Willip26Jersey Airlines ceased to exist as such well before the Twin Otter existed. As mentioned above I think you are thinking of Jersey European. The only Twin Otter I can think of out of Shoreham at that time was Metropolitan Airways…..in full Dan Air livery……..Shoreham-Alderney for a short while.
I don’t know if they flew the route in their own livery defore the Dan Air tie-up.
JEA may have operated Twin Otters into there but I don’t know off hand
Garry
The only time I ever flew on a scheduled flight out of Shoreham was on 7/9/1981 to Guernsey and Jersey on Jersey European Twin Otter VP-FAQ, which I assume was a leased aircraft.
The return flight from Jersey, again via Guernsey, was four days later on their own aircraft G-OJEA.
Wicked Willip :diablo:
Willip26Jersey Airlines became British United CI Airways in 1963 so I would think the Islanders and Twin Otters you refer to were Jersey European or infact with the Islander the forruner, Intra Airways-Jersey.
Did JF Airlines ever go to Shoreham with Twin Pioneer, Heron and Trislander?
Garry
Only the two Twin Pins as far as I remember.
Wicked Willip :diablo:
Willip26I think you may mean G-ACDC although G-ASKP did quite well…….
Yes I think he did. If there were a Guinness World Record for recovering from so many damaging incidents I am sure a certain Tiger Moth would have a strong claim to it.:D
In the days when I used to be a member of staff at the DoTUI (Department of Totally Useless Information), don’t ask me why but I used to keep tabs on the eventful career of G-ACDC, often claimed as being the oldest surviving Tiger Moth and equally often thought by many not to contain any part of the original aircraft.
Well judge for yourselves. These are the various accidents it suffered in the late 1950s through into the ’60s with the replacement parts needed shown in each case. If anyone is able to fill in the details, any additions, corrections or further information greatly appreciated:-
1957 – overturned at Croydon – new wings and rudder.
1959 – nosed over on starting up at Sandown – new propeller.
28/2/60 – u/c collapsed on landing – new wing, prop. & u/c.
24/6/62 – nosed over during crazy flying at Pendeford – new wing & prop.
9/9/63 – crashed while crazy flying at Rochester (pilot Neville Browning) – write-off – new just about everything!
9/1/66 – forced landing following engine failure – two new wings.
5/6/66 – crashed during crazy flying (?) at Wisley (pilot Dick Emery?) – new front fuselage, engine bearers and three wings.
12/5/68 – swung & crashed on take off from Goodwood – damage not known.
G-ASKP was the first Tiger I ever flew in, back in the heady days of Brighton Flying Group in the early 1970s, but I don’t remember it as having such a catalogue of misfortune happening to it, though I believe it may have been the one that was twice landed on innocent runway marker boards – once at Shoreham and the other time at the PFA Rally at Sywell.
Wicked Willip :diablo:
Willip26There was a huge amount of Tiger Moth stuff contained not only in the hangar at Shipdham but also in a lorry trailer outside, sadly some the parts had deteriorated beyond economical use. If I remember correctly the whole lot was sold to a collector in Sussex during 1995-96 when the Tiger store was dismantled to make room for more hangarage. I spoke to Nigel Wright, who ran Arrow Air Services, over several pints of Guiness about the Tigers. He cited the lack of paperwork and CAA bureacracy as the reason he never built up any further airframes after G-BINH the yellow and black Tiger which crashed at Swanton Morley in 1981. As for where the cache is now I don’t know, perhaps it’s still in deepest darkest Sussex.
Yes, I believe they were once stored at Jim Pearce’s strip up on the Downs, but as stated in Lion Rock’s initial post, the whole lot were subsequently sold on to a buyer in South Africa.
Wicked Willip :diablo:
Willip26Possibly, but as there are about seventy registered in Oz, I am not checking them all out!:D
Why not? I think you spend far too much time going round the world! 😀
Getting back to the thread here’s a shot of the ex Airspray Jackaroo after it went to Canada.
Moving off it again and to the other spraying companies, Agricultural Aviation and Engineering Ltd., wherever their operational base was, also used Tiger Moths G-ACDJ, G-AOET and G-APPN. Westwick Distributors meanwhile had in addition to those mentioned G-ADGT, G-APIG and G-APSS. Aerial Farm Services Ltd., I believe I am right in saying, was Bill Jordan’s outfit, which also used ‘PPN for a while as well as his famous Stearman G-AROY.
The other picture shows another of Lincs Aerial Spraying Company’s Pawnees, G-AVDZ receiving a wash at their Wyberton base.
Wicked Willip :diablo:
Willip26Was it ‘ZYC or maybe ‘BANI?:D ‘ZYC was destroyed 5/12/83.
My memory might be at fault but I seem to think it was G-BBFT, eventually exported to Australia, although no idea in what state.
It would be interesting to know whether it ever appeared on the Australian register for if not then I suspect it went for spares.
