Speke Aviation Heritage Group
Discussion
As briefly mentioned on the panelbeating thread, I'm starting this to avoid topic drift in the DIY section.
I have recently become involved with Speke Aviation Heritage Group, based at the "Old" Liverpool Speke Airport which was formerly a WWII aerodrome, and is now a Crowne Plaza Hotel. Unusually for a site like this, not only is the terminal building (now the hotel) listed, but the entire aircraft parking apron is also listed. This is fantastic, as it means it can only ever be used for storing cars and planes, and hence is the perfect place for a static display museum!
The collection started with the prototype Jetstream 41 G-JMAC a twin turboprop business/commuter aircraft. This was donated by BAe Systems at Woodford who wanted it out of their yard, but couldnt sell it because it was a development aircraft. At only 20 years old, the plane is in fine fettle and is currently fitted pout as a visitor centre inside, with the cockpit turned into a rather good flight simulator that visitors can try out.
The collection then expanded with the acquisition of Percival Prince G-AMLZ - the very plane flown all over the globe by one Douglas Bader during his postwar job as a survey pilot for Shell Oils. This is nearing the end of a very long term cosmetic and partial structural restoration, though unfortunately the engines and propellors are too far gone for her ever to be ground-run again.
Also ongoing, but still with a way to go, is a Gloster Meteor that is privately owned by one of the volunteers of the society. This is coming along nicely, with just the cockpit and engines left to refurbish and fit once the centre section and wings have been lifted back onto the floor from their props.
Over on the other side of the airport is a Bristol Britannia, G-ANCF. This is another private aircraft, but the chap who owns it is apparently a strange bloke who quite deliberately pissed off the entire SAHG until they told him to f
k it, and pushed it into the corner and left it there. It's still nowt but a bare hulk, and apparently all the engines for it have gone "missing" as well.
A recent addition, and my current assignment, is an Avro 748 turboprop airliner G-BEJD. This is in a very sorry state, having until recently been sat corroding in a corner of Blackpool airport. To save it from the scrappers, the group had to slice the fuselage into 3 pieces with a grinder to move it by HGV to Liverpool. There is currently a lot of head scratching going on about how to stick it back together again! Current plan is to splice the internal ribs back together with joining pieces before putting a band all the way round the outside of the fuselage to cover the gap. This is going to be a very long term project, with very many piece still left to fit back on it before we can even contemplate cosmetic work.
Future arrivals - I'll have to be careful what I say here!
Between now and February are were supposed to be getting 2 exciting new arrivals. All I shall say is that one is a legendary cold war jet fighter, and the other is a WW2 bomber. Both are apparently in the "many boxes of bits" state, and will be very long term rebuilds. I can't wait to get stuck in! If someone had told me this time last year, as I was calling quits on my Aeronautical Engineering degree, that I would soon be spannering a jet fighter in real life rather than fking about with mathematical fluid dynamics, then I'd have said they were nuts!
For anyone interested in visiting the collection, it depends how you turn up. The odd lone person is quite welcome to come and have a chat with anyone when we're there working on the collection, which is every Saturday from 11am-ish to sunset. For any sort of organised visit, groups, parties, enthusiasts etc, then the procedure is to book a visit slot with the chairman of the collection, Roy Coates ( roy at spekeaero dot org ). this will ensure that someone is there to meet you, show you round, and that all the aircraft and attractions such as the flight simulator will be open and accessible.
And now for a brief report - My work this past weekend (by Airbrakes, age 21 and a half):
Job of the day was rectifying the structure of the 748:
To move her by road, the fuselage was cut into 3 pieces with an angle grinder:
So, my job was to crawl into this lovely, comfy, accomodating and very spacious underfloor bay:
And mark out, drill and bolt in a 3mm steel tie-strap under every stringer:
I have recently become involved with Speke Aviation Heritage Group, based at the "Old" Liverpool Speke Airport which was formerly a WWII aerodrome, and is now a Crowne Plaza Hotel. Unusually for a site like this, not only is the terminal building (now the hotel) listed, but the entire aircraft parking apron is also listed. This is fantastic, as it means it can only ever be used for storing cars and planes, and hence is the perfect place for a static display museum!
