Air Faisal

[Ballymoss]

Established in the mid 70's operating a couple of Bristol Britannia freighters out of the Midlands. Their HQ was in Preston, Lancs. Does anyone know anything about the operation, connection with the north west or indeed, remember them at all?

Rgds
The Moss:ok:

[MReyn24050]

From Flight International 30th September 1976:-
Air Faisal licences suspended. Britain's Civil Aviation Authority ordered a three-month suspension of the air-transport licences held by freight charter operator Air Faisal. The suspension came last week when Air Faisal ceased operations after the seizure of one of its Britannias at Manston Airport and the arrest two weeks earlier of the managing director and major shareholder Umjal Patel. He was doubly charged with smuggling cannabis resin into the UK. Patel's detention has left the airline without executive control or sources of finance. The three-month suspension came after discussions between Air Faisal senior management and the CAA. The CAA has suspended, rather than revoked, the licences to allow the airline's management and Dubai-based minority-shareholding interests to arrange executive control and financing. Reports that Mahmoud Alibhai had been appointed managing director of Air Faisal are incorrect, although unsuccessful discussions about a possible stake in Air Faisal have been held with him. The airline was unable to pay wages when it ceased operations, and its Luton headquarters are now staffed by unpaid volunteers. Air Faisal began operating in 1976, when it bought Britannia 253s from the British Defence Ministry.
Link to a photograph of Air Faisal's Britannias:-
http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/7/9/1/1277197.jpg
This photograph shows G-BDLZ (ex XM490) and G-BEMZ (ex XL660). Note the distinctive ex-RAF cheatlines, although Lima Zulu's had been changed to green.

[MELLYMELL]

I can remember them operating flights from Exeter transporting cattle to somewhere in Italy.
MELVYN

[AIRCRAFTSNAPPER]

DESTINATION WAS PROBABLY FORLI WITH 12 WEEK OLD VEAL CALVES
THEY DID SEVERAL OF THESE WITH TWO EX RAF BRITANNIA's THROUGH EAST MIDLANDS AND LUTON

[tristar 500]

Please stop SHOUTING!! We can all read & do not need this type of communication!!

tristar 500

[Bus429]

More stuff here (http://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/353683-bristol-britannia-details.html)

[falcon12]

In those days, flying calves was all the rage. I seem to remember doing it out of Manston in Invicta's Brits CF and VF as well as in 660 after it went back into service with Gaylan Air Cargo (yes it was called that). We were on the A6 register and flew what must have been one of the shortest flights ever when we flew from DXB to SHJ. Never even got the gear up and did it in less than 5 minutes from brakes off to brakes on!!

[Bus429]

As mentioned elsewhere, I was a trainee engineer (gopher) at Jet Age, Air Faisal's AMO. As well as getting some technical experience from the excellent JB and SG, I also had to help with some of the penning used when transporting animals. I also remember being "handcuffed" to some such penning while it was stored in Hangar 61.
Did a few freight flights between Bombay and the ME in the Brits; the smell on the flights carrying live cargo was awful (dead 'uns carried in lower cargo areas).

[Double Zero]

We've all heard the story of a Russian transport a/c having cattle run amok in the hold, eventually being shoved out of the tail door, with unfortunate results for both the cows and a ( Taiwanese ? ) fishing boat on the receiving end - I'd love to see that insurance claim ! -

Does anyone know if there's the remotest truth in this, or is it an urban myth ?