Wicked Willip :diablo:
Willip26Thanks to all for the information.
Of the Rapides, I remember G-AKJK and G-AKRN operating the Shoreham service in 1956, flying Shoreham – Portsmouth – Channel Islands. One outstanding fact was that one of the pilots was a woman: could anyone tell me her name. (The name Jackie Moggridge comes to mind, but I don’t know where from)
I can recall three of the Doves replacing the Rapides operating the service. G-ANVU already mentioned, G-AOBZ and G-APAG
At one time in the early 60s the service was operated by a Bristol Freighter, but low load factors made the larger aircraft not viable. The route to the Channel Islands was taken over by Jersey Airlines (?) when Channel Airways folded and operated by Islanders and Twotters
When I first became interested in watching aeroplanes at Shoreham in 1958/59 Channel were operating those 3 Doves regularly into here along with G-AOZW and the Rapides G-AEMH and G-AKRN. I can confirm that one of the pilots was indeed Jackie Moggridge.
Later they used the Bristol Wayfarers G-AICT (pictured) and G-AIFO and I recall several of their ex BEA Dakotas (three being G-AGZD, G-AJIB and G-AMDZ) also putting in many appearances.
Although the Vikings never came here I seem to remember they were regular overflyers from and to Southend and the Channel Isles.
Wicked Willip :diablo:
Willip26Farm Aviation was at Rush Green, Hitchin with, in 1964 Chipmunk 23 G-AOTF and SPW, Tiger G-AMTO and Auster J/1N G-AGYG
Great memories on this thread and photo here of G-AMTO taking part in a race meeting at Shoreham in the 1960s. Farm Aviation also had Tiger Moth G-ANFP and the Chipmunk 23 G-APOS.
I believe the outfit at Hardwick with Cessna 188s might have been Mindacre Ltd and I think it was one of theirs that a friend of mine managed to write off taking off from there.
What about all the helicopters used for spraying crops?
Wicked Willip :diablo:
Willip26Another little known or reported aerial spray company that used Tiger Moth’s at Boxted, Essex in the late fifties/early sixties. Any registrations/photo’s or info gratefully received ?
Yes, it would be nice to see a photo of one of the Airspray Tiger Moths in full spraying gear and at least four others were operated by them (there may have been more) being G-AMIV, G-ANFL, G-ANLE, and G-ANRX.
Wicked Willip :diablo:
Willip26Wasn’t it Wilmington that was explored as a proposed new base for the Tiger Club after they had to move out of Redhill?
IIRC there were problems with local objectors, which knocked the idea on the head, but a lot of time and effort was spent investigating the possibility and an exploratory landing made by Michael Jones in a Super Cub before they settled on Headcorn as their new home instead.
Wicked Willip :diablo:
Willip26Great news there!
According to G-INFO, G-BSET was withdrawn permanently in 2004 and presumably is still at Cranfield?
Hope so, or maybe it is one of the ones that moved on to Boscombe Down as per post18#?
Wicked Willip :diablo:
Willip2610 months on from its unhappy incident and seeing the B206 sinking further and further into the long grass at Shoreham I was beginning to wonder if G-FLYP would ever move again under its own power.
Pleasing to be able to report therefore that within the past two weeks the removed engine and prop have been re-installed and the aircraft now looks set for hopefully many more flying hours.
Anybody know by the way whatever happened to G-BSET?
Wicked Willip :diablo:
Willip26Both G-APVE and GARUJ were frequent visitors to Speke in the sixties. The former as the property of Lord Derby and the latter as the company hack for Bass Charrington / United Breweries whose local companies included breweries in Liverpool and Warrington and the wine shippers for whom my father worked.
I was promised a ride in Uniform Juliet, but regrettably it never happened.
I thought the noise was lovely.
Moggy
A fine machine and here’s one of G-ARUJ in the brewery company livery.
Wicked Willip :diablo:
Willip26Didn’t a Valiant crash in Southwick Sussex in April 1956. What was the cause of this accident, as I cannot recall seeing a report on the subject.
As a fellow resident of Southwick and being aged 10 at the time, I recall hearing the enormous explosion and seeing the falling debris from the crash of WP202.
There is some very interesting extensive coverage and eye witness accounts in the article ‘A Near Miss for Findon in 1956’ within the website of http://www.findonvillage.com.
Wicked Willip :diablo:
Willip26Sorry, but I did say the connection was loose…..
Funny how a simple thread question can lead on into completely unexpected areas.
I anticipated that the Gladiators would get a mention but not that there would be anything to do with Tiger Moths on aircraft carriers.
Totally coincidentally one of the aviation magazines (latest issue of FlyPast IIRC?) has recently had an item on a float-equipped Tiger Moth G-ERDS flying in the USA, which also featured a photo of BB814 of the Royal Navy making the first and only landing by a Tiger Moth on a carrier.
Not a lot of people know that and I certainly didn’t.
Wicked Willip :diablo:
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