View Full Version : African BAC 1-11s
mrshubigbus
24th Apr 2002, 22:05
I am trying to get hold of some BAC 1-11 photos taken in Africa as most of the remaining survivors are now based in this part of the world. I rarely get the chance to fly to Africa therefore if any of you African pilots have a camera and wouldn't mind snapping a few shots if you come across any 1-11s I would be most grateful.
Sky Goose
25th Apr 2002, 10:06
Have you tried www.airliners.net ,they should have something, I know Nationwide, in South Africa operate them, you could start with a search on them,
cheers for now
Nigeria has by far the biggest number of operational BAC 1-11s in Africa. You might want to run a search on the following operators:
Albarka, Okada, Kabo, Savannah, ADC, EAS, Oriental, GAS Air, Hold-Trade Air, Chanchangi....
All of which are based in Nigeria.
Hani
flyboy2
26th Apr 2002, 20:22
Next time I'm at Lanseria , I'll take a photo of the many BAC111's parked there.
Your e-mail address ?
blowawayjet
26th Apr 2002, 21:26
about 3 of them flying in mitiga, tripoli, all in vip config.......should be some pics of them out there on airliners.net
Boss Raptor
27th Apr 2002, 11:40
Take a picture at a Nigerian airport and you will be arrested...they are very hot on this...and very expensive to get out of!
The Hold Trade aircraft are derelict at Kaduna and the last ADC aircraft being broken up at Bournemouth, Oriental semi derelict at Lagos...Albarka at least one written off last month in the freak storm at Abuja...
...and Okada all derelict at Benin and Lagos...
The reality and the reggie spotters listings are two different things!
Yossarian
30th Apr 2002, 06:11
Try www.afavia-fotos.co.za and do a search on the site for Nationwide or BAC 1-11.
mrshubigbus
2nd May 2002, 16:51
Due to the freak storm in Abuja I understand that up to three
1-11s were written off. Does anyone know which ones. I have been told that it is two Albarka Air and one Savannah Airlines.
Any further information would be appreciated as I would like to update my BAC 1-11 website.
Boss Raptor
3rd May 2002, 11:52
Albarka's Exec 400 is a write off it got clobbered by a flying cargo igloo...that is one anyway...
mrshubigbus
4th May 2002, 20:43
Sadly another 1-11 crashed in Nigeria today with a large loss of life. I understand that the Nigerian Government made a new law in March stating that any airliners older than 22 years old would be grounded. Does this mean that all the 1-11s in the country will be grounded as most of them are at the 22 year old mark already.
This would affect many carriers who operate the type. Does any one have any further info on this?
Should this be correct, barely all nigerian acft will be grounded. African skies are 20 times more perilous than western countries skies. An ageeing fleet is not to be blamed solely, unmatured maintenance, pilot training and licencing and ATC are big factors.
Nigeria bars BAC 1-11 from airspace
By Sola Dixon and Wole Shadare (Lagos) and Iyabo Sotunde (Abuja)
JOLTED by last Saturday's air crash in Kano, in which about 150 lives were lost, the Federal Government yesterday moved to apply more stringent rules in the operations of the aviation industry and restore public confidence in the mode of transportation.
The government suspended all types of the Executive Airlines Services (EAS) aircraft involved in the accident, BAC 1-11, pending the outcome of on-going investigations into the crash.
Also, any aircraft that is more than 22 years old will no longer be registered for use in the country, while owners of already registered ones were given a five-year ultimatum to phase them out.
The government move runs contrary, however, to the belief of the President of the Nigerian Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), Captain Udok Efot, who argued yesterday that age is immaterial to the safety of aircraft.
Aviation Minister Dr. Kema Chikwe yesterday at a press conference on the aircraft in Abuja, said the age limit was one of the highlights of the revised national civil aviation policy which was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) last month.
A statement affirming the decisions was also released to the press yesterday. Chikwe said the Air Worthiness Department of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had equally been restructured. It would be headed by an international expert in the field.
With the suspension of the BAC 1-11 brand, most airline operators may run into difficult times as most of them operate with the aircraft type.
The pronouncement has therefore jolted them as most of them will be scrambling to acquire Boeing aircraft to remain in business. But the cost of the venture is astronomical.
