Wheels up in 1981 – I was there when it happened. He requested the grass, but ATC insisted he used the main r/w. Damage was absolutely minimal, however after many months of being parked (on a stand at the main terminal!!), a white van arrived from the French insurance company, who cut off the 4 Aztazou’s and removed what else they could. (With the weight, the van was SO low driving back the 23 miles to Lerwick, the exhaust was scraping the ground – don’t know HOW they got back to France…). The aircraft was then dragged off to a quiet part of the airfield (near where the ill-fated Dan-Air HS748 G-BEKF crashed) and abandoned. All in all, a great shame. Aircraft is now in North Roe, but I don’t know how complete.
By: David Burke - 14th October 2008 at 18:01
Maybe you get fewer sparks from grass than concrete/tarmac and it’s abrasive qualities on aluminium are somewhat lesser too.
By: J Boyle - 14th October 2008 at 17:28
That’s a pretty little plane. Haven’t seen or heard of it before. From memory, most of Potez’ planes were ugly monsters.
But four Astazous must have sounded sweet. And the cabin windows look like they were nicked from a Caravelle!
Bri 😀
Reminds me of a somewhat larger (and four engined) Grumman Gultstream I…or the very big brother to the Jetstream.
I like the windows too, a bit like the Saberliner biz jet & T-39s. The rounded triangle shape wasn’t used much. I’ve been told they were designed to not let too much sun in at the top, but still giving a nice view.
By: J31/32 - 14th October 2008 at 16:19
search and ye shall find…..
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=60028&highlight=potez+840
By: bri - 14th October 2008 at 13:53
That’s a pretty little plane. Haven’t seen or heard of it before. From memory, most of Potez’ planes were ugly monsters.
But four Astazous must have sounded sweet. And the cabin windows look like they were nicked from a Caravelle!
Bri 😀
By: Arabella-Cox - 14th October 2008 at 13:25
Wheels up in 1981 – I was there when it happened. He requested the grass, but ATC insisted he used the main r/w. Damage was absolutely minimal…
Why is it that people want to use the grass in such a circumstance?
It might look softer but the rate of deceleration will always be less if you slide down the hard runway rather than come to a sudden stop in the earth, so it’s safer for the personnel and you do less damage to the airframe.
By: DaveF68 - 13th October 2008 at 23:44
It sat there for years – everyone who didn’t know what it was (including me) thought it was a Jetstream until checking Wrecks and Relics!!
By: Scouse - 13th October 2008 at 23:07
I posted this a year or so back, so if it looks familiar than apologies to those with good memories.
F-BMCY some time in 1970 at Filton. She had an undercarriage collapse there, too, with a prop blade penetrating the fuselage and narrowly missing a senior Sud Aviation man. Anyone know the French for ‘brown underpants’?
By: uuoret - 13th October 2008 at 21:21
Looks like my pic taken before the white van men arrived!
Great Picture! That’s the back of the North Scottish hanger, where she was “chopped”. I’ve got another somewhere where she’s parked between a BA 748 and 2 x S61’s….I’ll try and find it. Thanks for the reply! J
By: Moondance - 13th October 2008 at 21:16
Looks like my pic taken before the white van men arrived!
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October 13, 2008 at 8:43 pm