AN-12`s into Liverpool
 

Noticed over the last 2 days a number of AN-12s `droning` their way over the Channel, South West and Wales heading into Liverpool. Interested to know what the cargo would be...fruit from West Africa??. UR-CAK and CNN Saturday morning and UR-CBG this morning. I did see/hear a couple of flights earlier in the week heading in the same direction

I'm not certain however they are often related to the automotive industry. My guess would be either bringing in or taking out parts from Ellesmere Port etc.

UR-CAJ has just gone over.....no origin or destination showing on FR24. Did notice one in the week originated in Tangier. If they are moving car parts....that's a lot of car parts this week

Both. And not just from Ellesmere Port. There are a number of companies on Merseyside who make vehicle components.

Heard and then saw a couple of them in the last week or two droning (and smoking) their way in and out of Liverpool. Can't tell you the reg but one of them originated in Luxembourg and at least one of them went to Gothenburg.

It is amazing how busy they are and how far travelled.
The 4 mentioned above appear to have been to places as far apart as JNB,TNG,YYZ and KEF in the last week or so.
I wonder what they are carrying.

I understand that a lot of it is equipment for the Morecambe Bay gas fields.

Yep, I think they do a lot of work for the oil industry. They regularly go down to the oil fields in the Algerian Sahara for instance.

Right on cue, I have just heard one of them go over me here in Newcastle. See a thread I started last year about the unusual routes they take.... https://www.pprune.org/spectators-ba...reighters.html They seem to like starting their crossings of the North Sea from the Tyneside and Wearside area for some reason, even when leaving Doncaster bound for Gothenburg!

I doubt there is anything "strange" about the routes - some direct routes cleared by ATC?

UR CAK, CNN on Saturday, CGG, CAJ sunday, CNN, CAK Monday. CKL Tuesday, and this evening enroute from Malage CNT.

I wonder if they ever get any maintenance? They are always in the air.
According to FR24 CKL recently did a trip Stavanger-Houston-Fairbanks which presumably involved the oil industry.
They ones from Tangier and Malaga to Liverpool might carry fruit and vegetables.

Libya too-they are not scared!

Some of the routes were anything but direct, that's what looked strange about them :) They would fly from Doncaster up to Newcastle which is nearly at a right angle to Gothenburg. The recent routes taken from Liverpool to Gothenburg are a bit more normal - flights from Scandinavia to Manchester often head across the North Sea to here and then take a left turn south.

If they average more than 8 hours a day, I'd be amazed.

Under that principle your low cost airlines get no maintenance.

Bearing in mind that the AN-12's have such a peripatetic life, mostly to unusual airfields, it makes you wonder how they deal with issues Mx related. No doubt if there is a major issue, then another AN-12 will be chartered to bring out the spares ! ��

An12 Maintenance.
 

The loading team are actually techies who look after the aeroplanes when away from base. Cheaper to do it this way, and they understand their aeroplanes better than "local" labour. Very reliable aeroplanes.
alt

I had some dealings with Bulgarian AN12s some years back and they said that their maintenance was nothing like ours with regular 100, 500 and annual checks etc. All they did was consumables and fault repairs between a big strip-down every 3 years or so which iirc happened in Russia.
They operate them like tramp steamers going from job to job wherever the cargo takes them and are often away from base for weeks/months completely self-supported.