Rouge.
A number of European airlines are getting
state assistance to help them through
the crisis. Under an Italian government
emergency decree, Alitalia is to be
renationalised, while in Germany, Lufthansa
is negotiating a €9bn bailout with loans
from Austria, Germany and Switzerland.
This could lead to the German government
owning a 25.1% stake in the airline reported
Der Spiegel on May 1.
In response to such moves, Ryanair
CEO Michael O’Leary described airlines
such as Lufthansa, Air France and Alitalia
as “subsidy junkies running around Europe
hoovering up state aid” in an interview
with the BBC. He added that returning
to normal in competition with these big
carriers would be difficult as they would
4 AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020
04-05_headlinesDC.mfDC.mfDC.mf.indd 4
Reservists from the British Army’s 3rd Battalion, Royal Welsh Regiment, unload personal
protective equipment from a Pegas Fly Boeing 767-300ER, VP-BMC, at Cardiff Airport on May
1. The Russian carrier was chartered to bring in a shipment of 460,000 fluid-resistant gowns for
the NHS and social care staff in Wales. CPL P R Watson/Crown Copyright 2020
be:” financing below-cost selling with the
benefit of over €30bn in unlawful state
aid, in breach of both EU state aid and
competition rules.”
The Irish low-cost carrier is set to
cut up to 3,000 staff – mainly pilot and
cabin crew jobs. British Airways has also
announced plans to make severe job cuts
and slash operations, with up to 12,000
of its 42,000 staff made redundant. In a
statement released on April 28, BA’s parent
company IAG said that: “recovery to the
level of passenger demand in 2019 is
expected to take several years, necessitating
group-wide restructuring measures.” The
airline also announced that they would be
withdrawing from London’s Gatwick Airport.
On May 5, Virgin Atlantic announced it was
to cut more than 3,000 jobs in the UK and
also end its Gatwick operation. The seven
Boeing 747s in its fleet would be retired
immediately, having previously been slated
to serve into 2021
On April 6, Heathrow Airport switched
to using a single runway, due to the
reduction in demand, with 09L/27R and
09R/27L alternating on a weekly basis
to mitigate noise impact. Passenger
operations have been consolidated
into Terminals 2 and 5. While passenger
flights fell by as much as 90% in April,
dedicated freight traffic is up. On March
31, Heathrow recorded 38 dedicated
cargo movements, compared to a normal
weekly average of 47 flights. However,
freight carried as belly cargo on passenger
flights is down, leading to a decrease in
tonnage of 32.5% in March compared to
the same time last year. Heathrow handled
41% of the UK’s pharmaceutical imports
in 2019 and the airport is now prioritising
shipments of medical supplies and
personal protective equipment.
So far, a number of airlines around
the world have introduced requirements
for passengers to wear protective masks.
In the US, JetBlue was the first to make
them compulsory from May 4, with Delta,
American Airlines and Frontier Airlines
following suit. In Europe, Lufthansa Group
carriers Eurowings, Swiss, Austrian Airlines
and Brussels Airlines made face coverings
mandatory the same day and planned
to spread passengers as widely apart as
possible. Air France was introducing a face
mask requirement from May 11.
On April 15, Emirates became the first
airline to conduct on-site rapid COVID-19
tests for passengers departing Dubai on a
flight to Tunisia. Results of the blood test
conducted in the terminal were available
in ten minutes The airline plans to scale up
testing capabilities in the future and extend
it to other flights, providing immediate
confirmation for passengers travelling
to countries that require COVID-19 test
certificates.
The UK government has confirmed that
carriers that have flown between February
and May of this year can temporarily defer
air navigation charges by up to 14 months.
Air traffic organisation Eurocontrol estimates
that European airlines could defer €1.1bn in
route charges.
Engine-maker Rolls-Royce said on May
2 that it could cut up to 8,000 jobs after
aircraft manufacturers were forced to reduce
production. The current workforce of 52,000
people includes 23,000 in the UK, around
15,000 of them at two sites in Derby.
Private aviation in the UK has been
classed as a non-essential activity and only
certain defined flying has been permitted
under CAA guidelines. Some maintenance,
repair and overhaul organisations (MROs)
have remained open, although many
airfields have been closed. Light aircraft
are allowed to be ferried to an MRO for
essential work to maintain airworthiness,
such as six-month or annual checks, but
must be flown above 1,000ft along the
most direct route. Test flights of minimum
duration may be carried out by the MRO.
In view of potential engine damage due
to prolonged lack of use, aircraft owners
are also allowed to carry out engine health
flights in line with engine manufacturers’
recommendations at a frequency of a
maximum of a flight every four weeks.
Jim Winchester/Rod Simpson
11/05/2020 16:35
 Viking Hands Over Enhanced Aerial Firefighter
The first production Viking CL-415EAF
Enhanced Aerial Firefighter aircraft was
delivered to launch customer Bridger
Super Hornets and More
Eurofighters for Luftwaffe
Germany is looking to buy 30 F/A-18E/Fs
and 15 EA-18Gs from Boeing and
wants to acquire 93 new-build
Eurofighters, which will partly replace
the Luftwaffe’s Tornado IDS fleet and its
original Tranche 1 Eurofighter aircraft.
The Bundeswehr plan to acquire Super
Hornets and Growlers has sparked
controversy and criticism in Germany,
with the country’s Social Democratic
Party (SDP) remaining opposed to the
procurement of the US aircraft.
German Defence Minister Annegret
Kramp-Karrenbauer told German
newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung that
the acquisition is necessary for “bridging
technology” and that “currently only US
manufacturers are offering” platforms
that have the capability to be adapted
to carry B61-12 freefall nuclear gravity
bombs. In current operations, the
Tornado is the only Luftwaffe aircraft
GlobalEye Delivered to UAE
Saab announced the handover of the initial GlobalEye Swing Role Surveillance System aircraft
to the United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence on April 29. The UAE has ordered three
GlobalEyes, which are based on the Global 6000 airframe, with an initial contract signed in late
2015. Last November, the country also announced its intention to purchase an additional two
systems. Saab
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04-05_headlinesDC.mfDC.mfDC.mf.indd 5
Aerospace Group of Bozeman, Montana, on
April 15. Bridger signed a $204m purchase
agreement in May 2018 for six CL-415EAFs
that is certified to carry the munition and
purchasing F/A-18E/Fs would enable
Germany to continue its NATO nuclear-
sharing duties, although the Super
Hornet is not currently cleared for the
weapons,
Procurement of the EA-18G Growler
electronic warfare (EW) platform
will enable the air arm to replace its
Tornado ECRs in an electronic combat
and suppression/destruction of enemy
air defences (SEAD/DEAD) role. The
plan to acquire the EA-18G over the
Eurofighter will not be looked upon
favourably by Airbus, but the former type
is considered to be a lower-risk solution.
The Growler is combat-proven and in
full-rate production, whereas a proposed
Eurofighter ECR variant would require
further development and testing before it
could enter operational service.
Khalem Chapman
The first Viking CL-415EAF, C-GFBN, was
handed over to Bridger Aerospace at
Bozeman, Montana, on April 15. It was
converted from a Canadair (Bombardier) CL-
215 MSN 1081. Viking
and the first aircraft flew on March 9 at
Cascade Aerospace’s facility in Abbotsford,
British Columbia, after conversion by the
programme partner. The new version of the
amphibian is a specially selected CL-215
airframe converted to turbine configuration
using Viking-supplied kits. It features a new
Collins Pro Line Fusion integrated digital
avionics suite, Pratt & Whitney PW123AF
turbine engines, increased fire-retardant
capacity and improvements to numerous
aircraft systems. Jim Winchester
Editorial
As we welcome you to the June issue of
Aviation News we are all continuing to
wrestle with the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic. Airlines are currently analysing
the longer term consequences for air travel
and some have already announced job cuts
as they factor in the financial implications
of passenger numbers failing to bounce
back for quite some time.
On the military front, air arms are having
to adapt working practices to cope with
the virus while maintaining capability and a
state of readiness.
These are uncertain times and things
are changing very rapidly, while we
endeavour to present articles containing
the most up-to-date information
available, circumstances can change
after the magazine has gone to press.
However, you can keep up with all the
latest developments by logging onto our
website, as well as by checking out our
Facebook and Twitter feeds.
One change we can already tell you about
is the publication of Rowland White’s new
book Harrier 809. In our article last month
we correctly said it was due out on April
30, but the publisher has now advised us its
release will be pushed back to October 15.
We hope you enjoy the issue.
Dino Carrara
Editor
We are able to report that, at time of going to
press, production and despatch of our magazine
is not affected by the ongoing coronavirus
pandemic. Should this situation change, we will
update you as best we can but please note that
some postal services may be delayed. To find
out what we and our partners are doing to keep
distribution as smooth as possible please visit
www.keypublishing.com/FAQs.
5
11/05/2020 16:35
 Second 777-9 Airborne
CIVIL NEWS

The second Boeing 777-9, WH002, undertook its maiden flight at Paine Field/Snohomish County Airport, Washington state, on April 30, landing
just under three hours later at Boeing Field/King County Airport. The first aircraft, WH001, flew on January 25 and has now completed more than
100 hours of test flying. Two more aircraft are due to join the test and development fleet. Boeing

Dash 8 Package Freighter for Jazz

Jazz Aviation will be the first operator
for the recently approved Dash 8-400
Simplified Package Freighter. Under
the agreement, Jazz has ordered
the conversion kits for up to 13 Dash
8-400s from de Havilland Aircraft of
Canada. Announcing the deal on April
23, Randolph deGooyer, president,
Jazz Aviation, said: “We are delighted
to be the first operator for the Dash
8-400 Simplified Package Freighter and
congratulate de Havilland Canada and
Transport Canada on offering this sound
solution. This innovative opportunity
will allow us to redeploy aircraft while
contributing to the collective fight
against COVID-19 by supporting our
customer – Air Canada – and the
delivery of essential cargo.”
Todd Young, chief operating officer,
de Havilland Canada, added: “The
reconfiguration of Dash 8-400 aircraft
into Simplified Package Freighters can
be quickly achieved by the removal
of seats and seat track covers in the
passenger cabin. The reconfiguration,
which includes the use of up to 17 nets,
will provide a potential total payload
of up to 17,960lb and a total cargo
volume of up to 1,150 cu ft per aircraft.
We will work with Jazz to quickly put
their Dash 8-400 Simplified Package
Freighters into service and look forward
to supplying this solution to other Dash
8-400 aircraft operators around the
world to assist in the re-deployment of
their fleets to meet the growing demand
for airlift of essential supplies during the
COVID-19 pandemic.” Jim Winchester

easyJet Order Delayed

EasyJet received its first A320neo in 2017.
Airbus/easyJet

its 107 aircraft order worth £4.5bn to place

British low-cost carrier easyJet has
deferred up to 24 Airbus A320neo Family
jets to ease the financial burden associated
with the coronavirus outbreak. The
European manufacturer was due to hand
over ten examples from the order this year,
while a further 14 were to follow over a
two-year period. It’s now understood the
Luton-based airline will not receive any
new aircraft until 2022 at the earliest. The
firm’s founder, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, has
been particularly critical of how the airline’s
management team has handled the
COVID-19 crisis. Haji-Ioannou – who stills
owns more than a third of the company’s
shares – has argued that it should cancel
easyJet in a better financial position in the
long run.
On April 6, easyJet was granted a
£600m loan from the UK Treasury and the
Bank of England through its coronavirus
fund, while the carrier has signalled its
intentions to borrow another £400m
to keep it afloat. Following the latest
developments, The Guardian newspaper
quoted a spokesperson for Haji-Ioannou as
stating: “Given the current cash burn, that
probably pushes the insolvency boundary
back from August to late autumn, early
winter.” Bosses at easyJet declared during
April that its liquidity stood at £2.3bn.
Thomas Lee

Air Canada Swaps Seats for Medical Supplies

Three Air Canada Boeing 777-300ER
widebodies are set to have cabins reconfigured
in order to provide additional cargo capacity.
The conversions will result in the removal of the
422 seats in each airframe and the installation of
loading zones for lightweight boxes containing
medical equipment. The modification was
developed, tested and implemented in
the first aircraft in six days as part of special
arrangements relating to the COVID-19
pandemic. Tim Strauss, vice-president of Cargo
at Air Canada, said: “The transformation of [the
777-300], our largest international widebody
aircraft, doubles the capacity of each flight and
will enable more goods to move more quickly.”
A number of other carriers are also flying
passenger aircraft with freight only, including
Lufthansa, United Airlines and American Airlines
– the last made its first cargo-only flights on
March 21 since it retired 747 freighters in
1984.

6 AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020

06-08_civil_newsDC.mfDC.indd 6 11/05/2020 11:20

 Air Busan Begins
A321LR Operations
South Korean firm Air Busan has started
fare-paying operations with its newly
delivered Airbus A321LR. On April 10,
the aircraft, HL8366 (c/n 9234), flew
domestic rotations between its home
base of Busan to Seoul/Gimpo and Jeju.
Once restrictions from the coronavirus
pandemic are lifted, the low-cost carrier
is intending to deploy the type on sectors
including Singapore, Phuket and Delhi.
Thomas Lee
IndiGo to Resume Services
Delhi-based IndiGo was expecting to
resume some of its scheduled operations
by May 4. Bosses at the Indian carrier stated
their intention to re-establish links within
vital air corridors from its vast domestic
network. Ronojoy Dutta, IndiGo CEO, said:
“Complementing the government’s efforts
against COVID-19… we will begin domestic
[operations] only gradually ramping up
further to commence [services] on some
international routes as well. Our singular
focus will be on ensuring the health of our
customers and [all of] our employees.
Bek Air Flights Finished
The Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan
(CAAKZ) has withdrawn the air operator
certificate (AOC) and certificates of
airworthiness from Bek Air. The decision
follows an unscheduled audit conducted
in January that uncovered “extreme
violations of the law”.
In a statement, the CAAKZ said the
certificates were recalled because the
carrier “failed to fulfil instructions to rectify
violations”. The Uralsk-based firm had
operated a fleet of nine Fokker 100s.
In mid-January, the International Air
Transport Association (IATA) recalled the
SaudiGulf A320neo Breaks Cover
The first A320neo for SaudiGulf Airlines, VP-CGB, at Hamburg Finkenwerder, Germany, on April
15. The airline started operations in 2016 and currently has four A320ceos in its fleet, with two
neos on order. v1images.com/Dirk Grothe
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06-08_civil_newsDC.mfDC.indd 7
First Spring Air A321neo
Chinese operator Spring Airlines has ordered two A321neos to add to its fleet of 96 A320s. The
first of these is pictured at Airbus’ factory at Finkenwerder in Germany on April 15. v1images.com/
Dirk Grothe
“We are working closely with the
government and the airports to take our
aircraft to a significantly higher level of
cleanliness while ensuring social distancing.”
IndiGo is a major customer for Airbus,
with over 200 A320 Family aircraft in its fleet,
comprising 121 A320ceos, 100 A320neos, 14
A321neos and 25 ATR 72-600s. Additionally,
it has a large backlog on the European
manufacturer’s order books, with a staggering
624 of the re-engined narrowbodies due for
delivery, making the airline the largest single
customer for the type. Thomas Lee
designator code for Bek Air, three weeks
after a fatal incident involving one of its
aircraft. On December 27, 2019 a company
Fokker 100 that was flying from Almaty to
Nursultan/Nazarbayev crashed shortly after
take-off, resulting in 12 fatalities.
Founded in 1999 as Berkut Air, the airline
was one of Kazakhstan’s four largest carriers.
In 2011, the operator was rebranded as Bek
Air. It first flew the Fokker 100 during 2012
and last year signed a letter of intent (LOI)
to purchase ten Irkut MC-21s. Deliveries had
been scheduled to start in the second half
of next year. Thomas Haynes
IN BRIEF
On April 19, Dublin-based CITYJET filed for
examinership following devastating losses caused
by the COVID-19 disease. The move helps to
protect the ailing Irish operator from creditors.
Management at the firm hopes the decision
will lead to positive restructuring and a more
solid financial state once the health crisis has
been resolved. In response to the development,
Brussels Airlines has terminated the current ACMI
contract with CityJet. The deal saw the Irish
firm wet-lease five Bombardier CRJ900s to the
Belgian carrier. Thomas Lee
German leisure company CONDOR has had its
survivability questioned once again as PGL, the
state-run parent company to LOT Polish Airlines,
pulled the plug on an acquisition deal announced
in January. Following the Thomas Cook Group’s
collapse in September last year, Condor remained
active after a €380m bridging loan was granted
by the German federal government. A PGL
spokesperson confirmed to Reuters about “its
withdrawal from the purchase” without providing
any further information. Condor received a
€550m loan from the German state on April 27
in order to survive after the PGL withdrawal.
Thomas Lee
CARIBBEAN AIRLINES has taken delivery of its
seventh ATR 72-600. The turboprop, 9Y-TTF
(c/n 1133), is on lease from the Denmark-based
Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC). The six-year-old
example was ferried to the airline’s base at Piarco
International via Keflavík in Iceland, Toronto/
Pearson, Canada, and Nassau/Lynden Pindling
in the Bahamas. The 72-seat type previously saw
service with Taiwan’s TransAsia Airways, until it
was purchased by NAC in 2018. Thomas Haynes
LOGANAIR has begun conversions of some of
its turboprop fleet on behalf of the Scottish
Ambulance Service to help combat the
coronavirus. Initially, a single Twin Otter was
fitted out to meet requirements, which involved
the removal of seats and installation of Epishuttle
isolation pods to help safely move critical
COVID-19 patients. Work on one of the carrier’s
Saab 340s began in April. The converted types are
based at Glasgow Airport. Thomas Lee
ASL AIRLINES Ireland has retired its remaining
Boeing 757-200, EI-CJX (c/n 26160 – it was
withdrawn from use on March 16. The company
had operated the example – along with three
others, EI-LBS (c/n 27263), EI-LBT (c/n 28170)
and EI-LBR (c/n 28167) – for Irish flag carrier Aer
Lingus on thinner transatlantic routes. The US-
built narrowbodies were phased out gradually as
Aer Lingus had Airbus A321LR examples delivered
and put into service. Thomas Lee
7
11/05/2020 11:20
 Partners Quit
CIVIL NEWS

the E-Fan
Airbus and Rolls-Royce have ended
their E-Fan X programme a year before
the modified BAE Systems Avro RJ100
aircraft was due to fly. Both companies
have cited the COVID-19 pandemic as
the cause of the cancellation, which
follows on from Airbus chief executive
Guillaume Faury telling staff in a letter The Airbus/Rolls-Royce E-Fan X (Avro RJ100, G-WEFX (c/n E3379) was supposed to fly in 2021.
that the manufacturer was “bleeding cash Airbus

at an unprecedented speed”. Announced
on November 28, 2017, the project was
initially a collaborative effort among
the European aerospace giant, the
Derby-based power systems specialist
and Siemens. The German company
had developed a 2MW electric motor
which was due to have replaced one of
the regional jet’s four Lycoming LF507
powerplants, while the aircraft’s 97-seat
cabin configuration was removed in
anticipation of accommodating a 3,000v
electrical distributor, a power generation
system and a high-power battery pack.
Paul Stein, Rolls-Royce’s chief
technology officer, said: “Although our
programme with Airbus concludes, we
are planning that our power generation
system ground testing will complete,
[therefore] allowing us to demonstrate
the technology and capture all the
lessons [learned].
“This will involve integrating our
generator, now well advanced on test in
Trondheim, Norway, with our already-
proven control systems and thermal
management systems, which have been
developed at Derby and Indianapolis,
respectively. Among the many great
achievements from E-Fan X has been the
generator – about the same size as a beer
keg – but producing a staggering 2.5MW.”
Martin Needham

Miami Air Files for Chapter 11

With a business model primarily based around major league
sports team charters and with fixtures postponed due to
COVID-19, Miami Air International was abruptly left without a
market in which to operate. On March 24, the firm became one
of the first aviation casualties of the pandemic in North America
and subsequently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Aside from its primary focus, the remainder of the carrier’s
income was derived from specialist tourist and military charters
along with providing emergency capacity for mainstream
carriers. While there were spikes in demand to assist with the
repatriation of armed forces personnel from overseas, other
revenue streams completely disappeared. Cruise ship and tourist
charters were cancelled for the foreseeable future and, with the
major carriers grounding significant portions of their own fleet,
they no longer have a need to call for short notice capacity to
cover for technical failures.
Originally founded in August 1990 and with operations
commencing 14 months later, the airline initially flew leased
Boeing 727-200s. The company later transitioned to the 737-
400 and the 737-800 configured in a two-class layout: 168
all-economy for tourist/military charters and 48 business
and 70 economy class seats for both sports teams as well as
business charters. Now looking to reorganise its assets while
flying operations are on hold, the carrier anticipated returning
to the skies when the multi-billon dollar sport industry resumes.
Thomas Haynes

Aegean Delays A321neo

Aegean Airlines has pushed back its
Airbus A321neo entry-into-service
to an unspecified date in Q4 of this
year. The Athens-based firm has cited
low passenger demand from ongoing
worldwide restrictions associated with
COVID-19. The type had been earmarked
for a March 2020 debut on links to
London/Heathrow, London/Gatwick and
Munich. Aegean has placed an order
for ten examples from the European
manufacturer. The Greek operator had
already taken delivery of four smaller
Airbus A320neos prior to the global virus
outbreak. Thomas Lee

A380 for Chinese Jasmin from Tunisia

Domestic Route
Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines
is due to deploy its five-strong fleet of Airbus
A380s on the Beijing/Daxing-Shenzhen
link daily from June 1. If the plan is realised,
the operation will become the first Chinese
domestic service to be served using the
Toulouse-built super jumbo. The upgauge
comes as the carrier is currently transferring
the rest of its network from Beijing/Capital
to the new Daxing facility – from around the Tunisian start-up Jasmin Airways was formed in late 2019 to serve short- and medium-haul
start of May, about 50% of operations will destinations in the Middle East and Europe. One of the airline’s two Embraer 170s, TS-IJB,
have made the switch. Thomas Lee appeared at Cologne/Bonn in Germany on April 24. v1images.com/Uwe Wilberg

8 AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020

06-08_civil_newsDC.mfDC.indd 8 11/05/2020 11:20

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 First F-35 for Eielson
MILITARY NEWS
The first two F-35A Lightning IIs for the 354th Fighter Wing at Eielson AFB, Alaska, arrived at the air base on April 21. By the end of 2021, 54
F-35s will make up two squadrons at the base. USAF/SSgt Zade Vadnais
Airshow Update
As most events have been cancelled due
to the COVID-19 outbreak, and there
is uncertainty about those originally
scheduled to take place over the summer,
Aviation News won’t be publishing an
airshow calendar this month. One of
the most recent major cancellations is
AirVenture at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, which
on May 1 announced the event would not
go ahead in July.
However, several airshows have been
rescheduled further into the season or
First Automatic
Aerial Refuelling
Airbus has achieved the first ever
fully automatic air-to-air refuelling
(A3R) operation with a boom system.
The flight test campaign, conducted
earlier in the year over the Atlantic
Ocean, involved an Airbus tanker test
aircraft equipped with the Airbus A3R
solution and an F-16 Fighting Falcon
of the Portuguese Air Force acting as a
receiver. A total of 45 flight test hours
and 120 dry contacts with the A3R
system were achieved, covering the
whole aerial refuelling envelope. This
system requires no additional equipment
on the receiver aircraft and is intended
to reduce air refuelling operator (ARO)
workload, improve safety and optimise
the rate of air-to-air refuelling transfer in
operational conditions. The goal for the
A3R system is to develop technologies
that will reach fully autonomous
capabilities and the certification phase
will start in 2021. Jim Winchester
10
10-12_military_newsDC.mfDC.indd 10
are still intended to take place later in the
year. Organisers of the annual warbird
show at La Ferté Alais, France (www.
ajbs.fr) that was to have been held over
May 14-15 are looking to hold it over
August 24-25, subject to government
recommendations. At the time of going
to press in mid-May, the Battle of Britain
Airshow at Duxford was still on for
September 19-20 (www.iwm.org.uk/
airshows/duxford-battle-of-britain-
airshow) but the Arsenal of Democracy
‘New’ Belgian Falcon 7X
The first Falcon 7X for the Belgian Air
Force appeared on April 29 while doing
some flight crew training at Beauvechain
and Kleine Brogel. A €124m contract was
signed in early January with Luxembourg
company Luxaviation to lease two Falcons
for 12 years. The first delivered, with the
civilian Belgian registration OO-LUM (for
LUchtMacht, ‘air force’ in Flemish) is c/n 4,
built in 2006. The aircraft has had owners
in Switzerland, the USA and France. It
was delivered to Luxaviation at Kortrijk-
Wevelgem Airport in Belgium on April 1,
warbird flyover of Washington DC has
been moved from May 7-8 to September
24-25 (www.ww2flyover.org).
Other events proceeding as planned
are the Africa Aerospace & Defence Expo
(www.aadexpo.co.za) at Waterkloof, South
Africa over September 16-20 and Airshow
China at Zhuhai between November
10 and 15 (www.airshow.com.cn). We
recommend you check with an airshow’s
website before making any travel plans.
Jim Winchester
The first of two leased Falcon 7Xs for the
Belgian Air Force, photographed on April 20
from a back garden near Kleine Brogel Air
Base. Dirk Geuns
receiving its new Belgian registration a few
days later, although it still wears the colour
scheme applied in 2016 prior to its sale to
a US owner.
The second aircraft is expected soon
and will be registered OO-FAE (Force
AErienne, ‘air force’ in French), thus
respecting the linguistic regulations in
bilingual Belgium. Laurent Heyligen
AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020
11/05/2020 16:42
 Broncos for Blue Air
US contractor Blue Air Training has added
a number of Rockwell OV-10 Broncos to
its fleet. The company, based in Las Vegas,
Nevada, already operates a diverse stable of
types including BAC Strikemasters, Pilatus
PC-9s and Valmet A-90 Raiders. The twin
turboprops will be used as Joint Terminal
Attack Controller (JTAC) training platforms.
The company says the OV-10’s
versatility and reliability make it ideal
for this role, with in-theatre endurance
topping five hours. Founder and CEO,
former A-10 pilot James ‘Chef’ Barlow said:
“The seven OV-10D+ and OV-10G Broncos
we are adding to the Blue Air Close Air
Support fleet are undeniably the best JTAC
training platform in the air, anywhere.”
Jim Winchester
Big Changes for US Marine Corps
The US Marine Corps is initiating a major
change to its force structure and is
intending to phase alterations in over
the next decade. It is expected that
the aviation community will feel some
significant effects if the plans are approved
by the US Congress. In particular,
the rotary wing and F-35 Lightning II
communities will face major cuts, while
the unmanned aviation squadrons will
undergo notable growth.
In late March, the Corps’ commandant,
Gen David H Berger, set out his priorities in
a document entitled ‘Force Design 2030’.
Among other changes, he detailed plans
to lighten the Marine Corps by eliminating
its M1A1 tanks, reducing its artillery by 75%
and decreasing the number of infantry
battalions. With a reduction in ground
forces will come a scaling back of the
aviation elements that are required to
support them, especially helicopters.
These measures include deactivating
three medium tiltrotor (VMM) squadrons,
three heavy helicopter (HMH) squadrons
Citation Latitudes for JASDF
WWW.AVIATION-NEWS.CO.UK
10-12_military_newsDC.mfDC.indd 11
QinetiQ H145 Under Test
A new H145 for QinetiQ was seen on April 16 being test flown after assembly at the Airbus
Helicopters factory in Donauwörth, Bavaria and is expected to be delivered soon. The
helicopter, c/n 20322, currently wears the German civil test registration D-HADY. As part of
an overhaul of its fleet, QinetiQ has introduced four Airbus H125s, two Grob G 120TP-As and
two Pilatus PC-21s, but an order for the H145 had not previously been announced. Mathias
Graegel/GME Airfoto
and two light attack helicopter (HMLA)
units.
The USMC also plans to limit the
complement of F-35s in each marine
fighter attack (VMFA) squadron to ten
aircraft. As procurement of the MV-22B
Osprey and AH-1Z Viper is nearing the
end, and UH-1Y production for the USMC
is complete it’s unlikely there will be any
reduction in their numbers. On the growth
side, active component aerial refueller/
transport (VMGR) squadrons will be
increased by one, from three to four.
Regarding unmanned aircraft systems
(UAS), the USMC said it would “double the
number of UAS squadrons and austere
lethal unmanned air and ground systems,
enhancing our ability to sense and strike”.
The Corps fields four UAV squadrons
(VMUs) – three in the active component
and one in the reserves. All operate the
RQ-21A Blackjack UAS and one, VMU-2
at MCAS Yuma, Arizona, also flies two
MQ-9 Predator UAVs under a contractor
arrangement. The USMC intends to
procure six MQ-9s for its VMU squadrons
under current planning.
The effect of reducing the aircraft
allowance for fighter/attack (VMFA)
squadrons is yet to be determined
regarding overall F-35 procurement.
Eight F-35B squadrons were each to have
16 examples, enabling them to send a
six-aeroplane detachment on board an
amphibious assault ship, while keeping
ten ashore for other operations. Also, the
USMC’s F-35C squadrons will be limited to
ten aircraft. These changes could reduce
the Corps’ overall requirement for F-35Bs
by 60 aircraft. Its current procurement
plan calls for 353 F-35Bs and 67 F-35Cs.
In another development, the US
Marine Corps will, by mid-year, reduce
four tactical squadrons to cadre
status, meaning they will retain a small
administrative staff but transfer out their
aircraft and most of the personnel. This
includes VMFA-251 Thunderbolts, which
was moved to cadre status on April 23.
Tom Kaminski/Rick Burgess
The three Cessna U-680As for the JASDF
posed together at Wichita before two were
delivered in March. Textron
Textron Aviation has delivered the first two
of three Cessna U-680As to the Japan Air
Self-Defense Force (JASDF). The U-680A
is based on the Citation Latitude 680 but
configured to perform special missions. In
JASDF service, the platform will be operated
in a flight inspection role, replacing the air
arm’s last YS-11FC, which is scheduled to
be retired this year. The first two aircraft
– serials 02-3031 (c/n 680A-0140) and
02-3032 (c/n 680A-0185) – were handed
over to the Hiko Tenkentai – Flight Check
Squadron – part of the Tokubetsu Koku
Yusodai (Special Airlift Group) at Iruma Air
Base on March 20. The third aircraft will be
delivered early next year. Jim Winchester
11
11/05/2020 16:42
 Hawks to
MILITARY NEWS
Cosford
Five retired former RAF Hawk T1/
T1A/T1W trainers have recently been
delivered to RAF Cosford, Shropshire,
for the Defence School of Aeronautical
Engineering’s No 1 School of Technical
Training (No 1 S of TT) to use as
ground instructional airframes. All
were previously stored with the
Aircraft Maintenance and Storage Unit
(AM&SU) at RAF Shawbury, Shropshire,
where they were dismantled by Cosford
personnel before the Joint Aircraft
Recovery and Transportation Squadron
(JARTS) moved them by road to Cosford.
First to arrive was ex-Red Arrows
T1A XX227 on February 25, followed
A-10s to Serve into 2040s
The USAF’s deputy chief of staff for plans
and programmes has confirmed that
the service intends to retain the A-10C
Thunderbolt II into the 2040s, despite the
recent announcement that it would retire
44 aircraft in 2021.
The service’s long-term plans include
seven squadrons of A-10Cs that will
support the close air support (CAS) mission
RAF Poseidon Reaches IOC
The RAF formally declared initial operating
capability (IOC) for its new Poseidon
MRA1 maritime patrol aircraft on April 1.
The milestone came after two aircraft
Combat King II Joins Reserves
Air Force Reserve Command’s 920th Rescue
Wing received its first HC-130J when serial
17-5892 touched down at Patrick AFB,
Florida, on April 2. The new combat search
and rescue (CSAR) aircraft is assigned to
the 920th Operations Group’s 39th Rescue
Squadron. The USAF received its first
Combat King II in 2012 and the reserve unit
is the last to transition from the older HC-
130N/P to the HC-130J.
In addition to providing in-flight refuelling
to extend the reach of the wing’s HH-60G
12
10-12_military_newsDC.mfDC.indd 12
the next day by T1W XX178, still in full
208 Sqn markings. The next deliveries,
both on March 3, were T1 XX168 and
T1W XX283, the latter also in 208 Sqn
colours. The fifth and final aircraft, T1A
XX218, again in 208 Sqn markingss,
in permissive or lightly contested airspace.
Because the aircraft is “not equipped to
survive in highly defended airspace” those
CAS missions will be assigned to the F-35A
“and other aircraft”, according to Lt Gen
David Nahom.
The A-10C fleet will include three
active-duty, three Air National Guard and
one Air Force Reserve Command squadron,
were delivered to Kinloss Barracks in
Scotland, where they arrived on February
4 and March 13. Seven more Poseidons
are still to be handed over. The aircraft are
Air Force Reserve Command’s 920th Rescue
Wing took delivery of its first HC-130J when
the aircraft arrived at Patrick AFB, Florida, on
April 6. USAF
combat rescue helicopters, the HC-130J
can airdrop pararescue personnel and
equipment, and be used for humanitarian
aid and disaster response missions. The
HC-130J features an integrated defensive
suite that includes a radio-frequency
jammer, digital radar warning receiver and
countermeasures. Tom Kaminski
The fuselage of ex-208 Sqn Hawk T1W
XX283, still carrying full unit markings,
arriving at RAF Cosford on March 3 from
RAF Shawbury to join No 1 S of TT as a
ground instructional airframe. MOD Crown
Copyright/RAF Cosford
arrived on March 10. With all five
now reassembled by Babcock
International personnel and safely
moved into one of the No 1 S of TT
hangars, work has begun to prepare
them for use in training apprentices
from later this year.
Prior to these deliveries, another
Hawk previously stored at Shawbury,
T1W XX236, had been delivered to No 1
S of TT at Cosford on March 19 last year,
to act as a trials aircraft to determine the
suitability of the type for ground training
of aircraft apprentices in mechanical
trades. Thomas Newdick
which will be sufficient for operations, test
and training. The service plans to reinvest
the funds saved through retirement into
upgrades for the remaining Thunderbolt
IIs. In addition to structural modifications,
the savings would provide for avionics
upgrades that would integrate the aircraft
into the “digital battlefield of the future”.
Tom Kaminski
currently operated by 54 and 120 Sqns,
which will move to the type’s permanent
home at RAF Lossiemouth later this year.
Tom Kaminski
IN BRIEF
The sole Airbus A400M destined for the
LUXEMBOURG ARMED FORCES flew for the
first time from Seville, Spain on April 13. It will
be operated by the armed forces of Belgium and
Luxembourg within a binational unit based in
Belgium. Delivery is expected during the second
quarter of the year.
The Russian defence ministry has ordered
three Mi-38 HELICOPTERS in a new airborne
command post version, scheduled to be
manufactured in the first half of next year. The
command post helicopter has received the
internal code Mi-38-7, or izdeliye 2607.
An RAF TYPHOON FGR4 pair flew air strikes
in support of a counter-terrorism operation in
northern Iraq on April 10. They were assisted
by an RAF Reaper and identified terrorists
from so-called Islamic State (IS) occupying
fortified buildings west of Tuz Khurma. A UK
government press release said the aircraft
“conducted a thorough check of the area for
non-combatants, before using a combination
of precision-guided bombs to destroy the
buildings.”
AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020
11/05/2020 16:42
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 Dynamic Manta
HuntingSubsintheMed
NATO’s annual anti-submarine warfare exercise in the Mediterranean
brings together air, surface and sub-surface assets in a complex maritime
environment. Jim Winchester reports from Dynamic Manta ’20.
F
or 12 days between February and
March warships, submarines, anti-
submarine warfare aircraft and
helicopters from ten nations were
‘battling it out’ in the Ionian Sea near Sicily.
They were taking part in Exercise Dynamic
Manta, one of two major annual NATO
ASW exercises (the other being Dynamic
Mongoose, scheduled for June-July in the
North Sea).
Running from February 24 to March
6, the biggest contributor to this iteration
was Standing NATO Maritime Group 2
(SNMG2), which provides the alliance with
a surface task group at very high readiness.
Briefing the media at the beginning of the
drills, the group commander, R Adm Paolo
Fantoni said: “An advanced ASW exercise
aims to practise, demonstrate and refine
the alliance’s continuing adaptation to new
14
14-16_dynamic_mantaDC.mf.indd 14
security challenges,” adding “submarines
have always been a challenge in the
maritime environment and will always
remain as such.”
Participating frigates and their embarked
helicopters comprised Italy’s ITS Carabiniere
with an NHI SH-90, France’s FS Provence
operating an NH90 Caïman, Turkey’s TCG
Salihreis and Gazientep, both flying Sikorsky
S-70B Sea Hawks, Greece’s HS Aegean
also with an S-70B, the Spanish ESPN
Cristóbal Colón with an SH-60B Sea Hawk
and the Canadian HCMS Fredericton had a
Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone. Opposing and/
or co-operating with them as the exercise
progressed were four diesel-electric
submarines: ITS Romeo Romei and Salvatore
Todaro, HS Katsonis, TCG 18 Mart, and the
nuclear-powered FS Casabianca. Also taking
part from NAS Sigonella, Sicily were seven
An Italian Navy SH-90A demonstrates forcing a submarine to the surface, in this case the ITS
Salvatore Todaro, a German-designed, Italian-built U212A diesel-electric sub. Jim Winchester
maritime patrol aircraft: two CP-140 Auroras
from the Royal Canadian Air Force, a Turkish
Navy P-235 (based on the CN-235), two US
Navy P-8A Poseidons, a French Atlantique 2
and a German P-3C Orion. At Catania, also
on Sicily, were an Italian Navy SH-101A and a
Royal Navy Merlin HM2.
SUBMARINE VS SURFACE
Speaking aboard the frigate Carabiniere,
which specialises in the anti-submarine
mission, R Adm Fantoni said the Italian Navy
has a long ASW tradition but has reached
a new level: “I believe that we have grown
up significantly through the years and have
created the condition where the great
advantage that the submarines have always
had in terms of long-range detection versus
the surface vessels [no longer applies], and
indeed the helicopters we have developed
AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020
22/04/2020 11:56
 with the dipping sonar have given an extra
capability to the ship. All this integration
[of ship and helicopter] is important but so
is training, because at the end of the day
somebody has to understand properly what
information comes from the sonar and what
comes from the helicopter and put it all
together to make use of 100% of it.”
Commander of Submarines NATO,
R Adm Andrew Burcher of the US Navy
explained how Dynamic Manta would play
out: “It’s a series of CASEXes [combined
anti-submarine exercises], which
graduate from canned scenarios, such as
familiarisation where the anti-submarine
assets become familiar with the submarines,
graduating to co-ordinated ASW so that A P-8A Poseidon of VP-4 flies over Sigonella at the end of a Dynamic Manta mission. US Navy/
the [land-based] air, surface and helicopter Petty Officer 2nd Class Juan Sua
assets are co-ordinating in order to find
the submarines in a series of scenarios.
These start with ‘the sub is in your [patrol]
box, going at a certain course and speed’,
to ‘they’re in your box somewhere, go
find them’.” The hunt rotates between the
aircraft, ships and submarines in different
combinations during the course of the
exercise, which unlike many other NATO
drills, is not based around a crisis building
up between the alliance and a fictional
adversary nation.
When the submarines are repositioning
between scenarios, the surface ships take
the opportunity to carry out some of their
own training, working individually and
as groups, detaching and regrouping to
conduct live firing, anti-surface warfare
and anti-air warfare drills. This gives the
The CH-148 Cyclone is now on its fourth deployment as part of Operation Reassurance,
maximum benefit from the 12 days at sea,
Canada’s contribution to peace and security in central and eastern Europe. This includes
including for the air assets.
participation in exercises like Dynamic Manta. NATO Maritime Command/Stephane Dzioba
R Adm Fantoni: “The detachment that
we have ashore of seven aeroplanes and to use and gave a distorted and hard-to- gain acceptance beyond those directly
two helicopters is co-operating with us understand signal, but now they can send handling them: “Twenty years ago people
[the surface ships] or with the submarines, text messages using the cleverly named were reluctant to work with unmanned
together or independently. This is a ‘WetsApp’, a sort of underwater WhatsApp. aircraft, but today they’re common. We
great force multiplier. The shore-based Dr Catherine Warner, director of the want to make operators comfortable
helicopters are capable of staying on CMRE, explained how her organisation with unmanned maritime systems.” Using
patrol longer than our smaller shipboard is helping new autonomous systems WetsApp, CMRE provided the exercise
helicopters and they can even refuel at
sea if necessary. We also have the great
luxury of maritime patrol aircraft that can
stay long hours and are built to search
for submarines. It is a very integrated
activity that will allow me [as task group
commander] and NATO to respond to the
missions we are performing for the 12 days.”

