MAS Twin Otter pleasure flight 1982

[valley14]

Hi, Please can anyone remember the reg of an Air Ecosse i think it may have been a  Twin otter. It was in early 1980 from Liverpool Airport.  It was arranged with Merseyside Aviation Society.


Peter

[viscount]

The Air Ecosse Twin Otter flight was in either G-STUD or G-MAIL. Seem to think I was manning the MAS sales stall somewhere that weekend, so was not involved on the day. The records I have certainly should have the regn - but I now have no idea of the date to look for. The flight was likely mentioned in 'EGGP' magazine too, although Air Ecosse wanted us to keep the flight rather 'low key' publicity wise. I'll have a look through the early 1980 records in the morning to see what I can find, although early 1980 conflicts with my memory of events of it being during a summer month! Brian.

[vanguard]

The only flight I can remember by the group was on a Saturday morning with the aircraft returning back from IOM mail flt.The reason I remember it so well was I was on that mail flt.,on arrival back at LPL i helped the pilot to put the aircraft back into pax configuration,when all that was done the pax boarded the aircraft I got asked to check they were all sitting safely and seat belts on, after all that I took my seat next to the pilot and enjoyed the flight but the date I cannot remember, enjoyed it though 😎

[Beemer]

I was on that flight but like others can not remember the date, 1980-82 at a guess. It was a white knuckle flight for some as the pilot decided to show the passengers the capabilities of a Twin Otter. I always remember the seats
as it looked like they had just come straight out of a Citroen 2CV with canvas sheet stretched across a metal frame. Brilliant flight and I would do it again today if I could. Beemer.

[bravoxray]

Good morning all, according to my flight records the Twin Otter flight was onboard G-MAIL on the 19th June 1982 with a flight time of 20 minutes, I hope this helps ✈️✈️

[viscount]

Well located 'Bravoxray'. I'd worked my way through my daily records for every Saturday in 1980 and 1981. Would have found it eventually, but now able to go directly to find on Saturday 19th June 1982, the movements record as transcribed by me from the ATC log for the day shows:

G-MAIL Twin Otter, Saturday 19th June 1982 (times adjusted to BST):

WG 917 positioned from Manchester 0128, then WG 924 to Isle of Man on Manx mail contract at 0740.
WG 925 from Isle of Man 0921 as a positioning flight (fairly regular on a Saturday). Then 3 x local flights, each including an approach and overshoot at 1159-1207, 1222-1228 and 1242-1247. Air Experience flights for the M.A.S. offered by Mr. P.Mulligan of Air Ecosse for 50 members following appearing as guest speaker at a monthly meeting of the M.A.S. Following a week-end stop the aircraft departed as EC 924 with mail to the Isle of Man 0753 Monday 21st June. EC and WG were the ICAO and IATA abbreviations for Air Ecosse and were loosely interchangeable. The M.A.S. flights all operated on registration as "Golf India Lima".

From "Beemer's" description of the manoeuvres the flight must have felt like 20 minutes, but the records made at the time show each flight considerably less than that. Actually 6 minutes for take-off, circuit to overshoot, then circuit to land is quite tight (not quite a correct interpretation of events, see a later post), so I can see how the description 'white knuckle ride' fits. The ATC times are from leaving the ground to landing, rather than gate to gate.


From a now rather out of date (2007) paper production history, and using RZJets weblisting, I find that:

G-MAIL was built as a Twin Otter 310 with c/no.703 and first flown on 18th July 1980, with delivery to Fairflight Charters (so likely to Biggin Hill) on 18th August 1980. Operated by Fairflight but mostly by associated company Air Ecosse. Sold to Air Caledonia 11.82 and re-registered F-ODGL. Sold to World Jet Aircraft International 7.90 and then purchased by Vanair 8.90 and re-registered YJ-RV8 (had to look YJ- up, it is Vanuatu, an island state in the Pacific Ocean). They operated the aircraft for a number of years, although merged in to Air Vanuatu, September 2004. Sold (no date provided) to Airlines PNG as P2-MCX, then became P2-KSW with PNG Air (P2 = Papua New Guinea). Sold February 2016 and became H4-FSI with Solomon Airlines. So the aircraft went on to have quite a colourful career spanning some 30 years on inter-island flying in the Pacific Ocean, somewhat warmer than its initial 10 years with Aberdeen based Air Ecosse!

Many thanks "Valley 14" for the question, which with contributions from a number of members has been comprehensively answered, stirring up memories along the way.

[bravoxray]

Hi Viscount my flight logs refer to “circuits” which account for the 20 minute flight time or chock to chock ! Hope this helps ✈️✈️

[viscount]

Not taken on the day in question, as I was not there, but a couple of shots of G-MAIL at Speke:





These two of G-MAIL are on a cold December evening in 1981 during the night mail operation on the west apron. Note the snow and slush on the ground.



This one is dated 20th February 1983 and is of G-STUD, wearing the same colours, parked on the west apron during a week-end stop-over between Isle of Man mail flights - although by this time G-MAIL had already left the fleet. Other aircraft are a Keenair Aztec, Genair Short SD.3-30, Manx Saab 340 and British Midland Friendship - a typical Saturday scene at the time - how different to the aircraft to be seen on Saturday morning today.

[John Jones]

Just one photo from me, DHC-6 Twin Otter landing 09, What I remember was we departed runway 09, did a low approach on 26 and go-round landing back on 09.
IMG_8377 (2) by john jones,

john

[valley14]

Thanks for the reply's, iam very greatful.

Peter