rogcollHere is the photograph of Avro Lincoln RF 343 burning in the station rubbish dump after
being set light by the two young boys from Bracebridge Heath School who perished in the accident.
So sad as I was there with my father M/Nav Arthur Collins who was also a Lincoln and B29 Washington navigator, whilst taking our dog for a walk and witnessed the explosion.
rogcollDon I really am most grateful for your response on Harry Chang albeit 8 months later. I knew Harry with Macedonian Aviation between 1972 and 1974 after he left Lloyds International to join Macedonian. I flew with him on three occasions to Oslo Fornebu in the DH104 Dove G-APZU and the DC3 G-AMPO to Beirut Lebanon and Nicosia Cyprus in 1972. An excellent pilot and wouldn’t it be wonderful if he were still alive.
rogcollHello,
I worked for M A way back in the dim and distant past… I was one of your hosties, recruited in SEN but then based fora while in the Skean Dhu hotel at Aberdeen airport. Some fond memories of slightly horrified passengers wondering if the DC3 would get them to the Shetlands, and then seeing the guys arriving by helicopter from the rigs,
running to the pub before boarding in Lerwick, v v worse for their few hours of dedicated drinking. However they were great guys mainly, and I loved the short time I was there… sadly no photos.
Joanne Great to read your post as l am Roger Collins the founder of Macedonian Avition at Southend in 1971/1972 and my chief pilot was Harry Chang I sold out the business to a Ralph Goldstraw and if you were based in Aberdeen then it would have been under his control. There is a little info of the early days of my website http://www.twsg.co.uk and click on the headin ‘Aviation’
rogcollRAF Edzell USAF and RAF
In 1998 the entire post war Officers and NCO married quarters plus the post war USAF housing stock including the USAF Officers mess and PX were acquired by the Welbeck Estate Group. It comprised 155 houses and after upgrading they were sold on the open market and a newly created village was established named Edzell Woods. Over the ensuing 4 years the runway was reused by the regular fortnightly visits by Welbeck Estate’s BBC Air de Havilland Dove G-HBBC (former Royal Flight Devon VP961)
rogcollDakota DC3 G-AMHJ (13468) was owned and operated in early 1974 by Macedonian Aviation for both Site Aviation and themselves. It was acquired from British Island Airways together with G-AMRA and these machines were in convertible passenger-cargo configuration and were placed in service on the Aberdeen-Sumburgh (Shetlands) route with a scheduled service in conjunction with BEA.
Macedonian Aviation was formed in 1972 to operate passenger and cargo charter flights from Southend airport and their managing director was Roger Byron-Collins and the Chief Pilot/General Manager was Harry Chang. Their fleet comprised 5 Dakota DC-3 and one DH104 Dove.
Macedonian was initially based at Luton airport operating under McAlpine Aviation’s AOC until they secured their own AOC. In September 1972 they acquired from BAC their Filton based DC3 G-AMPO and commercial charter began operations on November 5, with a passenger flight from Southend to Rotterdam. Freight charters were also undertaken, amongst which was a series of movements to Brussels and Saarbrücken. 1973 proved very busy for this emergent airline, with passenger and cargo flights to numerous destinations around the UK and Europe many for Conoco oil company ranging as far afield as Bergen, Malta and Libya. Occasional scheduled services were also carried out on behalf of Intra Airways.
In December 1973, Macedonian’s opened a facility in Aberdeen to undertake a series of oil-rig support sub-charters on behalf of Site Aviation. Developing business in this area warranted the purchase of additional aircraft. The original Dakota operated primarily from Southend on ad-hoc charters, which took it to such European destinations as Lisbon and Gibraltar as well as the near Continent.
From April 1974, Macedonian became a scheduled operator for a second time when it took over the Rotterdam-Le Havre service of Maastricht-based Limburg Airlines.
Fleet List:
Douglas C-47A/B Dakota: G-AMHJ (13468), G-AMPO (16437/33185), G-AMPZ (16124/32872) Intra Airways 11/12.73, G-AMRA (15290/26735), G-AMSV (16072/32820) DH.104 Dove 6: G-APZU (04511)[ATTACH=CONFIG]231483[/ATTACH]
rogcollWithout doing a search I’m fairly certain this has been covered here before and that a member of this forum was actually there!
Maybe I know him as I witnessed the 2 boys being blown up as I was the 6 years son mentioned in this posting.
The boy that died was blown a considerable distance landing underneath a hedge. It has been engraved on my mind over all these years.
rogcollHere are 4 pages from the original De Havilland sales brochure for the Dove
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rogcollA few photos of G-HBBC First October 1998 at Filton Second and third Inflight and landing Compton Abbas Dorset 2006
[ATTACH=CONFIG]230765[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]230766[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]230764[/ATTACH]
rogcollMacedonian Aviation DC3 Escape from Beirut under fire – 1972
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.Macedonian Aviation’s G-AMPO’s claim to fame was in September 1972 when it was used to rescue a group of 25 British guests including Macedonian’s MD who were attending a wedding celebration in Lebanon from Beirut airport. The guests had flown out to Beirut on a scheduled MEA flight and after a few days the massacre of the Israeli’s athletes at Munich Olympics took place. Immediately Lebanon came under attack from Israel and Beirut airport was a focused target. Macedonian’s MD phoned his chief pilot, Harry Chang in the UK to explain their predicament. Harry Chang immediately fuelled up G-AMPO and flew the aircraft from Gatwick, refuelling again in Brindisi, Italy. He landed the aircraft on the perimeter track at Beirut airport due to bomb damage on the main runway. Harry Chang knew Beirut well and advised the passengers to shelter in beach huts right by the perimeter track. The aircraft initially did a low pass over the beach so the people being rescued would clearly see the Union Jack on G-AMPO’s fuselage, The engines were not shut down as the passengers scrambled aboard and after a rapid take off amidst gunfire the aircraft was escorted away from the airport by two Israeli fighters who provided an escort to just outside Nicosia, Cyprus where the passengers were dropped off. The wedding reception continued at the Dome Hotel Kyrenia with much relief and gratitude. One of the passengers rescued was a Daily Express reporter who commissioned the well known aviation artist John Young to capture in a oil painting their flight from Beirut which is shown here.
