Corporate flight departments, UK
Flap40, no BN2 at Quantel perhaps you are thinking of the Rockwell 500s Shrike Commander (G-BDAL) that Micro Consultants/Quantel operated mostly from Biggin Hill for several decades?
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Yes, G-BDEN and also a Citation replaced the Shrike later on, G-BMCL? The Shrike and the SF260 lived in the Sportair blister hangar, don't recall if they squeezed the Citation in there too. There was a Learjet in one of the other blisters for a while.
Almost too long ago to remember the details, but there were several corporate aircraft based and operated out of the HSA/BAe airfield at Brough.
Armstrongs had a Cessna Citation and Boston Deep Sea Fisheries had a Piper Aztec - G-BOST - which crashed, with the loss of the solo pilot, on a positioning flight from Brough to Carnaby in Jan 1981
Armstrongs had a Cessna Citation and Boston Deep Sea Fisheries had a Piper Aztec - G-BOST - which crashed, with the loss of the solo pilot, on a positioning flight from Brough to Carnaby in Jan 1981
Corporate Flight departments tend to be run in different ways in the UK and in the USA. In Britain, they are often under the control of the Chief Pilot, in conjunction with the Chairman's office, and just used by the directors, sometimes commonly just one of them, so they are typically small. In the US they are integrated with the company travel organiser for everyone, as business trips by air are much more common, and you maybe don't know at travel request time whether you will suddenly be put onto the company aircraft with various others who happen to be going the same way. One I talked with said it was no great shakes, you could be sent out by exec jet but back by airline to a different terminal or even airport, which was a nuisance for parking your car, while the flight catering was minimal or even nothing at all.
I believe the longstanding Ford operation out of Stansted was very much on the US pattern, seating pitch like an airliner in economy, and often taking urgent production line parts in the hold. Those with reservations could be suddenly bumped by someone more senior in the company. I'm sure we will have some on here who used to fly for them.
Not a tale from a flight department, but the major company I was with long ago had the branch manager in Newcastle who was ex-RAF aircrew, and to help keep his hours current when there was a mainstream meeting in London he would pool the train fare expenses of all the salesmen going, and hire a light twin for them all from Newcastle down to Leavesden or somewhere. His immediate boss the sales director did not like flying, but went along with it to keep face. Manager, of course, used to put him in the co-pilots seat at the front, and make various asides as they were going along, on the lines of not being quite certain where they were, or the fuel gauge lower than expected ...
I believe the longstanding Ford operation out of Stansted was very much on the US pattern, seating pitch like an airliner in economy, and often taking urgent production line parts in the hold. Those with reservations could be suddenly bumped by someone more senior in the company. I'm sure we will have some on here who used to fly for them.
Not a tale from a flight department, but the major company I was with long ago had the branch manager in Newcastle who was ex-RAF aircrew, and to help keep his hours current when there was a mainstream meeting in London he would pool the train fare expenses of all the salesmen going, and hire a light twin for them all from Newcastle down to Leavesden or somewhere. His immediate boss the sales director did not like flying, but went along with it to keep face. Manager, of course, used to put him in the co-pilots seat at the front, and make various asides as they were going along, on the lines of not being quite certain where they were, or the fuel gauge lower than expected ...
I don't think anyone has mentioned GBBTV, Jet Ranger operated by YTV; GASRV, Beech Baron operated by British Ropes, GATZN HS125,operated by the Rank Organisation, a couple of C337s operated by Cowick Hall Aviation, , a Heron GAOTI [?] operated by Robinson Holdings, a C401 GAZFR oerated by Smith Johnson & Nephews and apache GAPZE operated by the AA. There must be many more!!
This one takes us back nearly ninety years..... G-ACMA was sold the National Benzole Company in1934. The aircraft still exists and has been restored to its National Benzole colour scheme.....:- https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/search?..._fields=%5B%5D
Boston Deep Sea Fisheries, later Bostonair, operated a C310 from Humberside, G-TKPZ, for a few years in the 80s and 90s. It spent a lot of time at Leeds Bradford on instrument training jollies. At roughly the same time, Howarth Timber kept a C303, G-INDC, at LBA and there was also the Ravenheat Citation, G-RVHT and Elliott Bricks Citation, G-ELOT.
Nearly forgot the JTC600 C421, G-JACK.
Nearly forgot the JTC600 C421, G-JACK.
The AA previously had more than one DH-89 Dragon Rapide, painted in their yellow livery with black AA decals like their road vehicles. They used to turn up at airshows etc, and appear in many photographs. It's not apparent why the AA had such an aviation presence or need.
Until the 1970s it seems that "personalised" UK registrations were not possible, everyone just got the next one alphabetically from the list, regardless. This changed, and thereafter most corporate aircraft chose some sort of meaningful registration combination. I recall being in a hotel next to Southend airport in 1980, and stood outside were security company Group 4's two HS.125's, G-FOUR and G-FIVE.
Until the 1970s it seems that "personalised" UK registrations were not possible, everyone just got the next one alphabetically from the list, regardless. This changed, and thereafter most corporate aircraft chose some sort of meaningful registration combination. I recall being in a hotel next to Southend airport in 1980, and stood outside were security company Group 4's two HS.125's, G-FOUR and G-FIVE.