WETSAPP GROUP
Dynamic Manta also facilitates
experimentation with new equipment and
methods, these have included unmanned
underwater vehicles towing sonar arrays
and solar/wave-powered sea gliders acting
as underwater communications nodes.
NATO’s Centre of Maritime Research and
Experimentation (CMRE) at La Spezia, Italy
has developed the first digital underwater
communications protocol. Previously,
submerged submarines could only
communicate using a device called an The sensor operators aboard HMCS Fredericton’s CH-148 work hard to identify an undersea
underwater telephone which was difficult contact during the exercise. NATO Maritime Command/Stephane Dzioba

WWW.AVIATION-NEWS.CO.UK 15

14-16_dynamic_mantaDC.mf.indd 15 22/04/2020 11:56

 with the ‘white’ (civilian) shipping picture.
R Adm Burcher added: “Surface ships and
aircraft can see the picture on a real-time
basis through Link 11, but it’s harder for
the submarines to see that. They will be
provided with the picture on a periodic basis
and that will influence how they engage.”
Asked if there was a chance of non-
exercise submarines or aircraft watching
proceedings, R Adm Burcher said, “this is
not a covert exercise, this is well publicised.
It is not unusual for our exercises to be
observed [by non-NATO nations].”

MERLIN HM2
INVOLVEMENT
The British contribution to Dynamic Manta
’20 was a Merlin HM2 and 60 personnel
from 814 NAS based at RNAS Culdrose,
Cornwall. The group included 20 aircrew,
who took turns flying sorties over the
course of the exercise, supported by
40 engineers, technical staff, safety and
logistics specialists and weather forecasters.
The helicopter itself, ZH826, was flown to
Sicily via Bordeaux, St Tropez and Sardinia,
a journey of 1,300 miles (2,092km), the
journey taking three days.
After the exercise, Cdr Sarah Birchett,
CO of 814 NAS said: “We enjoyed some
great interaction with our NATO partners,
achieving successful ‘kills’ against our sub-
surface friends, operating with our Italian
EH-101 colleagues.”
The detachment personnel returned
to Culdrose at the top of their game, she
With the Mount Etna volcano in the background, an SH-90A of the Italian Navy’s 3° Gruppo
Elicotteri makes a fast run over the Ionian Sea. Jim Winchester
Marinefliegergeschwader 3 (MFG3) at 67, who controls US MPA assets in the
Nordholz, Cdr Heiko Millhahn said: “For Mediterranean and Africa, they were made
us, Dynamic Manta is the most important available for exercise taskings. Lt Tessa
sub-hunting exercise of the year. Here, Hann, a naval flight officer assigned to the
together with our allies, we can practise squadron said: “Dynamic Manta has been
and deepen existing tactics and doctrines a fast-paced and challenging exercise that
as well as test new methods and examine has given us the opportunity to fine-tune
our skills. It has presented scenarios that
“Dynamic Manta has allow us to grow as individual operators
and as a crew.” VP-4 pilot Caitlyn Jensen
been a fast-paced and added: “Dynamic Manta was a great
opportunity to further our interoperability
challenging exercise with partner nations. The real world
that has given us the scenarios resulted in challenging co-
ordinated operations flights which allowed
opportunity to fine- us to put our training to the test.”

added. “My more experienced operators tune our skills.” CO-ORDINATION

welcomed the thrill of the chase again and
my junior aircrew enjoyed their first frontline
NATO exercise with submarines, surface
ships, helicopters and maritime patrol
aircraft in a deep-water environment.”
The sea conditions, including salinity
and temperature play a big part in ASW,
and in February the waters in the Ionian Sea
were about 15°C, compared with 5°C off
Cornwall where 814 NAS normally practises
sub-hunting.
The commander of the German
Navy P-3C Orion detachment, from
A German Navy P-3C Orion awaits its next
mission at NAS Sigonella. During Dynamic
Manta ’20, patrol aircraft flew day and night
in support of the exercise. NATO Maritime
Command/Stephane Dzioba
Lt Tessa Hann, USN P-8 NFO
their effectiveness. It also offers an excellent
framework for exchanging experiences with
other users of maritime patrol aircraft, like
our Orion.”
US Navy patrol squadron VP-4 based at
NAS Whidbey Island, Washington, currently
(as of mid-April) has two P-8A Poseidons
forward-deployed out of NAS Sigonella.
Assigned to Commander, Task Force (CTF)
Summing up the value of Dynamic Manta,
R Adm Burcher said: “As you move from
the basic exercises to the really integrated
ones, you need to have that co-ordination
between the submarines, surface ships
and the air components, because
ultimately when you actually have to
shoot a submarine in a wartime situation,
the friendly forces have to understand
where the friendly submarine is so they
don’t have fratricide. That is the ultimate
ASW interoperability when you are able to
achieve that level of co-ordination.” He
added, “anti-submarine warfare is a team
sport and to play you have to get out on
the pitch and practise as a team and that’s
what we are doing.”

16 AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020

14-16_dynamic_mantaDC.mf.indd 16 22/04/2020 11:56

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 PC-9 Catches a Lift
PRESERVATION

The latest exhibit for the Fliegermuseum Fahrzeugmuseum Altenrhein (FFA) in Gallen, Switzerland – ex-Swiss Air Force Pilatus PC-9, C-406, arrived
on February 28 slung underneath a Kaman K-MAX helicopter. The 1992-built aircraft served primarily as a target tug with Zielflugstaffel 12 until
being withdrawn in 2016 and stored at Dübendorf airfield, northeast of Zürich. With thanks to FFA-Bernhard Vonier

Airbus Supports Mosquito Project

The People’s Mosquito, a UK-based charity hoping to return a de
Havilland Mosquito to British skies received a welcome boost in
March when aerospace giant Airbus agreed to provide financial
backing. The work is to be carried out by Retrotec in East Sussex.
“We’re excited and proud to be able to announce the link-up
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shape. www.peoplesmosquito.org.uk/campaigns Steve Beebee

Oldest Tiger Moth to Fly Again Temporary Turret

for Just Jane
Avro Lancaster B.VII NX611 Just Jane will
be temporarily fitted with a FN.121 rear
gun turret, while its own FN.82 unit is
being restored. The FN.121 to be fitted
to the bomber, which is based at East
Kirkby’s Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage
Centre (LAHC), has four 0.303in Browning
machine-guns and is on loan from the
Yorkshire Air Museum.
As LAHC staff continue the long process
of returning the Lancaster to the sky, the
deal with the Elvington-based attraction will
enable them to remove the existing FN.82
turret with its twin 0.50in calibre guns for
Following light restoration, de Havilland Tiger Moth, SE-ADF, is expected to fly again soon restoration. The latter has been installed since
in Sweden. It is owned by KSAK Vintage Aviation and based at Ålleberg with the resident April 1945 and, following refurbishment, it is
Segelflygmuseum (Sailplane Museum), but has been grounded since 2017 due to engine likely to be back in place next year.
problems. A new unit is being sourced for the former Swedish Air Force trainer. Once airworthy www.lincsaviation.co.uk Martin Keen-
again, it’s thought the 1932-built machine will be the world’s oldest flying Tiger Moth. Jan Forsgren LAHC

18 AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020

18_preservation_newsDCDC.indd 18 05/05/2020 13:09

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 Reinforcing the UK
USAFColdWar
FighterDeployments
From the late 1970s, the USAF’s Tactical Air Command developed
detailed deployment plans to move aircraft to Europe to counter the
Warsaw Pact should the Cold War heat up. Dr Kevin Wright looks at
how these plans were implemented in Britain from 1978 to 1991.

O
n May 1, 1978, General Wilbur
‘Bill’ Creech, head of the USAF’s
Tactical Air Command (TAC),
introduced major changes to its
training and operations. In the book Creech
Blue by Lt Col James Slife, the general is
quoted as saying that a key goal was that
“Each unit [had] to become familiar with its
wartime co-located operating bases [the
airfields they would operate from during
times of war]. We should be able to deploy
and hit the ground in a fighting posture
and the only way we can accomplish this
is by knowing everything possible about
the deployment site.” By October that
year, these ideas had been given the name
‘Checkered Flag’ and replaced earlier
contingency deployment plans.
US and NATO war preparations relied
on a massive, intricately choreographed
airlift of forces to Europe prior to hostilities.
These included deployment plans for large
numbers of active duty USAF, Air Force
Reserve (AFRes) and Air National Guard
(ANG) units. The arrangements constantly
changed as aircraft types, assigned
roles and readiness levels fluctuated.

20 AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020

20-27_uk_reinforcingDC.indd 20 27/04/2020 13:40


As Checkered Flag evolved, regular
deployments to the UK and continental
Europe tested those preparations.
In the book, Gen Creech says
that Checkered Flag comprised four
main elements: “Stabilized bed down
preparations, a unit commander and staff
visit programme, tactical deployments
plus an aircrew and support personnel
training programme fitted to individual unit
requirements.” Former NATO Supreme
Commander Europe Gen Joseph Ralston
later explained that the changes in TAC were
very noticeable between the time he left to
attend a posting to staff college in 1975 and
his return in 1979, by which time “The quality
of training was excellent…Everyone knew
where they were going to be and we were
much more combat oriented.”
Declassified RAF and Ministry of
Defence (MOD) records reveal how those
plans developed and were practised up
to the end of the Cold War. In the UK,
HQ Third Air Force was responsible for
the USAF Main Operating Bases (MOBs)
at Mildenhall (where it was located),
Lakenheath, Bentwaters/Woodbridge(all in
Suffolk), Alconbury (Cambridgeshire) and
Upper Heyford (Oxfordshire), with
additional Stand-by Bases
(SOBs) at Sculthorpe
(Norfolk) and
WWW.AVIATION-NEWS.CO.UK
20-27_uk_reinforcingDC.indd 21
Above: Coronet Brave brought 12 F-4Ds and
270 personnel from the 170th TFS, Illinois
ANG to RAF Finningley from June 12-25, 1982.
USAF/MSGT Don Sutherland
Main photo: A pair of 75thTFS A-10As parked
in a HAS site at Woodbridge during Coronet
Cross on May 23, 1983. As a Thunderbolt II
base, Woodbridge was an obvious location to
accommodate A-10s reinforcing NATO. Peter
R Foster
Wethersfield (Essex). During the run-up
to war, most MOBs were to be reinforced
with additional aircraft and the SOBs would
host major deployments. However, these
were insufficient, so TAC sought more
airfields for contingency use.
An original 1969 agreement was
superseded by a US/UK memorandum
of understanding signed in 1974 that saw
arrangements take firmer shape. The US and
British governments earmarked some RAF
airfields as ‘Co-located Operating Bases’
(COBs) to host wartime US deployments.
CO-LOCATED
OPERATING BASES
Airfields selected as COBs included
RAF Coltishall (Norfolk) and Wittering
(Cambridgeshire), which were the
peacetime homes to RAF SEPECAT Jaguar
and UK-based BAe Harrier squadrons,
respectively. They were likely to be
relatively quiet during potential wartime
scenarios as their aircraft were planned to
be forward-deployed to Norway, Denmark,
West Germany, Turkey or elsewhere.
RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire was
also earmarked as its resident nuclear-
declared Avro Vulcan squadrons would be
dispersed to airfields across the UK. The RAF
training bases at Finningley and Leeming
(both in Yorkshire) were also expected
to be relatively quiet, with most flying
tuition suspended, curtailed or dispersed
elsewhere. The final category of airfields
considered included those owned by the
MOD, such as Boscombe Down (Wiltshire)
and the Royal Aircraft Establishment airfields
at Bedford and Farnborough (Hampshire).
Negotiations between the British
and US addressed each country’s
responsibilities for specific tasks and
who would pay for them. The main
questions were over individual airfield
capacities, availability of adequate radio
and telephone communications facilities,
suitable navigational aids, meteorological
services, weapons and fuel storage, and the
availability of liquid oxygen supplies.
Coltishall, Fairford in Gloucestershire
(purely an RAF station at the time),
Waddington and Wittering were in the
first wave of identified COB bases with
technical agreements and specific joint
21
27/04/2020 13:48

Above: Twenty-four Ohio ANG A-7 Corsair IIs deployed to RAF Sculthorpe in March 1983 for
Coronet Castle. USAF/TSGT Jose Lopez
Below: Deployments saw mainly empty hangars at standby bases suddenly filled with spares,
equipment and aircraft, as at Sculthorpe in 1983 for Coronet Castle. USAF/TSGT Jose Lopez
support plans agreed for each. In the
planning period from 1977-82, Wittering
and Waddington were identified as LTV
A-7 Corsair II deployment bases, each for
two 18 aircraft squadrons. Coltishall was
expected to house up to two squadrons
of 18 McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom
IIs. HQ USAF Third Air Force initially
Phantoms from the Illinois ANG departing for home from RAF Finningley at the end of the
Coronet Brave deployment on June 25, 1982. USAF/MSGT Don Sutherland
22
20-27_uk_reinforcingDC.indd 22
designated USAF MOB units as ‘parents’
for each COB location. Waddington was
parented by the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing
(TFW) at Upper Heyford, Wittering the 81st
TFW at Bentwaters, and Coltishall the 10th
Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (TRW) at
Alconbury. Plans to host 64 TAC Lockheed
C-130 Hercules at Fairford ended when
it was made available to Strategic Air
Command (SAC). Soon Boscombe Down
was added for 48 General Dynamics
F-111Ds and Finningley for two 18-strong
F-4 Phantom squadrons.
In common with many NATO
airfields, a hardened aircraft shelter (HAS)
construction programme was planned
for these bases but was only completed
at Boscombe Down. Proposals to build
similar shelters at Coltishall (26), Finningley
(26), Waddington (30) and Wittering (26)
would, in some cases, have required
acquisition of additional land, but none
were built at these bases due to the end of
the Cold War. Plans for extra weapons, fuel
and liquid oxygen storage facilities were
also abandoned.
Nine further locations were surveyed for
a second wave of five more COBs. Leeming
and Farnborough were chosen to each host
24 F-4 Phantoms, with Odiham (Hampshire)
to provide the weapon storage facilities
for the latter. RAE Bedford was earmarked
to receive 48 F-4s, with Abingdon and
Brize Norton (both Oxfordshire) separately
allocated 32 C-130s.
DEPLOYMENTS
Checkered Flag arrangements were soon
tested with 18 RF-4Cs from Shaw AFB’s
363rd TRW, deploying to Coltishall for
Coronet Heron from June 12 to 28, 1978.
There were later RF-4C deployments
from the 106th Tactical Reconnaissance
Squadron/117th TRW of the Alabama ANG
for Coronet Joust from June 23 to July 7,
1983, involving 12 aircraft, and again for
Coronet Mobile from September 13 to 26,
1986, with 11 RF-4Cs.
In the 1980s, a large number of
ANG squadrons were equipped with
the A-7 Corsair II and these made
frequent deployments to Wittering and
Waddington, as well as to the standby
base of Sculthorpe. At Waddington, after
wartime dispersal of the Vulcan force, it
was planned that just eight aircraft would
remain at their home base, so there would
have been plenty of room to receive
incoming US aircraft. Details from the
Waddington Joint Support Plan highlight
some early ground support issues that
required addressing. These included a
shortage of weapon storage and the
availability of adequate fire service and
AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020
27/04/2020 13:48
 refuelling vehicles, with most expected to
be sent to the Vulcan’s dispersal bases.
Major deployments were implemented
to test the COB arrangements. Eighteen
A-7Ds from the 157th Tactical Fighter
Squadron (TFS)/South Carolina ANG, 166th
TFS/Ohio ANG and 146th TFS/Pennsylvania
ANG arrived at Wittering for Coronet
Teal between July 9 and August 21, 1978.
This was followed by Coronet Stallion to
Waddington from August 21 to September
12 the following year and involved 15 A-7s
from Iowa and three from South Dakota
ANGs. Coronet Buffalo between May 11
and June 8, 1985 brought 36 A-7s and
more than 950 National Guardsmen to
the Lincolnshire base, 24 from two units
of the Iowa ANG and 12 from the South
Dakota ANG. A final visit saw the Oklahoma
ANG send 12 A-7s from the 138th Tactical
Fighter Group (TFG) between June 3 and
June 15, 1991.
Corsair II deployments to Wittering were Armed Missouri ANG personnel protecting an F-4C during a chemical defence exercise at RAF
usually smaller but more frequent than Leeming in June 1982. USAF/TSGT Jose Lopez
those to Waddington. Coronet Canvas
featured eight aircraft from the Oklahoma at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho (Coronet wartime rate, over only a 15-hour flying
ANG on a visit in May-June 1981. Eighteen Papago) deployed at the same time as window daily [because of peacetime
A-7D/Ks from the Pennsylvania and New 12 F-111Ds from Cannon for Coronet constraints]… on a self-sufficient basis
Mexico ANGs were present from July 8 Comanche from August 27 to September operating out of its own WRSK. Moreover,
to 22, 1983, for Coronet Mail. Coronet 24. The last such deployment to the base this same F-111D squadron achieved
Barracuda saw the return of 12 A-7D/Ks was Coronet Diamond where 12 F-111Ds an 86.4% Fully Mission Capable rate
from the Oklahoma ANG for two weeks operated from the facility in June 1989. throughout the period of its deployment (as
in April 1985. Coronet Gemini featured To ensure the maintainability of their contrasted with 34% at its home station).”
18 Corsairs IIs from Pennsylvania and aircraft when operating overseas, units During their stay at Boscombe, 1,361
New Mexico ANGs in July 1987. The final relied on War Readiness Spares Kits spares items were required, of which all
deployment was in June 1988 for Coronet (WRSK). These were either pre-positioned but 66 they had brought with them; the
King, involving 12 more A-7s from the at the intended wartime deployment base other items were sourced from other
Oklahoma ANG. or, more usually, airlifted with the unit. bases and support depots. Creech added:
Deployments typically involved 160 to 320 “The sortie goals were exceeded and the
BOSCOMBE DOWN personnel, depending on the number and unit flew well in excess of their wartime
The MOD airfield at Boscombe Down type of aircraft involved, and more than 100 tasking.” The F-111Ds had been scheduled
regularly received deployments, most tons of equipment and supplies in three to to fly 505 sorties in the planned 20 flying
lasting close to a month long, of 27th TFW eight Lockheed C-141 Starlifter flights. days planned for Coronet Hammer, but
F-111Ds from Cannon AFB in New Mexico. During his 1982 Congressional achieved 554. They had been ‘cross
These comprised Coronet Hammer (18 testimony, Gen Creech explained more serviced’ at airfields in five different NATO
aircraft) from May 7 to June 9, 1980, and about the May 1980 F-111D Coronet countries and dropped weapons at nine
Coronet Archer (8) in September 1983. The Hammer deployment to Boscombe Down: different ranges.
next visit was in 1986 and differed in that “There they flew a full range of F-111 Col Bob Pahl led the eight F-111Ds from
six EF-111A Ravens from the 366th TFW missions, at almost twice the required the 27th TFW’s 522nd TFS for Coronet

Corsair II, 72-0255, of the 146th TFS, Pennsylvania ANG taxies back
to the ramp at Wittering after a mission in July 1983. Peter R Foster

WWW.AVIATION-NEWS.CO.UK 23

20-27_uk_reinforcingDC.indd 23 27/04/2020 13:48

 Archer in 1983. He later described to
author Peter Davies in the book General
Dynamics F-111 Aardvark how TAC did
not want the deployment to use tankers,
so they had to fly from their New Mexico
base to Pease AFB in New Hampshire,
then proceed to Boscombe Down via
Goose Bay in Canada and Keflavík in
Iceland. He said: “The airplane performed
outstandingly.” He also expressed some
disappointment with some of the training
missions flown from the Wiltshire base:
‘Unfortunately, every sortie was in support
of the Reforger exercise in West Germany.
Those sorties into Europe were very long
and we couldn’t fly at night.”
PHANTOMS AT
FINNINGLEY
The first deployment to RAF Finningley
was Coronet Brave, where 12 F-4Ds and
270 Guardsmen from the 170th TFS/Illinois
ANG were present at the Yorkshire base
from June 12 to 25, 1982. Around the same
time, 12 110th TFS/Missouri ANG F-4Cs
and 320 personnel visited RAF Leeming for
Coronet Cactus from June 28 to July 9.
RAF Finningley was the location for
another visit by F-4Ds, this time from the
121st TFS/113th TFW, District of Columbia
ANG from June 3 to 17, 1983 for Coronet
Shield. Retired Maj Rick Stallings piloted
one of the 12 F-4Ds on that deployment.
24
20-27_uk_reinforcingDC.indd 24
He had earned his wings with the DC ANG
and had flown for more than eight years,
first on the Republic F-105D Thunderchief,
then the F-4D, prior to visiting the UK
in 1983. He explained to Aviation News:
“We had several briefings beforehand and
meetings with people that had been over
before, so we felt pretty well prepared. The
seven-and-a-half hour non-stop Atlantic
crossing from Andrews AFB felt incredibly
‘Leeming and
Farnborough were
chosen to each host
24 F-4 Phantoms’
long. It was rather uneventful – we hooked
up with KC-135A tankers within half-an-
hour of taking off and stayed with them
all the way over.” The Phantoms refuelled
numerous times, Stallings explained,
“constantly topping up just in case there
were problems and we had to divert.” This
was the wing’s first major deployment
for over 30 years and was supported by
295 personnel flown in by Military Airlift
Command C-141s.
“When we got to Finningley,
there was a bit of weather so
we did instrument approaches,”
Stallings recounted. “I remember being
exhausted, so we pretty much just had a
meal and went to bed. We stayed in the
Officers’ Mess and the next morning there
was a knock on the door. A young female
steward entered and said: ‘Pardon me,
coffee or tea, sir?’ That was a great surprise
– we had nothing like that at home.
“RAF Finningley was absolutely great.
It was a challenge for us all to operate in
such a different environment with great
flying. We flew missions around the UK and
into Europe.”
The F-4Ds participated in Exercise
Central Enterprise and, for four days,
attacked targets in the Netherlands, Belgium
and West Germany. In total, the Phantoms
flew more than 170 sorties in eight days.
“I recall one mission to a Belgian bombing
range, and on another we did simulated
airfield attacks in West Germany,” said
Stallings. “For one mission I was put in
charge and had to co-ordinate the four
F-4Ds involved. I was very nervous about
that as I was not really that experienced.
It went well, except for a 45-minute delay
on take-off, which rather screwed up the
timing. I even got to fly on a low-level
cross-country mission in a Jet Provost.”
AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020
27/04/2020 13:48
 Above left: An A-7D from the 150th TFG, New
Mexico ANG being refuelled at Wittering by
an RAF fuel bowser, alongside other Corsair
IIs from the unit. A lot of preparations were
made to ensure a hosting base had the right
facilities to mount combat operations. USAF/
SGT Thomas Coaxum
Above: RAF Leeming personnel practice
decontaminating a 110th TFS F-4C in June
1982. USAF/TSGT Jose Lopez
Above right: Ground personnel push back
a 474th TFW F-16A into a HAS at RAF
Bentwaters in 1982. USAF/SSGT Jose Lopez
Below left: A Starlifter from the 63rd Military
Airlift Wing landing at RAF Wittering in July
1983 in support of Coronet Mail. Transport
aircraft played a crucial role in airlifting
personnel and equipment to deployment
bases. USAF/SGT Thomas Coaxum
Below: Corsair IIs from 112th TFG,
Pennsylvania ANG and 150th TFG, New
Mexico ANG at RAF Wittering in July 1983 for
Coronet Mail. USAF/SGT Thomas Coaxum
As well as interesting flying, Rick got to
experience some of the local area: “There
were lots of cultural events. I remember
sampling the nightlife in Doncaster several
times and visiting a brewery. I am so glad
WWW.AVIATION-NEWS.CO.UK
20-27_uk_reinforcingDC.indd 25
to have had the opportunity to do it, from
both a flying and cultural perspective.”
During the 1980s, TAC deployments
took place throughout Western Europe.
Rick visited Europe twice more with the
113th TFW. From April 19 to May 3, 1986,
12 DC ANG F-4Ds went to Keflavík for
Coronet Kiowa. Six aircraft briefly stayed at
RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland to take part
in Exercise Elder Forest, which included
training with RAF Phantoms and mounting
attacks on the air defence radar station
on Benbecula. Two years later, 12 F-4Ds
returned to Keflavík for Coronet Wizard
from September 10 to 24.
MAIN OPERATING BASES
MOD plans for the 1977-82 period outlined
the reinforcement arrangements for US
MOBs in the UK. Neither Lakenheath, then
in the process of converting to the F-111F,
nor Upper Heyford with the F-111E were
scheduled to receive additional aircraft,
with their resident units committed to
the long-range attack and nuclear strike
role. Alconbury was to expect up to two
18 aircraft RF-4C units, to supplement
its own single resident reconnaissance
squadron. These arrangements, in the case
of RF-4C detachments at Alconbury they
were known as Salty Bee deployments,
were tested with the arrival of 18 363rd
TRW RF-4Cs in 1982 and 1986. There were
also visits by eight Mississippi ANG RF-4Cs
in the autumn of 1980 for Coronet Gyro,
originally scheduled for Greece. Then, in
1989, Coronet Hoop was the name of a
detachment of 12 Alabama ANG RF-4Cs.
Mildenhall was slated to accept two
additional 16 aircraft C-130 squadrons and
four ‘National Command’ Hercules. The
Suffolk base and Fairford would both have
supported enlarged SAC tanker operations
and the latter was also designated as
a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress forward
operating base (FOB).
The 81st TFW’s two Phantom squadrons
at RAF Bentwaters were expected to
transition from the F-4D to F-16A during
1981. They were to be supplemented in
wartime by an additional US-based F-16
squadron. It was later decided the wing
should convert to the Fairchild Republic
A-10A Thunderbolt II and its squadrons
received the type at Bentwaters and
nearby Woodbridge. However, Bentwaters
was still chosen for F-16 deployments. In
1982 (Coronet Wrangler), 1984 (Coronet
25
27/04/2020 13:48
 Apart from the regular Coronet visits to Europe, the USAF tactical reconnaissance wings also undertook an annual deployment under the auspice
of Exercise Salty Bee. This generally involved around 24 aircraft and rotated between countries and wings. In 1986, it was the task of the 16th
TRS/363rd TFW to undertake this duty at RAF Alconbury. Peter R Foster

