More Variety at Southend!

The past week has been another very good one at Southend. There’s been an unusually high number of maintenance movements, which is quite unusual for the time of year, as it traditionally goes dead in August.

First up especially for the Manchester spotters, a Sky Airline A319 (with Chilean reg) departing on delivery via Goose Bay.

CC-AFZ Sky Airline A319 at Southend EGMC by AeroPics, on Flickr

Next the sole Boeing in the Air Méditerranée fleet, which was an unusual maintenance visitor. It was only meant to visit for 24 hours, arriving after midnight. Fortunately for me, they had some problems with it, so it was at Southend for a few days, and did some high power engine runs, so here’s it being towed back to the hangar.

F-HCOA Air Méditerranée B735 at Southend EGMC by AeroPics, on Flickr

Next the latest Malmo Aviation RJ100 arriving from Malmo caught from my favourite vantage point at the end of Runway 06:

SE-DSY Malmo Aviation RJ1H at Southend EGMC by AeroPics, on Flickr

And note Culpano, a second Sky Airline A319 (also with Chilean reg) departing also on delivery via Goose Bay. No sunshine this time though.

CC-AHC Sky Airline A319 at Southend EGMC by AeroPics, on Flickr

Not the most inspiring shot, but here’s one anyway of a Malmo Aviation RJ85, in the more basic livery, departing back to Malmo of all places after maintenance.

SE-DJO Malmo Aviation RJ85 at Southend EGMC by AeroPics, on Flickr

I would have gone to a better spot for it, however I was waiting for G-LSAN the former AeroGal and new Jet2 757 to return from its test flight.

However after waiting for 3 1/2 hours, I gave up, only to discover the thing had declared an emergency and diverted to Newcastle with a ‘considerable fuel leak.’ in an engine!!

This meant the thing failed its test flight (quite spectacularly), and ferried back to Southend the next morning.

The good news way that I had a chance to catch it departing on its second attempt at a test flight, now on a sunny day:

G-LSAN Jet2 Holidays B752 at Southend EGMC by AeroPics, on Flickr

Since it was my preferred runway in use again, I thought’d I’d wait for it to return. In the end I started photographing the easyJet traffic, since I had waited so long, the light had become rather nice:

G-EZDK easyJet A319 at Southend EGMC by AeroPics, on Flickr

Something more interesting happened in the meantime. Newly re-registered BAe 146 N147FF departed for the States, with a first stop in Reykjavik for firebomber conversion. This 146 was previously a longterm inmate in open storage at Southend. Previously G-FLTA with Southend based airline Flightline before they went bust, and has remained in open store since Flightline went bust in December 2008. Therefore I was quite surprised when the thing departed, looking very grubby, without having made a test flight, or even proper high power engine runs…

N147FF B142 at Southend EGMC by AeroPics, on Flickr

Unusually it had its construction number written on the tail.

N147FF B142 at Southend EGMC by AeroPics, on Flickr

N147FF B142 at Southend EGMC by AeroPics, on Flickr

And off it goes, having not even turned around at the very end of the Runway. I have to say I wasn’t surprised when it returned less than two hours later with an engine problem, causing an emergency response. No photos of its arrival since that as after dark, and I was at home.

Meanwhile I was still waiting for the Jet2 757 to return, as it was getting quite late. In the end it was up for 5 hours, far longer than any test flight I’ve ever know. However the light was quite special by then, so the wait was well worth it.

G-LSAN Jet2 Holidays B752 at Southend EGMC by AeroPics, on Flickr

And finally one unexciting shots from today, N563AC departing back to Lasham after being repainted, with just small ASL Aviation Group titles on port side only:

N563AC ASL Aviation Group B734 at Southend EGMC by AeroPics, on Flickr
That’s all, and I hope these were of interest!

Hope these are at least of some interest.