You just will not believe this, the Mighty Belfast may return
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You just will not believe this, the Mighty Belfast may return
It has been put on the US register allegedly and is undergoing work to put her back into the air as she has a freight contract in place.
https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-...fast-australia
https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-...fast-australia
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Gnome de PPRuNe
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Fingers crossed, love to see one fly properly if business brought her Blighty-wards - whenever I did see the things in civvy guise they were firmly on the ground at Southend or Stansted; though I can dimly recall seeing one over London returning to Brize back in '76 just before they retired.
It has been put on the US register allegedly and is undergoing work to put her back into the air as she has a freight contract in place.
https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-...fast-australia
https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-...fast-australia
Fingers crossed, love to see one fly properly if business brought her Blighty-wards - whenever I did see the things in civvy guise they were firmly on the ground at Southend or Stansted; though I can dimly recall seeing one over London returning to Brize back in '76 just before they retired.
Only ever got to fly in one; '365 would you believe at Abingdon Wing Parade on 3 May 1970; the (166?) cadets on board were running up and down (only a couple of windows to look out of so I suppose they got bored) much to the annoyance of the crew who had to keep asking them to stop as it upset the trim so the loady asked myself and one or two other senior cadets 'moderate' things by allotting them set times to look out of one of the few windows.
Much later, we had them in to Farnborough delivering bits and sometimes whole aircraft to the airshow.
Last edited by chevvron; 4th Oct 2023 at 02:33.
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I reckon the one at Cosford has a better chance of returning to the skies. After all, she has been under cover for many years and well looked-after. Even then, I would rate the chances between nil and nil.
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I recall being flown back from RAFG after King Rock '69 in a Belfast. The flight was somewhat delayed, we were all pretty weary and it was quite late when we finally boarded. "Spread out chaps, there's plenty of room", the kindly ALM said... Most people's eyes closed as soon as the rear doors closed and didn't open again until we landed!
Apart from those endless ground runs at Abingdon in 1973 and an invitation to look around one during ULAS summer camp (why on Earth did it need a Machmeter), the next time I saw one was 29th May 2002 at Dakar. We took off an hour or so after the Bel and passed it as it was chugging along at 16000ft somewhere near Tenerife....
Apart from those endless ground runs at Abingdon in 1973 and an invitation to look around one during ULAS summer camp (why on Earth did it need a Machmeter), the next time I saw one was 29th May 2002 at Dakar. We took off an hour or so after the Bel and passed it as it was chugging along at 16000ft somewhere near Tenerife....
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Belfast, (Bellslow).
During my time at Luqa, noted a Bellfast passing thru to the Australia, shortly after I was based in Singapore and several over night shifts heard and saw the aircraft operating. Very recently spoke with a college who was part of that operation, hoping for 1 to be resurrected. Time will tell.
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I can remember seeing my first Belfast, doing circuits at Waddington, whilst on the PT run around Swinderby airfield at basic training in1977. My intake were supposed to be getting an Air Experience Flight on one near the end of our course, but the government decided to withdraw them from service. The next time I saw one was on Ascension in1982, when Heavylift were using them to bring in kit for the war,(I think they brought in the aircraft tugs). The crew were nice enought to let me on for a look around and I was impressed with the size of the cargo area. I think I've still got a slide of the cockpit somewhere.
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Be interesting to learn what this contract is, and some figures which, seemingly, include the costs of getting the Belfast certified and flying again.
Being a younger sort, the only time I saw a Belfast in the air was in the 80s when I saw a Heavy Lift one operated into Stornoway. Was on the north of Skye and watched as it lumbered across the Little Minch into Lewis.
Always wondered how the proposed mating with a C-141 wing would have performed
Always wondered how the proposed mating with a C-141 wing would have performed
Fingers crossed, love to see one fly properly if business brought her Blighty-wards - whenever I did see the things in civvy guise they were firmly on the ground at Southend or Stansted; though I can dimly recall seeing one over London returning to Brize back in '76 just before they retired.
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Doctor Cruces aye but never when I was looking the right way! Interested to learn they were ferried from Brize to Manston below controlled airspace, they may have flown over my then home - while I was away at school!
Despite the comments about the speed of the Belfast being pretty low, I have to say that for a passenger who was not in a particular hurry, the aircraft was very comfortable, particularly in the upstairs/mezzanine/balcony. When we had a squadron exchange in 73 or 74 from II(AC) at Laarbruch with the recce squadron at Rygge, the deal was that we flew to Rygge by Belfast, which then brought the Norwegians back to Laarbruch. At the end of the exchange, a RNoAF C130 flew the RAF back to Laarbruch, and then had to make two trips back to Rygge because of the outsize loads of white goods that had been cleared out of the NAAFI, leaving barely any room for pax. Should have swapped the C130 for the Belfast on the first leg....
Doctor Cruces aye but never when I was looking the right way! Interested to learn they were ferried from Brize to Manston below controlled airspace, they may have flown over my then home - while I was away at school!
I was tempted to try handing them direct to Manston Radar which we normally did with our own Canberras when they had to divert there but they always claimed they couldn't accept them because of 'poor radar performance'. Funny that; all the different radars they've had a Manston (AR1, AR15, Watchman, ASR10) they've always claimed they had 'poor radar performance'.
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Doctor Cruces aye but never when I was looking the right way! Interested to learn they were ferried from Brize to Manston below controlled airspace, they may have flown over my then home - while I was away at school!
Treddi, Borstal does not count as a school.
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