4-engined plane from Hurn

[firmlyonground]

To win a bet: is the red tailed 4 engine plane that flies regularly from Hurn Bournemouth a cargo plane or a passenger plane?

[DaveReidUK]

You might want to read the small print on your bet. :O

Ex-Virgin Atlantic A340, so essentially a passenger aircraft, but currently flying cargo, probably with all the seats stripped out.

[firmlyonground]

Thanks! So they are both right! Two further questions if I'm not trying your patience too much: what kind of cargo and what kind of destination would justify the cost of regular flights in such an expensive aircraft from Hurn? We couldn't think of anything that's why we had trouble accepting the cargo option. And we have noticed two blue-painted executive jets, sometimes flying in formation, making probably daily flights to and from Hurn. Who would charter those, do you think? The same company flying the same people, or just random bookings? (we are based near Hurn and plane spotting breaks up our day!).

[SpringHeeledJack]

NHS contracts, mostly for PPE supplies purchased in China. The aircraft (several) seem to also fly to/from the USA, so perhaps they're expanding their cargo operations.

[SWBKCB]

And we have noticed two blue-painted executive jets, sometimes flying in formation, making probably daily flights to and from Hurn. Who would charter those, do you think? The same company flying the same people, or just random bookings? (we are based near Hurn and plane spotting breaks up our day!).

These will be Draken Falcon 20's. They have a contract with the MOD to provide training for the military, so not your typical passenger charters.

[treadigraph]

As a bonus point/fun fact, I think one or more of the Falcon 20s operated by Draken/Cobham at Bournemouth were amongst the original aircraft operated when Fred Smith started Federal Express in 1973 - seems to have been a good idea for a company!

[DaveReidUK]

Yes, appropriately enough the Cobham/FRA fleet includes MSN 20 - several years older than the one that's been on display in the Smithsonian for donkey's years!

[dixi188]

The A340-600s have two daily departures, JFK around 1300 and Fuzhou, China around 1900. I think the JFK route is tied up with Amazon and the China route is for the NHS carrying PPE and Covid test kits. They are able to carry around 70 tonnes of cargo, 25 to 30 tonnes in the lower holds and the rest on the main deck loaded through the passenger doors.

The Falcon 20s operated by Draken are part of the FRADU (or whatever it's called now), operation for the Royal Navy and have been doing this since the mid 1980s.
There can often be 4 aircraft departing in quick succession particularly on Thursdays when the Navy have their "Thursday War".

Hope this helps.
PS. I like your use of "Hurn", as it has always been that to me in my many years of visiting and working there.

[pulse1]

As far as I can tell, the Maleth A340s only fly to three places from Bournemouth - China, New York and Cardiff. They often arrive back at Hurn early or late in the day and have to do procedure approaches. One imagines that the Cardiff trip might be for crew training.
Sorry I've just remembered that a few times they go to Seoul.

[AeroSpark]

I'm pretty sure the Cardiff flights are training as they come and go pretty much straight away, no time for loading/unloading

[SpringHeeledJack]

Something I am curious about is why the registration merry go round ? In the last 2 years they've gone from solely 9H to G-, 2- and one other that I can't recall.