Dove Celebration

MAM’s Dove (G-ALVD) in Dunlop Aviation colours, taken Sept this year. Looks good, a lot of TLC has been lavished on it.

Edited to add WB530 at a wet Finningly – been posted here previously

🙂

Posted before, this time slightly cleaned up, G-AREA at Farnborough 1962 (pic Len Harding).

A rather sad-looking G-AMXT at Sandown, IOW in 1993. 🙁

Another oldie from 1963: BICC Dove 8, G-ARYM

VP967 at Redhill is very close to being ready to ground run.

This airframe has had many man hours work on it and externally has been completely restored. Work on the interior is on-going. This Dove is owned by Kevin and Daniel Hunt and they have spent much time and money on this restoration.

This is N4913V which was based at the Chilliwack Airport BC.

Brian

Spey – Nice pictures especially the older ones! The Coventry Dove G-ASNG
ended up in Eire and is currently in a poor state although the are plans to save her and hopefully preserve her.

One more missed is G-DHDV painted in Gulf Aviation colours by Air Atlantique. This is the ex BBMF aircraft VP981 that was bought by Air Atlantique. Along with the Anson I believe the Dove was taken to Dubai for a celebration of however many years anniversary of Gulf Air.

More Doves/Devons

The pictures didn’t appear in the same order as I thought they would. The three Doves together are in the Devonair hangar at Kemble.

Left to right G-OEWA, VP955 and G-ARJB.

Kemble must have the greatest number of Doves in one place with there being 7 in total in various states.

Others there are:

XA880/G-BVXR, G-ARBE, G-APSO, G-OEWA VP955/G-DVON, G-ARJB and XK895/G-SDEV.

Pictures below are:

VP952 Cosford 06/07/04
VP975 Wroughton 19/02/04
XA880/G-BVXR Kemble 12/09/04
XM223 Coventry 13/08/00
G-AHRI Newark 07/10/03
G-OPLC Biggin Hill 19/09/04

A few more Dove and Devon pictures for you all. Part 1

D-IFSB Mosquito Museum 12/06/04
G-AHRI Newark 07/10/03
G-ALCU Coventry 06/07/04 Since repainted yellow/white as G-ALPD ??
G-ANOV CAAFU East Fortune 01/05/02
G-ANUU CAAFU Biggin Hill 16/05/81
G-ANUW CAAFU Long Marston 14/04/01
G-AREA Mosquito Museum 12/06/04
G-ARHX Aeroventure, Doncaster 09/10/03
G-ASNG Coventry 08/80
G-DHDV Coventry 31/05/03 ex VP981 of BBMF

More to follow

G-BPLC still chunters overhead Farnborough – I saw her last week. Lovely sound.

Air Atlantique bought her in 1996.

Beautiful aeroplanes, well remember some lovely staging flights in Dove’s in Africa in the sixties (I was a youngster in those days, my Dad worked for Airwork Services).

Thanks for the info Paul, did’nt know it was a 207 sqd aircraft my father was on 207 when they had Manchesters at waddo.
Phil 🙂

Air Atlantique bought her in 1996.

Beautiful aeroplanes, well remember some lovely staging flights in Dove’s in Africa in the sixties (I was a youngster in those days, my Dad worked for Airwork Services).

My only photo of a DH-Dove, anybody know when BBMF stopped flying her and were it ended up.
thanks Phil. 🙂

There was a gorgeous ex-Fleet Air Arm Sea Devon on the airshow circuit about 10 years ago.
I last saw it with DoveAir at Kemble. Is she still there?

The steady decline of the Dove continues. The last example to die was a former CAA machine at Caernarfon this year. Amazingly we don’t have a single MK.1 inside yet and the numbers of early marks surviving is very low.

A lovely aircraft which doesn’t get much historic exposure. I remember well the RAE Devon’s, plus the BAE comms flights ones and the Staravia example G-ASPA at Blackbushe. Plus the two ex CAA machines on the scrap dump at Biggin in the late 70’s. At that time it seemed most airports had a rotting Dove 😡 .

John
I`m pleased to have brought back memories. The photo was taken on 30/3/63, which was probably Grand National Day. This was one of the few days when you saw more than three aeroplanes in a whole day!

Phil
I’ll be danged I took a trip in G-AMYO on 25th July 1963 from St Mawgan (Newquay Airport) to Gatwick 1.20 hours flight time. Never thougt I would see a pic again thanks :p

One I took at RAF Katunayake, Ceylon in 1959…………..

Also Speke, very early 60`s