Dublin Movements, March 1979

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The 1st saw the arrival of a second B-25, following N9455Z which had turned up the previous day. N9115Z would spend a few months parked on the North Apron alongside its sister-ship, before leaving on 17 May.  It survives and is undergoing restoration at East Kirkby following many years on display in the RAF Museum at Hendon. The Aero Uruguay 707 on the 6th was probably a maintenance visitor; it is recorded as becoming CX-BJV in March 1979 so it may have left under that new identity. It would visit many more times in the course of the 1980s, under a number of subsequent identities. Staying with 707s, EI-AMW had finished a lease by GPA to Iran Air and was now flying for Air Algerie.  The basic Iranian scheme was retained, with Air Algerie titles. The visits by Irish Air Corps Cessnas (or "Reims Rockets" as they were often known) may have been in connection with Aer Lingus's contract to do work on the Avionics in the Irish Fouga Magisters.  A short hop VFR from Baldonnel was probably a much faster option than a "round the houses" drive through the city and suburbs. The Twin Pioneer on the 20th had arrived to undertake survey work and I recorded it departing on the 22nd to carry out work in the Carlow area.  This STOL transport had enjoyed limited commercial success and I don't think Dublin saw many visits by the type.
 
Two turboprop airliners merit mention. N8LG represented what was at the time a rare appearance by a Lockheed Electra, as the type was close to extinct as regards European operators. This excutive-configured aircraft was carrying singer John Denver and I presume stayed for a couple of days while he performed in Ireland.  Viscount G-BFZL on the 27th had only just joined the British Midland fleet from Swaziland, where it been registered 3D-ACM.  Registered in the UK on 12 March 1979, it was later operated by Manx Airlines, British Air Ferries and British World, before being sold as ZS-NNI on 5 March 1998.   It was last reported as derelict at Bondo Airstrip in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2018 and may linger on in the brush there.

1 March 
N9115Z    B-25J Mitchell

3 March
G-AVKC    BN-2A
G-AYGN    Cessna 210

5 March
234           Beech 200                        Irish Air Corps
D-CDAX    Learjet
EI-BCY     Beech 200                        Irish Air Corps        
G-BCKM   Citation 500
OY-BUP    Cessna 340A

6 March
G-ASIU     Queen Air
LX-FCV    B707-331C                       Aero Uruguay

7 March
G-BGCC    PA-31-350

9 March
130310     CC-130E                            CAF
F-BUYR    Beech Baron

11 March
EC-DCE    B727                                  IB
EI-BFB      Rallye
N885PA     B707                                 Pan Am
N60253     King Air 90

12 March
203            Cessna FR. 172H            Irish Air Corps
210            Cessna FR. 172H            Irish Air Corps
 
13 March
209             Cessna FR. 172H            Irish Air Corps
C-FNOR     Gulfstream II
G-AWMS    HS125 

15 March
G-AYOX     Viscount 814                     BMA op. BD802
OO-TEL      B737                                TEA op. EI7288

16 March
G-TAXI       PA-23-250

18 March
G-BGLW    PA-34-200
N748MN    Gulfstream II                    Mark Norman Cosmetics

19 March
G-AVXK     HS125
G-BDTV    Mooney 20

20 March
66              Nord 262                           FM0313
D-CCHS    Learjet
G-BBVF    Twin Pioneer                      Flight One Ltd
G-BAXL     HS125
G-BCXF     HS125                               RM489A
 
21 March
G-ATSB      PA-23-250
G-ATZO     Beagle 206
G-BBOM    PA-23-250
G-BFLZ      Beech 55 Baron

22 March
D-IGAA      RC.690A
F-GAMP    PA-31T Cheyenne
G-BCII       Cessna 500 Citation
G-BGKN    HS125 
OY-CBW    Merlin IIIA
G-RACE    Aerostar 601P

23 March
49              Mystere 20C                        FM0004
OY-KGG    DC-9-41                               SK540/1

26 March
D-IABC      Citation
N8LG         L-188C Electra

27 March
G-BENE    Cessna 402B
G-BFZL     Viscount 836                        BMA
PH-MIC     PA-23-250
9J-AEL      B707                                    Zambia A/W

28 March
G-AYYN    PA-28R-200
G-BBXE    PA-23-250
G-BFBD    P68B Victor
G-BFED    PA-31-350
OY-KGB    DC-9-41                               SK540/1

29 March
N81850     RC690B

30 March
C-GIRE     Learjet 35
D-IHEY      Citation
EI-BED      B747-130                             Aer Lingus (in full livery)
G-ATPE     HS125
G-BFTT    Cessna 421C
G-AXFE     King Air 90
G-BAVG     King Air 90 
G-BBVM    King Air 100
G-BDEJ     AC112
G-BGNU    King Air 90
OY-KGA     DC-9-41                              SK
 
31 March
EI-AMW    B707-348C                           AH2862
G-BCBX    Cessna 150 
G-BDKV    PA-28R
G-KEYS    PA-23-250
G-BFSU    P68B

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