I flew both back in the early 70s : The HPR7 with BIA and then the F27 in the Gulf where we were collectively known as the ‘Friendly Fokkers’.
I had previously flown as a Flight Test Engineer with Handley Page at Radlett where a favourite expression of HP crew about HP aircraft was “Too heavy, too slow, too late but they handle beautifully”.
The Herald certainly cut the mustard with the weather around the Channel Islands. I remember on one occasion ‘letters to the editor’ of the local rag in Soton. “Sir, During the recent storms shipping was delayed, train services disrupted, trees blown down blocking roads and women and children blown off their feet. It was significant that British island Airways was operating to schedule at Southampton Airport.”
Compared to the Herald the F27 was a bit of a sports car and did a pretty good job in the various roles around the Middle East for Gulf Aviation/Gulf Air swapping from pax to freighter with relative ease – the large cargo door making the loading of oil drilling equipment comparatively stress free. With the boosted RR Darts it managed the raw heat of the desert although the performance wasn’t exactly sparkling mid-Summer. I well remember the slogs, from Muscat to Salalah, in the monsoon getting a basic radar service onto the sand runway there – or was it an NDB approach?
Pretty basic stuff in those days……Topo., stopwatch and the odd NDB in the desert that may work if someone had remembered to fill the generator with diesel.
Great days even tho’ they wrecked my hearing!
