PPRuNe Forums - The Corporate Nostalgia Thread

PPRuNe Forums (https://www.pprune.org/)

- Biz Jets, Ag Flying, GA etc. (https://www.pprune.org/biz-jets-ag-flying-ga-etc-36/)

- - The Corporate Nostalgia Thread (https://www.pprune.org/biz-jets-ag-flying-ga-etc/486918-corporate-nostalgia-thread.html)

XA-FOU; it made John Cravens Newsround as I recall! I have 1979/1980 in my mind; but it may be later. Landed in error on race course; temporary runway made for it to fly out as I remember.

What an extraordinary event! How I should thrill at the chance to see any photographs from the 'Gulfstream that went to the races!'.

I happened upon this write-up:

Quote:

XA-FOU was landing at Shannon after a trans Atlantic flight, with higher than expected winds on April 18/83 in the early morning. Fog was rolling over the field as they were landing behind an Aer Lingus B737.

The Gulfstream had a missed approach, and the airport was declared 'Closed due to fog'. Capt. Ocana informed the tower they didn't have the fuel to make it to their alternate Cork Airport.

Capt. was given directions by road, and landed on Mallows Racecourse, now known as Cork Racecourse. There was no damage to the aircraft, and Lloyds of London, paid for a 3000 foot runway, the aircraft departed on May 23/83.

Capt. Rueben Ocana was a retired Aero Mexico pilot, received awards from Gulfstream regarding this incident, and was invited back to Mallow Ireland in subsequent years as a Honorary Judge in horseshows.

Robbreid: Thank you. Was wondering whether the forward-swept wing delivered any unique (advantageous/disadvantageous) handling characteristics.

Savoy, you might find this of interest -

Great post!!

Strongly doubt 'celebrity' would be the chosen moniker of a pilot doing the same today :)

XA-FOU April 18 1983 Mallow Racecourse Captain Reuben Ocana update from July 8 2010 click here (Irish Examiner)

http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps081490e0.jpg
XA-FOU Gulfstream II photo fsmex.com

http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/a...psa542f2d1.jpg
photo EIDWF Opa Locka March 1981

Great story. Thanks for the Update link Robbreid. I see on Google map a bit of the improvised runway remains...you can even get a close view of it with Street View.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-n...+gallops+1.jpg

XA-FOU arrives on the gallops at Mallow racecourse

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8...on+gallops.jpg

Capt Reuben Ocana with the Gulfstream on the gallops

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-e...e050f35edd.jpg

And with a new runway built, away she goes!

Grenville/Robbreid: Thank you very much for these wonderful photos and the video link! :ok:

This is such an amazing story and I confess to having played through my mind what it must have been like for Reuben to line-up his craft with the gallops and set her down on the grass! The whole thing seems a little surreal!

That he pulled it off without incurring any damage and flew out some weeks later on a newly-built runway just adds to what was an already amazing story - no wonder Grumman made a fuss over him!

At the bottom of page 1 of this thread you can read about the 'Beggar' (VR-BEG) a private B737-259 that I had some involvement with in 1980/81 when my godfather was personal pilot to Ireland's leading race horse trainer .. Vincent O'Brien. So, Ireland, horses and the early 80's are very much a part of my background and which makes it all the more astonishing that I had never heard of this incident! So again, thanks to Robbreid for 'flagging up' this truly nostalgic bird! :D

Does anyone know anything more about XA-FOU (who she was owned by) or about the heroic Reuben Ocana and what happened to him?

Taken from Aviation Safety network...

Quote:

The airplane was on an ILS approach to runway 04 when it struck a light pole adjacent to a roadway and crashed into a field. Just prior to the crash the air traffic controller had warned the crew: "Gulfstream eight five victor tango, check your altitude, altitude indicates four hundred feet."
The METAR around the time of the accident read: KHOU 221253Z 12005KT 1/8SM BR BKN001 BKN006 OVC050 22/22 A3002 (wind 120 degrees at 5kts, visibility 1/8nm/230 m, mist 5-7 oktas cloud at 100ft, 5-7 oktas cloud at 600ft, 8 oktas overcast cloud at 5000ft, temperature 22C, dewpoint 22C, QNH 30.02in)

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the flight crew’s failure to adequately monitor and cross-check the flight instruments during the approach. Contributing to the accident was the flight crew’s failure to select the instrument landing system frequency in a timely manner and to adhere to approved company approach procedures, including the stabilized approach criteria."

I understand that the Captain passed away.

While the landing in Mallow was great, the question still remains as to how they got themselves into that situation in the first place. Whatever happened to plotting your crossing with Critical Points and Point No Return?

Mutt

The Captain passed away, story here click here.

Aircraft involved in Mallow was serial number 152 delivered new (Oct 1974) to Televisa S.A. Mexico City, Mexico and operated by Jet Ejecutivos.

In 1985 it was traded in to Gulfstream and replaced with a new Gulfstream IV.

Gulfstream reg N202GA was sold as N62WB, then sold in 1990 to Little Ceaser (Pizza Company) as N559LC in 2010 was also again replaced with a Gulfstream IV, and re-registered N559L - and withdrawn from use.

Airliners photo N559LC

The Racecourse Gulfstream even inspired a film loosely based on the events in Mallow.

The Runway (2010) - IMDb

500 Fan.

Gulfstream at Mallow: A truly fascinating story and one I shall not easily forget!

Keeping with the GII's ..

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-F...r+Warne%29.jpg
William Harrah's Gulfstream II N1H as seen at London's Heathrow Airport General Aviation Ramp on 14th May 1975 (Photo: Trevor Warne)

The craft was evidently owned by William Harrah .. he of 'Harrah's Club' of Reno, Nevada.