According to the minister, arrangements to restructure NCAA have reached an advanced stage.
In the certification of an aircraft for use in the Nigerian airspace, Chikwe said evidence of the status of the previous operations of the aircraft would be required. Such evidence, according to her, would include information such as how long the aircraft had been operational and if it had been out of use or not.
The length of time it had been inactive would also be a mandatory requirement. Such information, she explained, would be required from the country of registration of the aircraft and the report furnished by the state of registration would play a major role in any decision to register the aircraft in the country.
Chikwe warned that any NCAA official that grants extension for any aircraft due for 'C-checks' would face very severe disciplinary action.
She said: "Registration of aircraft within the approved age limit would only be carried out after thorough investigation of the historical antecedents of the aircraft.
"Since we are rebuilding the operations of airlines in Nigeria, we do not intend to do so with geriatric aircraft.
The first BAC 1 -11 took off on its inaugural flight on August 20, 1964, but crashed two months later, killing the test crew.
Changes on the elevator were later carried out. The certification of the BAC 1-11 was issued in April 1965.
As a result of shortage of inspectors in the NCAA to carry out necessary inspections of aircraft and related facilities, advertisements are to be placed for urgent recruitment of inspectors.
But Captain Efot yesterday joined issues with Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation Alhaji Idris Kuta, who had called for the grounding of all BAC 1-11 aircraft in the country.
Efot, who addressed news men shortly after arriving from the scene of the plane crash, said the age of an aircraft is difficult to determine.
He said the aviation business is similar to many others. According to him, faults could develop at any point in the operation: shortly before take off; at point of maintenance; or while landing.
The pilot said the issue was not whom to blame for the crash but to check whether the schedules of maintenance had been followed for the aircraft.
He said it was also premature to blame the engineer, adding: "When the final accident reports come and the blame points towards negligence, then we will reply appropriately".
Discounting the suggestion of Kuta concerning the age of BAC -1-11 aircraft, the NAAPE president said well maintained aircraft would be as young and serviceable as any other airplanes.
According to him, the crashed EAS BAC 1-11 - 500 series was manufactured in 1986 making it 16 years old, adding that it was not as old as it might appear.
"A brand new airplane can crash like an old airplane so long they are not maintained according to schedule", he stressed.
He however, declined comments on whether the crashed aircraft was well maintained, noting that, that is still subject of on-going investigation
He argued that the life span of most airplane fuselage is about 35 years, adding that an aircraft is a constellation of parts by different manufacturers.
He insisted that in so far as the manufacturers still publish airworthiness directives and renew maintenance schedules of aircraft and their being rigorously obeyed, the aircraft is still very much alive.
On whether or not other countries do not impose age limit on aircraft, Efot said he could not recall any such country, noting that cases where aircraft are grounded are usually based on genuine fears about a particular component; if it is discovered to be prone to failure.
"Immediately the failure is rectified in all the existing models, the aircraft resumes flying.
He cited the DC-10-30 series that were grounded on account of fault discovered in the cargo hold lock system, maintaining that the circumstances of the EAS plane crash does not warrant grounding of all BAC 1-11 aircraft in Nigeria.
He, however, supported calls for a public enquiry into the crash, in addition to the mandatory Accident Investigation Bureau's normal investigation.
Nigeria bars BAC 1-11 from airspace
mrshubigbus
11th May 2002, 17:26
Can anyone confirm that the Nigerian 1-11 grounding has actually taken affect. If anyone has any further information regarding this issue then please let me know. If this is the case then the 1-11s days are definitely numbered!
Operators such as Albarka, Chanchangi, and Savannah are contuining to operate the type despite the Newspaper articles mentioning a 'ban on 1-11s from Nigeria's airspace'.
They argue that they haven't been advised formally of such directive.
So yes, the 1-11 continues to fly despite the press rumours.
Hani
leading edge
15th May 2002, 14:43
Interesting thread guys. There does seem to be lots of 1-11s in Nigeria but I think that you will find Chianchangi only operates Boeing 727s and not 1-11s. Africa certainly seems to be the destination where geriatric aircraft can continue to operate.
LE