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-   -   Titan Airways (https://www.pprune.org/airlines-airports-routes/493317-titan-airways.html)

southside bobby 13th Dec 2017 16:29

Quite plausible...tho Titan was formed in 1988 two years before the unfortunate accident & I cannot at the moment remember if there was a different prefix on startup or perhaps they used his initials to start.
I have learnt today tho that Titan was named for its first a/c the Cessna 404 Titan, notwithstanding what I posted earlier that the globe on the side of the a/c with the old livery represented the largest moon of Saturn which it certainly did.
I believe that that then was an association gift literally from the gods as probably the Voyager spacecraft had just transmitted back great photos of Titan on it`s flyby of the moons of Saturn back in the day.

El Bunto 13th Dec 2017 16:33

Did they inherit that C404 from Kondair? Can't remember how that outfit became Titan and as usual the Internet has a collective lapse of memory there.

southside bobby 13th Dec 2017 16:34

Certainly some of Titan`s aircraft in the past have been registered to Hagondale Ltd.

TopBunk 13th Dec 2017 16:47

I did a supernumary with a guy (who taught me to fly back when at SEN) back in 1989 from STN-DUS-STN in G-ZAPA, as said above, a C404.

In those days the callsign was TOT.

Expressflight 13th Dec 2017 16:52

Yes, Alan Chapman.

I remember that sad day only too well unfortunately. A great guy.

Alan and Fred Turner were a brilliant team in the 1980s.

southside bobby 13th Dec 2017 16:56

Thanks for "TOT".

ZAPA was imported directly into the UK with that personalised reg..so any Kondair association is not clear.

But it certainly appears Kondair was subsumed into Titan back in the late eighties.

Border Reiver 13th Dec 2017 17:11

Didn't Kondair go into National Airways?

southside bobby 13th Dec 2017 17:19

National Airways was Southend so out of my manor now...

Expressflight was here a little while back perhaps he could inform you.

I am still led to believe the majority of Kondair was absorbed into Titan.

Expressflight 13th Dec 2017 18:30

Goodness that's going back a long time ss but Phil Jeffries ran Kondair whose fleet included Trislanders but I'm not sure about C404s. We (EXF) had 404s in the mid 1980s and I don't think Kondair did at that time as I would remember if they did I'm sure. EXF then merged with Hubbardair in 1986 and operated a quite large 404 fleet. Alan Chapman and Fred Turner ran Artac Air Chartering in those days and I think they started Titan around two(?) years later. I seem to recall that Gene Willson was perhaps instrumental in getting their AOC so maybe they took on a 404 from Hubbardair's combined fleet. I kept in touch with Alan and Fred for a few years but more socially than professionally.

There must be someone out there who has the definitive answer.

southside bobby 14th Dec 2017 07:54

Thanks for your info & memory Expressflight & yes very correct of course with at least the trail of one C404 & the mention of Artac too as research on Titan`s 2nd C404 G-ZAPB shows it indeed with Hubbardair originally with G-HIGS as registration.
Ownership of it was eventually transferred to Artac with a STN address & ultimately re reg to G-ZAPB with Titan then as owner.
As you say too Gene Willson is credited as a co founder of Titan & became sole shareholder in more recent years after leading a management buy out.
Some of Kondair`s flying exploits are worthy of a book in their own right & even an action B movie..Not however for this thread.

willy wombat 14th Dec 2017 08:06

Probably not fair to mention Artac without mentioning Allan "it is a peculiar thing what has happened" Telling who was the third member of the Artac trio. The death of Alan Chapman was extremely sad. I was at the funeral - standing room only - and at the burial following the funeral a Titan Bandeirante performed an extremely low flypast. I can't remember whether Gene was flying it or on the ground coordinating it. It all seems a very long time ago.

irishlad06 14th Dec 2017 09:00


Originally Posted by southside bobby (Post 9988451)
Word is on ZAP-POW`s currently..
G-POWS B734 The 2nd ex BA machine & for ops as a pax a/c in it`s first season.
G-POWT A321 The replacement for `POWI & ex MON.
Both due Spring`18.


GPOWN and GPOWT will both be STN based summer 18 for Jet2.com

southside bobby 14th Dec 2017 10:31

Thanks for the info...Will be good to see them both working from "home" for Summer 18..
Would EXS sell up to the extra seat capacity (which my maths makes 23 as the difference between a 738 & these particular 321`s) on the services allotted to them?.

Plane.Silly 14th Dec 2017 10:46

189 vs 212 seats, i can't see that being a problem for them, They seem to do well with their 235 B752's and without positioning any into STN, seems the logical way to increase capacity on the busiest routes

southside bobby 14th Dec 2017 11:39

My query was not to question if the business was able as undoubtedly it is.
The query was will they utilise those extra seats? I guess they will else why have the 321.
Obviously they will then be dedicated to specific services & as a worst case scenario slight problem for 23 pax on a u/s 321 as a flown in 738 replacement will leave 23 behind.
Probably me overthinking it...Anyways good news overall & almost certainly an uplift in seat capacity for the base then.

G-CLAW 14th Dec 2017 11:46


Originally Posted by southside bobby (Post 9989107)
National Airways was Southend so out of my manor now...

Expressflight was here a little while back perhaps he could inform you.

I am still led to believe the majority of Kondair was absorbed into Titan.

Kondair was bought by National Airways at Southend c.1987-1988 with Phil Jefferies becoming Chief Pilot or Director of Flight Operations at National Airways.

I think the Kondair AOC was kept 'alive' after the takeover to operate the Trislanders and the C404.

As I remember, Phil left National sometime after to join Titan, from where he retired from commercial flying as a BAe 146 Captain.

I wonder if he's still around? He was a real character!

irishlad06 14th Dec 2017 14:41


Originally Posted by southside bobby (Post 9989896)
My query was not to question if the business was able as undoubtedly it is.
The query was will they utilise those extra seats? I guess they will else why have the 321.
Obviously they will then be dedicated to specific services & as a worst case scenario slight problem for 23 pax on a u/s 321 as a flown in 738 replacement will leave 23 behind.
Probably me overthinking it...Anyways good news overall & almost certainly an uplift in seat capacity for the base then.


Sold as 212 seats exactly like previous years at MAN, they will operate specific routes and flights each week. List tbc.

El Bunto 14th Dec 2017 15:45

Great info on those late-1980s operators.

Turns-out the Kondair C404 was G-RUSH so not related to G-ZAPA, my error.

https://www.jetphotos.com/airline/Kondair+Cargo

southside bobby 14th Dec 2017 16:27

Great news re 212 seats to be sold on the two A321`s...many thanks.

southside bobby 28th Dec 2017 10:25

G-POWS B737-400 configured with 146 seats will join the fleet in Feb.Will be operated in the charter & AOG role until Oct when it will be "converted" for cargo operation.


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