Dublin Movements, April 1977

Air Malta's first jet equipment was a pair of Boeing 720Bs leased from Pakistan International and these commenced a weekly charter series, still with Pakistani registrations until they were purchased by Air Malta a few years later. Aviaco's favoured equipment on its Dublin charter flights was the DC-8 series 50, several of which the company had inherited from Iberia.  

The two former French Skyraiders which had arrived in March took to the air again on the 4th on the next leg of their flight to the USA, departing one after the other in noisy fashion from runway 35, destination Reykjavik.  Two French-operated aircraft arrived to be based for survey duties; one was the IGN's brand-new Super King Air F-GALP, while a lot more interesting was DC-3 F-OCUY of Hemet Exploration.  The latter was to be lost four years later when it disappeared south of Mallorca on 21 April 1981 with the loss of the four persons on board.  By then it was registered as F-BJBO.  Also hailing from France was naval C-47 serial 726, in the usual silver and dayglo finish worn by these machines.  It too was to be lost in an accident, though a non-fatal one, when as EC-EQH it veered off the runway at Palma de Mallorca on 4 January 1991. Other piston-powered movements of note were the departure to Southend of Aer Turas's last C-54, EI-ARS, and a visit by Nor-Fly CV440 LN-MAP.

Two aircraft passed through en route to Baldonnel for demonstration to the Air Crops. These were Britten-Norman Defender G-BCMY and Cessna Titan N5432G.  No orders resulted.

1 April

EI-AVG                 Beech Baron

G-BBEE               Learjet 25B

G-BBXE               PA-23-250

LN-RLD                DC-9-41                                SK537

2 April 
EC-ARB               DC-8-52                                Aviaco op. AO1713 
N9040V                Beech A60 Duke

3 April

AP-AMG              B720B                                    Air Malta
EC-CAK               B727                                      IB741/2

G-BATA                HS125

G-BAWV              PA-23-250

SE-DAT                DC-9                                      SK537/8

SE-FNF                Beech 95 Travel Air
  
4 April

N91935                 A-1D Skyraider                  dep. to Reykjavik

N91945                 A-1D Skyraider                  dep. to Reykjavik
F-GALP               Beech 200                           IGN
G-AWUF              HS125
G-BAPG               V814                                   BD902/3
N1720                  Cessna 310
PH-HBG               Fuji 200
PH-MVT               Cessna 210
208                       Cessna 172                          Irish Air Corps

5 April

EI-AYN                  BN-2A                                   RE117/8

EI-BCE                  BN-2A

F-BSQU                Falcon 10

F-BTML                 Falcon 20

G-ATID                  Cessna 337

G-BBYA                Dove

G-BCGU               Jetstream 200

N5432G                Cessna  404

N8735                   B707                                      TW877

222                        SF260                                    Irish Air Corps

6 April

F-BSUX               Learjet 23

F-BTML                Falcon 20

G-AVXL                 HS125

G-AZLP                V814                                      BMA

G-BBCL                HS125-600B

SE-DAR                DC-9-41                                SK537

7 April

G-AWWL             HS125

G-BCXR              BAC 1-11                              OM624/8624

N18706                B707                                     TW877

8 April

EI-BBL                   RC690                                  Earl of Granard

G-AWRO              Beagle 206

9 April

EC-ASN                 DC-8                                      AO1133

EI-BCW                 Rallye

HB-CEM               Cessna 172

HB-OHG               PA-28R

HB-OKK               PA-28R

11 April 
G-BBOJ                 PA-23-250

HB-LFN                 PA-23-250

12 April

G-AWZF               Trident 3B                           BE518/9

F-BLEU                Beech 50

LN-MAP               Convair 440                         Nor-Fly

SE-DDE               Cessna 500 Citation

13 April

HB-VDA               Cessna 500 Citation

OO-TEH               B737                                   TEA op. HE1634

17 April

AP-AMJ                B720B                                    KMC750/1

D-ABEY                B737                                      LH

EI-ARS                 C-54E                                    Aer Turas (departed after sale)

F-OCUY               DC-3 (C-53)                           Hémet Exploration

G-AVEC               Cessna 172

OY-KGB               DC-9                                      SK

18 April

N121WT               Falcon 20                             IBM

N887PA                B707                                      PA

20 April

G-BCNT               P68B

OY-KGH               DC-9                                      SAS

23 April

EC-ARB               DC-8                                      Aviaco

EC-AUM               DC-8                                      Aviaco

24 April

D-ABFI                 B727-230                              LH

G-AVHJ                Wassmer WA.41

G-BCMY               BN-2A Defender

SE-DBT                DC-9                                      SAS

SP-LSI                  Il-18                                       LOT

25 April

G-ASDC               Carvair                                  BAF

G-AYNR               HS125-400B

G-AZVS                HS125

N94                       ET-29C                                  FAA

726                        C-47B                                    French Navy c/s FYDQH

26 April

N781FT                 DC-8-63F                              Flying Tigers

27 April

F-BRSU                Cessna 177

N80MD                 Beech 100

PH-TVA                 B707-123B                           Transavia dep. as HV998

SE-GRR                Beech 200                           Irish Air Corps, c/s 232B

28 April

OE-FPW               PA-31

OO-TEB                Boeing 720-048                 HE721 (dep.)

29 April

LN-RLK                 DC-9                                      SAS

N100WK               Gulfstream II

30 April

D-ABER                B737-130                              LH

EC-ARC                DC-8                                      AO1712/3

EC-ATP                 DC-8                                      AO1132/3

G-BCDC                PA-18-95 Super Cub

Dublin Movements, March 1977

From this month on my logs are more detailed so I'll be able to include flight numbers etc. for more visitors.  The main event of the month was the Ireland-France rugby match on 19 March, and this produced a good variety of operators, most of which were not regularly seen at Dublin.  Star item was the MEA Boeing 720B, some of that carrier's fleet being based at Paris during one of the many upheavals in Lebanon's recent history.  Of the British charter carriers, Dan-Air appeared in some strength, with two Comets visiting in addition to BAC 1-11s.  A soccer international against France at the end of the month saw several French visitors, with the Air France 747-100 a first visit of the type with that airline.

