I assume you are talking about a zoom lens. Even a 200mm will give you a pretty good “reach” as this is equivalent to about 300mm on a film camera. It all depends on what you’re going to shoot, and how close you expect to be to the aircraft. Airliners are large, warbirds and GA are small…….. A 300mm does increase your options, though.

Not only does she look immaculate but if memory serves my correct, this 37 was delivered to Aer Lingus as it’s a -248 cust model, and also the old telecoms wire from the rear to the tail a dead give a way for an early production airframe, this is one old girl looking pretty good for her age.

The communications wire you mention is the antenna for HF (short-wave) radio, which is no doubt needed for operations in parts of South America and Africa where VHF coverage can be limited. This was not fitted to EI-ASE during its Aer Lingus service, as the aircraft spent its time on intra-European services.

AFAIK there was a problem with certifying it in the UK (maybe because of cockpit differences from the UK certification standard; it had also spent most of its life as a corporate machine with Tenneco) and so Alidair disposed of it to Far Eastern Air Transport, after which it ended up with Bouraq in Indonesia. As PK-IVS it crashed on 26 August 1980 after the starboard elevator detached from the aircraft in flight.

It was the livery of the time and most, if not all, types in the fleet had it – 1-11s. Vanguards, Viscounts and Comets among others.

Not a day goes by without Ryanair getting some free publicity with some statement or other and it is readily lapped up and spread across the Internet by willing assistants….!

The official G-INFO wesite does not show any reservation of G-RAAF – is there another source for this?

The only C-82 ending in “829” was 45-57829. According to Al Lloyd’s C-82/C-119 history (published by Aerofax) it was later sold as N6235C to a company called LEBCA International of Miami. Fl. It appears to have been struck off the US Civil Register in 1977: http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N6235C.html

Aer Lingus has the benifit of cutting back services/routes and storing aircraft, where as Zoom operated with a much tighter operation. Additionaly, Aer Lingus has the benifit of the Irish Government stepping in if things really get bad.

Actually Ryanair owns a larger share of Aer Lingus now than does the Irish Government. It’s interesting to ponder what they would do if Aer Lingus was in serious trouble!