The 474th TFW deployed its F-16s to RAF Bentwaters for month-long, squadron-strength deployments in 1982, 1984 and 1985. USAF/SSGT Jose Lopez

Raider) and 1985 (Coronet Crusader), there
were squadron strength visits from the
474th TFW at Nellis AFB, Nevada. These
were in addition to appearances from
US-based A-10A units and numerous other
deployments to the 81st TFW’s forward
operating locations in West Germany.
RAF Woodbridge was perhaps the most
intriguing of all. Its resident squadron, the
78th TFS, was also scheduled to convert
to the F-16A from the F-4D (as well as this
unit converting to the A-10, the base would
house the 91st and 509th TFSs).
The airfield was planned to host on
deployment 14 Martin EB-57s (up to 1980)
which were used for electronic warfare
training and wartime jamming tasks. In 1978
and 1979, four EB-57Es from the 17th Defence
Systems Evaluation Squadron at Malmstrom
AFB, Montana, arrived for month-long
deployments to the secluded Suffolk base.
From 1981 Woodbridge was briefly expected
to host up to 36 F-111s from an unspecified
unit. Later there were at least two 14-day
deployments of A-7Ds from the 4450th Test
Group based at the Tonopah Test Range
airfield in Nevada, with four aircraft arriving in
November 1984 and six more in May 1986.
These Corsair IIs were flown by Lockheed
F-117A Nighthawk pilots as proficiency
trainers and chase aircraft, before the
Nighthawk’s existence became public. These
were representative practice deployments for
all but the F-117As themselves.
STANDBY BASES
The infrastructure of the Standby Operating
Bases at Wethersfield and Sculthorpe
had been neglected for many years.

RAF Alconbury regularly hosted reconnaissance Phantoms such as this RF-4C from the 363rd
TRW in June 1982 during what were dubbed Salty Bee deployments. USAF/TSGT Jose Lopez

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Nevertheless, Sculthorpe was expected to
house up to 54 A-7s and Wethersfield 54 to
72 F-4s in the 1977-82 period.
Practise deployments to Sculthorpe
included 18 F-105s in June 1978 for
Coronet Oriole. A number of Corsair II
visits followed with 24 A-7s in both 1983
(Coronet Castle) and 1986 (Coronet
Miami), then 18 in 1989 (Coronet Pine).
Twelve Wisconsin ANG A-10As used the
Norfolk base for two weeks in July 1990
(Coronet Lariat).
By the early 1980s, Wethersfied had
become home to a Red Horse civil
engineering unit, its flying days nearly over
as nearby London Stansted Airport became
much busier. Twelve A-10As from the 103rd
TFG of the Connecticut ANG deployed
there in April 1984 for Coronet Patriot.
The frequent deployments across
the Atlantic required considerable use
of Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker and
McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender
tankers for multiple air refuellings, as
well as C-141 Starlifters for transporting
personnel and equipment. Airborne
command and control of these crossings
was assisted by two immaculately
maintained ‘Head Dancer’ configured
EC-135Ks (a third one had crashed in
1977). These TAC airborne command
posts were operated by the 8th Tactical
Deployment Control Squadron at Tinker
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20-27_uk_reinforcingDC.indd 27
Above: The 106th TRS, Alabama ANG detached
to RAF Alconbury for two weeks in April 1989
for Coronet Hoop. This was the unit’s third
such deployment to the UK. Peter R Foster
Below: The standby operating base of RAF
Wethersfield was chosen for Coronet
Patriot with 12 A-10As from the 116th TFS,
Connecticut ANG visiting between April 2 and
13 in 1984. Peter R Foster
AFB, Oklahoma. They were equipped with
multiple VHF, UHF, HF radios (including
secure sets), teletype equipment and later
had a SATCOM capability. The airborne
Mission Control Team of approximately
11 people was usually headed by a TAC
colonel. En route, they monitored weather
conditions, flight progress and regularly
passed situation reports back to HQ TAC at
Langley AFB, Virginia.
As mentioned earlier, in addition to
the arrangements with TAC, there were
separate agreements with Strategic Air
Command to base B-52 bombers and KC-
135 tankers at the UK forward operating
bases of Fairford and Greenham Common
in Berkshire. Other airfields were to be
recovery bases for transport aircraft
delivering troops and equipment into
continental European bases before they
returned home.
US casualties evacuated to American
wartime contingency hospitals in Britain
would have been repatriated stateside from
specified airfields. Similarly, the US Navy and
Marine Corps had separate plans for the
transit and shore basing of its carrier aircraft,
unconventional warfare operations, plus
support and maritime patrol fleets, mostly
oriented towards Scotland.
Coronet deployments did not only visit
the UK. TAC entered into similar basing
agreements with the governments of
West Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands,
Italy, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Greece
and Turkey, and completed more than
200 such deployments. For some NATO
member states, these placed significant
pressure on their resources, but were an
essential part of their war plans.
While the Checkered Flag and wartime
deployment plans were never tested for
real in Europe, the experienced gained
from them was invaluable. Journalist James
Kitfield is quoted in the Creech Blue book in
1990 as saying: “General [Charles ‘Chuck’]
Horner [commander of US and allied air
operations for Desert Shield and Desert
Storm] and his airmen benefited from
the years of realistic training and logistics
planning that preceded the Gulf War… [He
must have] said a silent prayer of thanks
to all the Checkered Flags, Blue Flags and
operational-readiness inspections that Bill
Creech had force-fed the Tactical Air forces,
getting them in the habit of deploying
quickly as a way of life.”
27
27/04/2020 13:49
 Air Malta
Small Airline,BigAmbitions
Air Malta has built up an extensive network and provides a lifeline to
the island nation. Despite a small fleet and a limited home market, the
Maltese flag carrier was outlining ambitious plans just as it was facing new
competition and now the impact of coronavirus, as Lee Cross explains.

S
urviving 46 years in the traditionally
cutthroat aviation industry is no mean
feat, especially when you are based
on a small Mediterranean island with
a population of just over 460,000, flying a
fleet of only ten aircraft. But Air Malta has
done just that, carrying over 55m passengers
since its inception.
Capt Clifford Chetcuti, CEO of Air
Malta, told Aviation News in January: “Air
connectivity is vital for an island state
like Malta, especially for the growth and
sustainability of the country’s economy,
assisting tourism and providing businesses
with a wide distribution network. We offer
much-needed connectivity for the Maltese
On June 5, 2018 Air Malta received its first
Airbus A320neo. AirTeamImages.com/Moni Shafir
people to mainland Europe and North Africa
and through our 14 codeshare partners
to the rest of the world. Air Malta is the
backbone of the country.”
In 1973, the Maltese government
wanted to establish a flag carrier but had
no idea how to set up an airline. Pakistan
International Airlines (PIA) came on board
to help and the airline’s first flight took off
on April 1, 1974, bound for London. In that
first year, 53,000 passengers were carried
by two wet-leased PIA Boeing 720Bs,
and flights to Rome, Tripoli, Manchester,
Frankfurt and Paris were soon added to
the network.
GROWING FLEET
Both of the Boeing 720s were purchased
by Air Malta on March 31, 1979 and a
further three 720s were obtained from
Western Airlines the following month.
As with most European airlines Air Malta
often added extra capacity during the busy
summer season by leasing aircraft from
other operators. This led to a diverse mix
of types wearing the Air Malta livery over
the years.
Throughout the 1970s these included
a BAC One Eleven Series 500, brought in

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 Air Malta began operations with two Boeing 720Bs, wet-leased from PIA. The airline would go
on to purchase these aircraft before adding three more of the type from Western Airlines. Bob
O’Brien Collection
from British Caledonian between May and
October 1975. Transasian Airlines leased
Air Malta two Boeing 707-123Bs – the
first, N7513A, served between April and
July 1978, followed by 9G-ACO from
December 1978 through October 1979.
A Convair 880 was leased from Airtrust
Singapore, wearing basic Cathay Pacific
colours, in February 1976 until November
1976, then again for the same period
the following year. A Boeing 727-100
from World Airways added capacity from
April to September 1976 and a Douglas
DC-9-32 from Austrian Airlines flew
from December 1979 until October 1981,
although none of the latter three types
wore full Air Malta colours.
As the airline’s tenth anniversary
approached, the first of three brand-
new Boeing 737-200 Advanced models
arrived on March 30, 1983. The airline
would operate a total of six until the type’s
retirement on January 30, 2004.
The airline received its first Boeing 737-200 Advanced in March 1983. The type would serve with the airline until January 2004. AirTeamImages.com/
Carl Ford
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Air Malta leased a pair of Boeing 707-
300s from TAP Air Portugal, from April
1986 until November 1987. These were
subsequently replaced by Boeing 727s,
with nine of the type leased between
May 1987 and April 1992 from various
operators comprising Dan Air, JAT
Yugoslav Airlines, Faucett Perú and Gulf
Air Transport (all -200 series); plus a
single American Trans Air -51 variant.
Three new Boeing 737-300s were
delivered in early 1993 and remained
in service until March 30, 2008 ending
a long history with the American
manufacturer. The airline had previously
leased a total of four -400 series jets
from Malaysia Airlines between March
1998 and November 1999. It also later
flew two of the -700 series between
March and November 2000 and a single
-500 series for the same period in 2001
on lease from Maersk Air, all in full Air
Malta colours.
29
11/05/2020 15:39
 To mark the carrier’s 40th anniversary celebrations in April 2014, Airbus A320, 9H-AEI, was repainted with the airline’s original 1970s livery.
AirTeamImages.com/Simon Willson
From October 1992 until April 1993,
the airline leased a 65-seat BAe ATP from
SATA Air Açores for use on its thinner
routes to Sicily and Tunisia. The smaller
type lowered trip costs and improved load
factors so significantly that in January
1994, an order was placed for four Avro
RJ70s. Also used to replace some of
the 737-200s, their time in the fleet was
short lived and in October 1997 all were
transferred to Azzurra Air. This was an
Italian subsidiary which started operations
in December 1996 with Italian investment
group Air International Services holding
51% and Air Malta the remaining 49%.
Unfortunately, the company was declared
bankrupt in July 2004 following severe
financial difficulties.
A single BAe ATP was leased from SATA Air Açores between October 1992 until April 1993 for use on its thinner routes to Sicily and Tunisia.
AirTeamImages.com/Carl Ford
30
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AIRBUS ERA
Air Malta’s relationship with Airbus started
in 1987 following an order for its first
A320, exercising options for two more in
1989. Two Airbus A310s were also leased
from April 1994 to December 1995 from
Lufthansa and Sabena and used on high-
density routes to Germany, London and
Dubai. The widebody aircraft also helped
increase cargo-carrying capacity, proving
invaluable to Maltese industry.
As the airline expanded, its base at Luqa
Airport was struggling to handle the rising
passenger numbers. Local authorities
decided that a new terminal would be built
and Air Malta became actively involved in
the planning process. The facility officially
opened on February 8, 1992.
The carrier entered the millennium with
an ageing and varied fleet so embarked on
a major renewal programme. Following
two years of negotiations between Boeing
and Airbus, an order was placed with the
European manufacturer in July 2002 for
five A319s (the final example left the fleet in
October last year) and seven of the larger
A320s, the last of which was delivered on
March 22, 2007, reducing the average age
to 2.5 years.
Malta joined the European Union on May
1, 2004, opening the island up to the low-
cost airlines that flooded the market. Failing
to see these new airlines as a threat, the flag
carrier did not adapt to the changes that
were taking place in the industry and the
following years were tough.
AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020
11/05/2020 15:39

When inclusive tour operator
BritishJET ceased operations in 2008, Air
Malta was quick to take up the carrier’s
UK operations, adding the defunct
airline’s sole McDonnell Douglas MD-90
to its fleet from January 9 until April 30
that year.
Air Malta operated two Airbus A310s for use on high-density routes. This is the first example from Lufthansa and the second came from Sabena. Bob
O’Brien Collection
A number of aircraft from the fleet at Malta International Airport. The airline has been considering providing more air connections to destinations it
feels are not adequately served, such as Sardinia and Corsica. Air Malta
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28-33_air_maltaDC.mfDC.mfDC.mfDC.indd 31
RESTRUCTURING
In 2012 the airline announced a loss of
€78m. So a €130m cash injection was
granted from the government and a
five-year restructuring plan agreed with
the European Commission. The first step
was a full re-branding, including new staff
uniforms, renewed social media marketing
and a striking new livery. The first aircraft to
wear the new colours was A320, 9H-AEN,
shown off at the Malta International Air
Show on September 29, 2012.
By 2016 the focus of the restructuring
had shifted to growth, competitiveness,
worker productivity and increasing
profits. Air Malta was to become a
hybrid airline – offering full-service
flight schedules, a business class and
codeshare agreements with other
airlines; but with low-cost economy fares
and a buy-on-board inflight service. The
‘Go-Light’ fare, a basic hand-luggage
only ticket on which passengers could
add extras, was introduced in September
2017 and proved a success, allowing the
airline to better compete with its low-
cost competitors.
An integral part of any airline is its IT
system and during 2017 €3m was invested
to improve its dated technology, including
the introduction of a new Lufthansa Lido
system at the cost of €600,000. This
allowed efficient monitoring of its full
schedule, aircraft loads, fuel requirements
and any delays to the flying programme.
Further capital was raised by selling its
lucrative London Heathrow and Gatwick
slots to a Maltese government company
called Malta MedAir for €58m in March
2018. These were then leased back to the
airline for a period of 20 years, with an
option to renew for a further 20.
ENTERING A NEO ERA
Chetcuti explained the airline’s newest
purchase: “On June 5, 2018 we received
our first Airbus A320neo, starting our
five-year fleet replacement programme.
The plan is to replace our older A320ceos
with brand new A320neos.” Two more
of the latter joined the fleet in summer
2019. “Apart from offering more efficiency,
better economy and performance the new
aircraft will also secure homogeneous
configurations across our fleet, which will
also be one of the youngest in Europe.”
Indeed the airline suggests it will make
savings of €8.2m per year from the new
31
11/05/2020 15:41

aircraft. The carrier’s fleet currently stands
at ten Airbus jets, seven of the A320ceo
and three of the A320neo.
The airline is also upgrading the airline’s
business class, which Chetcuti said had
been very positively received by the
passengers. As part of it customers are
offered new gourmet menus presented
in traditional Maltese ceramic crockery,
including the handmade ‘Żingla’ bowls and
the napkin banderole tied with knots that
honour the islands’ history and seafaring
heritage. “We are now offering our
business class customers a complementary
world-class experience not available on
any other short-haul airline,” the CEO
proudly explained.
In March 2019 it was announced that
Air Malta had made a modest profit of
€1.2m, compared with a loss of €10.8m
the previous year. This was driven by an
increase of 11% more passengers and a
2.8% improvement on seat load factor.
Total operating costs fell by €6.5m, mainly
attributed to decreases in fuel, aircraft
leases and maintenance costs.
Speaking before the COVID-19
pandemic caused the airline to suspend
all commercial flights on March 23,
Chetcuti discussed the airline’s change of
fortunes last year when it embarked on
a successful growth strategy: “[Over the
last 24 months] we have managed to add
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The current Air Malta fleet comprises an A319,
six A320ceos, including 9H-AEP (pictured on
approach to Malta International Airport) and
three A320neos. Air Malta
25 new destinations to our network. The
introduction of new routes and added
frequencies to key airports is enabling us
to tap into new markets and subsequently
increase the number of passengers.”
Last year the airline increased
frequencies on established routes with
the summer 2019 season, launched on
March 31, seeing 188 weekly flights to 42
scheduled destinations. New routes were
Warsaw, Tbilisi, Ibiza, Lyon, Prague and the
Egyptian capital Cairo, which rejoined the
route map on September 1, 2019, after an
absence of 12 years, becoming the third
North African country on the network.
Charter flights were also launched to
Ljubljana, Dubrovnik and Krakow.
“These routes are doing relatively well,”
said Chetcuti in January, “considering that
as an airline we are basically new entrants
in these markets. Kiev is one of the routes
that performed very well, to the point that
at the end of last summer we decided to
keep the operation running even during
the winter period. The response for an
introductory flight was exceptional and
exceeded our expectations.”
The successful turnaround continued
with the airline announcing the best
traffic results in its history for August
2019, carrying 248,358 scheduled and
charter passengers during its busiest
month of the year. “In the past year we
have added two extra aircraft to our
fleet and increased passenger numbers
by 300,000. We are aiming for another
300,000 passengers in 2020, bringing the
total number to 2.3m.” However, quite
obviously that will be impacted by the
COVID-19 situation.
CONNECTING CARRIER
Prior to the pandemic, Air Malta was
focused on becoming ‘The Airline of The
Mediterranean’. “The strategic geographic
position of the islands works in our favour,”
Capt Chetcuti explained. “We are currently
consolidating our point-to-point business,
increasing frequencies to major European
hubs offering better connectivity. We have
also introduced new routes across Europe
and North Africa. The primary objective is
to turn Air Malta into an international air
connecting carrier, serving the islands and
offering connectivity.”
Building on this well-established
network from its Luqa airport hub,
a number of islands had been
identified that it felt required better
air connections, including Sicily,
Sardinia, Corsica and Cyprus, the last
of which has no national airline. “The
AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020
11/05/2020 15:40

Sicilian market especially presents an
excellent opportunity for growth for
the airline and we currently operate
around 20 weekly flights. It is the largest
Mediterranean island with a population
of around 5m. Given that geographically
both islands are so close to each other
Air Malta becomes the natural choice for
Sicilians to connect to major European
cities via Malta.”
During early 2020 the focus was on
increasing frequencies in key markets, such
as Birmingham and Gatwick in the UK and
As part of its restructuring programme, the carrier unveiled a brand new livery at the Malta International
Air Show on September 29, 2012, with A320, 9H-AEN, the first to wear the new colours. Air Malta
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introducing new routes across Europe,
focusing on Spain and Scandinavia, as well
as North and West Africa.
Chetcuti went on to say: “Other new
routes that complement our growth
strategy are in the pipeline and feasibility
studies are under way to establish their
potential. The Mediterranean is not the
only market we have set our eyes on and
we are also studying the possibility of
expanding into the sub-Saharan region [to
places like] Accra.”
LOOKING AHEAD
Long-haul is one area Air Malta is
considering for the future. “We are
looking at venturing into Canada, the USA
and India. We are evaluating the Airbus
A321neo, both the ’LR and ’XLR variants.
It is still very early days, but these are new
markets we are very interested in pursuing.”
In the meantime, Chetcuti explained: “As
an airline we shall also be increasing the
number of codeshare agreements with
leading international carriers thus offering
better and more connectivity options to
and from the islands.”
One potential headache facing the
national carrier had been the arrival of
Ryanair’s new subsidiary Malta Air. With
an initial fleet of six aircraft, increasing to
ten over the next three years, Malta Air
had set out to service 60 destinations in
21 countries. But the CEO isn’t concerned
and actually thinks the two carriers can
work side-by-side. “Malta Air operates
a different model from us. We are not a
low-cost operator but a hybrid airline. We
fly to major international airports and both
airlines operate different routes. More than
a rival, Malta Air offers new opportunities
for Air Malta and will actually complement
the national carrier.”
One thing is certain, Air Malta is vital to
the country as Capt Chetcuti explained:
“We are the only airline operating to and
from Malta that supports medical cases,
including the carriage of stretchers,
radio isotopes for cancer treatment
and incubators onboard for treatment
in specialised hospitals, especially in
the UK. As an airline we also offer the
cargo services so important for the local
manufacturing industry.”
The airline had been emerging from
difficult times and before the pandemic
struck, the tentative steps it was taking to
transform itself were paying off. Speaking
before the pandemic the CEO told this
author: “The opportunity for growth is a
reality. Our route network is increasing
rapidly and this works in line with Malta’s
diversified economic growth and foreign
investment which creates demands and
opportunities simultaneously.”
In the short term, however, like
businesses around the world, the airline
is feeling the consequences of the
coronavirus outbreak, with all commercial
operations suspended from midnight on
March 23. Air Malta is, however, offering a
limited ‘lifeline’ flight schedule to London
Heathrow, Frankfurt and Amsterdam
to transport crucial cargo and medical
equipment, as well as to repatriate
Maltese nationals.
Since its grounding, management has
been locked in talks with both the Airline
Pilots Association (ALPA) and Union of
Cabin Crew (UCC), discussing proposals
that are intended to help Air Malta weather
this storm, including reducing salaries to
€1,200 per month during the crisis.
But ALPA spokesman Dominic Azzopardi
told local newspaper MaltaToday on April
5 that: “reducing our salaries will not solve
anything for the airline. Management
should be cutting down on third-party
commitments and we should discuss airline
leases. We want the satisfaction that we can
be partners at the same table to discuss the
airline’s restructuring if we are to endure
wage cuts.”
The airline has since responded, stating
that it is willing to discuss and agree on
a “deep process of restructuring of a
permanent nature intended to achieve a
package that will ensure the company can
survive the post-COVID period and continue
to be sustainable going forward.”
33
11/05/2020 15:40
 Return of the
Blackjack

The Tupolev Tu-160 is the world’s

largest combat aircraft and the
fastest bomber in operational service,
but was only built in small numbers.
The Russian Air Force is modernising
its existing fleet and returning the type
to production, as Piotr Butowski explains.

I
n 1965, Soviet premier Nikita
Khrushchev, who did not value
aviation and terminated many aircraft
programmes, was removed from
power in the USSR. In the same year,
requirements for a new Advanced Manned
Strategic Aircraft (AMSA), the future
Rockwell B-1, were formulated in the USA.
The consequence of these two events was
that, on November 28, 1967, the Soviet
government launched a competition for
a new strategic bomber capable of flying
at 1,728-1,890kts (3,200-3,500km/h)
with a subsonic range of 8,639-9,719nm
(16,000-18,000km).
Two designers entered the
competition: Pavel Sukhoi with the
T-4M and later the T-4MS projects, and
Vladimir Myasishchev with the M-20 in
several variants. None of these projects
could meet the requirements and the
programme stalled. In 1970, Andrey
Tupolev joined the fray; but he did not
concern himself with formal documents
and insisted on adjusting the requirements
to meet the possibilities. It was mainly
about speed: Tupolev believed that the
increase in combat capabilities of a
Mach 3.2 aircraft compared with a Mach
2.3 aircraft did not balance the higher
technical risk and the increase in the costs
of its development.
Finally, Tupolev forced a change in
the air force’s requirements. In 1972,
a new competition was opened for a
bomber with the maximum speed of
1,350kts (2,500km/h; Mach 2.3) and
a subsonic range of 7,559-8,639nm
(14,000-16,000km). Sukhoi left the
contest and focused on fighter aircraft;
Tupolev submitted the Tu-160M (izdeliye
L) flying wing, while Myasishchev offered
the M-18 with a variable-geometry
wing. The jury supported Myasishchev’s
project because the Tupolev’s design
was a single-mode aircraft. It was
optimised for one specific speed of
Mach 2.3, while the air force wanted
to have an aircraft capable of flying
Mach 2.3, but also covering a distance
of 7,559-8,639nm (14,000-16,000km)

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Main photo: A Russian Air Force Tupolev
Tu-160 Blackjack undertaking in-flight
refuelling. AirTeamImages.com/Artyom Anikeev
Above: The second flying Tu-160 prototype,
70-3, takes off at the MAKS airshow in
August 1995. Boris Veremey’s crew broke
several world records with this aircraft,
including the record for an average speed of
929kts (1,720 km/h) on a 540nm (1,000km)
closed circuit with a load of 30 tonnes on
May 15, 1990. Piotr Butowski
Below: Tu-160 ‘24’ (s/n 5-02) landing at
Pryluky airfield in November 1991. This
aircraft became the first Tu-160 to be cut
up in Ukraine, on January 14, 1999. Piotr
Butowski
in subsonic flight. Achieving such a
compromise was only possible by using
a variable-geometry wing.
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TUPOLEV SELECTED
Despite this, Tupolev received the order for
the new strategic bomber; implementation
of such a complex programme by
Myasishchev’s small team was viewed as
unrealistic. In 1973, Tupolev started making
preparations for a variable-geometry Tu-
160 (izdeliye K or izdeliye 70). The formal
documents requesting Tupolev build the
Tu-160 (which NATO subsequently assigned
the reporting name of Blackjack)were
two resolutions of the USSR’s Council of
Ministers of June 26, 1974 and December
19, 1975. According to these documents,
the Tu-160 was to reach a maximum
speed of between 1,242-1,350kts (2,300-
2,500km/h) and achieve a subsonic range
of 7,559-8,639nm (14,000-16,000km) with
two Kh-45 missiles.
Tupolev’s facilities in Moscow built three
Tu-160 prototypes, two flying: 70-1 and 70-
3, and one static: 70-2. On December 18,
1981, Boris Veremey made the first 27min
flight in 70-1. In February 1982, the Tu-160
first passed the sound barrier. The initial
serial aircraft made by the Kazan aircraft
plant, 1-01, took off on October 10, 1984;
this, and the two following Kazan aircraft,
were used for tests together with the
prototypes. The first aircraft handed over to
the Soviet Air Force was s/n 2-03, the third
production aircraft to be manufactured
which took off for the first time on August
15, 1986.
Incidentally, the designation Tu-160
appeared in the press a few years earlier
than the aircraft itself was created; this was
probably the only such case in the history of
Soviet combat aircraft. During the SALT-
2 talks, Leonid Brezhnev – or someone
around him – informed the Americans
that a new Tu-160 bomber was being
developed. This information was published
by the USAF’s Air Force magazine in its
November 1978 issue.
INTO SERVICE
Even before the Tu-160 flew, the 184th
Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment (184
TBAP) in Pryluky, Soviet Ukraine, was
preparing to introduce the new aircraft.
The runway was extended to 3,000m
(9,843ft) and, in 1984, the regiment, then
flying Tu-16 Badgers, temporarily got
two squadrons of Tu-22M3 Backfire-C
bombers so that the crews could gain
experience with heavy supersonic aircraft
with a variable-geometry wing. In April
1987, the first two Tu-160s, s/n 2-03 and
3-01, arrived in Pryluky. At the end of July
1987, the regiment carried out the first
practice firing of Kh-55SM cruise missiles
35
06/05/2020 12:00