The collection started with the prototype Jetstream 41 G-JMAC a twin turboprop business/commuter aircraft. This was donated by BAe Systems at Woodford who wanted it out of their yard, but couldnt sell it because it was a development aircraft. At only 20 years old, the plane is in fine fettle and is currently fitted pout as a visitor centre inside, with the cockpit turned into a rather good flight simulator that visitors can try out.
The collection then expanded with the acquisition of Percival Prince G-AMLZ - the very plane flown all over the globe by one Douglas Bader during his postwar job as a survey pilot for Shell Oils. This is nearing the end of a very long term cosmetic and partial structural restoration, though unfortunately the engines and propellors are too far gone for her ever to be ground-run again.
Also ongoing, but still with a way to go, is a Gloster Meteor that is privately owned by one of the volunteers of the society. This is coming along nicely, with just the cockpit and engines left to refurbish and fit once the centre section and wings have been lifted back onto the floor from their props.
Over on the other side of the airport is a Bristol Britannia, G-ANCF. This is another private aircraft, but the chap who owns it is apparently a strange bloke who quite deliberately pissed off the entire SAHG until they told him to f
k it, and pushed it into the corner and left it there. It's still nowt but a bare hulk, and apparently all the engines for it have gone "missing" as well.A recent addition, and my current assignment, is an Avro 748 turboprop airliner G-BEJD. This is in a very sorry state, having until recently been sat corroding in a corner of Blackpool airport. To save it from the scrappers, the group had to slice the fuselage into 3 pieces with a grinder to move it by HGV to Liverpool. There is currently a lot of head scratching going on about how to stick it back together again! Current plan is to splice the internal ribs back together with joining pieces before putting a band all the way round the outside of the fuselage to cover the gap. This is going to be a very long term project, with very many piece still left to fit back on it before we can even contemplate cosmetic work.
Future arrivals - I'll have to be careful what I say here!
Between now and February are were supposed to be getting 2 exciting new arrivals. All I shall say is that one is a legendary cold war jet fighter, and the other is a WW2 bomber. Both are apparently in the "many boxes of bits" state, and will be very long term rebuilds. I can't wait to get stuck in! If someone had told me this time last year, as I was calling quits on my Aeronautical Engineering degree, that I would soon be spannering a jet fighter in real life rather than f
king about with mathematical fluid dynamics, then I'd have said they were nuts!For anyone interested in visiting the collection, it depends how you turn up. The odd lone person is quite welcome to come and have a chat with anyone when we're there working on the collection, which is every Saturday from 11am-ish to sunset. For any sort of organised visit, groups, parties, enthusiasts etc, then the procedure is to book a visit slot with the chairman of the collection, Roy Coates ( roy at spekeaero dot org ). this will ensure that someone is there to meet you, show you round, and that all the aircraft and attractions such as the flight simulator will be open and accessible.
And now for a brief report - My work this past weekend (by Airbrakes, age 21 and a half):
Job of the day was rectifying the structure of the 748:
To move her by road, the fuselage was cut into 3 pieces with an angle grinder:
So, my job was to crawl into this lovely, comfy, accomodating and very spacious underfloor bay:
And mark out, drill and bolt in a 3mm steel tie-strap under every stringer:
Wow, talk the power of the internet for making it a small world!
I've since also heard from an ex-Emerald Pilot I'm friend with, who says "I never flew JD is it was a series one. I think Emerald only had one series one and it only did BOH to the channel islands as its payload capacity wasn't good enough for the regular routes that needed 6 ton capacity. I flew the 2 and 2A I think, the 2A had the 146 flight director systems as was fairly posh."
Its brilliant to hear from so many people associated with the plane when it was active. Mat from Preston - your instructor might well know my pilot friend above (Julian, he is called). Jamie and Magpie - were your experiences during the Emerald years, or in JD's previous life with Dan-Air?
