Dublin Airport Historical Movements

The first part of the month  was dominated by the USAF airlift of equipment to Lebanon , with several C-5A Galaxies, C-130s and a C-141 visiting. This was by far the most intensive USAF activity that I had witnessed at Dublin up to that time, though of course presidential visits in later decades generated high volumes of activity also.  The Starlifter, 66-0161, would visit again in 1984, having been stretched in the meantime to C-141B standard.   The SF Air DC-6 was a rare sight and in fact I did not see it, but have included it for completeness. The Eagle Air 720 on the 12th was in basic Kenya Airways colours after a lease, and used its registration as callsign.  The unusual general aviation visitors on the 3rd and 4th were on their way to an air display at Powerscourt in Co. Wicklow.  The Yak-11 was, and remains, the only example of this type ever to visit Dublin. Early HS125 G-ASSM (14th) is now preserved in the Science Museum, South Kensington, in Londo...

This was to be a month of several interesting visitors, arising from continuing Aer Lingus industrial action and also a major airlift later in the month by the USAF of Irish troops and equipment to Lebanon for UN duties. USAF visitors were very rare in this era, so the sight of multiple C-5 Galaxies, several C-130s and C-141 Starlifters certainly made a change from the normal activity. On the 22nd, C-5A 69-0008 was the first of its type to visit. Inex-Adria commenced a charter series on the 13th and I don't recall any previous visits by this operator; they went on to be a summer regular for several years thereafter. 1 May CF-YED                DC-3 (C-47)                          Northway Aviation F-BUTF                 Azte...