14 January 1979

[davebasing]

Couple of days late due work, but 14 January 1979 found me at Southend. DC4 5N-ARC was being transferred from Air Mauritanie (the AM of whom is visible under the paint on the tail) to Arax Air of Nigeria. A few weeks later on a test flight it made a gear up landing at Manston but was deemed worthy of repair and thereafter flew off to Nigeria, eventually being impounded at Lagos and finally broken up there. She was once a Heathrow regular with Air France as F-BBDI (I saw BBDH and BBDJ but never BBDI). Note the old Southend museum in the background.


Birthplace of the Carvair, G-AOFW was in its final days at Southend, but G-ASHZ can still be found in the States. I first saw her pre-conversion as DC4 N9326R and caught up with her again as N89FA in Tucson in 1983. Managed to see all but 2 of the Carvairs produced, including those of Aer Lingus which operated to Heathrow. Viscount G-AMON was also not long for this world, while Herald G-BEYJ was one of a batch bought by BAF from the Malaysian Air Force (whose colours it still wore) before passing on to Guatemala as TG-ALE and eventual retirement at Guatemala City. Managed two flights in Heralds, would have been 3 but fog caused a bus replacement when I was due to fly the ridiculously short route from Glasgow to Edinburgh with BEA back in the sixties.


79-aa by dave tompkins, on Flickr
79-af by dave tompkins, on Flickr
79-ae by dave tompkins, on Flickr
79-ad by dave tompkins, on Flickr
79-ac by dave tompkins, on Flickr

79-ag by dave tompkins, on Flickr

[graham]

Great memories Dave, I remember my first ever visit to Southend, for the airshow in April 1970 and seeing the Carvairs all there. I've pulled the log from PlaneBase with the Carvairs highlighted

26 Apr 1970 Southend

CF-TKG Vickers Vanguard 952 730 Inter Cargo Service
F-BJQP C.E.A. Jodel DR.1050 39 Private
F-BKZR Rallye MS.880B Rallye Club 333 Private
G-ADXS Pou-du-Ciel HM.14 CLS.1 Private
G-AGPG Avro Anson C.19 Srs.2 1212 Private
G-AMFP Auster J/5B Autocar 2933 Private
G-ANVU DH.104 Dove Srs.1B 04082 Private
G-ANZJ Percival Proctor IV H.687 Private
G-AOAA Tiger Moth DH.82A 85908 Private
G-AOBU Jet Provost T.1 PAC/84/006 Private
G-AOBW Percival Proctor IV H.710 Private
G-AOBZ DH.104 Dove Srs.1B 04127 Channel Airways
G-AOFW Carvair ATL.98 12/10351 British Air Ferries
G-AOUV Super Freighter Mk.32 13258 British Air Ferries
G-AOVZ Jodel D.140 Mousquetaire 42 Private
G-APNH Carvair ATL.98 11/18333 British Air Ferries
G-APNJ Cessna 310 35335 Private
G-APRJ Avro Lincoln B.2 Private
G-APWY Piaggio P.166 AL1 362 Marconi
G-ARBS Piper PA-22 160 Tri-Pacer 22-6858 Private
G-AROT Aeromere F.8L Falco III 224 Private
G-ARRW HS.748 1A/106 1549 Dan-Air London
G-ARRZ Druine Turbulent D.31 PFA 580 Private
G-ARSD Carvair ATL.98 2/10311 British Air Ferries
G-ARXL Beagle A.61 Terrier 1 3726 Private
G-ARZM Druine Turbulent D.31 PFA 581 Private
G-ASAM Druine Turbulent D.31 PFA 595 Private
G-ASBB Beech Musketeer 23 M-15 Private
G-ASDC Carvair ATL.98 7/10273 British Air Ferries
G-ASHZ Carvair ATL.98 9/27249 British Air Ferries
G-ASIM Zlin Trener Master Z-326 838 Private
G-ASIY Piper PA-25 235 Pawnee 25-2446 Kent Gliding Club Ltd
G-ASJK Piper PA-25 235 Pawnee 25-2486 Private
G-ASJV Spitfire LF.IXb CBAF.5562 The Old Flying Machine Company
G-ASKG Carvair ATL.98 10/10382 British Air Ferries
G-ASKN Carvair ATL.98 13/3058 British Air Ferries
G-ASVS LET L-13 Blanik 172604 Private
G-ASVX Piper PA-25 235 Pawnee C 25-2895 Private
G-ASWA Piper PA-28 140 Cherokee 28-20349 Private
G-ASYM F.8L Falco Super Falco Srs.IV 404 Private
G-ATHX S.A.N. Jodel DR.100 A 74 Private
G-ATJT Gardan GY-80 160 Horizon 108 Private
G-ATLB S.A.N. Jodel DR.1050 M 78 Private
G-ATOC Bolkow Junior Bo.208C 600 Private
G-ATTZ Piper PA-25 235 Pawnee B 25-3746 Private
G-ATUA Piper PA-25 235 Pawnee B 25-3738 Private
G-ATYN Reims/Cessna F150G 0076 Private
G-ATYR PA-30 160 Twin Comanche B 30-1183 Private
G-AVFS PA-32 300 Cherokee Six 32-40038 Private
G-AVGX Bolkow Junior Bo.208C-1 630 Private
G-AVLB Piper PA-28 140 Cherokee 28-23158 Private
G-AVNB Reims/Cessna F150G 0216 Private
G-AVPV Piper PA-28 180 Cherokee C 28-2705 Private
G-AVTK PA-32 260 Cherokee Six 32-223 Private
G-AVTV Rallye MS.893A Commodore 180 10725 Private
G-AVVO Avro Anson C.19 Srs.2 34219 Private
G-AVVV Piper PA-28 180 Cherokee C 28-2853 Private
G-AVZB LET Cmelak Z-37 04-08 Private
G-AWCO Reims/Cessna F150H 0338 Private
G-AWDS Pilatus PC-6 B1-H2 616 ADS (Aerial) Ltd
G-AWKG Hiller OH-23B Raven 669 Private
G-AWOB Rallye MS.880B Rallye Club 1270 Private
G-AXAI Carvair ATL.98 17/18342 British Air Ferries
G-AXDJ Reims/Cessna F150J 0455 Private
G-AXGJ 337D Super Skymaster 33701088 Private
G-AXIH Bucker Jungmeister Bu 133C 11 Private
OO-MAP SIAI-Marchetti S.208 2-50 Private
VH-EAS DHA-3 Drover 2 5014 World War Two Preservation Society
WB569 DHC-1 Chipmunk 22 C1/0021 Private
WK642 DHC-1 Chipmunk 22 C1/0659 Private
XM660 Westland Whirlwind HAR.10 WA251 Royal Navy
XR412 MQM-36A Shelduck D.1 Royal Air Force
XS612 HS.780 Andover C.Mk.1 Set 19 Royal Air Force

[davidallum]

Small world Graham,myself & Rodney were there that day as well,we went from Reading to Paddington and then Liverpool Street to Rochford.

[graham]

Didn't we all meet up at Reading station Dave? I have vague memories of being at the station with Sid, I'm sure we were going elsewhere but then we bumped into you and Rodders, you told us you were off to Southend so we joined you. Or did I dream that?

[davidallum]

I think you may be right Graham,it's such a long time ago.