The two ex-French Skyraiders rank as the most interesting ever visitors to Dublin, as far as I am concerned.  From memory, they pitched up on the Dublin frequency after diverting from Shannon in bad weather, and when they announced themselves to ATC as two Skyraiders I made an urgent visit to the airport to see them!  Having come from Chateaudun, they spent a few weeks at Dublin before leaving for Iceland on the next stage of a transatlantic ferry flight.

On the 21st, Super King Air SE-GRR was already on charge to the Irish Department of Defence and later took up Air Corps serial 232.


1 March
G-AYRY            HS125

2 March
OY-BIM            Cessna 421B

3 March
HB-VEZ           Falcon 20

9 March
N91935           A-1D Skyraider             Arrived together as "Univair 702"
N91945           A-1D Skyraider

11 March
OY-ASP           Learjet 25 

12 March
F-BTOV           V952                                EAS
G-AXMG          BAC1-11                          Monarch (op. for Aer Lingus)

13 March
D-ANNO          BAC 1-11-414EG              Bavaria Fluggesellschaft (op. for Aer Lingus)
OH-LSA           SE210                              Finnair (op. for Aer Lingus)
SE-DAX           DC-9                                SAS

14 March
F-BYCB           SE210
OO-TEF           A300B1                            TEA (op. for Aer Lingus)
165                   N2501 Noratlas                French AF

15 March
G-BART           HS125
N910CL           DC-8-63CF                      Capitol

17 March
G-BCYF          Falcon 20

18 March
G-ATYW         Beagle 206
G-BBAG         L-1011                                BE518/9
N8731             B707                                  TW8048 to SNN-PIT-AMA(Amarillo)

French Rugby traffic
F-BRGU         SE210                                 Minerve
F-BRUC         Baron
F-BSEL          SE210                                 Euralair        EL857
F-BTQN          Beech 50 Twin Bonanza
F-BUTA          F27                                      TAT               IJ8945 
F-BVPD         SN601 Corvette
F-BVPH         SN601 Corvette 
F-BVPU         SE210                                  Aero'tour
G-AWYS         BAC 1-11                            BCAL
G-AWYU         BAC 1-11                            BCAL
G-AWWZ        BAC 1-11                           Monarch         OM562/3
F-GAMR         DHC-6                                Companie Aérienne du Languedoc

19 March
CN-RMB         B707-351C                        AT5990
D-ABEI           B737-130                          LH076/7

French Rugby traffic
F-BJTH           SE210                              Air Charter, op. SF201A/202A
F-BPFO           Baron
F-BPJV            B727-214                        Air Charter, op. SF165
F-BRUC           Baron
F-BSMP           ST.10 Diplomate
F-BSSL            HS125-400B
F-BTME           Beech 99                         TAT
F-BTOV           V952                                EAS
F-BTYV           Learjet 24D                      Uni-Air
F-BUFF           SE210                              Catair
F-BUFH          SE210                               Aerotour
F-BUTE           F28-1000                         TAT/Air France
F-BUTI            F28-1000                         TAT/Air France
F-BUTS           King Air 90
F-BXAC           Beech 58
F-BYAF            F27                                 Air Rouergue, op. UZ4077
F-BXAJ            V952                               EAS
F-BXAZ           PA-23-250
F-BXOB          PA-28R Arrow
F-BXOG          V952                               EAS
F-BXOK          Cessna 402B
G-BDAS          BAC1-11                         DA
OD-AGB          B720B                            MEA op. for Air Charter as SF010

20 March
D-ABEQ          B737-130                       LH076/7
D-GOLD          PA-34
EC-BMV          DC-8-55F                       IB3741
G-AWZU         Trident 3B                       BE op. as "Bealine 'ZU"
G-BCXR          BAC 1-11                        Monarch op. OM565 EHRD-EGKK
SE-DAL           DC-9-41                          SK537/8

French Rugby traffic 
F-BUZC          SE210                             Minerve
F-BYCB          SE210                             Catair
F-BYCD          SE210                             Catair op. QV7840/1
G-APMG         Comet 4B                        DA9575
G-ARJN          Comet 4B                        DA9574
G-AXCP          BAC-11                           DA9264
G-AXJK           BAC-11                           BR8400/99
G-BDAT           BAC1-11                         DA9262

21 March
SE-GRR          Beech 200                      Irish Air Corps

22 March
EI-AWH           Cessna 210
N90WT            Cessna 206
9J-AEB            B707                              Zambia Airways, dep. as QZ8039

23 March
D-IABC            Citation
G-BDUK          RC690B

25 March
220                  CM170 Magister            Irish Air Corps
G-ASDC          Carvair                           BAF

26 March
G-AZAG          Bell 206

27 March
G-ARNC         PA-22 Tri-Pacer             (from/to Weston)

28 March
F-BPNT          Nord 262                        DGAC

30 March
EI-AWY          Mu-2B-35
F-BJTG          SE210                            Air Charter
F-BJTH          SE210                            Air Charter
F-BKMC         HS125
F-BOSY          Beech 90
F-BPVP          B747-128                       AF4606/7
F-BUFH          SE210                           Aerotour
F-BUTV          Beech 90
F-BVUY          V952                              EAS
SE-DAW         DC-9                              SK538
5N-AND          B737                              Nigeria Airways

31 March
PH-ILX           Falcon 20                       Philips