In the 1970s Rowntree Mackintosh owned a PA-23 (G-AYBO, operated by Air Anglia) which regularly flew between Norwich and RAF Elvington, transporting Rowntree Mac staff between its chocolate factories in Norwich and York.
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WHBM, one or two exceptions to the rule, Concorde G-BSST, Accountant G-ATEL... Moth G-EDCA.
treadi..... Those were among the first "out of sequence" registrations.. There were of course instances where suitable registration just happened to come along at the right time...... G-ALEC, G-ARJB & G-APAA spring to mind, there are I am sure many others.....
Last edited by Planemike; 15th Apr 2023 at 15:57.
I can well believe that. Apparently he would grab his briefcase and head towards the landing pad without 'paying a visit' and would also return to the office several times before he actually got in the helicopter; his secretary would phone the FBO at Farnborough as he went out of the office and keep a running commentary going on how many times he returned before finally getting airborne.
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United Biscuits Fleet
A few posts have mentioned United Biscuits (UB) Beech King Air and the planned purchase of a Starship. I worked for them from the late 60s to the late 80s and had some occasions to use "UB Airways". IN 1984 the then chief pilot Dave Ward recorded the history of the fleet in a privately published book. UB was largely the creation of Hector Laing ( later Sir Hector & Lord Laing) from the McVities family, who had learnt to fly with ex Miles Aircraft test pilot Hugh Kennedy in 1957. From then on, McVities and later UB operated aircraft with Kennedy as Pilot and later Chief Pilot through to 1977. Types operated were as follows Miles Messenger G-AKVZ, Miles Gemini G-AKDJ, Apache G-APVK, Aztec G-ARHL ,later G-ASEV Aero Commander G-ASYA - (the 1st one I got to fly in - seriously noisy) C90 King Air(G-AWPM) E90 King Air(G-BABW) 200 Super King Air GBCUZ , later G-HLUB !, Baron G-BBJF added to the fleet, later G-UBKP, F90 King Air G-BIED added making a fleet of 3, 200 Super King G-UBHL.
A Starship to be G-UBSH was ordered but Lord Laing and many of the team of Scots who had built the company retired and UB entered a period of fast decline with most parts acquired during the expansion (turnover rose from £18.5 million to £1,700 million over 25 years) being sold off. The rump of the company is now Turkish owned. The aviation division was one of the first things to be closed
.
Operations were always centred on Denham near the Laing family home in Gerrards Cross. UB paid for the installation of a hard runway. A hangar was also maintained at the old RAF field Mundole on the family estate of Dunphail near Inverness.
The fleet was available to Directors and senior management above my pay grade but the company experimented with opening up empty seats on pre-booked flights to lesser mortals, subject to agreement of the principal passenger. This worked for a while, although subject to the whims and changed plans of said passenger. However it was killed off by some bean counter who ruled that the flight costs should be allocated between all passengers thus rendering the effect on departmental budgets uncompetitive with scheduled airlines but I managed a few flights in various King Airs and Barons while it lasted.
Incidentally Dave Wards book pointed out the similarities between the Starship and the Miles Libellula experimental canard aircraft that Hugh Kennedy had tested in the 1940s.
A Starship to be G-UBSH was ordered but Lord Laing and many of the team of Scots who had built the company retired and UB entered a period of fast decline with most parts acquired during the expansion (turnover rose from £18.5 million to £1,700 million over 25 years) being sold off. The rump of the company is now Turkish owned. The aviation division was one of the first things to be closed
.
Operations were always centred on Denham near the Laing family home in Gerrards Cross. UB paid for the installation of a hard runway. A hangar was also maintained at the old RAF field Mundole on the family estate of Dunphail near Inverness.
The fleet was available to Directors and senior management above my pay grade but the company experimented with opening up empty seats on pre-booked flights to lesser mortals, subject to agreement of the principal passenger. This worked for a while, although subject to the whims and changed plans of said passenger. However it was killed off by some bean counter who ruled that the flight costs should be allocated between all passengers thus rendering the effect on departmental budgets uncompetitive with scheduled airlines but I managed a few flights in various King Airs and Barons while it lasted.
Incidentally Dave Wards book pointed out the similarities between the Starship and the Miles Libellula experimental canard aircraft that Hugh Kennedy had tested in the 1940s.
Last edited by one11; 18th Apr 2023 at 19:57.
I remember the Beech 200 at Denham (or one of them at least); I used to watch it going in and out of the blister hangar, nosing in and reversing out!!
I think they managed to acquire a UHF radio for operations in/out of military airfields and I sometimes spoke to them on it when they used Farnborough.
GALWC, the Hunting Surveys Dakota based at White Waltham, also had a UHF radio.
I think they managed to acquire a UHF radio for operations in/out of military airfields and I sometimes spoke to them on it when they used Farnborough.
GALWC, the Hunting Surveys Dakota based at White Waltham, also had a UHF radio.
One that ( I think !!) has so far escaped the net thus far is Smiths Instruments who were based at Staverton. I can't remember exactly what they operated but a de H Dove and a Varsity spring to mind....... I am sure there will be some one along to fill in the details...!!
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Something I read last night reminded me that Barclays had at least 125 over the years looked after by McAlpines.
Oh, and was there a UK-registered 125 flown by Coca Cola?
Oh, and was there a UK-registered 125 flown by Coca Cola?