St. Helena Service

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Newsroom « St Helena


A RJ100 will be flown to St Helena this week on its way to Chile. I presume the press release bit about a tech stop in the UAE is wrong considering its going from Switzerland to Chile.

[lolder]

It's going by way of Africa, Ascension and Brazil. It's going to take a side trip from Ascension down to St. Helena, overnight, and then back to Ascension and on to Brazil. I hope they get some good strong crosswinds for some other air carrier level pilots to comment on. Maybe every flight has to go through the UAE now-adays.

[Ddraig Goch]

Hi , a little more about the visit by Atlantic Star and the Avro RJ from St. Helena Local:

Last week’s rumours around town and on social media about Atlantic Star Airlines flying an aircraft to St Helena is now scheduled to arrive next week. The Aircraft used by Atlantic Star is an Avro RJ or more commonly known to some as a BAE 146.

The Journey will begin at Zurich in Switzerland then on to West Africa calling at Ascension Island for refuelling before the journey continues to St Helena. This Aircraft which is owned by Tronis Jet an approved Aircraft maintenance organisation based in Canada.

Tronis Jet is well known in the aviation world and owns over 20 BAE 146 type aircraft and specializes in the aircraft maintenance and aircraft rental. The Avero RJ/BAE 146 will be flown by two of Tronis jets most experience pilots along with key personnel on the flight deck from Atlantic Star Airlines, along with other aviation specialist who will be also be on board.

Atlantic Star Airlines who have been committed and is passionate about offering an Air Service to St Helena were schedule to make their first long haul journey from London to St Helena in May 2016 on a TUIFLY Boeing 747 aircraft but was unable to deliver the service due to the airport not been commissioned for commercial operations. Atlantic Star Airlines has always been committed to help find a solution to air access for St Helena.

The visit to the Island on this occasion is a non-commercial technical visit for Atlantic Star and Tronis jet. The crew will stay overnight on St Helena, accommodation and catering has been arranged to accommodate the visit before departing for South America.

The four engine turbo fan BAE 146/Avero RJ with some modifications ticks many boxes as a potential aircraft that could offer a service to the Island from Ascension Island and Cape Town to suit the constraints of the Islands airport.

The Aircraft type is owned by many civil organisations and private owners all over the world and is renowned for its landing and take-off performance in identical runway lengths and conditions similar to St Helena. Details of the exact accurate arrival times are not available yet however, it is hope that this along with other information will be released as soon as the itinerary planning is completed.

Captain Richard Brown from Atlantic Star is keen to meet with as many people on St Helena during his short stay, If time allows he is hoping to arrange a question and answer session in The consulate Hotel on the evening of his arrival.

[canberra97]

Atlantic Star Airlines were going to use a Dutch registered TUI Boeing 737-8 for there planned service to St Helena NOT a Boeing 747, for a start TUI do not fly the Boeing 747 only Corsair of France do and they are not part of TUI anymore.

Unless that's a typo error!

BTW it's just plain TUI not TUIfly, the 'FLY' part was eliminated a long time ago even though many like to add it as in here in the UK many still call it Thomsonfly to TUIfly when it's totally incorrect.

[Harry Wayfarers]

The four engine turbo fan BAE 146/Avero RJ with some modifications ticks many boxes

The Aircraft type is owned by many civil organisations and private owners all over the world

And they're all at least 15 years old and needed significant TLC even when new!

[01475]

This is something that I wondered about. The first time an aircraft goes tech on St Helena people are going to become circumspect about wanting their planes going there?

[Harry Wayfarers]

This is something that I wondered about. The first time an aircraft goes tech on St Helena people are going to become circumspect about wanting their planes going there?

It's a rule of thumb, a four engined aircraft has twice the potential technical problems than those of a two engined aircraft ... although I do much prefer four engines, rather than two engines, when travelling oceanic.

I can just imagine such a, one of the type operator, "Geriatric Jet" going technical on St. Helena, how are the hell are they going to get spares there and within a reasonable cost and timeframe and where are the engineers going to come from ... and what if it needs an engine change, where are the rigs etc. going to come from?

As a P.S. I recall when 'we', at LGW, had a DC10 in need of a bogey of wheels changing in CWL, "How the hell are e going to get wheels, jacks and engineers to CWL?" came the question ... Light heatedly I remarked that there was a (Lease Air/Eastern Airways) DC3 parked out on the tarmac ... Next thing we had chartered a DC3 to rescue a DC10

[Ddraig Goch]

Hi Canberra, don't blame me for the typos, I think they are down to original reporter. I just copied and pasted the item in, though perhaps I should have checked it first. You are right about the 747, that would be a surprise if it managed to land there!!