One has to admire the succinct registration which would have been equally fitting for the Hilton Corporation who ended-up buying at least one of Harrah's Vegas hotels.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-K...125+logo+s.png

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-D...rl+Ford%29.jpg
Hawker Siddeley Aviation HS125 600B G-BCUX as seen at Hatfield on 5th July 1975 (Photo: Carl Ford)

This craft (owned and operated by Hawker Siddeley Aviation) encountered tragedy just four months after this photo was taken when she flew into a flock of Lapwings on departing Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey.

BCUX had seven passengers on board at the time of the incident (none of whom were injured) and two crew - one of whom was injured as a result of the ensuing emergency landing following a loss of power in both engines as a result of the multiple bird strike.

Sadly, during the emergency landing, BCUX traversed a road .. hitting a vehicle with six occupants .. all of whom perished (RIP).

You may read the accident report here.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-T...rl+Ford%29.jpg
Associated Engineering HS125 3B/RA G-GGAE as seen at Coventry on 2nd April 1979 (Photo: Carl Ford)

This craft was originally purchased by Associated Engineering of Leamington Spa in 1978 before moving on to 'Expotec' of Ealing in London and eventually becomming G-JSAX when acquired by Saxon Air in 1983.

Quote:

Sadly, during the emergency landing, BCUX traversed a road .. hitting a vehicle with six occupants .. all of whom perished (RIP).

Am I remembering in error, but wasn't it the wife of one of the pilots and their children that perished in the car ?

SHJ

Quote:

While with Bembridge she was re-registered as G-FIVE (although she looks nothing like a GV ) and subsequently ended-up with Nelson Leasing and Finance on who's books she remained until being de-registered in 1985.

Bembridge Air Hire (an offshoot of British Air Ferries/Transmeridian Air Cargo/Keegan group) also operated G-FOUR (Group Four Security), in the days before G4S

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1...ear+Logo+m.png

This month Gulfstream celebrated the 55th anniversary of the first flight of the G-159 Gulfstream I.

Speaking of the event, Gulfstream President Larry Flynn said: “The GI laid the foundation for the state-of-the-art Gulfstream business jets that we deliver to customers today. The GI, which was created by our predecessor, Grumman Aircraft Engineering Co., was ahead of its time in many respects, including performance, comfort, versatility and reliability. More than 50 of these aircraft are still in operation around the world, a testament to the aircraft’s tremendous reliability.”

After first rejecting an idea to develop the Grumman Widgeon as an executive transport, Grumman Aircraft Engineering studied producing an executive transport based on a turbine-powered variant of the naval utility transport Grumman TF-1 Trader. The company had already determined any new aircraft would have to be turboprop powered and the Rolls-Royce Dart was chosen. Further studies showed that the Trader-based design would not sell and they needed an all new design with a low-wing and room to stand up in the cabin. In June 1957 the design of G-159 was finalised and Grumman started selling slots on the production line at $10,000 each. The initial customers worked with Grumman on the detailed design and avionics fit. The G-159 was given the name Gulfstream and on the 14 August 1958 the first aircraft, registered N701G, took off from Bethpage, New York on its maiden flight.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-r...uller%2529.jpg
Grumman G-159 Gulfstream I VH-ASJ outside the BOAC hangar at London Heathrow in December 1960 (Photo: Mike Fuller)

Of this image Mike Fuller said: "I was an engineering apprentice with BOAC when I took the photo, the aircraft caused quite a stir when it came in. As far as memory serves me it overnighted on it's delivery flight."

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a...%252C+1965.jpg
The neatly 'named' N1M Grumman G-159 Gulfstream I at Bradley International Airport, Connecticut in 1965

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6...+Pipelines.jpg
Trans Alaska Pipelines G-159 Gulfstream I CF-LOO at Toronto International Airport on 8th January 1966 (Photo: Mike Ody courtesy of George Trussell)

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-i...ajcar%2529.jpg
Ford Motors Grumman G-159 Gulfstream I G-AWYF at Maastricht Airport in the Netherlands on 6th May 1976 (Photo: Mick Bajcar)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-g...aafke%2529.jpg
Grumman G-159 Gulfstream I N720G at Dusseldorf International Airport in March 1982 (Photo: Udo Haafke)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_...+Watt%2529.jpg
Grumman G-159 Gulfstream I G-BMPA at Aberdeen Airport on 17th July 1986 (Photo: Gary Watt)

G-BMPA was owned by Gulfstream Aviation of Aberdeen but leased to Peregrine Air Services.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-l...Blackbushe.jpg
Pendleton Aviation Gates Learjet 25B as seen at Blackbushe Airport in September 1978

Prior to Pendletons this craft was registered to CSE Aviation at Kidlington who, if I remember correctly, were the Lear distributors. After Pendletons the craft was sold to the Smurfit packaging company in Warrington before being returned to America.

I am amazed that a Learjet could land at Blackbushe; I guess as its a private flight and non-public transport it could.

Ciao Las!

As far as I know G-BBEE was bringing visitors into the 1978 Farnborough Airshow who were then 'helicoptered' from Blackbushe to the show. But, as always, more details are welcome.

Speaking of Farnborough '78 ..

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5...Pratt%2529.jpg
Hawker Siddeley HS125-700B G-BEFZ being displayed at Farnborough in September 1978 (Photo: Alan Pratt)

Owned by Hawkers at the time of the photo but bought the following year by McAlpine Aviation.