The Career of Short 360 G-SSWM
BASIC AIRCRAFT HISTORYConstructed by Short Bros at Sydenham, Belfast in 1984 as a Short 360-100 aircraft with Constructor’s Number SH.3648, showing it to be the 49th SD.360 built (including prototype) out of 165 completed. The aircraft first flew on 1st June 1984 in primer with
Short Bros manufacturer’s ‘B Conditions’ registration
G-14-3648. Once painted in the customer’s colours, wore UK Registration
G-BLIL taped on for further pre-delivery flights.
As
OY-MMB it was delivered on 5.9.84 to
Air Business in Denmark and given the individual name ‘Holger’. Air Business was re-branded as
Maersk Commuter 1.6.88. With both Air Business and Maersk it was operated in an overall mid blue fuselage, with a darker blue cheatline; the scheme matching the mainline Maersk colours.
The aircraft was purchased by
Aurigny Air Services 19.4.90 for operations out of the Channel Islands as
G-OAAS (
Go Aurigny
Air
Services) and painted in their bright yellow colours with red tail logo and black cheatline and titles. The move up from Trislanders was successful, with the aircraft being used mostly on sectors from Jersey and Guernsey to UK and France, but mainly to London Gatwick. During the day used for passenger services, at night frequently on mail contracts. Eventually their SD.360 was replaced by Saab 340A aircraft and G-OAAS noted parked, out of service at Guernsey 1.6.98. UK registration cancelled 26.6.98.
Re-registered in Sweden as
SE-KCI on purchase by Skylease Sweden AB 25.6.98 for onward lease to
Swedeways Air Lines the same day. Aircraft arrived at Groningen 30.6.98. Noted at Exeter 7.99 on overhaul all white and shortly after repainted in Swedeways colours, mainly white with blue cheatlines along the lower fuselage. Swedeways, a Swedish regional operator, had its headquarters at Hudiksvall Airport and main operating base at Sundsvall-Harnosand, however ceased operations around September 2001.
The aircraft was brought back to the UK on purchase by brokers, Freshleave Ltd of Exeter 26.9.01, and two days later leased to
Streamline Aviation for operation as
G-SSWM (the SSW reflecting the operator’s ICAO code) for operation as a freighter mainly carrying small packages on contract to the likes of FedEx around Europe. Delivered to Southend around 2.10.01 for overhaul, it was in service by 16.10.01 retaining its former colours, with a small ‘Operated by Streamline Aviation’ sticker on nose. The company were purchased by
Emerald Airways 9.02 and gradually absorbed into their operations. Although a Liverpool based HS.748 operator, the SD.360 fleet continued to be based mainly at Coventry. The aircraft was never repainted in Emerald colours or titles, retaining its former Swedeways scheme. At the time that Emerald ceased operations in early May 2006, G-SSWM was on protracted maintenance at Coventry. Sold by the administrators KPMG to IAP Group Australia Pty Ltd 10.06, then onwards to SD.360 operator
BAC Leasing Ltd 20.11.06, G-SSWM was broken up at Coventry July 2008 following spares recovery. The nose and front fuselage were saved from the scrapman and moved to private premises, location not published. After 6 years the nose section has reappeared in public view, with the Speke Aerodrome Heritage Group and moved to their site on the former terminal apron behind the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Wednesday 6th May 2014.
G-SSWM seen on the main apron at LJLA, January 2003, while being operated by Emerald Airways not long after their acquisition of Streamline Aviation - it never did gain 'Emerald' titles.
LIVERPOOL CONNECTIONSAs a type the Short 360 has considerable connections with Liverpool Airport. The first SD.360 to visit was G-RMSS of Air Ecosse on 16th January 1983 when it positioned in to commence a new scheduled service. Air Ecosse, Manx Airlines, BMA, Genair and Aer Lingus operated the type on scheduled services from both the old north airfield terminal and after April 1986 the new terminal on the south airfield.
I cannot be certain that I have every visit in a year recorded, but am certain that I have every year that the aircraft appeared at Liverpool covered. This being due to the way our records were compiled at the time, indeed still are.
While with initial owners Air Business/Maersk, OY-MMB did not visit Liverpool.
However when with Aurigny, G-OAAS did visit Liverpool on a number of occasions over a span of 8 years. All the visits were to the new south airfield apron and terminal. The very first visit to Liverpool was late on Monday 11th March 1991. As a result of the collapse of Air Europe on 8th March; Short 360 operator Air Europe Express who operated two night mail contracts into Liverpool also ceased operations. The Post Office awarded Aurigny a temporary mail contract to operate 5 nights per week Stansted-Liverpool-Gatwick with their sole Short 360. So for 12 weeks until Friday 31st May, G-OAAS was in regular use into Liverpool on flight AUR612/613, a total of 56 visits (the missing 4 nights due to no-op on Bank Holidays). The next 3 traced visits were at intervals of around 12 months apart, all due to fog at East Midlands causing mail flights to divert, including G-OAAS on AUR613/614 from Gatwick and out to either EMA or Gatwick the following morning on 29th December 1992, 20th December 1993 and 14th October 1994. The pattern was broken, with no visit during 1995, however the aircraft was back in both 1996 and 1997.
Once operating in Sweden as SE-KCI it did not visit Liverpool, although SE-KGV did on a couple of occasions.
Soon after acquisition by Streamline and now as G-SSWM, the aircraft called at Liverpool just the once in late 2001, as a substitute aircraft on an Express Air Services flight, late on 22nd December arriving with mail from Exeter as SSW550, then out to Coventry empty as SSW551P. Following this the aircraft is known to have certainly visited LJLA during 2002, 2003, 2004 & 2005. The final appearances at Liverpool include as a diversion from East Midlands due to fog on 30th November 2005 arriving as JEM193 from Aberdeen and leaving as JEM521 for Wevelgem. Near midnight on Thursday 8th December as JEM700 arrived from Dublin on fog diversion from Coventry, stopping at Liverpool until early evening Monday 12th when as JEM292 departed to Eindhoven. Then on 13th and again 14th December arrived from Dublin in the morning on JEM801, departing in the early evening for Eindhoven as JEM292. This is the last traced visit before ‘deep’ maintenance at Coventry during which time Emerald ceased trading and the aircraft never flew again.
Well, I still have a fair amount of ‘digging’ still to do to come up with information to fill the gaps between first and last visits, but I'll hopefully make time to search through the records shortly.
PHOTOSNice one as G-BLIL pre-delivery on the CAA G-INFO website in blue colours
A Google results in one nice photo as OY-MMB in Air Business titles.
Plenty on net as G-OAAS with Aurigny in yellow
On a simple google of the regn, found a one nice photo as SE-KCI in white with thin lower fuselage blue cheats
Clear side shot as G-SSWM with Streamline nose sticker on CAA G-INFO website and certainly elsewhere around the web too
There have been very many photos of the Emerald fleet posted on this forum - the photo above seems to be the only one of this particular aircraft at Liverpool. There must be more, have a look through your photos and see if you can add variety, or especially one with Liverpool landmarks in the background! To get the process kicked-of, here are two as G-OAAS while in a really photogenic scheme with Aurigny.
Aurigny's G-OAAS at Jersey Monday 3rd August 1992
This one while departing Jersey in 1993 - the challenge is, does anyone have a photo of this aircraft at Liverpool Airport, most likely at night?
