Originally Posted by
India Four Two
Lee,
Do you know where XM295 went after Pretoria? The reason I ask is that in 1968, I had a trip in an ex-Queen's Flight Heron. It was an IMC day at Shawbury and so I was in the UBAS crew-room, when 27 MU phoned and said they had an aircraft going to Aldergrove to pick up some parts and did anyone want to go for a ride.
So a group of us flew over Ulster in the Heron, which the MU was using as a hack. We caused much consternation at Aldergrove, when a bright-red Heron appeared out of the clouds on final. We were met by the Station Commander, who was not impressed by the scruffy students in flying suits who dis-embarked.
Could this have been XM295?
Ironically, I made another trip to Aldergrove a week later, this time in a Devon, thus adding another DH type to my list. I realized not long ago that I've flown (or flown in) more de Havilland types than those of any other manufacturer.
I do know that XM 295 Heron #14129 was acquired by Saunders Aircraft in May of 1969 was was converted to a Saunders Aircraft ST-27 #002/14129 Canadian registration CF-XOK . cheers - ken kalynuk, winnipeg, canada
