VISITORS
Making its first visit on the Air Comet flight from Madrid this morning was MD-87 EC-KSF (53207 ex EC-633, EC-FEZ) operated by Aerofan. Apparently, this is a flying school based at Cuatro Vientos, which uses the aircraft for ad-hoc charters. It still retains the basic Iberia scheme. Also slipping in largely unnoticed this afternoon was Flybe DHC-8 G-ECOK (4230) on its first visit to Gatwick.
Proving yet again (as if it was necessary) that my memory is not to be trusted, Citation 550 OK-ACH (1111) was actually on its third visit to Gatwick on Saturday evening.
FLEET NEWS
Aer Lingus A320 EI-EDP (3781) followed sister ship EI-EDS (3755) from Toulouse to Shannon today for painting.
EasyJet A319 G-EZFC (3808) is due for delivery from Finkenwerder to Gatwick tomorrow. A320 G-TTOC (1715) has emerged from the paint shop at Shannon in full Eurofly scheme & carrying I-EEZN. B737 G-EZJJ (30245), currently at Southend in Sun Country scheme, is to become N711SY. B737 G-EZJK (30246) entered the SR Technics hangar at Stansted this afternoon & is due to go to Gol as PR-VBI, while G-EZJL was due at Stansted from Southend yesterday (to become PR-VBO), but doesn't yet seem to have made the trip.
Ryanair B738 EI-CSR (29931) should have left Southend on delivery to Garuda today routing via Cairo & Muscat. It was still Irish registered & wearing basic Ryanair scheme but, like G-EZJL above, would appear to be still firmly on the deck at Southend. With thanks to Irish Spotters, here are the expected delivery dates for the next ten B738s.
EI-EBF (37524) 20th February
EI-EBK (37528) 20th February
EI-EBL (37529) 6th March
EI-EBM (35002) 17th March
EI-EBN (35003) 18th March
EI-EBO (35004) 18th March
EI-EBP (37531) 26th March
EI-EBR (35730) 31st March
EI-EBS (35001) 1st April
EI-EBT (35000) 1st April
ROUTE NEWS
None today.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of another sad day in the history of Gatwick Airport. At around 16.47 on 17th January 1959, THY Viscount TC-SEV (429) crashed into Jordan's Wood, Rusper just three miles short of the runway, resulting in the deaths of five of the eight crew members & nine of the sixteen passengers on board.
The aircraft was on a VIP flight from Ankara via Rome to London Airport (now Heathrow) & had declared its alternate as Paris/Orly. On board were eight crew & eleven passengers, including the Turkish Prime Minister M. Menderes (who survived) & a party of Turkish Government officials. This group was on its way to London to meet with the British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan & the Greek Prime Minister Constantine Karamanlis in order to sign the London Agreement, giving all three countries the right to intervene in Cyprus if peace was broken by any of the parties.
With visibility at London Airport rapidly deteriorating & several aircraft having already diverted, the Viscount was asked to make for Gatwick, where the weather was better. There was, however, a bank of fog about three miles out & despite manoeuvring for an ILS approach, TC-SEV flew into the tops of trees on high ground before disintegrating & catching fire.
For full details, please go to the Gatwick Aviation Society's website.
CREDITS
Ken Ede, Yogi Bear, Steve Spence, Paul Giblin, Paul Smith, Steve Pigg, Andy Borrett, Malcolm Baldry, Ian Gawtrey, Trillian & anybody else that I have forgotten.
Happy spotting!
John (& "Mad" Max)
AAW912 - A320 5A-ONB
ADR450 - CRJ9 S5-AAL
AMC116 - A320 9H-AEQ
AMC1122 - A319 9H-AEL
AUI501 - B733 UR-GAQ
AWE730 - B752 N941UW
AWE732 - A333 N275AY
BEE910G - DHC8 G-ECOK (first visit)
BEL2121 - B463 OO-DWL
BEL2129 - B462 OO-DJX
BTI651 - B752 YL-BDB
CIM265 - CRJ2 OY-RJG
CIM5761 - B734 SE-RJA (also CIM5765)
CLI8640 - A320 EC-HQJ
CNO623 - B735 LN-BUG
CTN4494 - A320 9A-CTF
DAL012 - B764 N840MH
DAL036 - did not operate
EIN242 - A320 EI-DVG
EIN244 - A320 EI-DEM
EIN246 - A320 EI-CVD (also EIN248)
ELL101 - B733 ES-ABJ
EZS8532 - A319 HB-JZO
EZS8569 - A319 HB-JZJ (also EZS8571)
EZS8573 - A319 HB-JZI
EZS8575 - A319 HB-JZL
EZS8577 - A319 HB-JZP
ISS3531 - A319 EI-DEY
ISS3535 - A319 EI-DFA
MAH612 - B736 HA-LOG
MAH614 - B737 HA-LOP
MPD230 - MD87 EC-KSF (Aerofan - first visit - also MPD232)
NAX1318 - B733 LN-KHA
NAX1342 - B733 LN-KKF
QTR075 - A332 A7-ACL
RYR1X - B738 EI-DYS
RYR112G - B738 EI-DHT (also RYR114G)
RYR116G - B738 EI-DYH (also RYR118G)
RYR1124 - B738 EI-DPR (also RYR1126)
RYR1182 - B738 EI-DYL
RYR5562 - B738 EI-DAY (also RYR5568)
RYR7102 - B738 EI-DAE
RYR9228 - B738 EI-DPP
RYR9852 - B738 EI-CSV
TAP332 - A319 CS-TTR
TAP334 - F100 CS-TPE
TAP344 - F100 CS-TPB
TAP348B - A319 CS-TTO
TSC722 - A310 C-FDAT
UAE009 - A332 A6-EAH
UAE011 - B772 A6-EMK
UAE015 - B773 A6-EBG
BIZJETS, ETC
CS-DRT HS125 (arr 15/2)
D-BASE DA2000EX (arr 15/2 & dep today)
M-BWFC Ce560XLS (arr 15/2 & dep today)
OK-ACH Ce550 (ABP650)
VP-BSO DA900EX (SHE711)