Can I pick your collective brains please?

Pielstick · Post by **Pielstick** » 13 Jun 2006, 20:56

Hello everyone, long time visitor and first time poster here. Great forum!

Can anyone help me find out about any UK operators of the DC-8, DC-9 and 727?

AFAIK no UK operator has flown the DC-8. MK Airlines used to use Manston as a cargo hub for their Ghana-registered DC-8s and 747s. I believe British Midland flew the DC-9. As for the 727 I'm only aware of Dan Air and Cougar.

Were there any other UK operators of these types? Any idea of the routes flown?

Cheers,

Nick

LongHaul · Post by **LongHaul** » 13 Jun 2006, 21:17

TransMeridian Air Cargo and IAS operated the DC8. The transMeridian scheme will be available at the Historic Jetliners Group website when it is back up (it is currently down for maintenance). There were screenshots an IAS paint doing the rounds a month or two back, I dont think it has been released yet (Someone yell me if Im wrong, I want a copy meself!

)

If you pop over to flightsim.com, there is an SGA-made DC-9-15 in BM blue,, I think theres a white one as well, although I had and it behaved a little oddly.

As for the 727, I think Dan-Air used them? I might be completely wrong, but hopefully Im not

And if you've been a lurker here for a while, Im sure you dont need to be told... but let me be the first to say welcome to the madhouse!

blanston12 · Post by **blanston12** » 13 Jun 2006, 21:46

LongHaul wrote:As for the 727, I think Dan-Air used them? I might be completely wrong, but hopefully Im not

LongHaul you are correct as usual.

http://www.danair.org/TheDanAirPhotoAlb ... hoto6.html

LongHaul · Post by **LongHaul** » 13 Jun 2006, 22:15

Ah, cheers, seems all the coursework hasnt quite rotted my brain yet

Post by **TSR2** » 13 Jun 2006, 23:19

Hi Nick, and welcome to our humble abode.

The only airline in the British Isles (I'm including Ireland here) to operate the DC 8 was Aer Tauras (as far as i know.)

TobyV · Post by **TobyV** » 13 Jun 2006, 23:21

Sabre also used the 727... mainly ex-DAN aircraft rescued from the desert. I had the [dis?]pleasure of flying them in 2000.

The fleet was:

G-BNNI "Lady Patricia" now a company mascot in Denmark
G-BPND
G-OPMN

Possibly one more Super 27 conversion came over from the states, G-O??? something. Might not have got to them in time before they were spun off as Cougar and the rest of Sabre became Excel.

DispatchDragon · Post by **DispatchDragon** » 14 Jun 2006, 01:00

Welcome to the farm mate

GBIAS/GBSKY DC8-55F IAS Cargo Airline s- First Airline in UK to put them
on the register - LH is correct Tony madge has the original IAS colours done by Bob Dennard and is cleaning them up a bit to put on HJG

TMA also operated DC8 54/55

BMA was the only UK operator of DC9s

Dan Air eas the first company to put 727s on the UK Register GBAEF I believe was the first - I remember the first three were brough from Japan in 151Y
config - GBDAN crashed at teneriffe sometime after my departure to the States in a CFIT incident

Aer Turas operated a single DC8-60/70 series lots of pics on A.net

However Trans Aer operated a couple of Dc8-73s from the collection that
they parted out at Shannon in the Mid 90s

For what its worth - the sled (Dc8-50s) outperformed Callie cargo/Tradewinds Boeing 707-300s on the East African run by a huge margin - Callie and Tradewinds were restricted to departing at 0300lcl
from HKNA with 29 tonne on the aircarft for HECA - IAS could run the
8 out of HKNA at 1500lcl with 40 tonne and make malta non stop
The 8 was faster more economical and a joy to work as a loadie except for one small item - You couldnt make any bloody per diem on it because it
did in 3 days what the Britannia and CL44 did in 6

Leif

Post by **Garry Russell** » 14 Jun 2006, 01:14

Hi Nick

Welcome

As Leif points out BMA were the only operator of the DC 9 as such.

Paramount and BIA both operated the MD-80 versions.

Garry

DispatchDragon · Post by **DispatchDragon** » 14 Jun 2006, 01:20

Bowing to my learned Colleague

Thank you Garry - I could not for the life of me remember the Maddog operators - was it Paramount that operated out of Bristol???

Leif

Post by **Garry Russell** » 14 Jun 2006, 01:22

Yes Leif

Paramount were Bristol based.

Garry