One of their Rapides lives on as a pleasure flying aircraft with Air Atlantique Classic Flight at Coventry, a little on its history:

Rapide G-AGTM : construction number 6746

1944 Constructed at Brush Works Loughbourgh as part of contract 6/AIRCRAFT/2580/C20a
05/44 Delivered to 18MU
1945 To Airwork & General Trading Co for modifications
19/09/45 G-AGTM Iraq Petroleum Transport Co Ltd, Halifa
06/12/45 Issued with a C of A
24/04/53 Reg cancelled as sold to Lebanon
03/09/53 OD-ABP Saad Transport, Beirut
23/04/62 JY-ACL Arab Contracting & Trading, Amman, Jordan
??? Modified to Mark 6
25/03/64 G-AGTM Army Parachute Association, Netheravon
10/04/64 Delivered via Gatwick
12/05/64 Issued with C of A
1964 Named Valkyrie
01/03/67 Parachute Regiment Free Fall Club, Netheravon
26/02/68 Badly damaged in landing accident at Netheravon
04/11/68 Army Parachute Association, Netheravon
09/77 Sold to Martin Barraclough & Partners, Netheravon
09/77 Overhaul and repaint to NF875 in Royal Navy colours as [ 603:CH ]
08/03/78 Sealion Shipping Ltd ( a Martin Barraclough company ), Redhill or Duxford ??
25/09/80 Airbourne Taxi Services Ltd, Duxford
01/03/83 Russavia Ltd, Duxford
21/06/87 Damaged in a ground loop at Duxford with the aircraft ending up in the car park!
02/88 To Audley End for rebuild to flying condition
10/93 Moved to Rush Green for sale
20/01/94 Aviation Heritage Ltd
01/03/94 Ben Borsberry, Kidmore End, Reading for continued restoration.
01/08/95 S Evans, Farnborough, continued restoration.
13/11/96 First Flight on completion of restoration.
15/11/96 New C of A issued and based at Kemble
01/99 Leased to Air Atlantique and moved to Coventry
05/02 Acquired by Air Atlantique

Currently operates in 8 seat configuration, overall dark blue with silver wings and details. See http://www.classicflight.com

A great day, the first of many (if I’ve passed the test!)

I suspect you have!! Including the rigours of the ‘getting the fence back in’ initiation trial 🙂

Hi JesseJames,

proceedings start at 1000 on Sunday, hangar tours carry on all day, with the Dakota flying at regular intervals. The Shackleton is due to run mid afternoon, and again at around 1600-1630, alongside the DC6. You can indeed sit on board the Shackleton, which can be booked on the day… ( I will check on the price!)

See you on Sunday!

Will

I thought it made an interesting addition to the static line, as somebody with experience of designing ATR colour schemes, it was interesting to get a closer look at their Puffin tail art!

In the future people will gaze nostalgically at your pictures of the ’72, post them on forums, discuss them at length….:D

Great fun to fly from a historic airfield in an classic plane.

Oddly, is is probably the UK’s newest airport, but the plane, and the scenery, remain historic enough 🙂

PS Email sent to the airport!

Looking like a good show, but then with some of the aircraft featured I am rather biased! Will be good to see LY-BIG again, probably my favourite non classic flight aircraft!

Dragon Rapide G-AGTM is confirmed (and yes, we will be turning up this year) for pleasure flying from the Aero Club at Jersey airport from the 11th-15th September inclusive. Flights take you around Corbiere lighthouse as far as Elizabeth Castle, giving passengers a similar perspective on the island to the crews in the display.

I will be there at the Aero Club from Monday afternoon until Saturday afternoon. We will be flying passengers from Tuesday morning until Saturday, stopping only when the display is on, on Thrusday.

Do come and say hello!

Will