Cambrian DC-10?

[VC10]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/imag ... 39&s=books

I've just been sent a copy of this book by the author, as it has one of my pictures in it, the 'real' book has a BCAL DC-10 on the cover.

Paul

[DaveB]

Interesting that no DC-10 ever appeared on a Cambrian fleet listing

Looks like a decent book though. You'll have to let us know what you think Paul
ATB
DaveB

[Garry Russell]

How on Earth did they think of that??

Not only did they never have them, they never would have

[DaveB]

I can't remember the exact numbers off hand but the fleet in their last year of ops was something like 1 x 1-11 and 4 or 5 Viscounts. It didn't vary much over the preceeding years either Nice thought though I wonder if someone was instructed 'Caledonian' and somewhere down the line, it became Cambrian. This is the only logical explanation I can think of. You can just imagine someone saying 'Cambrian... I said CALEDONIAN!'
ATB
DaveB

[Garry Russell]

Indeed Dave

Had BA no come along Cambrian might have had wide bodies to charter work but that would have been in association with BEA Airtours and probably would have involved ex BEA TrIStars.

As it was many in Cambrian were against the One-Elevens as it was felt the Viscounts did all they needed at good cost and with services centering in IoM, as well as Cardiff/Bristol to the CI etc a DC 10 or anything like it would never even be considered and expansion to a great extent was out of the question as Cambrian existed by then as an independently operated wholly owned by BEA operating routes BEA did not want. They were free to run it the way they wanted on a day to day basis as long as they did what BEA wanted.

In the early 60's when BEA sold some Viscount 701 to Cambrian after BEA had rescued them it was reported in Flight that the price was far more than you'd expect for such well used aeroplanes.

Later of course BEA sold the better V.806 Viscounts to BKS/Northeast and Cambrian and then effectively took them back after the BA formation and the scrapping of most of the V.802.

With such BEA influence they could never have bought DC 10's as that was not a 'BEA approved' type even if there had been work for them...it would have been TriStars.

But Cambrian and Northeast were very useful to BEA to dump old aircraft and unwanted routes on to and had BA not happened the Scottish and CI divisions of BEA would have joined Cambrian and Northeast in BAS and maybe taken over most of the domestic routes leaving BEA on their pick of prime European routes.

[DaveB]

Indeed mate.. an interesting scenario had it played out

ATB
DaveB