at a training ground in Kazakhstan. Training
launches were conducted intensively;
when the author visited Pryluky in
November 1991, one of the aircraft already
had seven missile launches; the others
each had three or four.
At the end of 1988, the first squadron
of ten aircraft was completed and, when
the USSR collapsed in 1991, the regiment
had two Tu-160 squadrons, a total of 19
aircraft. At the beginning of that year,
the Tu-22M3 Backfires were withdrawn
because their use as trainers was too
expensive. In return, the regiment’s third
squadron got Tu-134UBL trainers, with
flight handling, including thrust load, take-
off and landing trajectory, that was similar
to the Tu-160, and the cost per flight hour
was a quarter as much as a Blackjack.
In May 1991, flying along the
Norwegian coast near Tromsø, two Tu-
160s met Western aircraft for the first
time, F-16A fighters of 331 Sqn, Royal
Norwegian Air Force. The longest flight at
the time was made by Col Valery Gorgol,
who commanded the regiment between
OPERATIONAL TUPOLEV Tu-160s
Serial number Tail number Registration Name
2-02 19 RF-94113 Valentin Bliznyuk
4-01 - - Boris Veremey *)
4-05 14 RF-94103 Igor Sikorsky
5-03 16 RF-94107 Alexei Plokhov
5-04 17 RF-94110 Valery Chkalov
5-05 15 RF-94108 Vladimir Sudets
6-01 10 RF-94100 Nikolay Kuznetsov
6-02 11 RF-94114 Vasily Senko
6-03 12 RF-94109 Alexander Novikov
6-05 18 RF-94111 Andrey Tupolev
7-02 02 RF-94102 Vasily Reshetnikov
7-03 03 RF-94101 Pavel Taran
7-04 04 RF-94112 Ivan Yarygin
7-05 05 RF-94104 Alexander Golovanov
8-01 06 RF-94105 Ilya Muromets
8-02 07 RF-94106 Alexander Molodchiy
8-03 08 RF-94115 Vitaly Kopylov
8-04 TBC TBC Pyotr Deynekin
Notes:
Tu-160s are named after well-known pilots and air commanders, aircraft designers and
popular heroes.
* Owned by the Tupolev Company
36
34-39_blackjack2DC.mfDC.mfDC.indd 36
1989 and 1993, and lasted 12 hours and
50 minutes, crossing over the North
Pole to a point near the coast of Canada
before returning.
On August 2, 1988, the US Secretary
of Defense Frank C Carlucci became the
first foreigner to familiarise himself with
the Tu-160. Aircraft ‘12’ (s/n 6-03) was
presented to him at Kubinka air base near
Moscow. Carlucci spent 15 minutes aboard
the aircraft, getting to know its cockpit. In
March 1989 in Kubinka, Tu-160 was shown
to the French defence minister, Jean-Pierre
Chevènement (‘16’, s/n 5-03), and on June
13, 1989 to the chairman of the US Joint
Chiefs of Staff, Admiral William Crowe (‘21’,
s/n 4-04).
LEFT IN UKRAINE
On August 24, 1991, just after the Moscow
coup d’état against Mikhail Gorbachev,
Ukraine took control of all military units
in the republic, including the 184 TBAP.
There was a split among the personnel of
the regiment; a group of about 30 pilots
left for Engels in Russia, where the Russian
Left: A pair of Blackjacks at a snowy Engels.
Both of these aircraft served in the 184th
Regiment at Pryluky, Ukraine. The aircraft
in the background is ‘12’, which was shown
to the US Secretary of Defense, Frank C
Carlucci in August 1988. Piotr Butowski
Below: Six nuclear subsonic Kh-55 (AS-15
Kent) cruise missiles on a rotary launcher.
Each missile is dropped by pneumatic
catapult from the lowest point of the drum
and then fired; the drum then rotates 60°
for the next launch. Piotr Butowski Collection
Tu-160 unit had been formed – the 1096
TBAP (renumbered 121 TBAP in 1994).
On February 16, 1992, Engels received its
first aircraft from Kazan. However, there
was only enough funds at the time for six
bombers; the last of them was delivered in
June 1994.
The 19 Tu-160s that remained in Ukraine
were grounded due to the lack of technical
support and lost their combat value.
Several rounds of Russian-Ukrainian talks
about their sale were unsuccessful. Finally,
in April 1998, Ukraine decided to scrap
these aircraft. On January 14, 1999, the first
Tu-160 (s/n 5-02, ‘24’) was chopped up in
front of the media at Pryluky.
The turnaround began in April 1999,
when, concerned by the NATO bombing
of Yugoslavia, Russia resumed talks with
Ukraine. On October 6, 1999 in Yalta,
Crimea, Ukraine agreed to hand over
to Russia the eight Tu-160s in the best
technical condition (as well as three Tu-
95MS bombers and 575 Kh-55SM missiles)
in exchange for $285m deducted from
the Ukrainian debt for Russian gas. Of
the remaining 11 Ukrainian aircraft, ten
were scrapped and one, ‘26’ (s/n 4-02)
was preserved at the aviation museum at
AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020
06/05/2020 12:00
 Tu-160 Valery Chkalov demonstrates
refuelling from an Il-78 Midas. All tankers
in Russia are subordinated to the Long
Range Aviation Command and serve
Tu-160 and Tu-95MS strategic bombers.
Piotr Butowski
Poltava, central Ukraine. The ex-Ukrainian
bombers went to Engels between
November 5, 1999 and February 21, 2000.
After moving to Russia, the aircraft retained
their previous tactical numbers, except for
aircraft ‘22’ (s/n 4-05), which became ‘14’
and received the name Igor Sikorsky.
The purchase of the bombers from
Ukraine completely changed the status
of the Tu-160 in the Russian Air Force.
Six bombers were a limited combat
force, but with 14 Russia could think
more about their operational use and
further development. After terminating
production in 1994, four unfinished
airframes remained at the Kazan plant.
In June 1999, the Russian Ministry of
Defence ordered completion of the
first of them, s/n 8-02, which arrived at
Engels on May 5, 2000. The next one, s/n
8-03, was handed over to the air force
on April 29, 2008. In July 2006, s/n 2-02,
built in 1986 and used by the Tupolev
design bureau for testing, was also
handed over to Engels. One more aircraft
from the stock in Kazan, s/n 8-04, was
flown in December 2017; the bomber
was named Pyotr Deynekin, the former
commander-in-chief of the Russian
Air Force. Nothing is known yet about
it being handed over to the air force.
The total production of the Tu-160 has
This Tu-160 has the name Vasily Reshetnikov to honour a bomber pilot
from World War Two who was given the title Hero of the Soviet Union
and went on to command Long-Range Aviation and then became
deputy commander-in-chief of the air force . Piotr Butowski
WWW.AVIATION-NEWS.CO.UK
34-39_blackjack2DC.mfDC.mfDC.indd 37
amounted to two flying prototypes made
by Tupolev in Moscow and 32 serial
aircraft produced in Kazan.
INTO SERVICE
On December 30, 2005, the Tu-160 was
officially commissioned into service.
Previously, although the bombers had
been operated by Soviet and Russian
air forces since 1987, this was formally
“Russia periodically
deploys its heavy
bombers to
conduct out-of-area
operations as a power
projection tool.”
considered a trial operation. Currently, the
Russian Aerospace Forces have 16 Tu-160s
assigned to the 121 TBAP regiment at
Engels. One more aircraft, s/n 4-01 Boris
Veremey (who was a test pilot), is based at
Zhukovsky and belongs to Tupolev.
Two Tu-160s have been lost. On March
6, 1987, s/n 1-02 crashed after engine failure
soon after take-off from Zhukovsky; the
crew survived. On September 18, 2003 near
Stepnoye, 22nm (40km) east of Engels,
s/n 7-01 crashed, killing four crew. The
catastrophe was caused by a failure of the
venting system in the fuel tanks: after using
up the fuel the negative pressure broke the
wing torsion box.
WEAPONS
Development of the new bomber’s
weapons began at the same time as the
bomber requirement was issued. In 1965,
the Raduga design team in Dubna near
Moscow began work on a supersonic
heavy Kh-45 missile that weighed 4,500kg
(9,921lb) and had a range of 270-
324nm (500-600km). Also in 1965, the
development of the Mach 5 Raduga Kh-15
short-range attack missile was launched.
The standard Tu-160 armament was to be
two Kh-45M missiles, each in a separate
tandem bomb bay. For the air-defence
suppression variant of the missile, the
aircraft was to take 24 Kh-15s in tandem
pairs on four short revolving drums.
When in 1976 Russia learned about
American work on the subsonic strategic
AGM-86 (ALCM-B) air-launched cruise
missile with a totally new type of terrain
contour-matching (TERCOM) navigation
system plans were changed. The Raduga
design bureau launched the design of
37
06/05/2020 12:00

A non-nuclear Kh-101 (AS-23A Kodiak) cruise
missile being loaded to a Tu-160 before a
mission over Syria. Russian Ministry of Defence
a Russian ALCM, the Kh-55 (izdeliye 120;
NATO: AS-15A Kent), and the Kh-45 was
removed from the Tu-160 weapon set.
The Kh-55 missile was launched for the
first time in 1978 and its serial production
started in 1981. An improved Kh-55SM
version (izdeliye 125; AS-15B) dedicated for
the Tu-160 entered production in 1986.
The Tu-160’s weapons are carried
exclusively inside the fuselage in two
tandem weapon bays. The aircraft can
carry 12 Kh-55SM subsonic nuclear cruise
missiles with, installed on two MKU6-5U
(izdeliye 9A829K2) revolving launchers,
one six-round launcher in each of the
bays. In the 1990s, it was decided that the
bomber did not need to penetrate the
enemy’s air defence, as the Kh-55 missiles
were able to reach the target from a great
distance. Due to this, the hypersonic
Kh-15 SRAMs were withdrawn from the
type’s inventory and the Kh-55SM missiles
remained the Blackjack’s only weapon for
many years.
The Tu-160 is powered by four Kuznetsov NK-32 turbofans in widely separated pairs to make
room in the fuselage for the two weapons bays. Each engine is rated at 30,865lbf (137.3kN) dry
and 55,115lbf (245.18kN) in afterburner. AirTeamImages.com/Artyom Anikeev
38
34-39_blackjack2DC.mfDC.mfDC.indd 38
TUPOLEV Tu-160 SPECIFICATION
Wingspan 116ft 9.5in (35.6m) at 65° sweep, 166ft 4in (50.7m) at 35° sweep
and 182ft 9in (55.7m) at 20° sweep
Length 177ft 6in (54.1m)
Height 44ft (13.1m)
Maximum take-off weight 606,270lb (275,000kg)
Maximum landing weight 341,716lb (155,000kg)
Empty weight 257,941lb (117,000kg)
Maximum speed 1,080kts (2,000km/h)
Maximum speed at sea level 556kts (1,030km/h)
Service ceiling, supersonic 51,181ft (15,600m)
Range without 6,641nm (12,300km) with 5% fuel reserve
in-flight refuelling, Mach 0.77 and six Kh-55SM missiles dropped mid-range
NON-NUCLEAR OPTIONS
The Blackjack only received new missiles
in the new millennium. In January 2001,
the Kh-555 (izdeliye 1200; NATO: AS-22
Kluge) missile, a non-nuclear conversion of
the Kh-55, was tested for the first time and,
in 2005, it was deployed in operational
aircraft. Before, the Blackjack’s only task
was nuclear deterrence or nuclear strike
and the Kh-55SM cruise missile exists
only in a version with a 200kT nuclear
warhead. After integrating the Kh-555
on the Blackjack, followed by the Kh-101
(see later), the bomber can be used in a
conventional conflict. Operational Tu-160s
launched Kh-555 missiles for the first time
on August 16, 2005 at the Pemboy training
ground on the Kola Peninsula. It was a
huge propaganda event involving three
Tu-160s. Two fired missiles, while Russian
President Vladimir Putin flew on the third
aircraft (‘03’, Pavel Taran).
In about 2011-2012, work started on
adaptations to use new non-nuclear Kh-
101 (izdeliye 504; NATO: AS-23A Kodiak)
and nuclear Kh-102 (AS-23B) missiles. The
Kh-101/102 missile is 4.6ft (1.4m) longer
and 1,000kg (2,205lb) heavier than the Kh-
55SM, so, it was necessary to develop the
new stronger 9A-829K3 rotating launcher
for carrying it in the armament bay of the
Tu-160. As the Kh-555 and Kh-101 have
a conventional warhead, they must hit
the target much more precisely than a
nuclear missile. To meet this requirement,
the missiles are fitted with a new guidance
system that combines inertial navigation, a
satellite navigation receiver, terrain contour
matching (TERCOM), and the Otblesk
electro-optical digital scene-matching
area correlation (DSMAC) system for the
terminal phase.
For the future, especially for the
modernised Tu-160M and then also for
the Perspektivnyi Aviatsionnyi Kompleks
Dal’ney Aviatsii (PAK-DA, Future Air
Complex of Long-Range Aviation)
strategic bomber, the Raduga company is
developing the strategic Kh-BD (Bolshoy
Dalnosti, long range) cruise missile, which
is an extended version of the Kh-101/-102
to utilise room still available in the Tu-160’s
weapons bay. This was originally designed
for the 35.4ft-long (10.8m) Kh-45 missile
and is much bigger than needed for the
current 19.7ft-long (6m) Kh-55/-555 and
24.3ft-long (7.4m) Kh-101/-102 missiles.
The Kh-BD is due to have greater range
than the Kh-101/-102.
COMBAT OPERATIONS
The addition of non-nuclear missiles
has made it possible to use the Tu-
160 operationally in recent years. This
AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020
06/05/2020 12:00

happened for the first time on November
17, 2015 in Syria. According to the Russian
MoD, during a four-day operation, from
November 17-20, Tu-160s flew ten sorties
(in addition to six sorties by Bears and 96
by Backfires) launching 48 Kh-101 and
16 Kh-555 cruise missiles. On all but one
mission, the Tu-160s flew to the target
from Engels over the Caspian Sea and
launched their missiles over the territory
of Iran. The exception was the mission
conducted on November 20. That day,
two Tu-160s took off from Olenyegorsk
base on the Kola Peninsula in northern
Russia, flew around Norway and the
British Isles, entered the Mediterranean
Sea via Gibraltar and flew along its entire
length to launch eight Kh-555 missiles
against targets in Syria. Then, flying over
the territories of Syria, Iraq, Iran and the
Caspian Sea, they returned to their home
base at Engels; the route was more than
8,078 miles (13,000km) long. The use of
Blackjacks in Syria, especially the flight
around Europe on November 20, was a
demonstration of force – Russian tactical
aircraft could have accomplished the
same task much more simply and cheaply
from their base within Syria.
Russia periodically deploys its heavy
bombers to conduct out-of-area
operations as a power projection tool.
The most unusual recent international
visit involved two Tu-160s visiting South
Africa, over October 23-24, 2019. Earlier,
in December 2018 (as well as in 2008 and
2013) a pair visited Venezuela.
Russian strategic aircraft have
performed routine distant patrol flights
since the Soviet times. For example, Tu-
160s have flown in international airspace
WWW.AVIATION-NEWS.CO.UK
34-39_blackjack2DC.mfDC.mfDC.indd 39
past Norway and down into the area of the
UK and Ireland, or sometimes as far as off
Spain. Most recently, a pair of Tu-160s flew
to the Bay of Biscay on March 12, 2020.
PRODUCTION REVIVAL
In August 2009, Tupolev was awarded a
contract for research work on the PAK DA.
A preliminary design of the subsonic all-
wing ‘izdeliye 80’ bomber was approved in
spring 2013 and for the follow-on detailed
design in 2016. The then-commanding
officer of Russian Long-Range Aviation
Anatoly Zhikharev stated in December
2014 that the PAK DA prototype would fly
in 2019, and that the aircraft would enter
service in the 2023-2025 timeframe.
However, in 2015, there was another
sharp turn in the history of the Blackjack: it
was decided to resume series production
of the Tu-160 and postpone the PAK
DA development. In public, the idea
was disclosed by the Russian minister
of defence, Sergei Shoygu, on April 29,
2015, during his visit to the Kazan aircraft
plant. On January 25, 2018 in Kazan, in the
presence of Vladimir Putin, Russia’s MoD
inked an order for the first ten new Tu-
160M bombers at a price of 15bn roubles
(almost $270m at the exchange rate
then) per aircraft, with the first supposed
to be ready in 2021. The deputy prime
minister, Yuri Borisov, explained in 2018
that when deciding on resumption of
Tu-160 production and delaying the next-
generation bomber, “we decided to take a
less risky path”, adding, “at the same time,
we have postponed the PAK DA, to gain
experience and restore technology”.
MODERNISED BOMBER
The improvements planned for the new
production aircraft are to be added to the
Left: The first modernised Tu-160M, s/n 4-05
Igor Sikorsky, on its initial flight on February
2 this year. From the outside, the most visible
new feature is the Redut-70M self-defence
suite in the tail, but there are also completely
updated avionics inside, including a new
radar. Russian Ministry of Defence
Below: Tu-160s parked at Engels air base.
With the wings completely swept, the
aircraft’s centre of gravity moves backwards
and threatens to tip the aircraft on its
tail. That is why Tu-160s park with spread
wings, although this takes up more space.
AirTeamImages.com/Artyom Anikeev
original operational Tu-160s. Initially, the
newly manufactured aircraft were intended
to be designated Tu-160M2, in contrast to
the Tu-160M mid-life upgrade, but now the
designations have been unified and all the
bombers will be designated Tu-160M.
Starting from 2014, partial improvements,
the so-called first-stage M1 upgrades, have
been introduced on operational Tu-160s;
these include new autopilot, navigation
and communication systems. To date, the
M1 upgrade has been implemented on six
Tu-160s.
On February 2, this year, the first
majorly modernised Tu-160M, s/n 4-05
Igor Sikorsky, took off for the first time
from the airfield at the Kazan plant. The
full Tu-160M modernisation, configuration
of which was approved on October 23,
2014, provides for complete replacement
of the bomber’s mission system and
avionics. The Obzor-K radar has been
replaced with a new NV1.70 radar of the
Novella family, made by the St Petersburg-
based Zaslon company. The UKBP design
bureau in Ulyanovsk developed new data
display system with a ‘glass’ cockpit and
the Polyot company in Nizhny Novgorod
made the S-505-70 communication suite.
The aircraft is being fitted with a new
ABSU-200MTs flight control system and
K-042KM (NO-70M) navigation suite with
BINS-SP-1 inertial navigation, ANS-2009M
astro navigation, DISS-021-70 navigation
radar, A737DP satellite navigation receiver
and a navigation computer. An entirely
new Redut-70M self-defence suite has
been designed, as well as a BKR-70M
reconnaissance system. According to Yuri
Borisov, the modernised Tu-160M “will suit
the armed forces until the 2050s or even
the 2060s”.
39
06/05/2020 12:00
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 Workhorses of t
DouglasDC-3Opera

The DC-3 has long been a lifeline to communities

in the Colombian interior, although the aircraft’s
numbers are diminishing. Dr Andreas Zeitler joined
a flight on the famous type to experience jungle flying.

C
olombia’s vast and sparsely
populated lowlands stretch
south and east of the Andes
Mountains, covering a vast
area. The main city supplying this area is
Villavicencio, or ‘Villavo’ as it is known by
the locals, which lies approximately 56
miles (90km) south of the capital Bogotá.
The aircraft that fly south and east from
Villavicencio to remote rainforest areas
provide vital links and are the best option
for transporting people, medical supplies
and goods from and to villages. Just
compare a daylong trip on dirt tracks or
via boat with a flight that will at most take
Douglas DC-3s at Villavicencio with stunning
scenery in the background. All photos Dr Andreas
Zeitler
a few hours. Like the trucks that shuttle
between Villavo and Bogotá, the ‘truck’
that can penetrate the wilderness of the
jungle is the Douglas DC-3.
A few decades ago, this was done
directly from Bogotá. However, the
long-serving DC-3 struggled to get
airborne due to Bogotá’s higher altitude,
thinner air and consequently less
available engine power. Today, cargo is
transported by road to Villavicencio and
then onwards by DC-3.
AMAZON LIFELINE
On the northern edge of the Amazonian
basin, Villavicencio became Colombia’s
DC-3 capital. A huge variety of freight and
goods are flown from here to the remote
rainforest areas. Looking at the apron of
Villavicencio’s La Vanguardia Airport, this
venerable aircraft still does its share among
other regular airliner movements, such
as Avianca’s ATRs and Satena’s Embraer
Regional Jets.
The DC-3 airframes used date back to
the 1940s and, being around 80 years old,
easily exceed the age of their crews – in
most cases even the combined ages of

42 AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020

42-48_columbianDC.mfDC.mfDC.mfDC.indd 42 07/05/2020 17:04

f the Rainforest
erationsinColombia
the two pilots together! Some experienced
pilots have been flying the DC-3 for more
than 30 years and have now spent most
of their 20-30,000 hours of flight time on
this type. They would never swap the left
seat in the cockpit of the “mother of all
aircraft”, as they call the DC-3, with any
other aircraft. But numbers of the classic
type are dwindling. Many companies
operating this Douglas aircraft had to
shut down recently, as insurance for their
aircraft was not renewed. This was a result
of accidents that happened with these
aircraft in recent years, including the crash
of a LASER Aéreo Colombia DC-3 near
San Martín in March 2019 and the forced
landing of an Arall Colombia example at
Puerto Gaitán in April 2016. Although the
airframes were taken over by remaining
companies, crews had to look for other
jobs and some of the non-flying crew
members, such as mechanics, were less
lucky and found themselves becoming taxi
WWW.AVIATION-NEWS.CO.UK
42-48_columbianDC.mfDC.mfDC.mfDC.indd 43
drivers in Villavicencio. People working on
the DC-3 are clearly proud of their aircraft,
but these kinds of stories also show that
this era is coming to an end. Within just a
few years, the number of DC-3 operators
dwindled from seven to only two – these
being Allas and Aliansa at the time of my
visit in December. Allas had one DC-3 in
its fleet and its insurance for flying the
type ran out at the end of March and so
it too has had to cease flying the DC-3.
However, it was a fascinating and thrilling
experience to fly on the classic type and
my adventure really began when I touched
down in South America.
After arriving from Bogotá I flew to
Villavicencio on an ATR 72 then like a
journey back in time I stepped onto a
DC-3. The Allas aircraft was boarded using
wooden stairs and, when leaving Villavo,
the cabin was full of cargo and supplies.
Passengers sit shoulder-to-shoulder on
their bench seats side-on to the direction
of flight. They face washing machines,
flat-screen televisions, car bumpers, bike
tyres and much more bulk cargo stuffed in
boxes and held together by adhesive tape.
Some bicycles are also lashed tightly on
this pile during the flight and at the rear end
of the cabin there was a motorcycle – and
small chickens chirping excitedly in their
transport boxes. The DC-3’s large freight
door certainly was proving useful. It is the
ability to transport this kind of cargo, which
does not fit into most other aircraft, and
its capability to operate from unprepared
runways that makes the DC-3 so suited for
these kinds of operations.
A bulging safety net holds the cargo
safely back, but the passengers barely
take notice of it. During the flight, they
concentrate on their mobile phones or
spend the flight snoozing; trips to places
such as Puerto Inírida in the east of
Colombia, near to the border of Venezuela,
take around three hours.
43
07/05/2020 17:04

VENERABLE DC-3
The aircraft on my flight, HK-3215, was
built for the US Army Air Forces (USAAF) in
1944 in Oklahoma City. It is construction
number 26111, a DC-3C model taken into
USAAF service as a C-47B with the serial
number 43-48850, and the nameplate in
the cockpit indicates its former use by Aces
High Ltd at Fairoaks Airport in Chobham,
Surrey, once being registered as G-ANTC.
Captain Petro sits in the front left
seat; he has more than 40 years of flight
experience and around 20,000 flight hours
in his logbook, most of them on the DC-3.
Some of his colleagues previously flew
the DC-3 with the Colombian military,
but understandably remain silent about
the details. This is because, in addition to
the pure transport version, the DC-3 in
its modified and more powerful version
with turboprop engines is also used as a
gunship. The AC-47T Fantasma are armed
with state-of-the-art infrared
sensors and also with
Gatling
Landing at the
Barranco Minas dirt strip.
44
42-48_columbianDC.mfDC.mfDC.mfDC.indd 44
Until recently, Allas operated this immaculate
DC-3, HK-3215, shown taking off from La
Macarena. As well as serving locals, the airport
is the main gateway to the famous Caño
Cristales ‘liquid rainbow’ waterfalls.
machine guns to fight targets in the
densely forested jungle. Until a few
years ago they were tirelessly deployed
against the FARC (Fuerzas Armadas
Revolucionarias de Colombia –
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia)
rebels. Fortunately, since the peace
process started in late 2016, the number of
combat operations has declined sharply.
With nice, shiny, black leather shoes,
black trousers and short-sleeved, white
shirts with epaulettes, the DC-3 pilots are
some of the most respected people at
Villavicencio airport.
Looking out of the windows, the two
Pratt & Whitney R-1380 radial engines hum
reliably. The vastness of the Colombian
rainforest is only occasionally broken
by rivers that feed the Orinoco and the
mighty Amazon with their brown masses
of water. The engines are synchronised by
using slight adjustments on the thrust
levers, the DC-3 follows the course that is
shown on the rather modern GPS, which is
stuck to the windscreen. The crew aims for
its destination straight ahead, cruising at
around 120kts (222km/h) at an altitude of
8,000ft. The hot and humid air is left down
below; the open window in the cockpit
takes on the role as the air conditioner.
Just a few metres back in the cabin, the
situation is a bit less comfortable, but the
regular passengers are used to it.
REMOTE AIRPORTS
The first stop on today’s flight is Cumaribo,
seemingly in the middle of nowhere and
surrounded by grasslands. But the dense
Colombian rainforest lies just a few miles
south, on the other side of the Vichada
River. In just a quarter of an hour, some of
the cargo is unloaded and the DC-3 leaves
for its next destination.
The aircraft climbs towards its cruising
altitude and from around 3,000ft the
natural air conditioning kicks in again and
the heavy humidity changes to pleasantly
cool air in the cabin. The side window in
the cockpit remains open and the drafts
AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020
07/05/2020 17:05

also ensure good ventilation in the rear
area of the cabin.
The second stop is Puerto Inírida. The
city has 20,500 inhabitants, but the whole
municipal area only has a density of three
inhabitants per square kilometre. The city is
not connected to Colombia’s road network
and therefore can only be supplied either
by boat or ’plane.
In contrast to Cumaribo, Puerto Inírida
is a much more modern airport: the
Colombian military airline Satena serves it
several times a week and Colombian Air
Force (FAC – Fuerza Aérea Colombiana)
CN235 transports are also regular visitors.
Just a few moments after the last
passenger leaves the aircraft, an old-
fashioned truck reverses up to the wide
freight door. Mattresses, water dispensers,
mopeds and countless packages carefully
tied in plastic film and parcel tape leave
the DC-3.
It is around midday now and the air
has become hot and heavy due to the
prevailing humidity; massive cumulus
WWW.AVIATION-NEWS.CO.UK
42-48_columbianDC.mfDC.mfDC.mfDC.indd 45
Cargo is unloaded at Barranco Minas while
passengers wait outside the aircraft. On most
outbound flights the DC-3s haul cargo to
remote destinations and carry agricultural
goods on the way back.
clouds start building up on the horizon. For
someone not too familiar with the climate
conditions in this region, it seems likely to
become an interesting onward journey,
but the flying crew stays relaxed. It is just
the regular weather encountered every day
during this time of the year. Fortunately
for the upcoming part of the flight, no
thunderstorms are in the way and off we
go to the third and last destination on this
supply flight. The next stop is Barranco
Minas, a small village in the Guainía
Department.
During the flight, just as in every
other airliner, the pilots are checking
their instruments and watching carefully
outside. Flying over the endless green of
the rainforest below they are transiting the
airspace according to visual flight rules
(VFR). The equipment in the cockpit of the
DC-3 are largely original parts, except for
the modern radio, weather radar and of
course the GPS.
DIRT STRIP LANDING
It is just a short hop to Barranco Minas,
therefore not enough time to climb to the
usual cruising altitude. Flying lower over
the vast jungle area, gradually coloured
spots in the green expanse become clearly
visible. These are flowers that overgrow
entire trees and at times swarms of birds
can also be seen flying around. Even
in the tropical haze and homogenous
landscape, the experienced pilots know
their landmarks and easily spot the reddish
silhouette of the dirt strip – although, after
recent rain showers it resembles more a
forest track than a proper runway. These
are the operating conditions the DC-3 was
made for, but it nevertheless requires a firm
touchdown on the red mud. Longitudinal
control of the aircraft’s direction is difficult
and measured braking to achieve this is
even tricky for the veteran jungle pilot
A view out of the window shows the
vast expanse of the Amazon rainforest,
interrupted every now and then by large
rivers feeding the Orinoco and Amazon.
45
07/05/2020 17:04
 Paved runways, such as here at La Macarena, are most welcome especially during the rainy seasons when mud can make operations difficult.
under such circumstances. He needs to
work hard on the foot pedals to keep the
aircraft on the runway.
With the ’plane on the ground, local
residents gather within minutes to meet
their friends or get hold of their ordered
goods. With the DC-3 flying to some of
these remote jungle villages only twice a
week or sometimes even less, every one of
its arrivals is like a small party for the citizens.
Colombia’s landing strips in the
rainforest are nowadays being replaced
by at least partially asphalted runways. It
makes them significantly more useable
in the permanently humid climate, and
especially during the rainy season, and
it also enables the smaller ambulance
aircraft to fly directly to these locations
in the event of medical emergencies. If
they are called, they can’t wait for good
weather or better runway conditions, but
have to quickly fly out their patients to
Villavicencio’s hospital for medical care.
In these tough conditions, the DC-3’s
large landing gear and robust construction
clearly has its advantages. And the low
operating costs and good maintainability
also ensure that the type is an efficient
46
42-48_columbianDC.mfDC.mfDC.mfDC.indd 46
option. So it is little wonder that the
aeroplane is highly regarded by pilots and
passengers as a reliable workhorse.
PIRANHA SOUP
Our stay in this village was just half-an-
hour. Time enough to unload the cargo
‘The aircraft on
today’s flight,
HK-3215, was built
for the US Army
Air Forces (USAAF)
in 1944 in
Oklahoma City.’
while the co-pilot climbs onto the wings
and checks the engine oil level for the
onward flight. In the meantime, the
captain enjoys the privilege of a seat in
small restaurant located just a few minutes
away from the DC-3’s parking position.
In additional to running the restaurant’s
kitchen, its owner also takes care of freight
and passengers for flights. ‘Tuesday:
Villavicencio – Mitu’ is noted in chalk as
the next flight scheduled after us on the
outside wall of his restaurant, right beside:
‘Today: Piranha soup’. He is a one-man
combination of cook and flight dispatcher.
The strong-tasting soup is the right
refreshment for the flight to Villavicencio.
On the way back to their aircraft, the
pilots have to shake many hands. For the
inhabitants of these remote villages, they
are heroes and the connection to the rest
of the world.
The flight schedule does not have
to be kept to the minute, but the crews
nevertheless try to keep their time in
these jungle villages to a minimum.
This is because they have to be back in
Villavicencio before sunset, another reason
is more of a habit and lies in Colombia’s
past. Not so many years ago, these places
were the stronghold of the FARC, and
often in the heartland of coca production.
Even though they were mistrusted by the
guerrillas, the crews didn’t fear any attacks
against them as the DC-3 supply flights
A DC-3 sits on the apron at
Cumaribo – a regular stop on
the way to Inírida, not far from
the border with Venezuela.
AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020
07/05/2020 17:04
 Local people gather around
Aliansa’s HK-2820 at Miraflores to
pick up their goods. This operator
is the last to fly the radial engine
DC-3 in Colombia.
were vital to locals. Fortunately, now, those
menacing days are gone.
For the take-off, the mood in the cockpit
of the DC-3 is getting tense. When looking
out of the cockpit window, the deep
puddles and ruts on the runway herald a
demanding take-off. While the co-pilot
brings the two radial engines to maximum
take-off power, the mechanic acts as a
back-up to monitor the engine instruments
and settings, as the pilot has to fully
concentrate on its control wheel and pedals
for directional control. It’s time to apply
maximum brakes and full engine power.
With the engines coming up to full
power, the co-pilot and the on-board
technician monitor the instrument
panel, closely watch their speed and
To many aviation enthusiasts, flying into a
dirt strip in the Colombian rainforest in a
classic DC-3 is an aviation dream come true.
However, for the locals, this is daily business
and their lifeline to the rest of the country.
WWW.AVIATION-NEWS.CO.UK
42-48_columbianDC.mfDC.mfDC.mfDC.indd 47
temperatures rising on the dials. These
are the most important parameters of the
two Pratt & Whitney R-1380 radial engines
for the take-off. At full power, the DC-3
started to shake, vibrate and push against
the wheel brakes. With the brakes then
released, off we go. Full power kicks in and
the acceleration can be clearly felt.
Hard impacts coming directly from the
bumpy runway make the airframe shake
considerably, but with sufficient airspeed
the tail wheel lifts quickly off the ground.
Due to the deep ruts on the strip, the DC-3
searches for its own direction during the
take-off run. It can only be tamed by distinct
control wheel and rudder inputs by the pilot.
After several jumps, the aircraft finally
fully frees itself from the muddy strip once
enough airspeed is achieved. The gear
comes up and engine power can be reduced.
Steadily, the DC-3 climbs to its cruising
altitude and the natural air conditioning
once again becomes noticeable. For this
part of the journey, fresh air is especially
welcome as the distinctive smell of dried
fish, which was loaded in Barranco Minas,
drifts through the cabin. In the cockpit, the
slipstream coming in through the open
slide window relieves some of the smell,
but only slightly alleviates the stench a
few metres further back. This smell clearly
doesn’t please some of the passengers.
Farmers in remote villages are just
some of the people which rely on the
DC-3 to bring necessary supplies and they
also profit from the aircraft as it can take
47
07/05/2020 17:04

their goods to the markets at Villavicencio
or assist with getting them to Bogotá.
INFLIGHT WASH
Meanwhile, in the cockpit, the crew
watches out for some rainclouds that
regularly build up over the rainforest in
the late afternoon. After operating from
remote landing strips, such clouds are
gladly used as an opportunity to wash off
the dirt and mud that gets aggregated on
the fuselage during ground operations. A
light rain shower is aimed for and flown
through and the drops patter audibly on
This grounded DC-3 at Villavicencio
was being used as a testbed for
ground runs of engines.
48
42-48_columbianDC.mfDC.mfDC.mfDC.indd 48
the outer skin of the DC-3. The exterior
cleaning of the aircraft is supplemented
by the extension of the undercarriage in
order to wash the mud off it. The descent
to Villavo begins 30 minutes before arrival.
There are no crew announcements, but it
is felt in the cabin. The pleasant coolness
of the outside air in the cabin becomes
more heavy and humid with every metre
the DC-3 descends.
After landing, Captain Petro and
Co-pilot Lucio go back to the office
to complete the necessary paperwork.
Their shoes, now covered with red earth,
The DC-3 returns to
Villavicencio in the
late afternoon. With
the northern end of
the Andes in sight, the
crew know it’s not long
before touchdown at
their home airport.
and the dirty cabin floor and outer skin
of the DC-3, are testimony to one of
today’s destinations, and a sign of the
everyday life of Colombia’s jungle aviators.
Meanwhile, police officers inspect the
dried fish and other cargo with their
sniffer dog during the unloading to
ensure that no unannounced goods are
arriving from the rainforest. The DC-3
has carried passengers and a wide range
of cargo today to keep remote locations
connected to the outside world and
for which the locals are grateful to the
capabilities of this rugged aircraft.
AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020
07/05/2020 17:05
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215 Flypast Latest fp.indd 56 28/04/2020 13:14
 CAL FIRE Aviation
The Golden State’s
Flying Fire Department
Wildfire-prone California’s forestry and fire service has employed aircraft
for firefighting since the 1950s. Long-time users of surplus military aircraft,
CAL FIRE is in the process of a major modernisation programme and is
acquiring heavy tankers and new helicopters, as Tom Kaminski reports.

