Dublin Movements, April 1976

It's interesting to note how dominant the HS125 was on the modest bizjet scene of the mid-1970s.  There was almost no other executive jet type on the UK Register at the time. The Italian example was visiting in connection with the Air Corps acquisition of SF260 training aircraft.  Some heavier Italian equipment appeared in the shape of two Alitalia DC-10s and a couple of visits by one of their 747s; these were operating charters to Rome for the Easter period. The Transair Canada 737 on the 14th was Aer Lingus's EI-ASH returning after a winter lease.  It would retain that carrier's garish yellow and brown livery for quite some time afterwards. EI-ASH photo  Also returning from lease was Boeing 747 EI-ASI, which had been leased to Air Siam as HS-VGB; this was one of the first major lease deals attributed to Tony Ryan, who later left Aer lingus to set up GPA.

Wren 460 EI-ARN, which I noted on 15 April, was operated by the Irish Parachute Club from Edenderry; this was a STOL conversion of the Cessna 182, with apparently excellent short-field performance. EI-ARN photo   Navajo G-OLLY was one of the first out-of-sequence UK registrations and by present-day standards was quite "non-PC", this jam company's logo being a golliwog! Golly!

Pan Am Boeing 707 N404PA was a common enough sight.  It has enjoyed a long life post- its airline service, having been converted into an avionics/EW testbed for the US military, as seen here: N404PA  It is still active and was monitored flying over Eastern Europe as recently as 23 August 2011.  A related type, the Boeing VC-135B, also appeared in Dublin in April 1976.  So valuable are these airframes to the USAF that after its retirement from VIP duties it was reborn as an TC-135W crew trainer for the USAF RC-135 fleet.

As it was then: VC-135B And as it is now: TC-135W

1 April

N780TW         B707-331B                  TWA

2 April

G-ATIG           Herald                          BMA

G-AVGP          BAC-1-11-400            BE

I-GJBO            HS125                         to Baldonnel Photo

OO-VGM        B720-022                    (air-test) Photo

3 April

D-ABET          B737-130                    LH

N100Y            Sabreliner                     Purolator

4 April

D-ABEU          B737-130                    LH

EC-CBG          B727-256                    IB

G-AVMX         BAC-1-11                   BE

N775TW         B707-331B                  TW

5 April

G-AVOE         BAC 1-11                    BE

G-BBGU         Jetstream 1                   Guinness

9 April

D-IABC           Citation

N733T             B720                            Aeroamerica

N1155T           Beech 60 Duke

N31088           Citation

OY-KGI          DC-9-41                      SAS

PH-ILF            Falcon 20                     Philips NV

10 April

D-ABES          B737-130                    LH078

G-BARD         Cessna 337

I-GJBO            HS.125

9J-AEB            B707-351C                 Zambia A/W

14 April

C-GTAR          B737-248                    Transair Canada

EI-BBR            BN-2A                        Aer Arann

G-AOHV         V802                           BA

G-ASSI            HS.125

G-ATHA          PA-23 Apache

G-AYLG          HS.125

G-BACF          Cessna 337

15 April

C-GGYV         Learjet

EI-ARN           Wren 460

F-BRUY          Gulfstream II                Aga Khan

I-DYNU          DC-10-30                    Alitalia

N8738             B707-331B                  TW

N57294           RC690A

N64696           B720-022                    (ex-OO-VGM)

16 April

EI-AWA          Bell 206

G-AOYN        V806                           BA

G-AVGP         BAC 1-11                    BA

G-AXYC         PA-31

I-DEMO          B747-243B                  AZ (also on 20^th)

SE-DAX          DC-9-41                      SK

19 April

I-DYNI            DC-10-30                    Alitalia

20 April

G-AOHM        V802                           BA

HS-VGB          B747-148                    Air Siam

PH-LPS           Falcon 20                     Philips NV

21 April

62-4129           VC-135B                     USAF/89^th MAW

25 April

58-6971           VC-137B                     USAF/89^th MAW

D-CDHS         Learjet

EC-CBL          B727-256                    Iberia

G-AWUF        HS.125

N720G            G159 Gulfstream          IBM Europe

26 April

D-ECOP         Cessna 172

D-ICKA          Cessna 414

G-ASVO         Herald                          BMA

G-AWZS         Trident 3B                    BA

G-OLLY          PA-31-350                  Robertson Foods

28 April

N404PA          B707-321B                  Pan Am

29 April

OY-APM        HS125                         AP Moller

Dublin Movements, March 1976

The month saw my first sighting of BAF's bare-metal Carvair G-ASDC, named "Plain Jane". Photo This was quite a novel look for a European cargo operator. I have a clear recollection of it landing on runway 17 on a typically dull St. Patrick's Day.  The National Day probably also accounted for the visit of ONA DC-8 N868F, in that carrier's elegant livery. Photo of N868F  The Egyptair 737 on the 31st was actually Aer Lingus's EI-ASB returning from a winter lease. It would be leased out again the following winter, to Brazilian carrier VASP.

2 March

F-BPRE           King Air 90

G-APEJ           V953F             BE3332

G-AWZV        Trident 3B        BE

G-AZWW       PA-23-250

214                  Alouette III

7 March

D-ABIW          B727-30          LH

G-BBAH         L-1011-1         BE

N28726           B707-331B      TWA

12 March

C-FTJU           DC-8-61          AC

G-BABW        King Air 90

LN-RLU          DC-9-41          SK

N868F             DC-8-61CF     Overseas National

14 March

D-ABEF          B737-130        LH

EC-CFF          B727-256        IB

G-ASAZ          Hiller UH-12E

G-BCCE          PA-23-250

SE-DAW         DC-9-41          SK541

17 March

EI-AND           Cessna 175

EI-AVE           PA-18-95 Super Cub

EI-AYA           Rallye

G-ASDC         Carvair   BAF

G-AVZZ          B707-138B      Laker

OY-KGB         DC-9-41          SK

21 March

G-AVAI          HS125

G-BCYC         Trislander         Loganair

OY-TRY         PA-28R

26 March

N99GA            Gulfstream II

31 March

SU-AYX         B737-248        Egyptair