The D'havilland Heron Story

[forget]

He was supposed to refuel somewhere in the Indian Ocean ( Guam?)

That would probably be (RAF) Gan, Maldives. Guam is in the Pacific. And Gan was most definitely H24.

[descol]

Fiji Air -Heron to Funafuti

I travelled frequently on a Fiji Air Heron (DQ FED) between Nadi and Funafuti during the 1980's. On one trip during the 3 hour flight we had a problem with the tail elevator. After a safe landing on the grass/coral airstrip at Funafuti, the local public works department erected a timber scaffolding around the tail and proceeded with fibreglass repairs. I have an image on my computer picture collection but cannot seem to find a way to attach it to this message-if somebody can let me know how then I will add it.

[Brian Abraham]

descols photo posted on his behalf.

[GBALU53]

Heron G-AORG

D.H.114 Heron G-AORG CN 14101 This aircraft is owned by a group of people in Jersey in the Channel Islands U.K.
They have owned this aircraft since 1990 after they purchased it from the Royal Navy.
At the moment she is finishing a very major check at Coventry in the U.K. and all being well she will be gracing the skies not only over the Channel Island but a number of European Airport.

[merlinxx]

Ride your own DH Dove charter

Mayfair Dove - Private Aircraft Charter & get Bill 'shag' Pritchard to tell a story or two

[white44]

oops! Guam / Gan

So it is, sorry (having a senior moment).

[skol]

I flew Herons in the early '70's with Air Pacific.
They had 4, DQ-FAC, DQ-FAE, DQ-FAF (all Series 2) and DQ-FAY(Series 1 with fixed undercarriage)
FAY was also based in Tarawa to operate to Abemama, Tabiteuea, and Butaritari.

[Howslo]

Heron at Stoughton Aerodrome

First post here - I normally just lurk, with great interest...

Anyway, does anyone have any info on the Heron that was based at Stoughton Aerodrome (more correctly known as Leicester Airport - former WW2 RAF Leicester East)?

I grew up not far from the airfield, and remember seeing it quite regularly as a child - late '70s / early '80s, I would think. I believe it belonged to the Fox family - as in Fox's Glacier Mints.

My parents have a few photos taken on the airfield at that time, but none of the Heron. As an aside, the ill-fated Varsity is in one or two.

[Crusher1]

There was a Heron owned by Fox's but I think it had left by the 1970's. I seem to remember another being based there in the mid 70's with a blue/white scheme, just from memory I seem think it was G-ANUO but would not guarantee I'm correct!

[treadigraph]

I remember one at Leicester when I visited with my dad around Easter 1981 (a recollection of a hangar full of Austers and the only Globe Swift I've ever seen in Europe!).

Acording to G-INFO, G-ANUO was owned by The Nuclear Power Company at the time with an address in Leicester, so seems it was the aeroplane in question. Good memory Crusher!

[forget]

There was a Heron owned by Fox's but I think it had left by the 1970's.

Leicestershire Aero Club History

By 1966 Frank Lazenby was the Chairman when the next big crisis came and the Club nearly disappeared for good. Things seemed to be going well, Fox's Glacier Mints company had been keeping a four engined Heron aircraft in the hangar for business flights, and had only recently given up the plane when their Irish factory had closed. In September 1966 the Landlord ..........

[Exaviator]

Have just come across this thread and have been reading the posts with interest. Like SKOL above, I flew the Heron for Air Pacific from October 1971 until June of 73 and logged a total of 850 hours on type. We operated it single pilot, IFR and with no auto pilot.

The cockpit was not the most ergonomically designed and it could be quite hot and uncomfortable in the tropical environment but the aircraft was a pleasure to fly being one of the most inherently stable aircraft that I have flown during 50 odd years as an aviator.

The ignition system gave a few problems in the high and humid conditions of the Tropics but overall she was a pretty reliable bird.

Getting ready to depart during an approaching Tropical Cyclone.

[Helen49]

Mercury Airlines & North South Airlines

Does anybody on here have any information about these Heron operators?

Mercury perhaps out of Manchester? Isle of Wight?

North South Airlines out of Yeadon [Leeds Bradford]?

H49

[Fris B. Fairing]

Air Pacific Heron

This is DQ-FAF at Brisbane (Eagle Farm) on 14 May 1975. The aircraft was on delivery to Connair in Alice Springs for conversion to Lycomings.



The aircraft emerged as VH-KAM and it is now with the Queensland Air Museum at Caloundra.

History of VH-KAM

Regards

[skol]

Yours Truly landing at Abemama 1971, this a/c now ZK-BBM

http://i661.photobucket.com/albums/u...3/heron001.jpg

[Exaviator]

Good X/W technique SKOL

[suninmyeyes]

There is a Dove on the airfield at Compton Abbas. It looks like it hasn't flown for a while but it is intact.

Does anyone know if there are plans for it to fly again?

[skol]

http://i661.photobucket.com/albums/u...DHHeron001.jpg


Thanks exaviator, damn south east trades over the coconut trees.
Here's a photo of FAE at Nausori in 1972, this a/c subsequently written off in Tasmania after striking several fences during an unsuccessful go around.
Getting back to FAY, I flew this a/c Tarawa-Nauru-Tarawa on 6/3/72 after the HS748 broke down in Tarawa. 6hrs 15m, no autopilot of course, Barry Rankin poked the sextant out the roof and did a few sun shots, accuracy unrecorded in my logbook.

[Fris B. Fairing]

skol

It's not all bad news about DQ-FAE. Although the fuselage was scrapped after the accident (as VH-CLY) her wings were fitted to VH-CLX which is now at the Moorabbin Air Museum, presumably still with FAE's wings.

Rgds

[skol]

Fris B,

Thanks for the info, I'll have to visit these old airframes sometime.

For any ex Fiji Airways pilots VQ-FAI, DC3, is now the McDonalds in Taupo. An ignominious end. Another airframe I'll have to visit but not partake.