K
nown as the ‘Golden State’,
California is the third largest of the
United States and if its economy was
ranked against countries it would
be the fifth most prosperous ‘nation’ in the
world. The state’s diverse geography and
varied topography includes dense forests,
farmland, deserts and arid mountains.
Dry, hot summers make these areas
vulnerable to wildfires that are spread by
Main photo: A Super Huey from the Columbia
Air Attack/Helitack base in central California,
prepares to deliver a load of water from a
bambi bucket on a wildfire near Yosemite
National Park. CAL FIRE
high winds and protecting these regions
was the responsibility California’s Division of
Forestry (CDF) which became the California
Department of Forestry (which also used
CDF) in 1977. Ten years later it was renamed
the California Department of Forestry & Fire
Protection but retained the abbreviation
CDF. In 2006 the name CAL FIRE was
adopted by the largest fire department in
the western US. The department has more
than 5,400 full-time and 2,400 seasonal
personnel and more than 1,300 pieces of
fire apparatus. Additionally, its assets include
the world’s biggest ‘department-owned’
fleet of firefighting aircraft.

50 AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020

50-56_cal_fireDC.mfDC.indd 50 07/05/2020 12:44


Established in 1958, the department’s
emergency response air programme
provides aerial support for ground
firefighting units. The depart has a goal
of “suppressing 95% of all fires at ten
acres or less”. Aircraft are often the first
CAL FIRE resource to reach the scene
of a fire, providing the ability to engage
almost any blaze in the State within 20-30
minutes. Rather than direct attacks, they
support ground operations by slowing
fire progression with retardant giving
the firefighters time to complete the
suppression process.
Headquartered at Sacramento
McClellan Airport since relocating from
nearby Mather Airport in June 2002, CAL
FIRE’s aviation programme is one of the
largest non-military air operations in the
country. Its operational fleet comprises
23 Grumman S2F-3AT Tracker air tankers
– referred to as S-2Ts, 11 Bell EH/UH-1H
Super Huey helicopters, 17 North American
Rockwell OV-10A Bronco ‘air tactical’
aircraft, two Beechcraft A200C King
Airs and a B58P Baron support aircraft.
Most aircraft were acquired via the US
Government’s Federal Excess Personal
Property (FEPP) Program, which loans US
Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest
During the winter months the CAL FIRE fleet returns to Sacramento-McClellan Airport where
DynCorp International carries out heavy maintenance. When it’s the fire season, the bulk of the
fleet deploys to 23 airfields throughout the state leaving only a few at the main base. CAL FIRE
WWW.AVIATION-NEWS.CO.UK
50-56_cal_fireDC.mfDC.indd 51
Two C-12Ds acquired from the US Army
primarily serve as air tactical training
platforms. The King Airs, which are mainly
based in Sacramento, are also tasked with
utility missions when required. Rod Bearden
Service (USFS) property to state agencies
for wildland and rural firefighting and
emergency response operations. CAL FIRE
also has access to commercial air tankers
on ‘Call When Needed contracts’ that are
activated if the fire situation exceeds the
state’s own capabilities.
BIG RESPONSIBILITY
CAL FIRE protects more than 85m acres
(34.4m ha) of forests and wildlands and
responds to around 6,000 fires that burn
on average over 260,000 acres (105,218 ha)
annually. In 2018, California experienced its
deadliest and costliest wildland fire season,
when nearly 1.9m acres (768,903 ha) were
burned. Crews responded to more than
8,500 fires that destroyed 17,000 homes
and 700 businesses and caused more than
100 deaths.
Throughout the wildfire season, which
normally runs from April to November,
CAL FIRE aircraft are dispersed to 13
air attack and ten helicopter bases
throughout the state.
During periods of increased fire activity
assets are often relocated to improve
the response time. Two Hueys and single
examples of the Tracker and Bronco
are normally kept in Sacramento as
maintenance relief aircraft. Whereas the
Trackers annually fly an average of 200-400
hours, the helicopters log 150-400 hours.
Though effective, especially in rugged,
difficult-to-reach terrain, aerial firefighting
is extremely expensive and the CAL FIRE
Aviation Management Unit (AMU) has an
average annual budget of around $150m.
The AMU manages all aspects of the
aviation programme ranging from aircraft
and pilot utilisation and scheduling to
training and maintenance. It is staffed by
18 personnel and led by Dennis W Brown,
Senior Chief of Aviation. Chief Brown
has been with CAL FIRE since 2009 and
previously spent 38 years with the USFS. He
was CAL FIRE’s Chief of Flight Operations
from January 2016 to January 2019 when
he assumed his current role.
Under a public/private partnership
DynCorp International provides around
150 personnel that maintain CAL FIRE’s
fixed and rotary wing aircraft as well as
pilots for the Broncos and Trackers. The
helicopters are flown by CAL FIRE pilots.
51
07/05/2020 12:45
 Maintenance at McClellan includes routine
servicing, major modifications and depot
level aircraft and component overhauls.
Much of the heavy maintenance is carried
out during the winter between fire seasons.
DynCorp operates several Cessna 172S
Skyhawk SP and T206H Turbo Stationair
support aircraft that shuttle personnel and
parts between McClellan and the air attack
and helitack bases. Helitack is defined
as where a helicopter is used to fly in a
fire captain and five to six firefighters to
engage in direct attacks on the fire from
the ground.
Under a separate contract, Logistics
Specialties Incorporated (LSI) is responsible
for acquisition, management, distribution,
and disposal of CAL FIRE’s aircraft
components and parts.
First utilised in 2008, the McClellan
Reload Base supports the operations of
Large Air Tankers (LAT), Very Large Air
Tankers (VLAT) and MAFFS-equipped
C-130s that can deliver 3,000 to 18,555
US gal (11,356-18,555 lit) per flight. Initially
activated during extreme fire activity and/
or multiple major incidents, the reload base
became a permanently staffed facility in
2018 and now operates for nine months
An EH-1H Super Huey and crew assigned to
the Hemet-Ryan Air Attack/Helitack base
head out to battle a 40 acre wildland fire
in nearby mountains. This is one of several
equipped with removable 360 US gal (1,363
lit) Simplex Fire Attack System. Tom Kaminski
52
50-56_cal_fireDC.mfDC.indd 52
annually. It has parking for up to eight LAT/
VLAT aircraft and five reloading pits.
AIR TANKER HISTORY
Aircraft were initially used to fight fires
in California in 1954, but the state first
contracted private operators in 1958. The
USFS first conducted aerial firefighting
experiments with a modified Grumman
S-2A (S2F-1) anti-submarine warfare
aircraft, between December 1971 and
February 1972. The Tracker (BuNo 136399),
which carried the civil registration N111Z,
was later handed over to CDF and became
N404DF. In 1972, the organisation began
acquiring Trackers from the Department
of Defense via the FEPP and an initial
pair of air tanker prototypes, modified by
the Hemet Valley Flying Service, entered
service in 1973.
By 1974, Hemet Valley, Aero Union
Corporation, Sis-Q Flying Service and
TBM Incorporated, had modified 12 S-2As
for CDF based on plans developed by
Ontario’s Department of Lands and Forests
in Canada. Five additional aircraft were
modified by Bay Aviation Services and
became operational in 1975. CDF in total
acquired more than 60 S-2A, TS-2A and
US-2A/B aircraft operating at least 25 in the
air attack role. CDF retired the last radial-
engined S-2As in 2004, they had flown
80,149 hours, but 12 aircraft had been lost
in fatal crashes that included a mid-air
collision between two Trackers.
Above left: Prior to acquiring the OV-10A
CAL FIRE operated Cessna O-2A Skymasters
in the air tactical role. Like the Broncos,
the Skymasters served as command and
control platforms for the Air Tactical Group
Supervisor. Tom Kaminski Collection
Above: One of two S2F-3ATs assigned to the
Hemet-Ryan Air Attack/Helitack base departs
to combat a fire in the mountains near
Beaumont, California. Tom Kaminski
Above right: CAL FIRE acquired its first OV-10As
in 1993 and converted them for use in the air
tactical role. More recently two OV-10Ds were
added to the operational inventory. Armour,
ejection seats and weapon systems were
removed and a 125 US gal (473 lit) auxiliary
fuel tank, plus new wiring and avionics were
installed. Tom Kaminski
In 1987, Marsh Aviation at Falcon Field
Airport in Mesa, Arizona, was contracted to
replace the Tracker’s Wright R1820-82 nine-
cylinder radial engines with Allied Signal/
Garrett TPE331-15AW turboprops. US-2A
BuNo 136613 was modified as the prototype
and first flew on November 24, 1986,
wearing the registration N426DF and tanker
number 180. Marsh also modified S-2A
BuNo 136746, which flew as tanker 155. The
success of the project led CDF to acquire 26
S-2E/G models in 1996. Based on the S2F-3S
variant of the Tracker, the S-2E/G featured
a larger, longer fuselage and increased
wingspan compared with the S-2A.
Marsh Aviation and San Joaquin
Helicopters at Delano Municipal Airport in
AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020
07/05/2020 12:45
 California carried out the conversions at a
total cost of $22.6m. The first production
example (N422DF) was delivered in
December 1998 and unveiled at Mather
Airport on May 18, 1999. Along with the
engines and controls, the modifications
installed five-blade Hartzell propellers,
upgraded avionics, instrumentation
and electrical systems. Additionally, a
computerised, constant-flow retardant
tank was fitted in the former weapons bay.
Like the earlier conversions, redundant
mission equipment was removed. The
tailwheel – required for carrier launches –
was replaced by an aerodynamic skid and
the ventral radar housing was faired over.
A retardant fill receptacle was installed in
the tail in place of the magnetic anomaly
detector. It permits the tank to be refilled
during ‘hot-loading’, with engines running,
in less than five minutes. The redesignated
S2F-3AT formally received its restricted
category type certificate from the FAA
on May 21, 1999 and conversions were
completed in 2005.
Considered a Type III medium air tanker,
the Turbo Tracker has an endurance of
more than five hours at an altitude of
5,000ft. It cruises at 262kts (485km/h) and
has a climb rate of 3,052ft/min at a take-off
weight of 20,000lb (9,072kg). Flown by a
single pilot, the S2F-3AT drops are normally
made from an altitude of around 150ft at
an airspeed of 125-130kts. The volume and
flow rate are controlled by the pilot.
Cal Fire operates from three hangars at Sacramento-McClellan Airport. Maintenance carried out
there includes routine servicing, major modifications and depot-level aircraft and component
overhauls. Tom Kaminski
WWW.AVIATION-NEWS.CO.UK
50-56_cal_fireDC.mfDC.indd 53
Whereas the S-2A had a capacity
of 800 US gal (3,028 lit) of water or
retardant, the S2F-3AT can deliver 1,200
US gal (4,545 lit). Designed to sticks to
trees and vegetation, the fertiliser-based
retardant is a slurry mix of ammonium
phosphate salt compound, water and a
thickening agent. Dropped around the
edges of wildfires, it is used to ‘box-in’ and
contain a fire or alter its path. The slurry is
dyed bright red to aid visibility and assist
tanker pilots in delivering it accurately.
DANGEROUS DUTY
Besides its expense, aerial firefighting is
also risky, because it involves flying at
low altitudes in poor visibility. Tragically
CAL FIRE lost one of the Turbo Trackers
when Tanker 81 (N449DF) crashed battling
a wildfire in Yosemite National Park on
October 5, 2014, killing the pilot.
DynCorp worked on a replacement
by carrying out the Turbo conversion
of S-2G (BuNo 152815) that had been
stored since retiring in 1977. Registered as
N458DF on December 19, 2017, Tanker 79
first flew on January 25, 2018. Its delivery
returned the CAL FIRE fleet to its full
complement of 23 Trackers.
Operating alongside the tankers, CAL
FIRE’s OV-10A air tactical aircraft serve as
a command and control platforms for the
Air Tactical Group Supervisor (ATGS). From
the Bronco’s rear seat, the supervisor acts
as a tactical co-ordinator for the incident
commander on the ground, providing
information on the fire’s movement and
spread. Additionally, the ATSG co-ordinates
the aviation assets engaged in firefighting
operations, directing the airtankers and
helicopters to make retardant and water
drops and organising aircraft movements
within the Fire Traffic area. During the peak
of the fire season one OV-10A is assigned
to the CAL FIRE Aerial Supervisor Module
(ASM) at McClellan. The ASM consists of
a specially trained Bronco crew qualified
to serve as an ATGS, and/or a lead-plane
for LATs and VLATs. Acquired beginning
in 1993, the OV-10As replaced Cessna
O-2A Skymasters, previously used in
the role. Three OV-10Ds were added
later and following modifications and
deconfiguration two (now classed as OV-
10As) were placed in service.
Primarily used in the forward air
control (FAC) role, the former US Marine
Corps Broncos have been demilitarised,
meaning that all armour and weapon
items have been removed and ejection
systems have been made safe. A 125 US
gal (473 lit) auxiliary fuel tank, installed in
a rear fuselage compartment allows the
aircraft to remain airborne for more than
five hours. The Broncos were completely
rewired to support modern avionics,
navigation systems and radios required
for the air tactical mission. CAL FIRE’s
OV-10As, which are powered by 533kW
Garrett-AiResearch T76-G-410/412
53
07/05/2020 12:45
 (TPE-331) turboprop bases in more densely
engines, have all been populated areas.
upgraded with five-bladed CAL FIRE’s Super
propellers produced by MT- Hueys, in addition to be
Propellers. assigned to the helitack
The agency’s two A200C role, conduct water and
King Airs were previously retardant drops performing
operated by the US Army direct or indirect assaults
under the designation on a fire. Although flown
C-12D. Primarily used as air by a single pilot, another
tactical training platforms, fire captain normally assists
the King Airs are also tasked with cockpit functions
with utility missions when such as communications
required. and providing a second set
of eyes. Helicopter drops
ROTARY WING are normally conducted
FIREFIGHTERS at an altitude of 75-100ft
In the mid-1960s, CDF from a hover or while the
began using a variety Huey flies along a route
of contractor-operated at around 50kts (93km/h).
helicopters for firefighting The helicopters are tasked
in northern and central with additional missions
California, where they such as transporting
primarily protected high- equipment and injured
value timberlands and personnel. For search
critical areas. Helitack and rescue missions, the
operations began in 1977 Hueys can be equipped
and in 1981 the state with 600lb (272kg)
acquired 12 retired Bell capacity Goodrich rescue
UH-1Fs from the USAF. The hoists. While capable
first of nine reconditioned of supporting rescues,
Hueys entered service at the helicopters are not
the Hemet-Ryan Helitack Previously used by the US Navy,
equipped for emergency
Base in November 1981. CAL FIRE operates 23 Grumman medical service (EMS)
Modifications were S2F-3AT Trackers in the air tanker operations and typically
carried out by Big Valley role. The Turbo Tracker can hand victims to ground or
Aviation, which then deliver 1,200 US gal (4,542 lit) of air ambulance personnel
maintained the helicopters fertiliser-based retardant. CAL FIRE for care and transportation.
at its facility adjacent to In August 2017, CAL
Stockton Metropolitan Airport. Operated carried out by Big Valley and later by San FIRE selected the Sikorsky S-70i variant of
as non-certificated public use aircraft, Joaquin Helicopters, which maintained the the Black Hawk utility helicopter to replace
the helicopters were initially flown by fleet from 1989 to 1999. The helicopters the Super Hueys. Air Methods’ United
contracted pilots but by 1984 most initially used 324 US gal (1,226 lit) bambi Rotorcraft Solutions was contracted in May
became state employees. buckets for firefighting operations but at 2018 to deliver 12 firefighting Black Hawks
Beginning in 1989, the UH-1Fs were least five received removable 360 US gal at a cost of $240m. The helicopters are
replaced by more capable UH-1Hs. The (1,363 lit) Simplex Fire Attack Systems. being acquired over a five-year period and
newer Hueys were part of a group of 100 The system features a 14ft (4.3m) snorkel three will be in service by mid-2020.
made available under the FEPP. Known that allows a tank to be refilled from a CAL FIRE received the first Fire Hawk
as Super Hueys, the EH/UH-1Hs were water source in around 60 seconds and on October 12, 2019 and it has initially
upgraded with more powerful Lycoming three pilot-controlled doors enable the supported training at McClellan. The arrival
T53-L-703 engines, uprated transmissions, drop volume to be varied. Because bambi of a second example is scheduled for May
Bell 212 main and tail rotor systems and buckets cannot be used over urban areas this year with a third following in June. The
structural modifications that supported for safety reasons, Hueys equipped with initial operational pair will be assigned to
the increased power. Mods were initially the Simplex system are assigned to helitack the Vina Helitack base near Chico and the
Columbia Helitack base near Sonora. Two
additional Fire Hawks will be delivered in
the autumn of this year. Deliveries will be
completed in 2022.
The helicopter acquisition will also
result in the construction of upgraded
facilities, including new hangars at nine of
the state’s ten helitack bases. Five of the
ten bases will become 24-hour operations
once the Fire Hawks are cleared for NVG
operations and night-time water drops (a
new capability for CAL FIRE).
The Fire Hawks will ultimately replace
An S2F-3AT is refilled with fire retardant from a hydrant system in between operational sorties the UH-1s but Chief Brown indicated that
at Hemet-Ryan. The Turbo Tracker’s retardant tank is refilled from a single-point receptacle several Hueys could be retained due to
installed in the tail in place of the aircraft’s magnetic anomaly detector. Tom Kaminski their utility and lower operating costs.

54 AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020

50-56_cal_fireDC.mfDC.indd 54 07/05/2020 12:45


Produced in Poland by Sikorsky’s PZL
Mielec subsidiary, the helicopters are being
modified at United Rotorcraft’s Englewood
facility in Colorado. The mods provide the
S-70i with a 1,000 US gal. (3,785 lit) water
tank and a snorkel system that can refill
the tank in just 60 seconds. The Fire Hawks
are assigned the same range of tasks as
the EH/UH-1Hs and so are also equipped
with extended landing gear, a single-pilot
cockpit, Goodrich external rescue hoist,
high intensity spotlight and PA system
and siren. There is collapsible seating for
the helitack crews in the main cabin. The
NVG cockpit features four ‘glass’ multi-
function displays (MFD) and advanced
communication and navigation equipment
including an enhanced global positioning
system and inertial navigation system to
provide a precision hover capability.
The S-70i’s ability to deliver almost
triple the amount of water per drop
will undoubtedly improve CAL FIRE
helitack operations. Additionally, the
rotorcraft will provide increased capacity
for firefighters and equipment in high
altitude and hot environments, while also
improving safety margins.
A Bell UH-1H operated by the Howard Forest
Helitack base fills its bambi bucket from a
lake near Mendocino. CAL FIRE’s fleet has
been upgraded to Super Huey configuration
with more powerful engines, uprated
transmissions, Bell 212 main and tail rotor
systems and structural modifications. CAL FIRE
modifications including $5m to equip
each Hercules with a Retardant Delivery
System (RDS). HC-130H operations began
in 2015 with a single aircraft flown in an
interim configuration utilising one of eight
USFS-owned Modular Aerial Fire Fighting
Systems (MAFFS) II and normally installed
in Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve
Command C-130H/Js. In May 2016,
the USAF’s Warner Robins Air Logistics
Complex (WR-ALC) issued a $16.4m
contract to Coulson Aviation to provide
the Retardant Aerial Delivery System XXL
(RADS-XXL) for the aircraft. Developed
specifically for the C-130, the roll-on/
roll-off RADS-XXL features a 3,500 US gal
(13,249 lit) capacity, a maximum flow rate
of 1,600 gal/sec, and could be installed in
around 30 minutes. Just five months later,
however, a ‘stop work order’ was issued on
October 14, 2016 and the USAF terminated
the contract on March 29, 2017 citing
multiple issues with the RDS design.
A study that supported the Forest
Service’s five-year Aviation Strategy
Implementation 2018-2022 plan was
released in March 2018. It determined
that the HC-130Hs were “economically
unsustainable” and were no longer
needed. After operating two aircraft
that shared a single MAFFS II system for
nearly three years, the USFS announced
it would abandon the programme and
operations ended on September 28, 2018.
Modifications were not completed and

FIXED WING EXPANSION

CAL FIRE is acquiring seven Lockheed
HC-130Hs originally destined for the USFS.
Transfer of the HC-130Hs from the US
Coast Guard to the USFS was originally
authorised by the Fiscal Year 2014 National Hercules Tanker 116 was originally operated by the US Coast Guard (it still carries its USCG serial of
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). It 1708 on the nose) before being transferred to the US Forest Service. This HC-130H is one of seven
provided $130m for aircraft upgrades and that will be transferred to CAL FIRE once firefighting systems have been installed. Tom Kaminski

WWW.AVIATION-NEWS.CO.UK 55

50-56_cal_fireDC.mfDC.indd 55 07/05/2020 12:45


The first of 12 Sikorsky S-70i Fire Hawks being acquired by CAL FIRE was accepted on October
12, 2019. Modifications included a 1,000 US gal (3,785 lit) water tank and a snorkel system that
can refill the helicopter’s tank in 60 seconds. Damon Duran
the aircraft are still under the operational
control of the USCG and three HC-130Hs
remain at McClellan. According to CAL
FIRE Aviation Officer Tim Huber, the
aircraft are maintained in flyable storage
and are regularly run through ground
operations by the Coast Guard. The
transfer of the Hercules aircraft to CAL
FIRE was authorised by the Fiscal Year
2019 NDAA, which increased funding
for maintenance and modifications to
$150m and the integration of a retardant
delivery system to $7m/aircraft. The
WR-ALC issued a new request for
proposal for a 4,000 US gal (15,142 lit)
capacity gravity drop system on March
9, 2019. The requirement included one
trial, one validation and five production
units. Coulson Aviation received a $39m
contract produce a 4,000 US gal version of
its RADS-XXL from the USAF on November
26, 2019. HC-130H modifications and
installation of the systems will be carried
out by Lockheed Martin at its Greenville,
South Carolina facility.
Once modifications are complete, the
Coast Guard will transfer the aircraft to
CAL FIRE. The first Herc is now expected
to enter service in 2021 with all seven
operating by 2024. The first HC-130H to
be painted in CAL FIRE livery arrived in
Sacramento when Tanker 118 (Coast Guard
serial number 1721) touched down on July
12, 2019.
In preparation for putting the HC-
130Hs into service, in the LAT role, several
CAL FIRE pilots have already begun
conversion training using RADS-XXL-
equipped C-130s owned by Coulson and
operating under a three-year exclusive
use contract with the agency.
According to Chief Brown, the Hercs,
which will provide more than double
the capacity of the S-2s, giving CAL FIRE
additional capability but they will not
replace the Trackers. The acquisition
may, however, ensure the agency has the
capacity to “rotate the S-2s through a
service life extension programme (SLEP)”,
so they can remain in service for the
foreseeable future.
CAL FIRE’s expansion and modernisation
plans should help the department to keep
pace should the frequency and scale of the
California wildfires continue to increase.

Considered a Type III medium air tanker, the heavily modified S2F-3AT is powered by a pair of TPE331 turboprop engines and is flown by a single
pilot. Based on the Grumman S-2G airframe, the Turbo Trackers replaced earlier S-2A air tankers. CAL FIRE

56 AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020

50-56_cal_fireDC.mfDC.indd 56 07/05/2020 12:45

 Flight Bag
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Tornado’s first combat operations over Iraq in 1991 and coverage of Published by Fonthill Media; ISBN9781781553565, available from
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artwork byand
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actions, using 30mm cannon and/or rockets. In a pilot’s words: Europe, it abounds with artwork, fl ying in the relative freedom of the immediate post-war world and the
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 Cessna’s ‘Push-Me
Pull-You’ Skymasters
The Cessna 336 and 337 combined twin-engine performance
with the company’s traditional light single high-wing layout.
The result was a success on the civilian market and the military
O-2 Skymaster saw extensive combat use in Vietnam.
Rod Simpson describes Cessna’s innovative design.

B
y the end of the 1950s, Cessna
Aircraft was the largest producer
of light aircraft in the world and in
1959 the US company delivered
3,564 new aircraft, 40% more than Piper, its
nearest competitor. There were five single-
engined models and they were also building
the very successful Cessna 310 light twin,
which offered a step up for owners of
the company’s 182 Skylane who wanted
more performance. However, the move
to twin engines could be very challenging
since failure of one engine on any light
twin requires skillful piloting. With this in
mind, Cessna’s design team was tasked
with producing a completely new twin that
would be easier to handle and could also
operate from unprepared strips.
SKYMASTER IS BORN
Leading the design effort was Don Ahrens,
who proposed an aircraft with two engines
mounted on the same thrust line that
would have twin performance without
the problems of engine-out asymmetry.
Cessna 337B, N3401F, in the 1967 factory
colour scheme. Cessna
The two engines would turn in opposite
directions to neutralise torque. The new
336 Skymaster would still have the Cessna
strut-braced high wing, but it would have
a twin-boom layout to accommodate the
rear engine and would also include a fixed
tricycle undercarriage. For the Cessna
engineers, cooling the rear engine posed a
major challenge and various combinations
of air scoops were tried before a satisfactory
solution was found, incorporating a fan
mounted on the crankshaft. Another
problem was that failure of the rear engine
might not be obvious to the pilot, so careful
instrument monitoring would be a key
factor in pilot training.
A full-scale mock-up was completed
in April, 1960 allowing much of the detail
design to be verified, and the prototype
Cessna 336, N34273 (c/n 633), made its
maiden flight from Wichita’s Pawnee Plant
strip, Kansas, on February 28, 1961 piloted
by Bill Thompson. It was followed by a
second engineering prototype (N5412E,
c/n 636) on March 14, 1962. The prototype
Skymaster was powered by a pair of 210hp
Continental GIO-300 engines although the
production aircraft would have 210hp IO-
360-A powerplants which were then in final
development. The aircraft was found to be
well-balanced and easy to fly and, crucially,
safe take-off could be maintained even
with the failure of one engine. Over the
next year, numerous changes were made
to reduce friction in the control runs and
much attention was paid to noise reduction
in the cabin and externally – although the
Skymaster never lost its distinctive sound.
The FAA Type Certificate was awarded
on May 22, 1962 and the model 336 went
into manufacture with the first production
aircraft flying in November that year and the
first delivery following in May 1963.
A CAPABLE TWIN
The Skymaster was a comfortable four-
seater with a single starboard-side cabin
door and typical Cessna lines, despite its

58 AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020

58-62_cessnaDC.mfDC.indd 58 07/05/2020 14:44

 The second prototype Cessna 336 flying
in formation with the first two production
aircraft. Note the fixed undercarriage of
this model. Cessna
unconventional design. Customers were
impressed with the safety of two engines
and Cessna intended that pilots with a
single-engine rating would fly it. However,
the FAA had other ideas and eventually a
special centreline twin rating was devised. It
had over 300lb (136kg) more useful load and
greater range than a Skylane but its cruising
speed was only 14mph (23km/h) faster and
was nearly 60mph (97km/h) slower than
the Cessna 310H – and also less than the
competing Piper Twin Comanche.
Cessna eventually built 195 of the
336 Skymaster, but it was clear that the
design needed improvement. The fixed
undercarriage created too much drag,
so a retractable undercarriage was a top
priority. Consequently, the subsequent
Cessna 337 had the complex landing
gear of the Cessna 210, with its main legs
twisting and hinged rearwards. At the same
time, the front engine and cowling were
repositioned to give better forward visibility
and it had increased wing incidence. The
rear engine cooling system was changed
This O-2B, 67-21465 (c/n 337-0261), was a civil 337A modified with ‘skyshouting’ equipment. It served in Vietnam at Nha Trang and Phan Rang
before return to the USA where it was used by the Pennsylvania and California Air National Guards. Cessna
WWW.AVIATION-NEWS.CO.UK
58-62_cessnaDC.mfDC.indd 59
with a much enlarged air intake and the
gross weight was increased – partly to
compensate for the new undercarriage.
The first model 337 (N5422E, c/n 647), now
dubbed Super Skymaster, made its first
flight on March 30, 1964. The engineering
changes had their effect, taking the
maximum level speed up to 206mph
(331km/h), which equalled that of the Twin
Comanche. Cessna also developed an
optional belly cargo pod. Normally luggage
would be placed in a designated area at
the rear of the cabin, however if a belly pod
was added the now redundant cabin space
could be used for two extra seats.
CONTINUING
DEVELOPMENT
The first Cessna 337s were delivered in
1965 and it was clear that Cessna had been
successful in upgrading the Skymaster. In
that first year, 226 Super Skymasters were
delivered with a further 788 handed over
in the next five years. Annually, there were
minor improvements to interior trim and
instrument panels and controls, and from
1972 the aircraft was known just as the
Skymaster. In 1973, the 337G Skymaster II had
major changes including a new starboard
entry door split into upper and lower halves,
smaller rear side windows, a modified
propeller, a propeller synchrophaser system
and modified wing struts.
Cessna engineers also introduced a new
T337 version with turbocharged 210hp
TSIO-360-A engines. This proved to be an
involved exercise due to increased cooling
demands, but the aircraft was popular
because the T337H, fitted with a cabin
oxygen system, could fly at up to 23,000ft
with a top speed of 207kts (238mph,
838km/h) and an endurance, with reserves,
of just over five hours. Sales of the basic
T337 were moderately successful with
32 deliveries in the first 12 months (1978)
and another 33 in the next two years. The
T337 formed the basis of the ultimate
variant – the T337G/P337H Pressurized
Skymaster. Major changes included
strengthening of the cabin structure
59
07/05/2020 14:44
 The Cessna 337 airframe has been the basis for numerous projects, including the Basler Turbo 37 Spectrum SA-550 seen here. Using a French-built
Reims FTB337G (c/n 0061), Basler fitted a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-60A turboprop in the rear and extended the fuselage forward. It was first flown on
February 1, 1983 and was offered to the Royal Thai Air Force as a conversion for their O-2s. Rod Simpson

to provide pressure bulkheads, altering
the window arrangement and changing
the engines to the turbocharged 225hp
TSIO-360C, which gave the aircraft a top
speed of 230mph (370km/h) at 21,000ft.
Deliveries of the Pressurized Skymaster
began in August 1972 and a total of 332
were produced.
By 1980, sales of the Skymaster were
tailing off and Cessna was building the
twin-engined models 303, 335 and 340,
which had larger cabins than the 337.
Consequently, the Skymaster production
line was closed that year with a grand total
of 2,415 civil aircraft delivered from the
Wichita factory.
THE FRENCH
CONNECTION
In 1960, Cessna had taken over the old Max
Holste factory at Reims-Prunay in France
and established production lines for most
of the single-engine aircraft. The F337,
which was assembled from Wichita-built
airframes, started to appear in 1970 with 17
sold to non-US customers that year. A few
were built as the FA337 with an enlarged
vertical tail and ADAC STOL (short take-
off and landing) modifications including
high-lift trailing-edge flaps. The F337 was
supplemented by the FP337 Pressurized
Skymaster in 1974 and Reims assembly
continued until the line was closed in 1978
with a total of 109 civil aircraft completed.
The Reims factory delivered a number
of standard F337s to military users in
countries such as Cote d’Ivoire, Madagascar,
Mauritania, Chad, Togo and Upper Volta and
to the Ethiopian Police.
This prompted the factory to develop a
more specialised version for governmental
users. The FTB337G Milirole was based on
the FA337 but fitted with turbocharged
225hp Continental TSIO-360-D engines
and equipped with two stores hardpoints
under each wing. It had a utility cabin
that could be fitted with ‘skyshouting’
loudspeaker equipment, a stores delivery
chute and surveillance operator consoles.
Several examples were also fitted with
a belly pod containing remote sensing
equipment including vertical cameras and
the Super Cyclope infrared sensor system.
Of the 61 aircraft built, 32 were delivered
to the Portuguese Air Force (retired in July
2007) and 18 to the Rhodesian Air Force,
which named them ‘Lynx’ and fitted them
with two 0.303-calibre machine-guns
mounted above the cabin and underwing
offensive stores, despite an arms embargo
during the 1964-79 civil war.
USAF SKYMASTERS
While Cessna was in full production with the
Skymaster, the United States was embroiled
in the Vietnam War. A key task was forward
air control (FAC), which was largely carried
out by the fleet of Cessna L-19s (O-1).
However, they were very vulnerable to
enemy ground fire and the USAF needed a
faster and more capable aircraft and an off-
the-shelf solution rather than waiting for
a new design. The Skymaster with its high
wing and two engines was a good solution.
In early 1966, the Tactical Air Warfare Center
(TAWC) based at Eglin AFB, Florida, did an
evaluation of Cessna 337, N6304F, which
had been fitted with four hardpoints. The
assessment was positive and two versions
were ordered – the M-337 (designated
O-2A) and the MC-337 (O-2B). The O-2A
was the FAC variant with provision for
a pylon under each wing and the O-2B
was a psy-ops aircraft for sky-shouting
propaganda messages and equipped with
large loudspeakers on the starboard side
and a belly chute for dropping leaflets.

