VISITORS
Today's newcomers consisted of a pair of Airbuses. First of these was the latest Afriqiyah A332 5A-ONH (1043), the last of the three ordered by the carrier, & this was followed by Koral Blue A320 SU-KBA (0937 ex SU-LBC). This was the second of three Koral Blue Thursday flights & was doubtless connected with half term, as I have read in the travel press that Egypt has overtaken Spain this year as the most popular destination for this year's autumn break.
FLEET NEWS
BMI Baby B733 G-TOYB (26311) flew its last revenue service from Paris/CDG to East Midlands on 13/10 as BMI5254 & was then ferried to Sofia the following day at BMI9411 for, it is thought, end-of-lease maintenance.
Flyglobespan. Thanks to Nick Yeadon for informing me that B763 G-CEFG (26264) is based at RAF Brize Norton and used exclusively on the route to Mount Pleasant via Ascension Island. As such, it has a specially configured interior, which makes it unsuitable for normal commercial use.
Virgin Atlantic B744 G-VROM (32339) flew its last revenue service on 16/10 as VIR70 from Kingston, Jamaica to Gatwick. It was then ferried to Amsterdam the following day as VIR811 & is destined for delivery to AeroSur next month.
ROUTE NEWS
None today.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
More aviation-related trivia. Hot on the heels of yesterday's piece about a lost mobile phone delaying a Jet2 flight comes news of a mouse halting a Delta B767 flight from New York/JFK to LHR on Sunday. Following the sighting of said mouse running through the cabin, the captain refused to fly the aircraft in case the offending rodent chewed through vital wiring. A replacement aircraft eventually left 3 hours late. As if that wasn't enough, a passenger reported seeing a tarantula crawling between his legs as a BA A319 from LHR taxied to the gate at Edinburgh yesterday. A specialist firm was called in from Gatwick to fumigate the aircraft, but there was no sign of the spider. The aircraft was later flown back empty to LHR.
Thanks to those who pointed out my typo in yesterday's roundup - CL604 G-CGGU is, of course, c/n 5626 not 5262. Another addition to the register yesterday was Premier G-RIZA (RB-195 ex A9C-RJA, A6-RZA). This has been loafing around unmarked at Biggin Hill for some while & the owner remains as Rizon Jet. A pair of cancellations from the TAG Aviation fleet yesterday were CL604 G-CGFD (5591 ex N604CD, G-OCSD), which is off to Morocco, & CRJ-850 G-CMBL (8067), which is going back home to Canada.
CREDITS
David Horan, Nick Yeadon, Seymour Hills, Darren Saville, John Creasey, Ian Gawtrey, Gary Jones, Vince Horan, UK Airport News, Jethro, Skyliner, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky & anybody else that I have forgotten.
Happy spotting!
John (& "Mad" Max)
MOVEMENTS SUMMARY (most from SBS)
AAW912 - A332 5A-ONH (first visit)
ADR450 - CRJ2 S5-AAI
AEA192 - B738 EC-HJQ
AEA1013 - B738 EC-HBM
AEA1015 - B738 EC-JAP
AMC116 - A319 9H-AEL
AMC128 - A319 9H-AEJ (also AMC1122)
AUI501 - B733 UR-GAH
AWE732 - A333 N278AY
AZW724 - B762 Z-WPE
BEL2121 - B462 OO-DJO
BEL2129 - B462 OO-DJW
BMM314 - B738 CN-ROJ
BTI651 - B733 YL-BBR
CIM261 - CRJ2 OY-RJE (also CIM265)
CIM5761 - B737 OY-MRG
CIM5765 - B737 OY-MRH
CTN498 - A320 9A-CTK
CTN4494 - A319 9A-CTG
DAL12 - B763 N185DN
EIN23A - A320 EI-DEB
EIN24D - A320 EI-DEJ
EIN236 - A320 EI-DEA
EIN246 - A320 EI-CVA (also EIN248)
ELL101 - B733 ES-ABK
EZS8469 - A319 HB-JZG (also EZS8471)
EZS8473 - A319 G-EZIV
EZS8477 - delayed to 23.45 (again!)
EZS8532 - A319 HB-JZH
EZY5334 - A319 G-EZFL (also EZY5234)
ISS3531 - A319 EI-DFA (also ISS3535)
KBR4490 - A320 SU-KBA (first visit)
MAH612 - B737 HA-LOP
MAH614 - B738 HA-LOU
MXA1594 - B762 XA-MXN
NAX1302 - B738 LN-NOG
NAX1304 - B733 LN-KKJ
NAX1306 - B738 LN-NOP
NAX1318 - B738 LN-NOF
NAX1332 - B733 LN-KKH
NAX3510 - B733 LN-KKD (also NAX3514)
NAX3521 - B738 LN-NOM
QTR075 - A332 A7-ACB
RYR9GW - B738 EI-DYE
RYR112G - B738 EI-DCE (also RYR114G)
RYR116G - B738 EI-DPW (also RYR118G)
RYR1124 - B738 EI-DPT
RYR1126 - B738 EI-DHR
RYR1182 - B738 EI-DAH (also RYR1X)
RYR5371 - B738 EI-DPH
RYR5562 - B738 EI-EBL
RYR5568 - B738 EI-EFC
RYR9852 - B738 EI-DLC
SAS4623 - B735 LN-BRH
TAP334 - F100 CS-TPB
TAP348 - A319 CS-TTN
TRK443 - A321 TC-TCF
TSC322 - A313 C-GSAT
UAE009 - B773 A6-ECK
UAE011 - B772 A6-EMK
UAE015 - B773 A6-ECT
VIK134 - B733 SE-RHV
VIK334 - B738 C-FYLC (also VIK144)
VIK346 - eta 23.00
VIK682 - B738 SE-RHX
BIZJETS, ETC
CS-DGR Ce650 (arr 20/10 & dep today)
N79EL Be400A
N480QS Gulf 4 (arr 18/10 & dep today)
N808T Gulf 4 (arr 21/10 & dep today)
N811AM HS125 (arr 21/10 & dep today)