Kiwi Jetstream
 

I was just idly looking at FR24 and the SE of the UK and spotted a Jetstream Photo Search Results | Airliners.net that seems to be coming from the ME/Africa and heading NW, perhaps to Chester and BAE ? or some such. My curiosity piqued as to whether this small aircraft has come all the way from NZ to the UK. Anyone know ?


SHJ

It wouldn't have come non-stop but biz-jets from all around the world appear frequently in the UK, often at Luton or Farnborough. There is some info about the aircraft in question here:

FAREWELL JETSTREAM ZK-VAH | Article - Thu 05 Mar 2015 11:00:00 PM UTC | airsoc.com.

Went to Doncaster Sheffield Apt.

Reportedly in transit via EGCN to an as yet unknown destination.

Thanks for the article mr HD, 5 days from Wellington to Doncaster! I realise that larger biz jets travel the globe, but a Jetstream somehow seems too little to make such a long journey, even in jumps due to fuel range. Kudos to the crew! I thought it might have been coming back to the UK for major work, otherwise it didn't seem to make sense. Looks like I'll have to broaden my thinking ;)


SHJ

SHJ.
This aircraft was built at Prestwick. How do you think it got to NZ?
They used to fit ferry fuel tanks for these sort of trips.

Where I used to work in the '70s, (Hurn), we had a Fletcher crop duster aircraft arrive from NZ for preparation for the Paris air show. The pilot had spent about 100 flying hours in 10 days getting here. On arrival in the afternoon he was desperate to get to Heathrow and onto an Air New Zealand flight back home.
He had got married just before he left NZ!

I do realise that the Jetstream range was built in the UK and that they had to be delivered to all points of the compass, but what boggled my mind was that it would come all the way back from NZ for whatever, rather than be serviced/etc closer to it's home. Perhaps it's going to a new owner ? The crew must've been getting the best out of it, as that's 11,000 miles + in 5 days with a range of perhaps 1500 miles using ferry tanks.


SHJ

Five days from NZ to UK in a Jetstream is very good going. It took us a week to ferry two earlier Handley Page products - Dart Heralds - from Malaysia to the UK, considerably less distance, and we weren't loafing about. The most time-consuming bit wasn't the flying, it was the paperwork at the transit stops. Getting into and out of Rangoon was particularly difficult, it took hours.

Chapeau guys! :ok:

The Jetstream is on it's way to a new owner in the Dominican Republic.

That's a good stretch even by itself, no doubt a big ol' loop around the northern Atlantic and then down the US coast to the Caribbean, or did they throw caution to the wind ? :)

Just had a look see on FR24 and said Jetstream is currently (21.30pm) off the coast of Myrtle Beach heading SSW in the airway towards somewhere in Florida.


SHJ