[lolder]

AirLink in SA appears to be operating 12 similar RJ 85's.

[lederhosen]

The jumbolino certainly has things in its favour, much shorter landing distance, steeper approach possible, better fit with its size for the probable loads. The only question mark would be range. Tankering / diversion fuel would be my first concern. But I guess if they find a steep approach or other solution, they can always find a workaround if it is indeed an issue. They also should be reasonably cheap to acquire if not to operate. On the other hand if it is perhaps a proof of concept then some other aircraft like a A318 or C300 could be sourced if the trial goes well.

[Harry Wayfarers]

How much runway does a An-148/158 need?

[lolder]

Atlantic Star is considering a RJ 100 fuel capacity increase from 10.200 kg. to 14,000 kg. That should be enough to go from Cape Town to St. Helena at the expense of payload. Perhaps they could make a fuel stop at Walvis Bay when required. The turbulence and wind problem will never go away. The wind at St. Helena has frequently been howling from the SE +/- at over 20-30 kts. making any downwind landings on runway 02 unlikely in those conditions.

[volare7266]

Originally Posted by lolder

Atlantic Star is considering a RJ 100 fuel capacity increase from 10.200 kg. to 14,000 kg. That should be enough to go from Cape Town to St. Helena at the expense of payload. Perhaps they could make a fuel stop at Walvis Bay when required. The turbulence and wind problem will never go away. The wind at St. Helena has frequently been howling from the SE +/- at over 20-30 kts. making any downwind landings on runway 02 unlikely in those conditions.

Even with increased fuel capacity the AVRO Rj100 would have to refill in Walvis Bay on the way northbound from Cape Town to St. Helena. The reason is additional fuel needed for a possible deviation from St. Helena to Ascension.

Technical specs for the Avro RJ100 say:

Mximum certificated tailwind:
Take-off & normal landing 15 kt
Steep approach landing 5 kt

ILS/Autoland limits
Crosswind 15 kt
Tailwind 10 kt

[volare7266]

In my humble opinion Atlantic Star’s AVRO plans would only have a chance if:

1. SHG and/or DfID are willing to pick up the bill for leasing the AVRO RJ100 full time and have it and crew(s) based on St. Helena. Not sure if the 1.9 million originally set aside to subsidize Comair would be sufficient.
2. One or two weekly roundtrips could be operated between St. Helena and Cape Town with a technical stop in Walvis Bay on the northbound leg. HLE-CPT one day, return CPT-WVB-HLE following day. Aircraft and crew one night in CPT. That would enable same day connections to/from several international flights.
On other days occasional scheduled roundtrips HLE-ASI-HLE could be offered.
3. Technical and operational requirements (e.g. technical support, spare parts, prevailing wind conditions) allow a safe operation
4. Air fares can remain affordable and flights can be sold through a major global distribution system.
An isolated stand alone solution would not help promote tourism.
5. A UK registered air service provider qualified for traffic rights to/from South Africa is available.
As far as I know Atlantic Star (until now) has neither a valid tour operator licence nor a valid AOC Air Operator Certificate.

[lolder]

I believe Atlantic Star has an ATOL. It looks like the 14,000 kg of fuel would yield about a 7 hr. endurance. That sounds like enough to do CPT-HLE with reserves.

[canberra97]

Iolder

Atlantic Star Airlines do NOT have an ATOL as all ticket sales were to be sold through a company called TravelPack Limited on behalf of Atlantic Star Airlines, why and how could a virtual airline such as Atlantic Star pay £5 million for an ATOL especially considering the situation they find themselves in.

[Harry Wayfarers]

I recall hearing that the BAe146 -200 and -300 had the same weights, that a -300 could only carry the same payload as a -200.

How do the RJ85 and RJ100 compare?

[lolder]

Here's some info: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...35475266,d.dmo

[lolder]

The Avroliner RJ 100 is enroute to St. Helena.

[WHBM]

South African Airways have a regional subsidiary with 12 RJ85s, and I'm surprised they have not been approached now that Comair have got cold feet about this. These are some of the last built and most recent aircraft of the type, manufactured in 2001-2.