Below: One of the recipients of ex-USAF Cessna O-2As was the Chilean Navy and this example,
serialled 331 (ex 68-10869), was in service at the navy’s Viña del Mar/Torquemada base when
photographed in April 2004. Rod Simpson

Right: Wearing the 1968 standard colour scheme, N5469S was one of Cessna’s development
aircraft, starting out as a model 337B and later becoming a turbocharged T337E. Cessna

60 AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020

58-62_cessnaDC.mfDC.indd 60 07/05/2020 14:44

 The 337 evolved throughout production. The Pressurised Skymaster had a new horizontally-split main door together with a stronger windshield
and modified windows. Cessna
Other O-2A changes included extended
upper glazing for the windshield and door-
mounted windows, larger rear engine cowl
flaps, floor armour plating, foam-filled fuel
tanks and military communications and
navigation equipment. The O-2A also had
a 210hp IO-360C front engine which could
drive an additional vacuum pump.
Due to pressure for new O-2s for the
psy-ops programme, Cessna acquired 31
unsold standard Cessna 337s from their
dealer network and fitted them with UVC
(University Sound Company) speakers linked
to a Sony tape player and also installed the
belly chute. These O-2B aircraft, designated
M337 (and serialled 67-21440 to 67-
21439), were ferried out to Saigon in early
1967. Meanwhile, Cessna pressed ahead
with large-scale assembly of the O-2A
with an initial USAF order for 145 aircraft
(67-21295 to 67-21439). Deliveries started
on March 31, 1967 of aircraft for the 19th
to 23rd Tactical Air Support Squadrons at
Bien Hoa, Pleiku, Tan Son Nhut, Da Nang
and Nakhon Phanom. The initial batch was
supplemented by further appropriations
taking total orders for the O-2A to 501
aircraft. Initially, the O-2As were fitted with
SUU-11A/A 7.62mm minigun pods on the
WWW.AVIATION-NEWS.CO.UK
58-62_cessnaDC.mfDC.indd 61
inboard pylons, which prompted FAC pilots
to engage ground anti-aircraft units, but
several O-2As were lost and the minigun
packs were removed and replaced by
simple white phosphorus target marking
rockets.
The O-2 gave distinguished service in
Vietnam and, with the ceasefire in 1973,
‘The O-2A was the
FAC variant with
provision for a pylon
under each wing
and the O-2B was
a psy-ops aircraft...’
South Vietnam’s VNAF was given 32 O-2As
to strengthen its capabilities. Gradually, the
remaining USAF O-2s were repatriated to
the USA where they were taken over by
Air National Guard units. The final USAF
examples were retired in 1988.
The only other user of the Cessna
O-2A was the Imperial Iranian Air Force,
Below: Built at the Reims factory, the FTB337G had the slightly enlarged tail of the ADAC STOL
conversion, four underwing hardpoints and military communications equipment as seen on this
Portuguese Air Force example, 3716. Rod Simpson
which ordered 12 new aircraft. Painted in
a tan and green camouflage and marked
with temporary ferry registrations EP-7-
020 to EP-7-031 (c/n 337IR001 to 012),
they were ferried out from Wichita in April
1970. Other military applications include
the Summit Sentry conversion of standard
Cessna 337s with wing hardpoints and
military equipment and a number of those
were sold to air arms, primarily in Africa,
Central and South America. A substantial
number were passed over to the US Forest
Service for use as forward air controllers
for firefighting in the western US. A number
of civil 337s found their way to other air air
arms including Nicaragua, Chad, Sri Lanka,
Jamaica, Haiti and the Royal Thai Navy.
Examples of the 337 and O-2 variants are
still operated by Colombian Air Force (2),
Royal Thai Navy (10), Salvadorean Air Force
(8) and Uruguayan Naval Aviation (3).
PROJECTS AND
MODIFICATIONS
Cessna pursued several military
developments of the O-2, and the O-2A
prototype (N6309F) was fitted with a pair of
317shp Allison 250-B15 turboprops together
with additional high lift devices as the
61
07/05/2020 14:44
 removed the front engine and extended the
fuselage forward to give a ten-seat cabin.
The SA-500 had a top speed of 250mph
(400km/h). It was first flown on February
1, 1983 and was offered to the Royal Thai
Navy as a conversion for its O-2s although
no production took place.
Jack Riley, based in California, developed
the Skyrocket and Super Skyrocket with a
number of improvements including better
soundproofing, a new flight deck and 225hp
TSIO-360-B engines. More radical projects
include the Conroy STOLifter which has a
Honeywell TPE331 turboprop in the nose,
no rear engine and an enlarged cargo cabin.
A Cessna 337 airframe was used to
create the AVE Mizar flying car which
married the wings, tail and pusher rear
engine to a Ford Pinto. Another outlandish
application saw Groen Brothers Aviation
use a Cessna 337 as the basis for the GBA-
Above: One of the most extensive modifications to a Cessna 337 was carried out by Groen 6 TigerHawk gyroplane (N9112A). Both
Brothers Aviation. They converted it to a gyroplane with the tailbooms and rudders turned engines were removed and the front one
upside down, the rear engine removed and a rotor pylon mounted above the cabin. Rod Simpson replaced by a Rolls-Royce 250 turboprop,
Below: The Red Bull display team operates this Cessna 337D, N991DM, sporting an elaborate the wings were cropped and a rotor pylon
colour scheme and the modified tail of the STOL conversion. Rod Simpson was mounted above the centre section.
Finally, in California, the CIRPAS (Center for
O-2T. It was demonstrated to the USAF, wingtips and vortex generators. This Interdisclipinary Remotely-Piloted Aircraft
but no production order was forthcoming. aircraft was also fitted with a single 650hp Studies) organisation has developed the
Cessna also redesigned the forward fuselage Allison C30 turboprop in the rear engine Pelican optionally-piloted version of the
with a narrower cabin with two crew in position modified by Soloy Conversions Cessna 337 with the front engine replaced
tandem and a rear section for additional in Washington state. The front engine was by a lengthened nose mounting a camera
seating or operational equipment. An O-2TT removed and replaced with a faired nose turret. The two aircraft converted (an O-2,
mock-up was prepared but, again, there was and the tail unit was enlarged with a wider BuNo 167783 and 337H, 167782/N84NX) are
insufficient interest for it to go ahead. Cessna tailplane and a third central fin. Following a used for training Predator UAV operators.
was also approached by the Saudi Arabian first flight on August 14, 1982 it was delivered In total, just under 700 Cessna 336s
government to develop a gunship variant of to Riyadh but it progressed no further. and 337s remain registered in the USA and
the O-2. Work on this was contracted out to there are many more elsewhere around the
Flight Structures of Redmond, Washington BASLER CONVERSION world. Nicknames include the ‘Mixmaster’
state, and the highly modified O-2 The Cessna 337 airframe has been the basis and the ‘Push-Me-Pull-You’. Despite a
(N997CJ) was fitted with Robertson STOL for numerous projects including the Basler reputation for high maintenance costs they
modifications which primarily consisted of Turbo 37 Spectrum SA-550 which was are much appreciated by their owners,
a system to droop the ailerons as the flaps based on a French-built Reims FTB337G earning an important place in General
were extended but there were other options (c/n 0061). Basler fitted a 550shp Pratt & Aviation history and likely to be flying for
including fin leading edge cuffs, drooped Whitney PT6A-60A turboprop in the rear, many years to come.

62 AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020

58-62_cessnaDC.mfDC.indd 62 07/05/2020 14:44

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 Miami Sound Machines

The airports of the Sunshine State have always attracted a great

variety of traffic from the Caribbean and Latin America. Miami in
the 1970s was a great place to see propliners and first-generation
jetliners from many nations and operators. Bob O’Brien presents
a selection of photos from Miami’s glory days.
Above: Boeing 707-387B, LV-ISA, was
delivered new to Aerolíneas Argentinas
in November 1966. The Pratt & Whitney
JT3D-3B-powered aircraft was departing
Miami for its home base of Buenos Aires
in December 1979. All photos Bob O’Brien
Collection

Left: Lanica Douglas DC-6BF, AN-BFN,

with a luxury car being forklifted into
its freight hold, destination Managua,
Nicaragua. Miami’s cargo areas were
particularly popular with photographers.

Below left: This Canadair CL-44-6 Yukon

of the Ecuadorian freight airline ANDES
was originally delivered to the RCAF in
1966 and is seen in the cargo area on one
of its frequent flights from Guayaquil in
1974.

Below: Boeing 707-321B, 9Y-TEX, of

BWIA was originally registered to Pan
American World Airways as N890PA. The
aircraft was retired from use in 1983 and
used as a spares source for the KC-135
programme.

64 AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020

64-65_miamiDC.mf.indd 64 29/04/2020 11:58

 Above: Seen on a day’s rest in Miami after
arriving from Santiago, LAN-Chile Boeing
727-24C, CC-CAN, remained with the
carrier until sold to Federal Express in 1979
as N114FE.

Right: Awaiting another cargo shipment

at Miami – Douglas C-118A, TG-CGO, of
aerovías later went to Africa registered as
EL-WIL.

Below right: About to taxi for a return

flight to Nassau is Bahamasair C-46A-60
Commando, N355M, on lease from Inter-
Air in 1975-77.

Below: Douglas DC-8-51, OB-R-1125,

in the colours of Aeroperú, awaiting its
night-time departure back to Lima. The
aircraft was on a short-term lease from Air
Jamaica.

Bottom: Cayman Airways operated a

number of BAC One-Elevens, including
TI-LRJ, a Series 500, leased from LACSA
from 1974-77 and later flown by British Air
Ferries as G-BJMV. At its peak, the airline
was flying 16 services weekly from Miami
to Georgetown.

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 De Havilland
Canada Dash 7
STOL Airliner Malcolm Ginsberg traces the development and career
of the Dash 7 airliner, which was designed to have
impressive short take-off and landing capabilities.

T
he De Havilland Canada Dash 7 has
many attributes, but one particular
claim to fame is that some airports
owe their very existence to it.
Indeed, without this aircraft type it is unlikely
that London City Airport would even exist!
To this day, there is a plaque at the bottom
of the steps at Heron Quays station on
London’s Docklands Light Railway (DLR),
commemorating the first landing of an
aircraft in the docklands on June 27, 1982.
The arrival of the Brymon Airways Dash
7 on the quay – which is today part of
the Canary Wharf commercial complex–
proved the concept and subsequently a site
was chosen for the new airport, three miles
to the east at what was then the derelict
King George V Dock.
DESIGN AND
DEVELOPMENT
The origins of the DHC-7 (more commonly
called the Dash 7) stem from the mid-
1960s, when DHC’s Twin Otter was selling

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 Top: Prototype Dash 7, C-GNBX, performed
the type’s first flight on March 27, 1975. Bob
O’Brien Collection

Above: Canada’s Air Tindi is the largest civil

operator of the Dash 7 with four examples in
its fleet. John Olafson

Main photo: Air Greenland (called Grønlandsfly

from establishment in 1960 to 2002) operated
a total of four Dash 7s with the first example
arriving in 1979 and the last leaving the fleet
in 2015. Key Collection

well and the company’s sales team was

convinced of a need for a larger and more
sophisticated aircraft with the same runway
performance. The company had always
been run as a stand-alone subsidiary of the
UK-based de Havilland company and, while
some felt it might compete with the DH
146 (later BAe 146) project, the go-ahead
was given from headquarters.
The competition at the time was the
Fokker F27 Friendship, Convair 580,
Convair 600 and Hawker Siddeley 748.
DHC personnel felt the proposed aircraft
could compete with these designs in a
roundabout way by serving smaller airports
located in city centres or ones with limited
facilities, which have short and/or unpaved
runways. Development started in 1972 and
the aircraft was designed to operate from
runways as short as 2,000ft (610m) long
and to be able to fly 700nm (1,296km) with
a full load of passengers.

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With new noise restrictions coming into
effect throughout the 1970s, an aircraft
tailored for this role would also have to be
very quiet. To meet these new regulations
the design used much larger propellers
geared to rotate at a slower speed than was
normal. Much of the sound from a typical
propeller is generated at the tips of the
blades, which are rotating just beneath the
speed of sound. The angle of the blades
on the propellers of the Dash 7 can be
changed to push more or less air over them
as needed. This means the power generated
can be increased while maintaining the
same propeller speed. The Pratt & Whitney
Canada PT6, in service with the Twin Otter,
was the obvious powerplant.
Above: Dash 7s were flown by Pan Am Express to provide feeder services to the mainline carrier.
AirTeamImages.com/Carl Ford
Below: Two Dash 7s (designated CC-132s) were used by the Royal Canadian Air Force to ferry
personnel and cargo around Europe during the Cold War. AirTeamImages.com/Keith Blincow
68
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Brymon Airways bought four Dash 7s, two to
service a contract carrying oil workers to Unst
in the Shetland Islands and another pair flying
rotations from Plymouth. Bob O’Brien Collection
The Dash 7 was a new clean sheet design
using DHC’s short take-off and landing
(STOL) experience, incorporating the latest
technology and certificated to full airline
standard. The aircraft configuration generally
followed the company’s other aircraft
types: a high aspect ratio, high-mounted
wing, with a similar cockpit layout and nose
profile. Changes included a pressurised
cabin (requiring a switch to a fuselage with
a circular cross-section), landing gear that
folded forward into the engine nacelles and
a large T-tail intended to keep the elevator
clear of wing wake and propwash during
take-off and landing. The passenger layout
was two-plus-two seating with overhead
luggage bins, and there was also a galley
and a toilet. The Twin Otter incorporated
flaperons which were used to lower the
ailerons as part of the flaps, but these were
unnecessary in the Dash 7. Instead, the
ailerons were reduced in size to allow more
flap area, and were augmented with two sets
of powerful, hydraulically operated spoilers
for in-flight roll control; they operated
symmetrically as lift dumpers on landing.
The inboard roll spoilers operate at
all speeds, while the outboard ones only
function at less than 130kts (241km/h)
to allow for more roll control at slower
speeds. On touchdown, both the inboard
and outboard roll spoilers extend in unison
to aid in destroying lift created by the
wing. Each wing also includes two ground
spoilers which only extend on touchdown.
Most of the trailing edge is spanned by a
double slotted Fowler flap arrangement
for high lift at low speed. During a typical
STOL landing, flaps are selected to the 45°
position, generating more lift and drag,
thus allowing for steeper descents and
slower approach speeds.
Depending on weight, the speed on
final approach is between 75kts (139km/h)
and 85kts (157km/h) with flaps at 45°. On
touchdown, through squat switches in the
main gear, the flaps automatically retract
AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020
06/05/2020 11:54
 London City Airways started life as Eurocity Express in 1987 using Dash 7s. It was established by British Midland Airways to fly services from London
City Airport, however after two years of operations London City Airways was shut down. AirTeamImages.com/Carl Ford

to the 25° position, thus reducing lift and
producing better braking performance.
Reverse thrust is selected, the props push air
forward and slow the aircraft very effectively
along with the anti-skid wheel brakes. The
flaps also retract to 25° when engine power
is increased during a go-around. The four-
engine layout aids lift at low speeds due
to the wide span of the propellers blowing
air over the wing. More importantly, if an
engine fails, the asymmetric thrust is much
less than on a twin-engine aircraft, thereby
increasing safety and allowing for a lower
minimum control speed.
on February 3, 1978. The Dash 7 was used
by the airline to fly a scheduled passenger
service from Denver into the Avon STOLport
in Colorado, which the carrier operated. The
facility was located in a mountain valley in
close proximity to the Vail ski resort. Another
holiday airfield served by the airline with
Dash 7 flights from Denver was Steamboat
Springs Airport in Colorado. With a relatively
short runway length of 4,452ft (1,357m) and
an airfield elevation of 6,882ft (2,098m), the
Dash 7 was well suited for operations from
this airport located in the Rocky Mountains.
Flying as Continental Express via a code
sharing agreement with Continental Airlines,
Rocky Mountain Airways also operated the
Dash 7 into the Telluride Airport in the San
Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado.

UNVEILING
The prototype Dash 7, C-GNBX-X, made its
public debut at the company’s Downsview,
Toronto facility on February 5, 1975 and
was unveiled to 600 guests as the Quiet
STOL Airliner. The prototype first flew on
March 27 that year.
The particular aircraft and another,
C-GNCA (both designated Dash 7-1s), were Above: Kapalua Airport on the island of Maui was built by Hawaiian Airlines specifically with Dash
used for testing and certification, which 7 operations in mind. Bob O’Brien Collection
went smoothly. The initial delivery, to the US Below: Working in support of the British Antarctic Survey, Dash 7, VP-FBQ, is required to land on
carrier Rocky Mountain Airways, took place ice runways. AirTeamImages.com/Caz Caswell

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 The last Dash 7 to be delivered from
the manufacturer went to Tyrolean
Airways of Austria – the carrier having
flown three of the type in total.
AirTeamImages.com/Wolfgang Mendorf
This mountain airport has an airfield
elevation of 9,078ft (2,767m), making it one
of the highest in the United States.
The Dash 7 made its Farnborough
Airshow debut in September 1978 and
Brymon Airways – already a Twin Otter
operator – was invited on a demonstration
flight. At the same time, Chevron Oil was
looking at ways of reducing the cost of
helicopter operations out of Aberdeen by
using a fixed-wing service to Unst in the
Shetland Islands, where workers could
board choppers there to offshore oil
installations. Not only was Unst Britain’s
most northerly airport it also had a runway
length of 2,100ft (640m) – so Dash
7s were ideal for passenger transport
category operations there. Brymon won
the Chevron contract and so ordered two
Dash 7s for this work and another pair to
serve Plymouth in Devon. The airline, like
many other Dash 7 operators, configured
its aircraft to carry 50 passengers. Brymon
Airways was based at the Roborough
airfield near Plymouth and developed it
into an airport. The carrier took delivery
of its first aircraft in 1981 and started a
very successful four times daily service to
London’s Heathrow, the aircraft operating
via Newquay in Cornwall, replacing a
Handley Page Herald.
Brymon Airways explored the
capabilities of the Dash 7 in the UK and
One of the two Dash 7s that served
with New Zealand domestic carrier
Newmans Air. Bob O’Brien Collection
70
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the pilot leading these trials was Captain
Harry Gee, a former Royal Navy pilot.
Gee flew the Hawker Sea Fury in the
Korean War off the light carriers of the
time whose flight decks were a mere
630ft (190m) long. It was he who landed
the Dash 7 at Heron Quays in London’s
Docklands and much later accomplished
a similar demonstration at the small St
Mary’s Airport, serving the Isles of Scilly,
‘The United States
Army operates
the Dash 7 as
a surveillance
platform...’
which has two runways with the longest
only 1,968ft (600m). Gee also participated
in an experimental landing at Heathrow
using the redundant cross runway with
the idea of gaining extra slots, but this
idea never gained traction. Brymon
Airways retired the Dash 7 in 1996.
Another air terminal which owes its
existence to the Dash 7 is Kapalua Airport
on the island of Maui in Hawaii. Hawaiian
Airlines built this airfield with a 3,000ft (914m)
runway and started scheduled passenger
flights with new Dash 7s on March 1, 1987.
The airline owned the airfield until 1993,
when it was acquired by the state of Hawaii.
Another interesting user of the Dash 7
was the Israeli airline Arkia, which contracted
Brymon to support its operations and used
the small downtown Eilat airport (which
closed in 2019).
By 1984, 100 Dash 7s had been
manufactured, but assembly was put on hold
in favour of the Dash 8. However, production
started again and another 13 were built with
the last example being delivered in 1988. The
decision was then taken to end production
due to a lack of further orders. The last
Dash 7 went to Tyrolean Airways of Austria,
the aircraft having originally been ordered
by London City Airways. This latter airline,
formerly called Eurocity Express, was a
spin-off from British Midland Airways (BMA),
which had procured two Dash 7s for use at
London City, but pulled the operation after
two years.
Boeing bought DHC in 1986 in an
attempt by the US company to enter the
small regional aircraft market although
six years later De Havilland Canada was
acquired by Bombardier.
VARIANTS
The first production variant was the Series
100, which could carry 54 passengers
and had a maximum weight of 43,000lb
(19,504kg). The -101 was a passenger/
AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020
06/05/2020 11:54
 Transport Canada operates DHC-7-150IR, C-GCFR, for maritime surveillance,
pollution monitoring and ice patrols. Note the modification on top of the
fuselage behind the cockpit which is used by observers. Tim Lowe

cargo variant that could accommodate
50 passengers and was fitted with a
forward cargo door. The -102 (called a
-110 for UK aircraft, to meet Civil Aviation
Authority requirements) could also carry
54 passengers though with a maximum
weight of 44,000lb (19,958kg). The -103
passenger/cargo version (a -111 for UK
aircraft) was cleared for 50 passengers
and weight of 44,020lb (19,967kg). Among
the changes for the -150 variant was
additional fuel capacity and so greater
range with a higher maximum weight of
47,047lb (21,340kg).
Proposals were made for a Series
200 with the new PT6A-50/7 engines
which improved hot-and-high power
performance, but these plans were shelved
when DHC ended manufacture of both the
Dash 7, Twin Otter and Buffalo as production
line space was needed for the Dash 8.
Most commuter airlines that flew the
Dash 7 used it for feeder flights into large
airports, where the STOL performance
was not needed. In comparison with its
competitors, the Dash 7’s four engines
required twice the maintenance of a
twin-engine aircraft, thereby driving up
operational costs. Finally, those airports
that did require a high-performance STOL
operation were generally small and well
served by the Twin Otter. Should demand
require a larger aircraft then generally
a longer runway was the answer. An
exception to this was London City Airport,
which on opening in 1987, could handle
few other aircraft types due to its relatively
short runway and steep 7.5° approach.
Subsequently, the runway was lengthened
and the approach angle reduced to 5.5°.
These improvements meant more airliners
such as the Fokker 50, BAe 146, Airbus
A220, A318 and Embraer 170/190 family
could use the airport.
MILITARY EXAMPLES
The Dash 7 also gained a number of
military orders. The first of these was
for two aircraft for the Canadian Armed
Forces, which needed them to transport
personnel and cargo around Europe. These
aircraft received the designation CC-
132 and were delivered to 412 Transport
Squadron at Canadian Forces Base Lahr in
West Germany. The Venezuelan Navy was
another military customer which bought
one aircraft.
The United States Army operates the
Dash 7 as a surveillance platform with eight
EO-5Cs for the Airborne Reconnaissance
Low programme. The US Army’s Dash 7s
have seen service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Transport Canada operates a single DHC-
7-150IR, C-GCFR, from Ottawa to conduct
maritime surveillance, pollution monitoring
and ice patrols as part of the organisation’s
National Aerial Surveillance Programme.
During the summer this aircraft conducts
patrols throughout the Canadian Arctic,
Alaska and Greenland. During the autumn
and winter it flies patrols of the Great Lakes
and east or west coasts of Canada.
The British Antarctic Survey uses a
Dash 7, VP FBQ, for regular shuttle flights
between its Antarctic headquarters at
Rothera and either Port Stanley Airport
on the Falkland Islands, or Punta Arenas
in Chile during the southern hemisphere
summer. It also operates to and from the ice
runway at the Sky-Blu base on the Antarctic
continent. One of the last Dash 7s built,
it was one of a pair originally operated by
London City Airways.
According to Viking Air Limited, current
holder of the Type Certificate for the Dash
7, of the 113 built there are 17 still in active
service. The largest civil operator of the
type is Canadian carrier Air Tindi, which
has owned five examples and currently has
four in its fleet.
While the Dash 7 has impressive
capabilities it only achieved modest sales
– it had been designed to fill a niche,
but didn’t prove to have wider appeal;
conventional aircraft being able to operate
more economically from regular airports.

