Emerald Airways memories
 

Any Emerald Airways memories or stories out there to share?

This could make interesting reading if it gets going:ooh: Whatever happened to the MO'B?:E

Rgds
The Moss:ok:

Which Emerald? The 1960's one or the 90's-00's one?

I worked for Emerald twice, first time 1994-1995 and second time 2001-2002.

First time was a laugh a minute, driving an ex milk float, flat tyre an' all, around the tarmac, as an Ops guy of a Saturday night, having let the duty engineer stay at home, riding the brakes of a budgie whilst Reid's were driving the tug, decorating the office with (free) plants on mother's day having let the plant company load some LMC plants on the mother's day morning IOM newspaper flight, and being next door to the Police Helicopter Unit let the old bill have a pint of milk and get a freebie hot pursuit down the motorway :)

Loved the scousers and the language over the ground radio, in those moments of pressure, cannot be repeated here.

Welcomed back in 2001 but it wasn't the same, disgruntled staff, politics ... No, it was much better when it was a glorified flying club back in 94-95 :)

Interested in the 90s and 00s Emerald, with Scousers flying budgies

It was known as the commercial aviation arm of the Lancashire Aero Club at Barton.

Am I misremembering......
 

.....did they fly from the old airfield near Londonderry? Eglinton I think? with a couple of DC3s?
I remember coming back from Edinburgh late at night when the blindingly pretty FA described her working day "(Imagine very broad Derry accent) By the time I'm finished I'm fair shagged out". Lots of unspoken wishes from a bunch of young aircrew to help her out.

The Ancient Mariner

I'm fairly sure our very own Danny F got his first break at Emerald....

Budgies to 747s would be a story in itself....

Emerald operated a weeknightly 748 mail flight from Leeds Bradford as part of the Royal Mail Skynet. BAC Express and Gill Air operated a 360 each in addition. I think BAC flew to East Midlands and Gill to Bristol. Emerald was probably to Liverpool. It was a long time ago.

Were you a shed Pilot, Mooncrest?

No, closest I've been was a jumpseat ride a few years ago.

Wow, very jealous. Which company was that with?

hatton. You have a PM.

Thanks, Mooncrest. Was it a 737 or 757?

757. Just 45 minutes on the deck at our destination then back home.

I've done Orion and Britannia flightdeck visits as a lad in the 1980s and 30 mins in a Cessna 152.

Many years ago, one of Gill Air's Royal mail contracts was a weekday STN BFS empty return to STN, leaving STN at 2100L. You had to be punctual, or if running late had to get a code from the Postie. If no code it almost wasn't worth going as the penalties were so punitive. Around the Wirral we would always hear one of the Emerald Budgies on the radio. He was out of LPL on a similar schedule and also heading for BFS. As we were higher than him, we could generally spot him around the IOM. Problem was, BFS only had one handling crew (Servisair) and whoever got there first got unloaded first (ATR72 contracted for 7tonne load, all loose bagged). We then began the game of liars as to who was calling 'visual' first - normally for rwy25 at Aldergrove. The sort of rule being that he who called first, got in first, and got unloaded first. Well of course we were calling visual at 50 miles out, whether we were or weren't. The Budgie was often calling visual whilst still over the IOM - and in IMC!
On a good day, we could be in BFS around 2200L, unloaded and refueled and on our empty way back to STN at 2240L. Duty day around 4 hours, and you would do 4/5 days of these. Back home for a glass of wine and a nice day ahead before reporting again. Happy times.

I was a shed pilot!

Well, Shed co-pilot to be fair....

Which airline did you fly the Shed for? Gill, Streamline?