Air UK Heralds and routes
I joined Air UK in 1985 so some of this is from before my time but as I recall remembering.
BIA had bases at BLK, LGW (let it not be forgotten that their head office was in Redhill) and down south, think the base was SOU but with aircraft overnighting in CI, certainly for the GCI/LHR route.
Upon and after Air UK's start, the BIA takeover of Air Anglia reportedly to get some more favourable aircraft types, the IOM routes and BLK base were given up, Manx Airlines was supposedly set up by Air UK and BMA (BMI) but I recall that was simply Air UK handing the IOM routes to BMA on a plate.
The LGW base also went, until many years later when BAe146's were to operate a LGW/Scottish route or two, and apparently 'PV' was given the BAC1-11's as a wedding present for marrying in to the B&C Shipping family and told to go and play with those under a reincarnated BIA.
The HPR7's continued on the CI routes until whenever the one was flown in to Duxford by which time Air UK had acquired some stretched F27-500's specifically to operate some of the ex HPR7 CI routes, particularly the prime GCI/LHR route..
BIA had bases at BLK, LGW (let it not be forgotten that their head office was in Redhill) and down south, think the base was SOU but with aircraft overnighting in CI, certainly for the GCI/LHR route.
Upon and after Air UK's start, the BIA takeover of Air Anglia reportedly to get some more favourable aircraft types, the IOM routes and BLK base were given up, Manx Airlines was supposedly set up by Air UK and BMA (BMI) but I recall that was simply Air UK handing the IOM routes to BMA on a plate.
The LGW base also went, until many years later when BAe146's were to operate a LGW/Scottish route or two, and apparently 'PV' was given the BAC1-11's as a wedding present for marrying in to the B&C Shipping family and told to go and play with those under a reincarnated BIA.
The HPR7's continued on the CI routes until whenever the one was flown in to Duxford by which time Air UK had acquired some stretched F27-500's specifically to operate some of the ex HPR7 CI routes, particularly the prime GCI/LHR route..
Last edited by PV1; 7th Jul 2019 at 10:35.
I know Air Anglia used them on the sched from NWI-ABZ for a while when I worked for them at ABZ in the mid 70s. Can't remember which way they came, I think they may have replaced the DC3 on the LBA route, can't imagine that would take the 27 off the MME route.
Tailstrike EDI
When we was doing our ground school for the 146 at Norwich we got to see what the damage from a tail strike looked like. I cannot remember the reg but I know that the incident was at EDI, on the UK525, on runway 25, on the 25th July 1994. All the 25's made it stick in my mind hence knowing the route for the UK524 above.
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
Black mark, Nightstop!! I guess a -200. IIRC, the -300 had a tail bumper, because of the longer fuselage. Couldn't have been me, I was shutting-down engines of the F 100 by then! I take it you're still well, and still flying?
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Herod, you've got it the wrong way round. The -100 had a decent sized tail bumper, the -200 a smaller one and the -300 did not have one as it wound probably been hit too often as the clearance was so small. The approach speeds were faster than the -200 for a given weight to give greater clearance.
Nightstop, I know who the Captain was. It was a line training sector.
Nightstop, I know who the Captain was. It was a line training sector.
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
Flap40, you are of course correct. The old joke was that there was no bumper on the -300 because, as you say, it would have contacted. I blame age, and the fact that my last flight on type was in '92. Blo*dy Heck, that was 27 years ago!!
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Late ‘75 and into ‘76 was tripping out of Orkney home to Teesside and using AirUK from ABZ - some trips were F27 via NCL to MME and a couple were Heralds(?) via MAN to LBA
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PZU - Out of Africa (Retired)
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It was most probably with Air Anglia as AirUK did not come into existence until 1979 I believe. If memory serves me correctly, Air Anglia had a lone Herald but didn't start operating it until 1977.
Air Anglia wet leased G-ASVO from British Midland entering service on the 2nd of March 1975.G-BAVX was also used whilst 'SVO was on check .The Midland lease ended in March 1976 and another Herald G-BCWE was leased from British Air ferries for a Six week period commencing April 76.
Thread Starter
Nice pictures. I think G-BAZJ was the only Air UK Herald with a completely blue tailfin. Likewise, only one F27 and some 1-11s received this look until someone sagely pointed out that all blue against a blue sky was an accident waiting to happen. Or something like that.
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Not blue sky thinking then... sorry. 
I flew an orange stripe version, orange tail too possible from LHR-Antwerp in mid 70s. Actually we ended up on a Sabena 707-300 because the Herald went tec but we flew back on one though i cannot remeber which colour scheme.
I do remember Antwerp airport which was tiny and you walked through a pretty little flower garden and through a white wooden gate to get from departure' lounge' to the aircraft. Nice view into LHR over London being high winged . My vague recollection was that it was rather more primitive than the F27 which I flew on quite bit
I do remember Antwerp airport which was tiny and you walked through a pretty little flower garden and through a white wooden gate to get from departure' lounge' to the aircraft. Nice view into LHR over London being high winged . My vague recollection was that it was rather more primitive than the F27 which I flew on quite bit
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I remember that the -300 had a small L shaped angle riveted externally fore/aft at the point where the fuselage would strike the runway, this was to aid inspection, if the angle wasn't there then a strike had occurred.
I repaired a JEA -300 at Exeter, very straight forward, the damaged area trimmed up and a large preformed chemi eitched skin rivetted over the hole. The repair skins were on the shelf in stores ready for issue.
Nice picture of ZJ, this was the first Herald to be painted in the new colour scheme, when it arrived at Blackpool the general opinion was that it looked like a fag packet.
I repaired a JEA -300 at Exeter, very straight forward, the damaged area trimmed up and a large preformed chemi eitched skin rivetted over the hole. The repair skins were on the shelf in stores ready for issue.
Nice picture of ZJ, this was the first Herald to be painted in the new colour scheme, when it arrived at Blackpool the general opinion was that it looked like a fag packet.
Well the Air Anglia livery for the first F27 was from a design inspired by Dougie Brown's packet of Rothmans. I was sitting by him on the DC3 as he sketched it out on a sick-bag. We were on our way to Amsterdam to spend the day at the Fokker factory prior to the introduction of the F27. It wasn't until we were boarding at Norwich that Wilbur Wright bellowed out to us that Fokker wanted to know what the livery should look like.....
At the risk of slight thread drift....
Air Anglia's first F27 introduced 1972. Initially operated on Air Anglia's AOC with its Dutch Registration. Fokker also supplied two Training Captains.
Photo Credit Richard Hunt.
H.P. Herald - Leased from BMA in 1975 and photographed at Aberdeen. Photo credit Lewis Grant.
At the risk of slight thread drift....
Air Anglia's first F27 introduced 1972. Initially operated on Air Anglia's AOC with its Dutch Registration. Fokker also supplied two Training Captains.
Photo Credit Richard Hunt.
H.P. Herald - Leased from BMA in 1975 and photographed at Aberdeen. Photo credit Lewis Grant.
Last edited by OUAQUKGF Ops; 1st Sep 2021 at 17:00. Reason: Images added.