Eight Dash 7s are used by the US Army for its Airborne

Reconnaissance Low programme. Martin Third

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 Airport Movements
AIRPORT MOVEMENTS COMPILED BY CARL HOPE
On final approach to Doncaster Sheffield Airport on
March 21 is Air Atlanta Icelandic Boeing 747-45E(BDSF),
TF-AMR, flying for Magma Aviation. Les York
ABERDEEN INTERNATIONAL
1/3 D-CFAQ Learjet 60. 3/3 OO-LET Beech 200. 10/3
9H-WIT PC-12. 11/3 ZM333 Phenom T1 45 Sqn, RAF.
15/3 SP-ENV 737-8BK Enter Air; 9H-PAL Citation 550
Bravo. 16/3 ZD981 & ZH775 Chinook HC6As 27 Sqn,
RAF; D-IJOA CitationJet 525A CJ2. 19/3 SP-ENW 737-
86J Enter Air. 20/3 G-LMRB ATR 42-500 Loganair, on
delivery. 21/3 D-AONE Challenger 604. 22/3 ZM402
Atlas C1 24/70 Sqns, RAF. 23/3 LN-WIM Dash 8-103B
Widerøe. 28/3 XW220 Puma HC2 Benson Wing, RAF.
30/3 9H-SSG Falcon 100.
BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT
1/2 EC-MNY A330-243 Wamos Air, op for TUI. 2/2
D-CSCB Citation 560XLS+. 3/2 I-KREM Hawker
800XP. 4/2 YL-RAG Saab 340A RAF-Avia also 6th.
5/2 N671UA 767-322(ER) United Airlines & N775AN
777-223(ER) American Airlines, both Heathrow
diversions; C-GDRX Global 7500. 6/2 HB-IGV Falcon
50EX. 7/2 N57EL Gulfstream G450. 8/2 TC-RSD
Learjet 45; VT-RBA Legacy 650.10/2 EC-KKD Beech
400XP. 11/2 9H-JAD Challenger 850; F-HROG
Avanti; HB-JSG Challenger 605; OO-PCN PC-12.
12/2 YL-RAC An-26B RAF-Avia also 16th & 26th;
N73M Gulfstream G550; OH-ZRH PC-12; T7-GQM
Global XRS. 13/2 N190WH Global Express; OK-JFA
Beech 400A; SE-RIL Citation 560XLS. 15/2 OE-LMC
A320-214 Laudamotion; LY-COB A320-232 op
for TUI; D-CAGA Phenom 300 also 17th & 28th;
OE-HWM Gulfstream G280. 16/2 9H-ILA Challenger
850; I-BNET Citation 650 VII; OK-RAH Beech 400A.
17/2 D-ILUI CitationJet 525A CJ2+. 18/2 A7-CGD
Gulfstream G650ER; D-CGAA Citation 560XLS+.
19/2 LY-KDT 737-522 KlasJet; 2-JRSY Eclipse EA500;
B-8256 Gulfstream G550. 20/2 9H-IGH Global 6000.
21/2 OE-LWB E195LR Austrian Airlines f/v; A6-YMA
Gulfstream G550. 23/2 9H-ILI & 9H-JOY Challenger
850s; OK-EAS Beech 400A. 24/2 EI-NUA 787-9
Rega Bombardier Challenger 650, HB-JWB,
visiting Exeter Airport on February 5. Ian Simpson
72
72-74_airportsDC.mf.indd 72
A round-up of notable aircraft visiting UK airports.
Neos, first aircraft to visit STS (formerly Monarch
Engineering); OE-FMT Phenom 100. 25/2 EI-NEO
787-9 Neos to STS. 26/2 SE-RFR 767-39A(ER) TUI Fly
f/v. 27/2 F-HSHB Citation 510 Mustang. 28/2 D-CSCE
Phenom 300; N8018X & N8019D PA-28-181s on
delivery. 29/2 ES-SAT A320-214 SmartLynx op for
TUI; EI-GPO ATR 72-600 Stobart Air f/v.
BLACKPOOL AIRPORT
2/1 N280EX Gulfstream G280 dep 4th. 5/1 OE-FPP
Citation 510 Mustang. 6/1 9H-ALL CitationJet 525A
CJ2 n/s. 7/1 T7-TUN Hawker 800XP also 12th;
N626LA Citation 680A Latitude. 11/1 OE-FCB Citation
510 Mustang. 13/1 D-IFIS CitationJet 525A CJ2+.
22/1 LX-JFW PC-12. 23/1 OO-GEE PC-12; OO-VMF
Citation 560XLS+ dep 25th. 24/1 D-ITAN CitationJet
525 CJ1. 27/1 F-HATG CitationJet 525C CJ4. 28/1
YU-HEV SA342J Gazelle n/s.
2/2 SP-ATT Beech 400A n/s, also 5th. 3/2 PH-TXA
Citation 510 Mustang n/s, also 8th. 6/2 D-CTIL Learjet
35A. 10/3 T7-FUN Hawker 850XP. 11/2 D-CRON
Citation 560XLS also 12th. 13/2 2-RBTS CitationJet
525B CJ3+. 14/2 2-PLAY TBM 700; D-COLO
CitationJet 525C CJ4 also 23rd; OK-EAS Beech 400
n/s. 16/2 D-CTWO Learjet 35A. 22/2 OK-JFA Beech
400A n/s.
BRISTOL AIRPORT
2/2 D-CHIP CitationJet 525C CJ4; 9H-FGV Phenom
100 n/s also 5th n/s. 3/2 CS-EFF Citation 560XLS+.
4/2 HA-LXB A321-231(SL) Wizz Air f/v. 5/2 CS-
EJA Citation 560XLS. 7/2 2-EBMR Phenom 300.
9/2 C-FEMF Learjet 40 n/s. 11/2 D-CPMI Citation
560XLS+. 12/2 LX-JFS PC-12 n/s. 14/2 OM-KEX
737-8BK AirExplore op for TUI n/s. 16/2 EC-MQH
A320-214 Gowair op for TUI; ES-SAK A320-214
SmartLynx op for TUI. 17/2 EI-FPE CRJ900LR CityJet
op for Brussels Airlines f/v. 18/2 N312ZW Gulfstream
G650ER dep 21st. 20/2 OE-GDP Phenom 300 dep
23rd. 21/2 EC-MUB 737-86J AlbaStar op for TUI
n/s, dep 24th; N639M Falcon 2000EX. 23/2 D-BEEP
Citation 750 X dep 25th. 25/2 HA-LXW A321-231(SL)
Wizz Air f/v; LY-LTA Hawker 800XP also 29th n/s. 28/2
D-CCVD Citation 560XLS; EC-NAB 737-81Q AlbaStar
op for TUI n/s. 20/2 OE-GBD Gulfstream G100.
EAST MIDLANDS AIRPORT
1/3 N773CK 777-F Kalitta Air op for DHL f/v; N151SD
Gulfstream IV. 2/3 A7-BGA 747-87U(F) Qatar Airways
Cargo f/v, also 6th; VT-RUP Global 5000; D-ACNG
CRJ900LR Lufthansa, for painting. 3/3 A7-BGB 747-
87U(F) Qatar Airways Cargo f/v, also 7th; N525HA
CitationJet 525 CJ1. 4/3 N272GA Gulfstream G280;
D-CHZF Citation 550 Bravo; OE-FOG Citation 510
Mustang. 5/3 LX-VCB 747-8R7(F) Cargolux; N859GT
747-87U(F) Atlas Air f/v; D-IAAT Phenom 100. 9/3
D-ACNP CRJ900LR Lufthansa, for painting. 11/3
SP-MRF 767-281(BDSF) Sky Taxi f/v, op for DHL.
12/3 9A-JSD CitationJet 525A CJ2; F-HSTB Legacy
650. 14/3 D-CANG Citation 560XLS+; D-CNOC
Citation 560XLS. 15/3 D-ACNK CRJ900LR Lufthansa,
for painting; N177CK Eclipse 500. 19/3 N496MC
747-47U(F) Atlas Air. 20/3 OK-ESC Beech 400A.
21/3 N647GT 767-306ER(BDSF) Polar Air Cargo f/v;
N765CK 767-3P6ER(BDSF) Kalitta Air f/v; D-CKJE
Phenom 300. 22/3 D-ACLW CRJ900LR Lufthansa,
for painting; SP-TAT Beech 400A. 23/3 OO-ACE 747-
412BCF ACE Belgium Freighters f/v. 26/3 D-CSOS
Learjet 45. 29/3 D-CAMB Learjet 31A. 30/3 ZZ331
Voyager KC2 10/101 Sqns, RAF. 31/3 VP-BCR 747-
4H6(F) Silkway West Airlines.
EXETER AIRPORT
2/1 OO-FPE CitationJet 525B CJ3. 5/1 OO-PCI &
OO-PCK PC-12s; LX-FPF CitationJet 525B CJ3+. 9/1
PH-JWL Falcon 2000LX. 11/1 A9C-BAH Gulfstream
G550 Bahrain Amiri Flight. 13/1 2-EMBR Phenom 300
also 17th. 17/1 ZJ227 & ZJ223 Apache AH1s 673 Sqn,
AAC. 18/1 F-HCDM Cessna F.182Q.
GATWICK AIRPORT
1/3 ES-SAT A320-214 SmartLynx Estonia f/v, op for
TUI; HA-LVH A321-271NX Wizz Air f/v. 2/3 9H-TAJ
A330-343 Hi Fly Malta f/v; N652GB Gulfstream
G650ER f/v. 6/3 9H-VJV Global 6000 VistaJet f/v. 8/3
HB-VPO Phenom 300 f/v. 12/3 VQ-BBS Hawker 750
AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020
30/04/2020 14:39
 f/v. 13/3 TC-FHM A320-232 Freebird Airlines f/v. 15/3
9H-VJS Global 6000 VistaJet f/v. 17/3 EC-MTN A319-
112 Volotea Airlines f/v. 19/3 SU-BQK A320-214 Nile
Air f/v; CS-PHO Phenom 300 NetJets f/v. 23/3 TC-
JJN 777-3F2ER & TC-LKC 777-3U8ER Turkish Airlines
both f/v; UR-SQJ 737-96NER Sky Up Airlines f/v.
24/3 TC-LKA 777-36NER Turkish Airlines f/v; UR-SQB
737-8N6 Sky Up Airlines f/v. 25/3 EC-NBN A330-243
Wamos Air f/v; 9H-SOL A340-313 Hi Fly Malta f/v.
26/3 SU-BPU & SU-BPW A320-214s Air Cairo both
f/v; UR-SQC 737-8H6 Sky Up Airlines f/v; D-CMCA
CitationJet 525B CJ3+. 27/3 UR-SQA 737-8H6 Sky
Up Airlines f/v; EW-543PA 737-8K5 Belavia f/v. 29/3S
SU-BTM A320-214 Air Cairo f/v.

GLASGOW AIRPORT
2/1 LX-JFA PC-12. 3/1 SP-RKD 737-8AS Ryanair Sun
f/v; OO-WEG Challenger 350; D-CJMK Citation
560XLS+; OK-SLX Citation 560XL. 4/1 N223A
Gulfstream G550. 5/1 9H-AYS Global Express; OY-RSE
PC-12. 6/1 D-ARMY Legacy 650. 8/1 PH-BCL 737-800
KLM f/v. 10/1 HA-LXZ A321-231(SL) Wizz Air f/v; SP-
RKG 737-8AS Ryanair Sun f/v. 11/1 10-3058 C-146A
524th SOS, USAF dep 13th; SP-ESA 737-88Q8 Enter
Air f/v; LX-EAA Learjet 45XR. 12/1 N420DG PC-12 on
delivery to USA, ex OK-PME; D-AIWK A320-214(SL)
Lufthansa f/v; N257A Gulfstream G550. 12/1 N451KR
Gulfstream IVSP; D-CHZF Citation 550 Bravo. 20/1
D-CAWO Citation 560XLS+; PH-LAU Falcon 900EX.
21/1 9H-AMN Global 5000; LN-KGW Beech 200GT.
22/1 OE-IIS Gulfstream V. 23/1 D-CDIM Learjet
35A; 11-3016 C-146A 524th SOS, USAF n/s. 25/1
D-CFAF Learjet 60. 26/1 N57EL Gulfstream G500.
27/1 N650FX Gulfstream G650; 15+01 A319-133X
FBS, German AF o/s; OE-FZE Citation 510 Mustang.
30/1 EI-SLZ ATR 72-212/F ASL Airlines f/v+; D-CGAA
Citation 560XLS. 31/1 15+04 A321-231 FBS, German
AF; A9C-BAH Gulfstream G650 Bahrain Royal Flight.
2/2 SP-RSZ 737-8AS Ryanair Sun f/v; 9A-JSC
CitationJet 525A CJ2; C-FEMF Learjet 40; ZM404
Atlas C1 24/70 Sqns, RAF o/s. 3/2 D-CTIL Learjet
35A; D-CAMB Learjet 31A. 4/2 UR-CQD An-26B
Vulkan Air; HB-IGV Falcon 50EX. 5/2 EI-GPN ATR
72-600 Stobart Air f/v. 6/2 F-GMPM Beech C.90B.
7/2 D-INOB CitationJet 525A. 8/2 OE-LDD A319-112
Austrian Airlines; OY-VIK Falcon 7X. 9/2 C-GUDH
787-9 WestJet, Gatwick diversion; 165352/NY
KC-130T VMGR, USMC; N999PN Falcon 7X. 11/2
D-ALOA Legacy 650. 12/2 2-SALE DA62; 16-3020
C-146A 524th SOS, USAF. 15/2 OE-LDA A319-112
Austrian Airlines; SP-ESC 737-8AS Enter Air. 17/2
N152FJ Falcon 50EX. 18/2 14+05 Global 5000 FBS,
German AF. 19/2 CS-TQP A330-202 Hi Fly; D-IOSD
PA-42-720; D-CAHO Citation 560XLS+ also 22nd.
22/2 SP-ESG 737-8Q8 Enter Air; D-IOHL CitationJet
525A CJ2; PH-CDH 737-86J Corendon Airlines. 21/2
9H-SOL A340-313X Hi Fly Malta; F-GZTV 737-8K5
ASL Airlines. 22/2 OY-RCJ A320-214 Atlantic Airways,
op for Icelandair. 23/2 EI-GRS 737-81M AlbaStar. 24/2
SP-RKR 737-8AS Ryanair Sun f/v. 25/2 SP-ESE 737-
8Q8 Enter Air; ES-SAV A320-214 & YL-LCL A320-214
SmartLynx; 9H-GIO CitationJet 525 CJ1; LX-EAA
Learjet 45XR. 26/2 LN-RKK A321-232 SAS. 27/2 OY-
KBB A321-232 SAS; OE-GPS Citation 550 Bravo.
Royal Air Force of Oman C-130H Hercules, 505, taxiing to depart Cambridge City Airport on
March 9. Peter R Foster
8193 C-17A USAF 62nd/446th AW, USAF also 5th. 2/2
02-1109 C-17A 62nd/446th AW, USAF n/s; 04-4128
C-17A 305th/514th AW, USAF n/s, also 4th; 99-0168/
AK C-17A 517th AS, 3 Wg, USAF dep 4th; 06-6154
& 06-6160 C-17As 60th/349th AMW, USAF both
n/s. 3/2 07-7174 C-17A 436th/512nd AW, USAF; 08-
8194 C-17A 62nd/446th AW, USAF; 99-0169 C-17A
437th/315th AW, USAF n/s; OY-AWH PC-12 also 6th.
4/2 05-5139 C-17A 729th AS, AFRC dep 7th also 9th
n/s; 06-6168 C-17A 436th/512nd AW, USAF n/s. 5/2
04-4132 C-17A 305th/514th AMW, USAF; 07-7189
C-17A 437th/315th AW, USAF; 57-1453 KC-135R 106th
ARS, Al ANG n/s; 130608 CC-130J 436 TS, RCAF;
G-CKWE 787-9 Norwegian to Chevron, dep 11th.
6/2 06-6158 & 06-6163 C-17As 60th/349th AMW,
USAF. 8/2 98-0051/AK C-17A 517th AS, 3 Wg, n/s. 9/2
06-6162 C-17A 60th/349th AMW, USAF; 09-9209
C-17A 62nd/446th AW, USAF. 10/2 LN-LNJ 787-9
Norwegian to Chevron. 13/2 LX-ABM Global 5000;
N665ML Beech 350; 00-0171/AK C-17A 517th AS, 3
Wg, USAF, dep 18th. 14/2 CH-04 & CH-12 C-130Hs
15 Wing Belgian Defence – Air Component, both dep
15th. 15/2 97-0042 C-17A 155th AS, Tn ANG dep 18th.
16/2 03-3113 C-17A 183rd AS, Ms ANG also 18th n/s.
17/2 84-0126 C-21A 76th AS, 86th AW, USAF. 18/2
G-CKWC 787-9 Norwegian to Chevron, dep 25th;
240/F-RARF A330-223 ET01.060 French AF; 130616
CC-130J 436 TS, RCAF dep 20th. 20/2 CH-07
C-130H 15 Wing Belgian Defence – Air Component
n/s. 24/2 02-1110 C-17A 62nd/446th AW, USAF n/s;
G-EUNB A318-112 Titan Airways; 13-00283 MC-12S
B/224th MIB, US Army. 25/2 97-0048 C-17A 89th
AS, AFRC dep 27th, also 29th n/s; G-CKWT 787-9
Airbus A319CJ, VT-IAH, about to land at London
Luton Airport on February 1. James Ronayne
Norwegian to Chevron; 96-7323 & 95-6711 C-130Hs
130th AS, WV ANG. 26/2 62-3531 KC135R 166th
ARS, Oh ANG dep 3/3; 95-6710 C-130Hs 130th AS,
WV ANG n/s; 15005 CC-150 437 TS, RCAF n/s. 27/2
84-0060 C-5M 60th/349th AMW, USAF; 95-6709
C-130H 130th AS, WV ANG n/s. 29/2 130606 CC-
130J 436 TS, RCAF n/s; N8200R Dash 8-202 AFSOC;
T7-MSP Phenom 300; 61-0264 KC135R 166th ARS,
Oh ANG n/s.
HEATHROW AIRPORT
17/3 4X-ABG A320-232 Israir f/v; 9H-WII Citation 650
VII f/v; B-LXJ A350-1041 Cathay Pacific f/v; G-NEOZ
A321-251NX British Airways on delivery. 18/3 B-3275
Gulfstream G550 f/v; B-3293 Legacy 650 f/v; B-LXB
A350-1041 Cathay Pacific f/v; D-AZZA Challenger
605 f/v; VP-BHA 777-300ER Aeroflot f/v. 19/3 B-LXL
A350-1041 Cathay Pacific f/v; EI-EJI A330-202
Alitalia f/v; OH-LWP A350-941 Finnair f/v; P4-KGB
A321-271NX Air Astana f/v. 20/3 A6-BMH 787-10
Etihad Airways f/v; A7-ANP A350-941 Qatar Airways
f/v; B-LXA A350-1041 Cathay Pacific f/v; HB-JDA
A320-271N Swiss f/v. 21/3 4X-ABI A320-232(SL) Israir
f/v; A6-BMB 787-10 Etihad Airways f/v; B-LXD A350-
1041 Cathay Pacific f/v; OM-FTS CitationJet 525A
CJ2 f/v; SP-LRH 787-8 & SP-LSB 787-9 LOT both
f/v; VQ-BFK 777-300ER Aeroflot f/v. 22/3 A6-BMD
787-10 Etihad Airways f/v; CS-TUR A330-941N TAP
Portugal f/v; HZ-AK74 777-FFG Saudia f/v; N765CK
767-3P6ERF Kalitta Air f/v; SE-ROS A320-251N SAS
f/v; VN-A872 787-10 Vietnam Airlines f/v. 23/3 CS-
TTZ E195AR TAP Portugal f/v; EI-DIP A330-202 Alitalia
f/v; HA-YFK Beech 400A f/v; VQ-BUC 777-300ER

GLASGOW PRESTWICK
AIRPORT
1/2 07-7175 C-17A 436th/512nd AW, USAF dep 4th;
07-7185 C-17A 437th/315th AW, USAF dep 3rd; 08-

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AIRPORT MOVEMENTS COMPILED BY CARL HOPE
Bristow Helicopters Sikorsky S-92A, 5N-BPC, passing through Norwich Airport
on February 8 en route to the company’s facility in Aberdeen. Matt Varley
Aeroflot f/v. 24/3 CS-TST 767-34PER euroAtlantic
airways f/v; CS-TTW E195AR TAP Portugal f/v; D-ALEJ
A330-243F DHL Air f/v; D-CLAM Phenom 300 f/v; EI-
EJP A330-202 Alitalia f/v; TF-KEX 737-8BK Icelandair
f/v. 25/3 022 Casa 295M 8.BLTr, Polish AF f/v; CS-TPP
E190LR & CS-TPQ E190LR TAP Portugal both f/v;
EI-EJO A330-202 Alitalia f/v; G-OBYH 767-304ER
TUI Fly f/v; SE-ROI A320-251N SAS f/v. 26/3 CC-BGN
787-9 LATAM Airlines f/v; CS-TPS E190LR & CS-TTY
E195AR TAP Portugal f/v. 27/3 VQ-BQM 777-300ER
Aeroflot f/v. 28/3 CS-TPR E190LR & CS-TTX E195AR
TAP Portugal both f/v; EI-EJH A330-202 Alitalia f/v;
N29977 787-9 United Airlines f/v; V8-OAS 787-8
f/v; VQ-BFL 777-300ER Aeroflot f/v. 29/3 4X-CUZ
Hawker 800XP f/v; B-LQA A350-941 Cathay Pacific
f/v; EI-EJN A330-202 Alitalia f/v. 30/3 EI-EJL A330-
202 Alitalia f/v. 31/3 D-ALMD A330-243F DHL Air f/v;
N12012 787-10 United Airlines f/v.
JERSEY AIRPORT
2/1 D-AHOS Legacy 650; D-IMOI CitationJet 525
CJ1. 10/1 2-CLRK Eclipse EA500. 12/1 I-6549 Alpi
Pioneer 300S, dep by road. 15/1 SE-MDA ATR 72-212A
Danish Air Transport op for Aurigny. 16/1 M-CAPE
Gulfstream G600. 18/1 OE-FLG CitationJet 525 CJ1.
19/1 F-HLRS Phenom 300. 21/1 LX-PCC PC-24;
F-GZTO 737-73S ASL Airlines; F-GELM PA-34-200T.
22/1 G-MCSM H175 Babcock Mission Critical Services
on delivery. 24/1 9H-LGM Phenom 100; D-CHLR
Phenom 300; D-IZMM Citation 510 Mustang; F-HPUR
Hawker 800XP. 27/1 F-GLRZ Phenom 300. 28/1
9H-FRM Falcon 100; CS-EJA Citation 560XLS.
LEEDS/BRADFORD AIRPORT
1/2 D-CFIV Learjet 35A. 3/2 SP-ESB 737-8Q8 Enter
Cirrus SR22T-GTS G6 Platinum, D-EULY, photographed at Exeter Airport on March 20. Ian Simpson
With thanks to. D Apps, D Bougourd, S Boyd, J Brazier, N Burch, P A Clarke, I Cockerton, KW Ede, M Farley, N French, P Gibson, G Green, J Gregory, I Grierson,
D Haines, M Harper, G Hocquard, S Lane, G Morris, S Morrison, R Roberts, RJ Sayer, A Smith, D Turner, Blackpool Aviation Society, Solent Aviation Society/‘Osprey’,
South Wales Aviation Group, CIAN, GSAE, The Aviation Society, EGPE ATC, www.dtvmovements.co.uk, Aerodata Quantum Plus and RHADS.
74
72-74_airportsDC.mf.indd 74
Air f/v. 4/2 C-GEJD Learjet 45. 6/2 277 AW139 301
Sqn, Irish Air Corps. 13/2 D-CROG Phenom 300 f/v.
14/2 D-IAAB Phenom 100. 15/2 D-AZUR Legacy 650
f/v. 25/2 N117CK Eclipse EA500 f/v. 27/2 160/ABV
TBM 700B EAAT, French Army.
LIVERPOOL AIRPORT
1/1 N818ME Gulfstream IV dep 3rd. 3/1 D-CXLS
Citation 560XLS+ n/s. 5/1 D-CHLR Phenom 300;
D-AHOS Legacy 650; PH-LAU Falcon 900EX; 9H-PAL
Citation 550 Bravo; 9H-LGM Phenom 100; N750GX
Global 7500 n/s. 6/1 D-AHOI Legacy 650 also 8th n/s;
C-CJLN Challenger 350 n/s. 7/1 D-IEKU CitationJet
525A CJ2 dep 9th. 8/1 165832 C-40A USN n/s. 16/1
EW-483TI An-12BK Ruby Star n/s. 11/1 F-HEND
Citation 510 Mustang. 14/1 SP-MRB Saab 340A Sky
Taxi; D-IGWT CitationJet 525A CJ2 n/s. 15/1 D-IPCH
CitationJet 525A CJ2. 17/1 F-HASJ Citation 510
Mustang n/s; SP-DOM Learjet 60XR; SP-ESE 737-8Q8
Enter Air also 20th; HB-JKK Falcon 8X dep 20th;
D-CGGG Learjet 31A n/s. 18/1 LN-KGW Beech 200GT
n/s; LN-XAX Falcon 8X n/s; OK-BEE Beech 400A n/s;
OE-GBE Gulfstream G100 n/s; D-IOHL CitationJet
525A CJ2+ n/s; N627JW Global 5000 dep 20th. 20/1
CS-EJA Citation 560XLS; SP-ENV 737-8BK Enter Air
also 31st; D-CROG Phenom 300 n/s. 23/1 D-IAAD
Phenom 100. 24/1 LX-RSQ Learjet 45XR n/s. 26/1
D-CASH Phenom 300 n/s. 28/1 N28ZD Global 6000.
31/1 OO-ACO Citation 510 Mustang n/s; HB-CCR
Cessna T.210N dep 2/2; HB-IGO Falcon 2000LX n/s;
165829 C-40A USN n/s.
LONDON LUTON AIRPORT
1/3 TC-MAA Gulfstream 650. 2/3 N350TN Challenger
350; 33/XA TBM 700A ET00.043, French AF; OK-OBR
Citation 510 Mustang. 4/3 N888NS Gulfstream G550;
146/XR TBM 700A ET00.041, French AF. 6/3 B-605D
Global 6000. 7/3 D-BVHA Falcon 2000LX. 8/3
D-AGBB Falcon 8X; N244BC Global 5000; N650RL
Challenger 650. 9/3 N901X Gulfstream G550. 10/3
N737KA BBJ1; CS-EMA Falcon 900EX. 12/3 VP-CCI
Falcon 7X. 14/3 T7-DSD Gulfstream G150; T7-MCB
Global XRS; HB-JLC Global 6000. 15/3 TC-TSY
Citation 560XLS+; LN-RTN Falcon 2000LX. 16/3
D-CLIF Phenom 300; B-603T Legacy 650; PH-EBR
Falcon 900; TC-CMC Falcon 7X; N8998K Global
6000. 17/3 HI-1040 Gulfstream IVSP; T7-SKL Global
XRS; OE-LUA Challenger 650; A7-CGG Gulfstream
G650ER. 18/3 OE-FOG Citation 510 Mustang;
D-FSWO PC-12; B-3293 Legacy 650. 20/3 LY-BGH
Hawker 750; VP-BGP Legacy; B-8256 Gulfstream
G550. 23/3 B-8258 Gulfstream G550; B-8415 A320-
232CJ Deer Jet. 24/3 B-3869 Falcon 7X. 27/3 OE-LIO
Global 5000. 31/3 B-3226 Gulfstream G550.
LONDON SOUTHEND
AIRPORT
4/2 PH-CGN Do.228-212 Netherlands Coast Guard
also 17th, N840HA Dash 8-Q201 f/v. 7/2 SX-SEM
Learjet 35A f/v, n/s; N690PK Commander 690A. 10/2
N404BC Falcon 900 f/v. 11/2 N788DP BBJ1 n/s. 17/2
N999PN Falcon 7X f/v; LX-DEA Citation 560XLS.
24/2 2-JEZA Eclipse EA500 f/v, n/s. 27/2 EI-STU
737-4M0(SF) ASL Airlines f/v. 28/2 SE-DSY RJ100
Braathens Regional, final flight, to be scrapped. 29/2
D-CAWX Citation 680 Sovereign; D-INKY Avanti dep
1/3.
MANCHESTER AIRPORT
1/3 9H-QEP 737-800 Malta Air f/v; SP-RKI 737-800
Ryanair Sun f/v. 2/3 9H-QCZ 737-8AS Malta Air f/v;
9H-SOL A340-343X Hi Fly Malta f/v. 3/3 HB-AZC
E190STD Helvetic Airways f/v, op for Swiss; N194ER
Citation 510 Mustang f/v. 4/3 9H-QDG 737-800 Malta
Air f/v; N919NE Falcon 7X f/v. 6/3 9H-QBF 737-800
& 9H-QBD 737-8AS Malta Air both f/v. 8/3 N456GA
Gulfstream G550 f/v. 9/3 SP-EMA PC-12.
10/3 CS-DPL Global 6000 f/v; ZA940 Puma HC2
Benson Wing, RAF o/s. 11/3 I-ADJV E195LR Air
Dolomiti f/v, op for Lufthansa; OY-GDC E195-200LR
Great Dane Airlines f/v; OY-VKH A330-343X Sunclass
Airlines dep to Copenhagen after maintenance. 12/3
9H-QDV 737-800 Malta Air f/v; SP-RKK 737-800
Ryanair Sun f/v. 13/3 9H-QBC 737-800 Malta Air f/v;
G-TCDD A321-211(SL) on delivery to Jet2 to become
G-HLYA. 14/3 9H-QAV 737-8AS Malta Air f/v; OE-IZK
Gulfstream G450 f/v. 15/3 9A-BTG A320-232 Trade Air
f/v. 16/3 9H-QBE 737-8AS Malta Air f/v. 17/3 9H-QEM
737-800 Malta Air f/v; OY-JJK Hawker 4000 f/v. 19/3
ET-ASL 777-360ER Ethiopian Airlines f/v. 20/3 ET-APY
777-36NER Ethiopian Airlines f/v; 9H-VJV Global
6000 VistaJet f/v. 21/3 9H-QDE 737-800 Malta Air f/v;
9H-TOO Falcon 7X f/v. 22/3 9H-QBI 737-8AS Malta
Air f/v; OE-ISX Falcon 7X f/v. 27/3 N651FX Gulfstream
G650 f/v. 29/3 LY-FSK Hawker 900XP f/v.
Key: f/v first visit; n/s nightstop; o/s overshoot.
Note: The photos featured were taken before
restrictions on movement were imposed.
AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020
30/04/2020 14:39
 Air Base Movements
A selection of the most interesting aircraft
to visit air bases in the UK recently.
United States Air Force C-130H Hercules, 94-6701, about to touch down at RAF Mildenhall on March 10. The aircraft is assigned to the 182nd Airlift
Wing, Illinois Air National Guard. Also arriving that day was 93-2042 from the same unit – both aircraft departed after staying the night. Justin Ward
RAF BRIZE NORTON
4/3 ZZ523 Wildcat AH1 1 Regt, AAC. 10/3 ZJ129 &
ZJ225 Apache AH1s arrived by road for shipping to
USA for upgrade programme. 24/3 ZZ521 Wildcat
AH1 847 NAS, RN arrived as airfreight, dep 26th. 25/3
84006/846 Tp-84 Royal Swedish AF also 30th. 26/3
ZZ399 & ZZ527 Wildcat AH1s 847 NAS, RN arrived as
airfreight, dep 30th; ZZ512 Wildcat AH1 847 NAS, RN
arrived as airfreight, dep 31st.
RAF CONINGSBY
4/3 ZM147 F-35B 617 Sqn, RAF o/s also 5th o/s. 5/3
ZM150/016 F-35B 207 Sqn, RAF o/s.
DSAE COSFORD
XX168/168 Hawk T1 had arrived from storage at RAF
Shawbury by 31/3.
RAF FAIRFORD
3/3 80-1085 U-2S 1st ERS, 9th RW, USAF dep
18th. 10/3 03-3124 C-17A 437th/315th AW, USAF;
59-1513/D KC-135T 351st ARS, 100th ARW, USAF.
12/3 82-1068/WM, 82-1070/WM & 88-0332/
WM B-2As 509th BW, USAF all dep 20th. 14/3
05-5144 C-17A 729th AS, AFRC. 24/3 07-7189
C-17A 437th/315th AW, USAF. 28/3 85-0008 C-17A
436th/512th AW, USAF.
KINLOSS BARRACKS
4/3 ZK350/350, ZK378/378, ZK426/426 &
ZK434/434 Typhoon FGR4s 6 Sqn, RAF, all
Lossiemouth diversions, all n/s. 13/3 ZP802
Poseidon MRA1, 120 Sqn arrived.
RAF LAKENHEATH
2/3 07-7189 C-17A 437th/315th AW, USAF. 9/3 09-
4134 C-17A 305th/514th AMW, USAF. 14/3 10-0217
C-17A 62nd/446th AW, USAF n/s; 10-0218 C-17A
62nd/446th AW, USAF still present 1/4. 16/3 87-
0035 C-5M 436th/512th AW, USAF.
RAF LEEMING
3/3 ZK334 Typhoon FGR4 6 Sqn, RAF & ZK430
Typhoon FGR4 2 Sqn, RAF arrived for a NATO
Capability Evaluation, both dep 12th. 6/3 ZK322
Typhoon FGR4 1 Sqn, RAF arrived for NATO
WWW.AVIATION-NEWS.CO.UK
75_airbasesDC.mf.indd 75
Capability Evaluation, dep 12th. 11/3 ZZ524 Wildcat
AH1 1 Regt, AAC. 13/3 PP-XHH Hunter T72 HHA o/s.
19/3 ZZ418 Shadow R1 14 Sqn, RAF o/s.
RAF MARHAM
9/3 CE-01 ERJ135LR 15 Wing, Belgian Defence – Air
Component. 12/3 ZZ419 Shadow R1 14 Sqn, RAF o/s.
RAF MILDENHALL
3/3 87-0003 C-5M 436th/512th AW, USAF. 4/3
169534 KC-130J VMGR-252, USMC also 5th, 6th,
20th & 22nd. 5/3 ZM147 & ZM150 F-35As 617
Sqn, RAF both o/s; G-273 C-130H 336 Sqn, Royal
Netherlands AF o/s. 7/3 07 blue C-27J Lithuanian AF
also 27th; 07-8608/RS C-130J-30 37th AS, 86th AW,
USAF. 8/3 87-0036 C-5M 436th/512th AW, USAF n/s.
9/3 96-1006 C-130H 109th AS, Mn ANG; 900530
C-26D AOD, Sigonella n/s. 10/3 93-2042 & 94-6701
C-130Hs 169th AS, IL ANG, both n/s. 16/3 168067
KC-130J VMGR-352, USMC n/s; ZZ173 C-17A 99
Sqn, RAF o/s, also 17th o/s. 19/3 ZZ175 C-17A 99
Sqn, RAF o/s. 24/3 84-0061 C-5M 436th/512th AW,
USAF; ZZ172 C-17A 99 Sqn, RAF o/s, also 25th o/s.
RAF NORTHOLT
3/2 252 CN235M-100MP 101 Sqn, Irish Air Corps;
MM62243 A319CJ 31° St, Italian AF n/s. 4/2 110/XP
TBM 700 French AF. 7/2 14+06 Global 5000 FBS,
German AF. 10/2 T.18-3/45-42 Falcon 900B 45 Gr,
Spanish AF. 11/2 MM62026 Falcon 50, 31° St, Italian
AF also 13th. 26/2 125/XO TBM 700 French AF. 27/2
ZZ502 Avenger T1 750 NAS, RN.
Czech Air Force Airbus A319CJ, 3085,
on approach to RAF Brize Norton on
February 14. Richard Eccleston
AIR BASE MOVEMENTS FROM MAR WWW.MILITARYAVIATIONREVIEW.COM
5/3 252 CN235M-100MP 101 Sqn, Irish Air Corps;
017 C-295M Polish AF. 29/3 ZZ392 Wildcat AH1 1
Regt, 1 Regt AAC.
RAF ODIHAM
5/3 ZZ388 & ZZ408 Wildcat AH1s 661 Sqn, AAC.
RAF SHAWBURY
3/3 ZH842 & ZH853 Merlin HM2s 814 NAS, RN. 6/3
ZJ122/F Merlin HC4 845 NAS, RN. 16/3 ZJ127/L,
ZJ129/N & ZJ134/S Merlin HC4s 845 NAS, RN all o/s.
RAF STAFFORD
5/3 ZJ231 & ZJ195 Apache AH1s 3/4 Regts. AAC.
RAF VALLEY
3/3 ZM147/013 & ZM150/016 F-35Bs 207 Sqn, RAF
both o/s. 5/3 266 & 269 PC-9Ms FTS, Irish Air Corps
both o/s.
RAF WADDINGTON
3/3 PP-XHH Hunter T72 HHA o/s.
RAF WITTERING
5/3 ZJ231 & ZJ195 Apache AH1s 3/4 Regts. AAC.
Key: n/s night stop; o/s overshoot
Note: The photos featured were
taken before restrictions on
movement were imposed.
75
27/04/2020 17:11
 Register Review
REGISTER REVIEW BY STUART MCDIARMID

The latest changes on the UK, Irish, Isle of Man and Guernsey registers.

