VISITORS
First visits from L-1011s are more than a little unusual these days, so it was especially good to see RAF Tristar KC.1 ZD952 (1168 ex G-BFCE) from 216 Sqdn at Brize Norton make its first appearance here today. Although a first visit in this guise, it was, of course, very familiar to us while with British Airtours. Having been delivered to Paris/Orly on 10/9, easyJet A320 G-EZTO (4034) at last made it first visit to us this evening, operating a service from Toulouse. It then operated out to Prague & as it is due back late this evening before operating a Funchal rotation tomorrow morning, it does seem to have joined the based fleet.
FLEET NEWS
Astraeus B733 G-STRJ (25119) was restored to the UK register at Bournemouth yesterday following its return from the now defunct Seagle Air with whom it operated as OM-HLC. Sister ship G-STRI (25011) should follow shortly as it was ferried from Bratislava to Bournemouth yesterday evening using callsign CVGL900P & still wearing OM-HLB.
BA Cityflyer B463 G-BZAX (E3356) was ferried from Norwich to Kemble as CFE26T today after painting into a splendid all white scheme.
Emirates B773 A6-ECW (38981) made its first flight today.
Eurocypria B738 C-GLBW (30671) has been returned to Sunwing A/L & left Perpignan yesterday as SWG9007 bound for Toronto & routing via Quebec.
Monarch A300B G-MONS (556) is due to be ferried to Cairo in the early hours of tomorrow morning as MSR999, presumably for Hajj work.
Ryanair B738 EI-EGB (38491) made it first flight yesterday.
Thomas Cook A320 G-KKAZ (2003) has once more become C-FZAZ for winter lease to Skyservice & left Manchester as SSV9503 today bound for Toronto. B752 G-WJAN (28674) has become C-FFAN again & also left Manchester today bound for Toronto & winter lease to Skyservice. A321 G-DHJH (1238) was ferried from Manchester to Copenhagen yesterday on lease to the airline's Scandinavian subsidiary. A332 OY-VKF (309) left Gatwick on 1/11 as TCX332P en route to Stockholm/Arlanda following summer lease to the parent airline.
Thomson A/W returned B752 C-GTBB (32447) to Skyservice today & it left Manchester en route to Toronto.
Titan A/W is expected to take delivery of B463 G-BUHB (E3183) shortly. This aircraft was most recently with Eurowings as D-AEWB & it undertook an acceptance flight from Southend this evening as AWC146T.
Virgin Atlantic B744 G-VROM (32339) was cancelled from the UK register yesterday & is now expected to leave Gatwick as CP-2603 later this evening though, following its history of cancelled flight plans, I won't be holding my breath.
ROUTE NEWS
EasyJet launched its Agadir service yesterday & it certainly looks as though their staff & passengers also had a bit of fun to boot. Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAOH_jBp_C8 & see for yourself.
Ryanair began a new daily service from Stockholm/Skavsta today. Flight number is RYR7728 with a scheduled arrival time of 19.40. You may recall that Skavsta Airport is actually 100kms south of Stockholm &, therefore, a typical Ryanair destination!
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
A warthog strike is not something I have come across before, but it seems that an Air Zimbabwe Xian MA-60 suffered one on Tuesday during a night take off from Harare en route to Bulawayo as AZW239. The aircraft veered off the runway, one of its main undercarriage struts collapsed, the port wing was seriously bent & the propeller destroyed. There was also damage to the fuselage where the aircraft had skidded along the runway. Fortunately, there were no injuries among the passengers or crew, though I suspect that the warthog was not so lucky.
The first A330F, F-WWYE (1004), made its maiden flight today from Toulouse. The manufacturer currently holds at least sixty-five orders for this freighter variant & the flight-test programme is due to last four months, with the first delivery set for next spring.
At the moment I am limping along with a sick PC, which may have to be taken away by the man with the screwdriver unless he can cure it in situ, so it is possible that my postings may suddenly disappear for a few days.
CREDITS
Malcolm Baldry, John Creasey, Simon Pritchard, dw727, Ian Gawtrey, Greg Holland, Mr Anon, the Aviation Herald, Jethro, Skyliner, Guy Fawkes & anybody else that I have forgotten.
Happy spotting!
John (& "Mad" Max)
MOVEMENTS SUMMARY (most from SBS)
AAW912 - A332 5A-ONH
AEA1013 - E195 EC-KYP (also AEA1015)
AMC116 - A320 9H-AEP
AMC1122 - A319 9H-AEH
AUI501 - B735 UR-GAK
AWE732 - A333 N278AY
AZW724 - B762 Z-WPF
BEL2121 - B462 OO-DJK
BEL2129 - B463 OO-DWJ
BTI651 - B733 YL-BBR
CIM265 - CRJ2 OY-RJF
CIM767 - CRJ2 OY-RJE
CIM5261 - B737 OY-MRG
CIM5761 - B737 OY-MRF
CIM5765 - B737 OY-MRU
DAL12 - B764 N837MH
EIN23A - A320 EI-DEI (also EIN236/246/248)
ELL101 - B735 ES-ABH
EZS8469 - A319 HB-JZJ (also EZS8471)
EZS8473 - A319 HB-JZH
EZS8477 - A319 HB-JZI
EZS8532 - A319 HB-JZG
EZY5336 - A320 G-EZTO (first visit)
GSM214P - B738 G-DLCH
ISS3531 - A319 EI-DEZ (also ISS3535)
MAH612 - B738 HA-LOH
MAH614 - B737 HA-LOL
MXA1594 - B762 XA-MXO
NAX1302 - B733 LN-KKA (also NAX1304)
NAX1306 - B733 LN-KHA
NAX1316 - B733 LN-KKT
NAX1318 - B733 LN-KKE
NAX1332 - B738 LN-NOH
NAX3510 - B733 LN-KKV (also NAX3521)
NAX3514 - B738 LN-NOP
NOA271 - A320 SX-OAR (third visit)
QTR075 - A333 A7-AED
RAM672 - B738 CN-ROJ
RYR1MT - B738 EI-DHD
RYR112 - B738 EI-DYR
RYR114 - B738 EI-EFN
RYR116 - B738 EI-EBD (also RYR118)
RYR1126 - B738 EI-EFL (second visit)
RYR1182 - B738 EI-DHD
RYR5371 - B738 EI-DWX
RYR5562 - B738 EI-DYT
RYR7728 - B738 EI-DWH (new daily Stockholm service)
RYR9228 - B738 EI-DWB
RYR9852 - B738 EI-DCE
SAS4623 - B735 LN-BRO
TAP334 - A320 CS-TNL
TAP348 - A320 CS-TNK
TRA5195 - B737 PH-XRE (third visit - also TRA5197)
TSC322 - A313 C-GTSK
UAE009 - B773 A6-ECU (third visit)
UAE011 - B772 A6-EMI
UAE015 - B773 A6-ECH
VIK344 - delayed to 22.45
VIK682 - delayed to 22.10 (due to be B738 SE-RHS)
VIK690 - B733 SE-RHT
VIK842P - B738 SE-RHX
BIZJETS, ETC
CS-DXQ Ce560XLS (arrived again today?)
D-AHLE CL604 (HLX162H)
I-IPIZ Be400A (arr 4/11 & dep today)
ZD952 Tristar KC1 (RRR3589 - first visit)