Piaggio On The Thames

TC…………Bring them on, can’t wait……….!!!!

I was in Hamble in late ’57 and remember seeing the Aquila boats there. I was at prep school with a lad whose parents lived in Genoa and I remember him flying out there on Aquila. I was jealous then, now I am just fluorescent GREEN !!!!!

Planemike

More Pics Of My Father With Flying Boats

Thanks all you guys and girls for your interest, My father had just finished with Aquila airlines flying Short Solents. He was an avid photographer i have a lot of B/W shots taken on his travels, some in Southampton, but most abroad, Capri, Genoa and Funchal. If there is interest out there i will digi photo or scan them and post. One of my fathers friends also ex Aquilla and still with us carried an 8 mm cine camera on the Solents, he has fantastic never published or shown colour film of Solent operations. Clips include a low level positioning flight from Southampton to Lisbon looking from the cockpit with the wing and float and two grumbling Hercules engines as the sound track, all framed by the snowy alps as they flew low level with the high peaks above!! Another clip a couple of minutes, shows a Solent rounding a headland at Funchal and alighting right in front of the camera operator all in colour. loads of spray from the blue seas as the Solent settles then swings around for the berthing buoy. Flags flying from the cockpit and the crewman in the bow hatch with buoy hook to hand clad in immaculate whites and peaked cap, just fantastic times and REAL aviating!!!

just like to than TC for such nice , no excellent pics -Piaggio enthusiast

Martin
… not an Italian member – but …

Thought you would be here eventually with the news, problem solved!:)

Piaggio P.136 L1 I-GULL

c/n 211
MM80081 AMI (Aeronautica Militare Italiana)
I-GULL Croydon 1957, London 1958, Luton 20.-25.4.59, Hanover 26.4.59, wfu 24th Nov 1977

Martin
… not an Italian member – but …

or me………….!!! I know my way around the British register and can come with info if required. As Newforest says, over to out Italian members……..

Planemike

Could some fine person tell us what became of demonstrator I-GULL?

Not me, I’ve looked everywhere! Where are our Italian members?:D

Greek shipping tycoons Onassis and Niarchos both used P.136 as “tenders” for their yachts before helos did the job. Hoisted onto a rear platform. Onassis’ were G-AOFN, then G-APNY/HB-LAV/SX-BDB; Niarchos’ SX-BDC killed his son, 1/73.

Could some fine person tell us what became of demonstrator I-GULL?

Two P.136s have graced the British register:
G-AOFN c/n 195 CofA 04 Aug 55 ex I-RAIA based in Monte Carlo by one A Onasis. Returned to Italy.
G-APNY c/n 242 CofA 14 Aug 58 sold in Switzerland as HB-LAV.

It is possible a third would have made it to the register, as I-FIMA was delivered to this country but the a/c was destroyed on Southampton Water in 1963.

Planemike

I’m pretty sure theres one of those things laying at Van Nuys

I think Piaggio amphibians look great ! Thanks for sharing the pictures

Take a look here TC… nice shot of I-GULL at Croydon but no mention of her fate…

cheers
Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator