Civilian Aviation

Well PorkScratching you did ask so here are a few from todays departure ! This aircraft, or one of it's stablemate's, are regular visitors to Norwich, maybe two or three times a week !

Keith

Very nicely caught Keith like the different angles

Ahhh, thank you very much! Never a common sight (except perhaps at some US airports during their commuterliner heyday), so great to see contemporary shots of one now.

Thanks rich ! I like different angles !
PorkScratching ! Yes those commuterliner days in the US ... indeed ! when this aircraft was competing with the Jetstream ! oh how it has changed ??

Keith

Yeah, I remember dropping into East Mids whenever we were returning home from trips to Waddington, Coningsby etc. to see if there were any new Jetstreams outside the paintshop there that seemed to paint a lot of them as they came off the production line. 25+ years ago now!

SW3, SW4 and even the occasional SW2 are fairly common at Oxford. We can have up to 3 on the ground at the same time depending upon customer requirements!

2 metro by Melly Oxon, on Flickr

Thought I had a short SW3 as well !

DIDEA egtk 30-09-2011 by Melly Oxon, on Flickr

I might have to move to Oxford Thanks for posting those, the short fuselage example looks great and in wonderful condition.

OK so a small amount of Merlin Magic from Norwich April 2013 .....

Keith

Thanks Keith, much appreciated! Especially as one of them is a short one.

Maybe we've accidentally come up with a new feature for the board - a photo theme thread where every month there's a new theme for members to post photos against.

Metros are very regular into Birmingham as well, they operate freight charters mostly bringing in car parts for Landrover and MG. I'm guessing the flights to Oxford are carrying car parts for Mini/BMW?

Martin

Currently 3 on the ground at Oxford

D-CAVA
EC-IXL
D-CPSW

To add to the mix I have a couple of Metro's from Barbados both used in the 'seeking drug dealer' role .... rarely photographed aircraft !!

Keith

I too love these aircraft, the Swearingen designs always look like they are doing 500 mph even on the ground. Love the French registered short one and am pleased to report that there are two of them alive and well at Dole Jura Airport to the east of Dijon in France. They (F-GLLO and F-GZJM) are operated by Air Mana and kept in an immaculate hangar on the far side from the terminal building. Provided you speak French (and a pilot's licence also helps) they are quite amenable to showing you round the hangar. The boss of the company also has a WWII Corsair on long term rebuild in another hangar nearby.

Those are rare beasties Keith - love the shark's mouth!

Thanks PorkScratching ! Yes the RSS-A2 was just one of the reasons for the trip, it normally only fly's at night, but 'bingo' went up on a test flight or something !!
More to follow very soon ..... what have we started ..... love it !!

Keith

HoHo ! and on we go .... a few more from the 'back catalogue' .....

Keith

Thanks Keith!

Here's one a while back at BHX. I have a few more just not online at the moment. Will dig them out if you want?

EC-GFK Metroliner - BHX by Totallyrad.co.uk, on Flickr

Thanks Radleigh. If you don't mind digging a few more out that would be appreciated!