rogcollDelighted to read of the interest in the DH104 Dove/Devon. I have a personal interest in this wonderful aircraft as my father was in the RAF for 40 years and flew Devons with Met Comm Squadron out of RAF Northolt and RAF Wildenrath Germany throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Because my father enjoyed flying Devons as well as Pembrokes at RAF Northolt flying the then prime minister Harold Wilson it prompted me into buying my first Dove 6 G-APZU c/n 04511 at the ripe old age of 24 from Lulsgate Aviation Services of Bristol airport. Initially I leased it to McAlpine Aviation at Luton and it was placed on their Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) for ad hoc charter work and passengers included the Jackson 5 and the Osmonds. In 1972 I formed Macedonian Aviation and immediately established our first base at Southend airport and obtained our own AOC. Dove G-APZU was relocated there and I purchased from BAE Filton a Dakota DC3 G-AMPO cn 33186 which was used to fly the engineers working on Concorde production between Filton and Toulouse. The Dove and Dakota were put through a pre-service check with Dan Air at Lasham and a respray at Eagle Air Services at Leavesden for both aircraft The Dove G-APZU arrived at Southend on November 24th.1972 and went into service for passenger and freight charter from Luton and Southend in the October with several flights to Hamburg, Copenhagen and Fornebu, Oslo. Over the winter season we operated a multitude of charter fights to Belgium France Germany and Holland. Finally the Dove G-APZU was sold to Shackleton Aviation in February 1973.
I went without another aircraft until 1995 until I acquired my second Devon/Dove VP961 G-HBBC c/n 04211 constructed at Hawarden in 1948 and was the former personal aircraft of HRH Prince Philip in which he learnt to fly whilst with the Royal Flight. He piloted this aircraft on 67 flights and I reintroduced it to him at RAF Northolt in 1999 and he commented on such a wonderful restoration and brought him back many happy memories. As a back up for it’s operations I purchased an ex RNAS Sea Devon XK896 G-RNAS c/n 04473 built 1956 at Staverton and was formerly at HMS Heron RNAS Yeovilton. I stored it RAF North Coates from 2004 to 2008 when it was relocated to Filton. G-HBBC was operated by my operator BBC Air and was based at Compton Abbas. G-HBBC was sold to Roger Gawn in 2010 and it now located at Sculthorpe Norfolk. Here is a photo of G-APZU at Exeter in 1972 with myself on the left :[ATTACH=CONFIG]228945[/ATTACH]
rogcollMacedonian Aviation DC3 G-AMPO
Argonaut
Many thanks for Starways photo of G-AMPO.
I have one here of her at Southend in 1973. I also have an original oil on canvas painted by the well known aviation artist John Young of G-AMPO leaving Beirut for Nicosia in 1972 which was specially commissioned by one of the passengers who was a reporter at the Daily Express.
rogcollHarry Chang Dak G-AMPO and Beirut
Argonaut
I lived to see another day but certainly the incident is clear in my mind.
You are right. Only enterprising and courageous pilots the like of Harry Chang
would fly into a situation like that. It only took one call from Beirut to Harry in the UK and the DC3 G-AMPO was on it’s way within an an hour. As you say with H and S and ‘you can’t do that’ today this would never happen now.
Roger
rogcollHarry Chang and Macedonian Aviation Dak G-AMPO
Thanks David
I will do just that.
Argonaut. You are right about a potential film script! The flight from Beirut to Nicosia was seriously scary as I was one of the wedding party pinned down by gun fire on the beach and what a wonderful sight see the Macedonian Dak with the Union Jack emblazoned on it’s side swooping low over the beach and landing on the perimeter track at Beirut airport. Harry Chang kept the engines running and I have never seen 30 passengers embark an aircraft so quickly EVER!! Great celebrations at the Dome hotel Kyrenia that night. Harry was the star.
Roger
rogcollF100 Super sabre crash RAF Shepherds Grove August 1962
Paul Your research and information are greatly appreciated and clarifies the gossip that abounds these ex USAF tobacco houses at Stanton. The houses are under security as the USAF have vacated them but the night guards said that rumours abound about a ghost of the poor young house painter that was killed in the incident. The houses are to go the same way as the other tobacco houses at RAF Sculthorpe. Adrian your help is appreciated as well.
Roger
rogcollF-86 crash onto MQs at RAF Shepherds Grove 1950s
Whist visiting the USAF tobacco house at RAF Shepherds Grove the security staff mentioned a pair of the bungalows had been demolished back in the 1950s when an F-86 had crashed into then and apparently a young lad who was in the house was killed. Does anyone any further information of this.
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