I've since also heard from an ex-Emerald Pilot I'm friend with, who says "I never flew JD is it was a series one. I think Emerald only had one series one and it only did BOH to the channel islands as its payload capacity wasn't good enough for the regular routes that needed 6 ton capacity. I flew the 2 and 2A I think, the 2A had the 146 flight director systems as was fairly posh."
Its brilliant to hear from so many people associated with the plane when it was active. Mat from Preston - your instructor might well know my pilot friend above (Julian, he is called). Jamie and Magpie - were your experiences during the Emerald years, or in JD's previous life with Dan-Air?
I was involved during the Emerald days. .......JD could carry fuel or freight not both lol
We also had G-DAAL and G-BEJE both series 1 but these were retired and parted out very early on.
With the spares from the above we managed to nurse JD almost to the end of Emerald it was a fight for engines and props in the end plus animpending major check which finally finished her flying career.
We also had G-DAAL and G-BEJE both series 1 but these were retired and parted out very early on.
With the spares from the above we managed to nurse JD almost to the end of Emerald it was a fight for engines and props in the end plus animpending major check which finally finished her flying career.
Lovely to hear your stories magpie, you really must come and visit us at some point!
Now, here's something I cannot believe I forgot to mention!! I was reminded earlier that we also have an HS748 S2a cockpit/nose section tucked away in the corner on the other side of the site. She's also ex-Emerald - G-BPDA, but flew from the North West if the registration documents on GInfo are anything to go by. Later changed to G-ORAL upon sale to Emerald subsidiary Reed Aviation, she became "The Paper Plane" due to a daily cargo of newsprint.
Does DA ring any bells?
Now, here's something I cannot believe I forgot to mention!! I was reminded earlier that we also have an HS748 S2a cockpit/nose section tucked away in the corner on the other side of the site. She's also ex-Emerald - G-BPDA, but flew from the North West if the registration documents on GInfo are anything to go by. Later changed to G-ORAL upon sale to Emerald subsidiary Reed Aviation, she became "The Paper Plane" due to a daily cargo of newsprint.
Does DA ring any bells?
airbrakes said:
Wow, talk the power of the internet for making it a small world!
I've since also heard from an ex-Emerald Pilot I'm friend with, who says "I never flew JD is it was a series one. I think Emerald only had one series one and it only did BOH to the channel islands as its payload capacity wasn't good enough for the regular routes that needed 6 ton capacity. I flew the 2 and 2A I think, the 2A had the 146 flight director systems as was fairly posh."
Its brilliant to hear from so many people associated with the plane when it was active. Mat from Preston - your instructor might well know my pilot friend above (Julian, he is called). Jamie and Magpie - were your experiences during the Emerald years, or in JD's previous life with Dan-Air?
Mine goes back to Dan Dare times. I remember BAs ones better to be honest. My father remembers them all - he worked for British Airways Helicopters at the time and we had moved to the mainland although he worked 2 weeks on, 2 off at Sumburgh flying up and down on the 748s and BAF's Viscounts.I've since also heard from an ex-Emerald Pilot I'm friend with, who says "I never flew JD is it was a series one. I think Emerald only had one series one and it only did BOH to the channel islands as its payload capacity wasn't good enough for the regular routes that needed 6 ton capacity. I flew the 2 and 2A I think, the 2A had the 146 flight director systems as was fairly posh."
Its brilliant to hear from so many people associated with the plane when it was active. Mat from Preston - your instructor might well know my pilot friend above (Julian, he is called). Jamie and Magpie - were your experiences during the Emerald years, or in JD's previous life with Dan-Air?
G-BPDA was first 748 on the fleet later re registered G-ORAL (Go Reed Aviation Ltd)
Reed never owned it . It was just operated on there behalf. .....same as JD.....
if you look carefully at the tail and above the cabin windows on JD you may see where we painted over the titles and logo. :-)
Reed never owned it . It was just operated on there behalf. .....same as JD.....
if you look carefully at the tail and above the cabin windows on JD you may see where we painted over the titles and logo. :-)
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