Boeing 737-8JP, EI-FJE, departing Bournemouth Airport on December 20 after being repainted in Smartavia colours. The aircraft formerly flew
with Norwegian and has been re-registered as VP-BAB. Mark Empson – Bourneavia Photography

RESTORATIONS
REG’N MODE(S) TYPE C/N OWNER G-FEBU 40793F DG Flugzeugbau 10-277S182 University of Bristol, (Bristol,
DG-1000S City of Bristol)
G-BMGC 4079FA Fairey Swordfish Mk.1 (built --- Fly Navy Heritage Trust Ltd,
by Blackburn Aeroplane & RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset G-FREY 407A08 Cirrus SR20 1964 MAJ Aviation Ltd, Shobdon,
Motor Company Ltd) Herefordshire
G-BUNA 407A0A Stampe SV4C (built 222 JP O’Donnell, (Hythe, Kent) G-IBEN 4067B9 Van’s RV-7 (built by BA BA Fawkes, Adversane, West
by Société Nationale Fawkes & F Sharples) Sussex
de Constructions G-JGRV 4079A10 Van’s RV-14 J Greenhalgh, (Cynwyd,
Aéronautiques du Nord) Denbighshire)
G-BXHA 403DE7 de Havilland DHC-1 C1/0801 AJ Done, Trustee of Hangar G-JKSN 4079FD Best Off Skyranger Nynja BMAA/ M Hilton, Trustee of G-JKSN
Chipmunk 22 VII Flying Group. Old 912S(1) (built by M Hilton HB/726 Group, Darley Moor,
Warden, Bedfordshire and S Smith) Derbyshire
G-BYCY 4040B1 I.I.I. Sky Arrow 650T (built PFA 298- KA Daniels, (Undy, G-JOET 4079F2 Aeropro EuroFOX 2K 59230 JA Thomas, Sellindge, Kent
by AS Sprigings) 13332 Monmouthshire) (assembled by Ascent
G-ORAF 40318D CFM Streak Shadow (built PFA 161A- GA Carter, (Harwich, Essex) Industries Ltd)
by GA Taylor) 11627 G-JSMD 407895 M&D Flugzeugbau JS-MD3 3MD079 AJ Davis, Nympsfield,
G-TAWA 406660 Boeing 737-8K5 37264 TUI Airways Ltd trading Gloucestershire
as TUI, London Luton, G-LDGU 404182 Slingsby T67M-200 Firefly 2042 Leading Edge Aviation Ltd,
Bedfordshire (NB) Oxford, Oxfordshire
G-LGAN 4079E3 Piper PA-28-181 Archer III 2843248 Corporate Aviation UK Ltd,
Oxford, Oxfordshire
NEW REGISTRATIONS G-LMRB 407A01 ATR 42-500 484 Loganair Ltd, Glasgow,
REG’N MODE(S) TYPE C/N OWNER Renfrewshire
G-CLHY 4078A0 Miles M14A Magister 873 RAF Station Czechoslovakia G-MERB 40747D Dassault Falcon 900 120 XJC Jets Ltd, Southampton,
s.r.o. Podhorany u Ronova, Hampshire (NB)
Czech Republic G-MRLB 4069FE Dassault Falcon 900 078 XJC Jets Ltd, Southampton,
G-CLKP 407973 Airbus BK114 D-2 20312 Airbus Helicopters UK Ltd, Hampshire (NB)
Oxford, Oxfordshire (for RAF G-NARL 407A0C Zlin Savage Shock Cub LAA 419- PF Rothwell, (Little
as Jupiter HT1) 15669 Gaddesen, Hertfordshire
G-CLKS 407974 Airbus BK114 D-2 20313 Airbus Helicopters UK Ltd, G-NCDC 407A04 Best Off Skyranger Nynja BMAA/ CD Church, (Charminster,
Oxford, Oxfordshire (for RAF 912S(1) HB/719 Dorset)
as Jupiter HT1)
G-NEOZ 407844 Airbus A321-251NX 9123 British Airways PLC, London
G-CLKW 406549 Sikorsky S-92A 920143 Macquarie Rotorcraft Heathrow, Middlesex
Leasing Holdings Ltd,
G-OEWE 4078CB Cameron Sport-80 12340 N Edmunds, (Thornbury,
(London EC2Y)
South Gloucestershire)
G-CLLD 407996 Robin DR400RP 1817 CJO Fox, Upwood, G-RSFX 4078E6 Learjet 45 45-301 Flexjet Ltd, Birmingham,
Remorqueur Cambridgeshire West Midlands
G-CLLP 407A0D Agusta AW139 31476 Wilmington Trust SP Services G-RTNA 4079F3 Beech B300C King Air FM-82 Raytheon Systems Ltd,
(Dublin) Ltd, (Dublin, 350CER Hawarden, Flintshire
Republic of Ireland)
G-RVBJ 4079F9 Van’s RV-8A LAA 303- KRH Wingate, (Kingsbridge,
G-CLLV 4079E0 Schleicher ASW-28-18E 28709 RD Payne, Nympsfield, 15692 Devon)
Gloucestershire
G-SJBB 4079DD Robin DR400/140B 2744 CS and JA Bailey trading
G-CLMH 4079F1 Pipistrel Alpha BCAR-S 164 AT1640006 Fly About Aviation Ltd, as SJ Aircraft, Elstree,
Shipmeadow, Suffolk Hertfordshire
G-CLNI 4079FB de Havilland DHC-1 C1/0617 Fly Navy Heritage Trust Ltd, G-SNDR 4079FF Supermarine S5 Replica LAA 418- WB Hosie, (Corfe, Dorset)
Chipmunk 22A RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset 15696
G-CLNJ 4079FC Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 41H-609980 Fly Navy Heritage Trust Ltd, G-SNDS 407978 Cirrus SR20 2528 Sands Wealth Management
RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset Ltd, Bagby, North Yorkshire
G-CLOU 407A00 Best Off Skyranger Nynja 297-1 Flylight Airsports Ltd, Sywell, G-TCUK 406240 Agusta A109S Grand 22021 Castle Air Ltd, Trebrown
Northamptonshire Heliport, Liskeard, Cornwall
G-DLAD 4079BF Cessna 208 Caravan 208-00533 Avonvale Ltd, Gloucestershire G-TTNL 40792F Airbus A320-251N 9585 British Airways PLC, London
G-EMHJ 4079F5 Agusta AW109SP Grand 22283 Helicompany Ltd, Costock Heathrow, Middlesex
New Heliport, Nottinghamshire

76 AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020

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 G-TUKF 4079A9 Boeing 737-8AS 33605 TUI Airways Ltd trading G-BWFT Hawker Hunter T.8M 41H-695332 Cancelled as Permanently WFU
as TUI, London Luton, (Permit to Fly expired 23.07.99.
Bedfordshire (NB) Parted-out at RAF St Athan circa
2015)
G-UFCP 402035 Reims Cessna F152 1908 Ulster Flying Club (1961) Ltd,
Newtownards, Co. Down G-BXOM Isaacs Spitfire PFA 027- Cancelled by CAA (No Permit
EI-GSP 4CAAF2 Airbus A321-231 1438 Merx Aviation Ireland 1 12768 to Fly issued, believed not
Ltd, (stored at Montpelier- completed)
Mediterranee, France) G-BYFJ Cameron N-105 4545 Cancelled as Permanently WFU
EI-GSU Not P & M Aviation Quik GT450 8275 J Ryan, Enniscorthy, Co. (CofA expired 08.06.15)
allotted Wexford G-BYRY Slingsby T67M-200 Firefly 2042 Re-registered as G-LDGU
EI-HEE 4CAB31 Airbus A330-243F 1032 ASL Airlines (Ireland) Ltd, G-BZSO UltraMagic M-77C 77/190 To USA
Hong Kong International,
G-CBFO Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP 172S8929 To Slovenia
Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region of the G-CBZG Rans S6-ES Coyote PFA 204- Cancelled as Permanently WFU
People's Republic of China 13894 (Permit to Fly expired 18.07.19)
EJ-AWES 4CAB2C Bombardier Challenger 605 5966 Sonas Aviation Ltd, Shannon, G-CCMS Mainair Pegasus Quik 7997 Cancelled as Destroyed (crashed
Co. Clare at Manchester Barton, Greater
Manchester)
2-CCEA TBA Boeing 757-223 25695 Loftleidir-Icelandic ehf,
Keflavík International, Iceland G-CCMX Best Off Skyranger 912(2) BMAA/ Cancelled as Permanently WFU
2-CCPP TBA Boeing 737-804 39203 GA Telesis (UK) Ltd, HB/255 (crashed at a farm strip near
(stored at St Athan, Vale of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Glamorgan) 14.02.19)

2-EALK TBA Airbus A340-642 768 European Skybus Ltd, G-CCNZ Raj Hamsa X’Air 133(1) BMAA/ Cancelled by CAA (Permit to Fly
Bournemouth, Dorset HB/308 expired 03.12.11)

2-HOPN TBA ATR 72-212A 1288 SAFE Capital 2015-1 LLC, G-CCSS Lindstrand LBL 90A 973 Cancelled as Permanently WFU
Toulouse-Francazal, France (CofA expired 10.05.18)
G-CFSO Flylight Dragonfly 025 Cancelled as Permanently WFU
(SSDR microlight so no Permit to
Fly required)
PREVIOUS IDENTITIES G-CHAP Robinson R44 Astro 0326 To USA as N840CS
REG'N P.I. REG’N P.I.
G-CHCS Sikorsky S-92A 920125 To USA as N760MR
G-BMGC ex W5856 G-MRLB ex G-FLCN
G-CHIR Van’s RV-7 PFA 323- Re-registered as G-IBEN
G-BUNA ex OY-EFF G-NEOZ ex D-AVZV 13981
G-BXHA ex G-HVII G-RSFX ex N472FX G-CINB Ace Aviation Magic Laser AL159/AM167 Cancelled as Destroyed, details
unknown
G-CLHY ex LV-X246 G-RTNA ex N82US
G-CIOI Aérospatiale AS332L Super Puma 2082 To Austria
G-CLKW ex C-FXGM G-SNDS ex N543DS
G-CJFI Ace Aviation Magic Cyclone AC-143 Cancelled as Permanently WFU
G-CLLD ex F-GOXD G-TAWA ex C-FVWA
(SSDR microlight, no Permit
G-CLLP ex I-AVCS G-TCUK ex G-REXC required)
G-CLLV ex D-KHDH G-TTNL ex F-WWDZ G-CLGH Sikorsky S-92A 920203 To Nigeria
G-CLNI ex WK808 G-TUKF ex TC-IZG G-CLLZ Bölkow Bö105P 6039 To Russia
G-CLNJ ex VR930 G-UFCP ex G-PTTB G-DODB Robinson R22 Beta 0911 To Italy
G-DLAD ex N533DL EI-GSP ex TC-ETF G-DSPL Diamond DA40 40.037 To Germany as D-EGCR
G-EMHJ ex D-HHHC EI-GSU ex G-CENV G-FBJG Embraer 175 17000344 To Denmark as OY-YDA
G-FREY ex 9A-PAC EI-HEE ex D-ALMC G-FBJH Embraer 175 17000351 To Denmark as OY-YDB
G-IBEN ex G-CHIR EJ-AWES ex T7-YES G-FDZG Boeing 737-8K5 35139 To Belarus as EW-544PA
G-LDGU ex G-BYRY 2-CCEA ex N687AA G-FLCN Dassault Falcon 900 078 Re-registered as G-MRLB
G-LGAN ex HB-PSB 2-CCPP ex TC-CPP G-GOSP Agusta AW109SP GrandNew 22259 To USA as N109GN
G-LMRB ex F-GPYC 2-EALK ex G-VRED G-HMSJ Robin DR400/140B 2694 To Belgium as OO-SAM
G-MERB ex G-JSSE 2-HOPN ex F-HOPN G-HVII de Havilland Chipmunk 22 C1/0801 Re-registered as G-BXHA
G-IAGI SOCATA TB-9 Tampico 1396 To France
G-JGXP Bell 407 54727 To Germany
CANCELLATIONS G-JSSE Dassault Falcon 900 120 Re-registered as G-MERB
REG’N TYPE C/N REASON
G-MMBE MBA Tiger Cub 440 SO74 Cancelled as Permanently WFU
G-AVCV Cessna 182J Skylane 182-57492 To USA as N3492F (SSDR microlight, no Permit
G-AWIR Bushby-Long Midget Mustang PFA 1315 Cancelled by CAA (crashed near required)
Spanhoe, Northamptonshire G-MNHL Solar Wings Pegasus XL-R SW-WA-1055 Cancelled as Permanently WFU
21.07.19) (Permit to Fly expired 04.05.14)
G-AZVP Reims Cessna F177RG Cardinal RG 0057 Cancelled by CAA (was based in G-MNKB Solar Wings Pegasus Photon SW-WF-0005 Cancelled as Permanently WFU
Czech Republic) (SSDR microlight, no Permit
G-AZYD Morane Saulnier MS.893A Rallye 10645 Cancelled as Permanently WFU required)
Commodore 180 (CofA expired 07.12.15, last
reported stored at Seighford,
Staffordshire 10.17)
G-BBNJ Reims Cessna F150L 1038 Cancelled as Destroyed (crashed
on landing at Breighton, East
Yorkshire 26.08.19)
G-BEOK Reims Cessna F150M 1366 To Netherlands
G-BSDN Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II 34-7970335 Cancelled as Permanently
WFU (CofA expired 11.10.11.
last reported stored at
Wolverhampton Halfpenny
Green, Staffordshire 08.19)
G-BSWF Piper PA-16 Clipper (modified) 16-475 To France
G-BTJO Thunder Ax9-140 1948 Cancelled by CAA (CofA expired
28.04.92)
G-BULT Everett Gyroplane Series 1 PFA Cancelled by CAA (Permit to Fly
G/03A-1213 expired 26.05.05)
G-BVOW Europa Aviation Europa PFA 247- Cancelled as Destroyed (crashed
12679 on take-off at MOD Boscombe Bombardier Challenger 605, EJ-AWES, has been added to the Irish
Down, Wiltshire 27.12.18) register and was formerly T7-YES. Graham Hocquard

WWW.AVIATION-NEWS.CO.UK 77

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REGISTER REVIEW BY STUART MCDIARMID
EI-FTO Boeing 737-800 44765 To Malta as 9H-QDP
EI-FTW Boeing 737-800 44771 To Malta as 9H-QDV
EI-FTY Boeing 737-800 44772 To Malta as 9H-QDW
EI-FWF Sukhoi RRJ-95B 95118 To Malta as 9H-SJF
EI-FYA Boeing 737-8 42830 To Sweden as SE-RYJ
EI-FYB Boeing 737-8 42826 To Sweden as SE-RYK
EI-FYC Boeing 737-8 42825 To Sweden as SE-RYL
EI-FYF Boeing 737-8 42829 To Sweden as SE-RYF
EI-FYG Boeing 737-8 42831 To Sweden as SE-RYG
EI-FYH Boeing 737-8 64992 To Sweden as SE-RYH
EI-FYI Boeing 737-8 42834 To Sweden as SE-RYI
EI-FZN Boeing 737-800 44786 To Poland as SP-RKL
EI-FZO Boeing 737-800 44787 To Poland as SP-RKM
EI-GJN Boeing 737-800 44838 To Malta as 9H-QEO
Cessna 525A CitationJet CJ2, G-OCJZ, has joined the US register as
EI-HED Airbus A330-243F 1414 To Hong Kong Special
N415SL. AirTeamImages.com/Simon Willson Administrative Region of the
People's Republic of China as
B-LDP
G-MTIR Solar Wings Pegasus XL-R SW-WA-1192 Cancelled by CAA (Permit to Fly
EI-ING Reims Cessna F172P 2084 Cancelled as Removed from
expired 02.09.15)
Service (crashed at Craughwell
G-MVKP Solar Wings XL-Q (modified) SW- Cancelled as Permanently WFU airfield, Co. Galway, Republic of
WQ-0128 (SSDR microlight, no Permit Ireland 04.08.18)
required)
EI-LBR Boeing 757-2Q8 28167 To USA (stored Phoenix-
G-MYCJ Mainair Mercury 906-0592-5- Cancelled by CAA (Permit to Fly Goodyear, USA)
W704 expired 04.01.18)
M-ABMB ATR 72-212A 771 To Brazil as PR-PDQ
G-MYLO Rans S6-ESD (Modified) PFA 204- Cancelled by CAA (crashed at
2-BLUE Bombardier Challenger 601-3A 5129 To Malta
12334 Trimdon, Co. Durham 29.06.19)
G-MYRY Solar Wings Pegasus Quantum 15 6813 Cancelled as Destroyed (details 2-EALJ Airbus A340-642 765 To Nigeria
unknown, Permit to Fly current 2-HJKL ATR 42-200 563 To Brazil as PR-PDS
to 13.07.20)
2-RLBM Boeing 777-31H 29062 To USA as N962CL
G-MZKG Mainair Blade 1145-0198- Cancelled by CAA (Permit to Fly
2-SCII Agusta A109C 7628 To USA
7-W948 expired 21.10.11)
G-NANI Robinson R44 Clipper II 11537 To Austria 2-TJFP Boeing 737-8AL 39068 To France as F-HTVQ

G-NPTY Boeing 737-436 25267 To USA as N405YK 2-ZERO Cirrus SR22T 0189 To USA as N552AM

G-NSEW Robinson R44 Astro 0615 Cancelled by CAA (CofA expired

22.05.18, was based in Poland) Key: NB – Nominal Base
G-NWPS Eurocopter EC135T1 0063 Cancelled as Permanently A place name in brackets relates to the owner’s address as where the aircraft is based is unknown.
WFU (CofA expired 18.12.17,
fuselage in use as a simulator
with EVS Flight Training, Berlin-
Brandenburg, Germany) UPDATES & CORRECTIONS
G-OCJZ Cessna 525A CitationJet CJ2 525A0051 To USA as N415SL REG'N DETAILS
G-ODDS Pitts S-2A Special 2225 Cancelled as Permanently WFU G-BHWB Became OK-POH 16.12.19
(crashed in a field near Stonor,
G-BMLM Became LV-GVG 01.17
Oxfordshire 27.01.19)
G-BUVN Became PH-PMV 19.02.20 (corrects previous date on Page 72, May 2020)
G-PIMP Robinson R44 Raven II 12123 To Austria as OE-XGO
G-PTTB Reims Cessna F152 1908 Re-registered as G-UFCP G-BZSA Became OM-H009 (officially cancelled as PWFU 16.12.10)

G-REXC Agusta A109S Grand 22021 Re-registered as G-TCUK G-CENV Became EI-GSU 16.03.20

G-RIPA Vulcanair P68 Observer 2 423-23/OB2 To USA as N146WF G-CIDP Manufacturer changed to CC and K Miller 17.03.20

G-RNJP Bombardier Challenger 605 5980 To Canada C-FKJS G-CILZ Became F-HILZ 09.01.20

G-SEVE Cessna 172N Skyhawk II 17269970 To Sweden as SE-MKZ G-CJLB Became PR-CHX
G-TCVA Airbus A321-231 5582 To USA as N901JT G-CJOI Became OE-SLC 04.02.20
G-TCVC Airbus A321-231 6059 To USA as N930JL G-CKYR Became I-WNDF 01.20
G-TCVD Airbus A321-231 6126 To USA as N931JT G-ETPS Became N347AX 04.02.20 (NB actually cancelled as sold in Canada 14.02.12)
G-VRED Airbus A340-642 768 To Guernsey as 2-EALK G-FOZZ Became YR-OZZ 10.18
G-WNSW Sikorsky S-92A 920283 To Norway G-MAPR Became OY-GUF 17.02.20
G-ZZZC Boeing 777-236 27107 Cancelled as Permanently WFU G-MMTA Became OM-H078 (officially cancelled as PWFU 25.03.09)
(flown London Heathrow to St
G-SIMO Became T7-HYR 09.17
Athan 13.01.20 for parting out)
G-SNSF Became PR-CGN 04.09.18
EI-DJM Piper PA-28R-161 Warrior II 28-8316106 To Greece
EI-ESD Mainair Blade 1008-0994- Cancelled as Removed from G-SNSG Became VH-CGX (officially cancelled to Malaysia 25.01.18)
7-W804 Service G-TCDV Became VP-CCH 03.20
EI-FIF Boeing 737-8AS 44696 To Malta as 9H-QAV G-TCDY Became F-WTAJ 03.20
EI-FIP Boeing 737-8AS 61577 To Malta as 9H-QBE G-TCXB Became VP-CCO 21.02.20
EI-FIY Boeing 737-8AS 44707 To Malta as 9H-QBK G-UZZY Became N480AB 06.02.20
EI-FJE Boeing 737-8JP 39420 To Bermuda as VP-BAB G-VFIZ Became F-HHIT 03.20
EI-FRE Boeing 737-8AS 62691 To Malta as 9H-QCK G-WNSJ Became PR-CGF 16.07.18
EI-FRP Boeing 737-8AS 62692 To Malta as 9H-QCQ
G-WNSR Became PR-CGH 28.08.18
EI-FRX Boeing 737-800 44746 To Poland as SP-RKH
G-XAIM Became OE-SAI 26.02.20
EI-FTD Boeing 737-800 44754 To Malta as 9H-QDE
M-BELI Became OH-JFM 05.02.20
EI-FTE Boeing 737-800 44755 To Malta as 9H-QDF
M-BEST Became UP-CS502
EI-FTG Boeing 737-800 44757 To Malta as 9H-QDH
M-CPRS Became F-HSTB 11.03.20
EI-FTJ Boeing 737-800 44760 To Malta as 9H-QDK
M-MDMH Became D-BDTZ 01.20
EI-FTL Boeing 737-800 44762 To Malta as 9H-QDM
M-RENT Became D-IMTO 28.10.19
EI-FTN Boeing 737-800 44764 To Malta as 9H-QDO

78 AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020

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June_20_Classified.indd 79 04/05/2020 09:36:03

 Junkers Ju 252 and ‘352
Replacing Aunty Ju
The successor to the famous Ju 52/3m trimotor was the Ju 252,
one of the first transport aircraft to feature a rear loading ramp.
Together with the similar Ju 352 it served in small numbers
in the latter years of the war, as Chris Goss details.

T
he Luftwaffe’s primary transport
aircraft was the three-engined
Junkers 52/3m, nicknamed Tante
Ju (Aunty Ju). However, by the
outbreak of war, the Luftwaffe was looking
for a replacement. This would be the short-
lived Ju 252 and its slightly more successful
successor the Ju 352 Herkules.
By December 1938, Junkers was already
in discussion with Deutsche Luft Hansa
(DLH) for a replacement for its Ju 52/3m
airliners. The idea of three engines was still in
favour, but instead of the Ju 52’s corrugated
skinning, the new aircraft was to be smooth-
surfaced. It would also have a retractable,
as opposed to fixed, undercarriage and be
capable of carrying up to 35 passengers in
a pressurised cabin. Furthermore, powered
by three Junkers Jumo 211F engines, it
would have a greater speed and range
than the aircraft it was replacing and would
also feature a hydraulic loading ramp
(Trapoklappe) at the rear of the fuselage,
much like modern transport aircraft such as
the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.
Seen at Juvincourt, France, in late July 1944
is Ju 352A-1 coded T9+AB of Versuchsband
ObdL, which was moving ground equipment
for the Arado Ar 234-equipped Kommando
Götz. All photos Chris Goss Collection
The initial prototype, designated Ju
252 V1 and registered D-ADCC, first flew
in October 1941, but by then the war had
dictated that the Ju 252 would be used
for military purposes and not by DLH. That
meant the fitting of an EDL 131 turret with
a 13mm machine gun and beam MG 15
7.92mm machine guns. The initial order of
25 DLH aircraft was reduced to 15; the first
delivered to the Luftwaffe being Ju 252
V5 Werk Nummer 0005, coded DF+BQ.
From then on all aircraft were designated
Ju 252A-1. Assigned to Lufttransportstaffel
290 (LTS 290) – which was formed at
Berlin-Tempelhof in January 1943 and
commanded by Hauptmann Heinz Braun
– it was given the code J4+LH, but was
damaged in a landing accident at Grosseto,
Italy, on April 24, 1943 and then written off.
In December that year, LTS 290 was re-
designated Transportstaffel 5 and received
a number of other Ju 252s, as did 1 Staffel/
Kampfgeschwader 200 (1./KG 200), which
was formed in March 1944 at Finow from
1./Versuchsband Oberbefehlshaber der
Luftwaffe (ObdL) and had at least two
aircraft (Werk Nummer 0004, coded T9+AB,
and Wr Nr 0008, coded T9+SK). The latter
was destroyed in a crash at Petroșani
in Romania on June 26, 1944. The last
recorded loss was Ju 252A-1 Wr Nr 0011,
coded J4+MH, which was assigned to 1./
Transportgruppe 30 (formed in May 1943
with Heinkel He 111s), on April 4, 1945.
Taking off from Reichenbach in Germany to
pick up ten passengers from Guernsey, one
of the engines began to misfire, possibly
due to dirty fuel. Fully laden, it failed to
get over a nearby hill and crashed, killing
pilot Oberfeldwebel Otto Liesche and the
other four crewmembers onboard. As a
result of the small numbers of Ju 252s
produced (only up to 15 were built), no
intact examples were captured at the end of
the war.

80 AVIATION NEWS JUNE 2020

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ENTER THE HERKULES
Just months after the first flight of the Ju
252, the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (air
ministry) tasked Junkers with developing a
new transport aircraft using non-essential
or readily available materials and powered
by engines in plentiful supply. The result
was the Ju 352 – the same configuration
as the Ju 252, but in many other ways
very different. The wings were made of
wood, the forward and rear sections of the
fuselage were aluminium and the centre
section steel tubing was covered in fabric.
Finally, the Jumo 211 engines were replaced
by three BMW 323s. The new aircraft was
nicknamed the Herkules, but it was inferior
to the Ju 252. The carrying capacity was
similar, but its range was considerably less
with the Ju 252 at full load capable of 2,470
miles (3,980km) and the Ju 352 only 1,120
miles (1,800km). This difference is largely
due to the BMW 323 engine being inferior
to to the Jumo 211. However, what made
the Ju 352 and its predecessor unique
was the Trapoklappe, which theoretically
allowed vehicles to be driven up the ramp
into the aircraft. In practice, to save damage
to the airframe, wheeled loads were
winched aboard. Like the Ju 252, the Ju 352
had the same limited defensive armament.
The initial prototype, Ju 352 V1, Wk Nr
0001, CH+JA, flew on August 18, 1943
Designed as an airliner, the Ju 252 only served in military roles.
This is the first prototype Ju 252 V1, which flew in October 1941.
WWW.AVIATION-NEWS.CO.UK
80-82_herkules3DC.mfDC.indd 81
Displaying the steep hydraulic-powered loading ramp,
which lifted the tail off the ground, is Ju 352A-1, FH+JB.
from Fritzlar as the first of an order for ten.
This had been placed before construction
was complete and the last of these pre-
production aircraft were delivered by
February 1944. Up to 50 aircraft were built
before production ceased in September
that year. At that time of the war the
production of fighters was given priority
and the Luftwaffe had over 5,000 Ju 52/3m
transports that had been built prior to the
start of hostilities it could call upon.
‘The operational
career of the Ju 352
was limited by a lack
of numbers and
poor serviceability.’
There were only a few units using the
Herkules: the operational career of the
Ju 352 was limited by a lack of numbers
and poor serviceability. The Luftwaffe’s
research and development organisation had
at least four aircraft operating with the 1./
Versuchsband ObdL coded T9+AB, T9+CB,
T9+MB and T9+AL. This unit later formed
the basis of 1./KG 200 which is believed
to have had some Ju 352s. Another unit,
IV./Transportgeschwader 4 (14./TG 4),
commanded by Hauptmann Heinrich Hans,
operated up to 13 Ju 352s from July 1944,
the unit then absorbing Lufttransportstaffel
5 in August 1944. The following January,
Grossraum-Transportgruppe commanded
by Major Günther Mauss was formed at
Tutow from 13 and 15./TG 4, which reported
on April 23, 1945, that it still had 23 Ju 352s
at its establishment, but whether they were
fully serviceable was another matter.
The most notable loss of a Ju 352
occurred on April 21, 1945, when Ju 352A-
0 Wk Nr 100003, KT+VC, took off from
Schönewald for Salzburg together with Ju
352A-1 coded KT+VJ carrying members
of the Reich government, fleeing Berlin.
Believed to have been flown by experienced
transport pilot Major Friedrich-Anton
Gundlfinger, it crashed and burst into flames
while making an emergency landing at
Börnersdorf near Dresden, killing two crew
and seven passengers and badly injuring
one crewman. It was later alleged that this
aircraft was carrying Hitler’s personal papers.
SURVIVORS
No Ju 352s are known to have been lost
in combat, although it is possible that a
number were shot down near the end of the
war trying to resupply the German 9th Army
or while flying reinforcements into Berlin
81
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 in April 1945. At the end of the war, the Allies
captured several Herkules. The RAF took
control of at least five Ju 352s of which three
were flyable – these included Ju 352A-0
Wk Nr 100010, KT+VJ, which was captured
at Flensburg, and Ju 352A-1 Wk Nr 100015,
KT+VO, of Grossraum-Transportgruppe at
Eggebek. These were used for both transport
duties and trials only to be scrapped in 1946.
Ju 352A-1, Wk Nr 100023, KT+VW, was
captured at Prague/Ruzyne in May 1945
after which it was given the Czechoslovak
registration OK-JUE. It was painted with
Soviet markings for a flight to Moscow in
August 1945 and on its return, reverted to
a Czech scheme, but in 1947, it too was
scrapped. Finally, Denmark almost had an
intact Ju 352A-1 when on May 4, 1945, Fw
Arthur Kührt of Grossraum-Transportgruppe
took off from Grossenbrode together with
his Danish fiancée in Ju 352A-1 coded
G6+NX (and in company with another Ju
352A-1 coded G6+EX), attempting to flee
from the Soviets by heading for Thisted in
Captured in Czechoslovakia, Ju 352A-1 Wk Nr 100023 wore Soviet markings for a trip to Moscow in August 1945.
The next issue will be on sale on June 18, 2020*.
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June 2020
Volume 82 No 6.
Founded in 1939 as Air Defence
Cadet Corps Gazette.
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82
80-82_herkules3DC.mfDC.indd 82
Ju 352A-1 T9+AB at Juvincourt, July 1944, showing the Trapoklappe ramp lowered.
Denmark. Short of fuel, Kührt carried out a
wheels-up landing near Eggebek. The Ju
352 laid there for a number of weeks, then
was dismantled and scrapped.
The small numbers of Ju 252 and Ju
352 produced has meant that generally
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its been overshadowed by its more
famous and abundant predecessor the Ju
52/3m. However, it was ahead of its time
in terms of design and had the potential
to be a significant asset to Germany’s air
transport capability.
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