A taste of the Caribbean

[stevep22]

Back in the late 80's and early 90's we were lucky enough to have a few holidays out in the Caribbean. Not intended as aviation photography as such, here are a few 'holiday snaps' that might be of interest:


VC Bird Airport, Antigua by Stephen Procter, on Flickr

This is VC Bird International Airport, Antigua whilst waiting for our LIAT HS748 to St Maarten. LIAT Twin Otter and Air BVI HS748 on the ramp.


F-GGKA by Stephen Procter, on Flickr

F-GGKA - DHC-6 Twin Otter of Air Caraibes seen at Union Island International, St Vincent and the Grenadines on 23 May 1993.


F-OGOL by Stephen Procter, on Flickr

F-OGOL - Dornier 228 of Air Martinique at Union Island on 23 May 1993.


G-BRIG by Stephen Procter, on Flickr

G-BRIG - Boeing 767-204ER of Britannia Airways arriving at Hewanorra Aiport, St.Lucia on 26 May 1993. Taxying in after a heavy downpour it had just arrived from Manchester and would be retrurning there (sadly with us on board) later that day.

Cheers

Steve

[stevep22]

A few more from the 'Caribbean Collection'


LIAT HS748 by Stephen Procter, on Flickr

An early morning start at Grantley Adams airport in Barbados on 8 December 1988 as we make our way out to board a LIAT HS748 to St.Lucia.


C-FFUJ by Stephen Procter, on Flickr

C-FFUJ - Bell Jet Ranger II of St.Lucia Helicopters seen on 5 December 1990 as we await out sightseeing tour of the island. It's now back in Canada doing sightseeing flights over Niagara Falls.


VC Bird Airport and BA 747 by Stephen Procter, on Flickr

G-BDXI - Boeing 747 of British Airways arrives at VC Bird International Airport on 28 November 1990. Arriving as flight BA255 from Gatwick we boarded it to make the short flight on to Barbados.


VQ-TDG by Stephen Procter, on Flickr

VQ-TDG - Embraer EMB120 of Air Turks and Caicos. Seen a little later than the previous photos, on 1 August 2008 at Puerto Plata airport, Dominican Republic. Not a great photo but taken through the terminal window in a downpour......!!

[stevep22]

Out of curiousity would anyone care to hazard a guess as to the type on the left of the first photo from the wing........?

[2e1var]

Looks a bit like a Twotter but the tail is odd, next to a Dan Air 748. I'll put down the vodka now

[stevep22]

No, not the Twotter - the aircraft at extreme left that you can only see the wing...........

[Mike]

Could it be a DC-9, or similar?

Great set of shots Steve.

[stevep22]

Possibly a DC-9 Mike - I think American were probably using them down to the Caribbean then. My other thought was a BAC 1-11, I know LIAT did operate some at one time but think they were long gone by 1990.

Steve

[Mike]

Possibly a DC-9 Mike - I think American were probably using them down to the Caribbean then. My other thought was a BAC 1-11, I know LIAT did operate some at one time but think they were long gone by 1990.

Steve

I was thinking BAC 1-11 as well, I'm sure it's either a DC-9, 737 or a 1-11.
I got a right bollocking from security for taking this shot in 2008 as I walked over the apron on arrival. It's parked on the same gate as your shot.

[stevep22]

I had security gesticulate at me back in 2001 just for trying to take a photo of the terminal cat curled up asleep on one of the seats in the departure lounge.......! Never seen anything like it - the cat asleep amongst the passengers and on the floor behind the security desk was a bowl of food and a litter tray! It was all a bit surreal - the cat on one side of me and on the other Richard Branson buying beers for folk!

[Mike]

Antigua is a horribly over-crowded airport and a nightmare to transit through, there's queues going through other queues - I'm not sure how anyone actually gets on the correct flight. The worst terminal that I've ever had to suffer was Zante, the "Black hole of Calcutta" must have been better.

[stevep22]

Yes has always been heaving on the times we have been travelled from there. I recall in 1990 having to check in almost outside and 'security' opening all cases and rummaging around. (My used socks and underwear must have made their day ). It did seem better last time I was there (2004), but not a lot.........

[stevep22]

Another (again slightly later photo) from Cancun International Airport on 20 August 1999. Photo taken whilst making our way out to our aircraft home, Airtours International Airbus A330-243, G-MDBD. In the foreground are two Allegro Boeing 727's. N728FV, nearest camera and XA-SXO beyond. (Scanned from a print)



Steve

[stevep22]

Would anyone care to identify the aircraft type in the photo of F-OGOL? The N reg a/c, white with green trim.

Cheers

STEVE

[Mike]

Would anyone care to identify the aircraft type in the photo of F-OGOL? The N reg a/c, white with green trim.

Cheers

STEVE

A Cirrus SR-20 maybe? Just a guess (and not a very educated one )

[stevep22]

I thought that too Mike but I don't think they were around in 1993. Funnily enough I saw another photo of the same aircraft (or an another aircraft of that type in the same paint scheme) taken a bit later, again on Union Island and it carried the reg J6-AAA (St Lucia reg). Wondered if it had been reregistered, but can't find any mention of J6-AAA anywhere.

Cheers

Steve

[LondonEye]

This one has me puzzled at present. First glance, it looks like a Cirrus, but it is correct that design was not around in 1993.
Looking closer, the horizontal stabiliser is set higher on the tail compared to a Cirrus. It looks level with top of cabin.
The reg looks possibly N15EX or N15FX, but no luck on that. No luck on the J6-AAA reg either.
So - anyone else any ideas ?
Pete.

[Martin]

It looks like a Lancair Columbia LC40 but they weren't around in 1993
An example can be found here https://cdn.jetphotos.com/400/2/31682_1308239636.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Aircraft

Martin

[Nighthawke]

Looks like N16EX which was a Wheeler Express now registered as J6-AAA. Can't find a picture on the web to confirm the markings but type seems right. N16EX was registered in St Vincent.

[Mike]

Looks like N16EX which was a Wheeler Express now registered as J6-AAA. Can't find a picture on the web to confirm the markings but type seems right. N16EX was registered in St Vincent.

I'd agree with a Wheeler Express, a type I've never heard of until today. Plenty of shots can be found on Google, but not of this particular one.

[stevep22]

Wheeler Express..? Never heard of it.... Mystery solved in any case. Thanks detectives..........

Steve