Dublin Movements, January 1979

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This mid-winter month was brightened up by the sizeable amount of traffic generated by the Ireland-France rugby international.  As the only scheduled flights between Ireland and france at the time were Aer Lingus's Paris services, the great majority of French fans travelled by charter flights, large and small.  The Caravelle was still quite prominent but the type would become less common within a few years, especially as noise and economic factors led to the retirement of the earlier RR Avon-powered variants.  As can be seen, smaller types such as Navajos were also seen, presumably coming from regional parts of France.  
 
Towards the end of the month, two of the veteran C-47s of the French Navy visited on a training mission and my recollection is that I saw these parked on the ramp after dark, looking good under the floodlights. Serial "36" was originally a USAAF aircraft, 42-23936, and had operated in North Africa and Europe in WW2. After French service it went to Stellair as F-GEOM and later to the UK as G-DAKK. C-47 "711" was also ex-USAAF, serial 44-77011 and RAF serial KN650. It became French in 1953 and spent the rest of its career with the French Air Force and later Navy. It was retired in 1984 but its fate does not seem to be recorded.

Also of note this month was the appearance of Aer Lingus's third and final Boeing 747, EI-BED, a used aircraft, delivered still in basic Lufthansa livery.  It would serve with the airline until retirement at the end of April 1993.
 
1 January
G-BAYT        HS.125
N497PA        B707                            Pan Am

2 January
N100CC        BAC 1-11                    LUQA Corp.

5 January
D-CDAX        Learjet
G-TAXY        PA-31

6 January
N74MJ        Learjet 35

7 January
EC-CFI        B727                              IB 
EI-BED        B747-130                       Aer Lingus
G-BETV      HS125                            RM986
N24DS        Gulfstream II
SE-FAS       PA-28

8 January
EI-AUV       PA-23-250
G-BFFM     Cessna 421C 
G-BFVP      PA-23-250
G-BRGV     PA-31                            Centreline Aviation

10 January
G-BITC        Aerostar
N14CP        King Air 90

13 January
D-ABKR        B727-230                    LH078/9

14 January
D-ABLI        B727-230                     LH078/9
EC-DCD      B727-200                      IB
G-AROK     Cessna 310 
9J-ADY       B707                             Zambia; QZ039

15 January
D-IHEY       Citation
G-BBSL      PA-23-250
G-OLLY      PA-31-350

17 January
G-ATZO     Beagle 206
G-BGNU    King Air 90
G-VRES    King Air 200 

19 January
EC-CTT     DC-9                            Aviaco; AO1746/7
F-BPJV      B727                            Air Charter; SF791
F-BRAT     Cessna 402 
F-BRGU    Caravelle                      Minerve
F-BTMU     PA-31-350
F-BTQP     King Air 90
F-BUFH     Caravelle                     Aero Tour; FV2540
F-BUTI       F28                              TAT; IJ811
F-BVPZ     Caravelle                      Aero Tour; FV2514
F-BXOG    V.952                            EAS; EY1087 
F-BYAH     F27-200                       Air Rouergue; UZ4019
F-BYAI      Caravelle VI-N              Aero Tour; FV2354
F-BYCD    Caravelle                      EAS; EY1118
G-APKW    DH.114 Heron 1B        Fairflight; FC608
G-BAZI       B737                           Britannia; BY652B
PH-BAS     PA-31

20 January
CN-RMC    B707                            Royal Air Maroc
F-BJTH      Caravelle III                 Air Charter
F-BNMC     King Air 90
F-BTDL      Caravelle VI-R             Euralair
F-BUUB     PA-31-350 
F-BVUY      V.952                           EAS
F-BXOG     V.952                            EAS; EY1072
F-BYCA     Caravelle                      EAS; EY1172
F-GALJ      Cessna 421C
F-GASL     HS125-700B
F-GBBS     F28                              TAT; IJ812
G-ASYK     PA-30
G-BFWN    BAC 1-11                     BA838W (Cork diversion)
G-BFSO     HS125-700B               De Beers
 
21 January
D-ABKN     B727-230                     LH
EC-CFA     B727                            IB
EI-BGE      Cessna 172 
EI-BGF      PA-28R
F-BVPU     Caravelle                     Aero Tour; FV2514/5
F-BYAT      Caravelle                     Aero Tour; FV2454/5
G-BDYE     HS125

22 January
D-CCHB     Learjet

29 January
36             C-47A                            French Navy; c/s FYDQB
711            C-47B                           French Navy; c/s FYDQA
G-BAVY    PA-23-250 

30 January
G-BENE     Cessna 402B 
N27840      PA-31-350

31 January
G-BECO     Beech 36 Bonanza
G-BEOZ     AW.650 Argosy            Air Bridge; AK484

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