Bournemouth Hurn - 21.4.10

Bournemouth Hurn airport is a large airfield with many hangers and based operators scattered around the airport. There is a very good mixed range of aircraft to be seen here ranging from airliners, biz jets, general aviation and some older warbirds too.

Eurocopter EC 120B Colibri c/n 1463 wearing Bournemouth Helicopters titles by the engine. This smart helicopter was built in 2006 and delivered as F-HAAL. It was first registered in the UK in June 2007 as G-MKII operated by Bournemouth Helicopters - however they changed the registration to be G-SKPP in January 2010.

Piper Pa-28-161 Cadet c/n 2841015 was built in the USA in 1988 and was first registered in the UK as G-BPJP in December 1988. For many years this aircraft was based at Oxford Kidlington airport before arriving at Hurn in 2001. This aircraft had flown over 11,000 flight hours by Dec 2008.

G-CBLE Robin 2120U c/n 364 was built in France in 2002. G-CBLE was first registered in the UK in April 2002. Between 2004 - 2009 this aircraft was based at Cardiff airport.  By Dec 2007 this aircracft had flown over 2,000 flight hours.

Hurn is home to several multi engine flight training schools, among them is CTC Aviation who operate a fleet of four examples of the Diamond DA 42 Twin Star including G-CTCF c/n 42-045 shown here. This modern twin was built in Austria in 2005. I often here these CTC aircraft on my radio doing flight training and operating on the airways over the South West of England.


Steve

Dunkeswell - 9th April 2010

Dunkeswell airfield in Devon is between Wellington and Honiton along many small twisty country roads - take a good map !

The airfield is home to a good variety of aircraft types microlights, ultralights, general aviation, homebuilts, motorised gliders, vintage Tigers and a large para jumping Cessna 208.

Among the many aircraft over by the Somerset Microlights hangers on the North West side were

G-MZGV Pegasus Quantum 15 c/n 7339 wearing the titles of "Somerset Microlights" was built in 1997 and has flown over 1050 hours by Dec 2008.

G-CDYO Ikarus C42 FB80 c/n 6810 - this example was built in 2006

G-CDSA Pegasus Quik 912S c/n 8144 was built in 2005 and may have been a visitor from the Portsmouth area


G-CBAZ Rans S6 ES Coyote c/n PFA 204-13596 was built in 2001 was originally owned in Lancashire then Yorkshire before arriving in Devon in late 2009.


G-BZAK X'Air with c/n BMAA/HB/114 was built in 2000 and arrived in Devon in 2009 after many years in the Bedford area.

G-SPDY X'Air Hawk c/n PFA 340-14678 was built in 2007 - this design appears to have a very short engine cowling ( Jabiru 2200A ) making it look almost like a beak ! Currently there are just 15 examples of this aircraft registered in the UK


External Link to a flight test review of the X'Air Hawk




G-MTNU Thruster TST MK1 c/n 897-TST-035 is an old microlight design but looking in excellent condition - this aircraft was built in 1987 and there are approx 70 examples still on the UK register.




Dunkeswell has many small lockup hangers and aircraft outside on this lovely April day included

G-BFEH SAN Jodel D117A c/n 828 - this aircraft is now 52 years old and was built in 1958 at the SAN factory at Bernay - St Martin in Normandy as F-BITG before being registered in the UK in October 1977.

G-CGHS DG-808C Competition a fantastic sleek modern German built glider with an 18 metre span. This example is almost brand new and was registered in November 2009 with c/n 8-413B312X73. It has a pop up Solo enginefor self launching and a solar panel just behind the canopy to trickle charge the electronics - a very impressive machine.



Dunkeswell is also an active sky diving centre and currently based for parachute jumping is all white 1997 vintage Cessan 208B Caravan N208AD c/n 208B0637


This Caravan became N208AD in late 2009 over in Costa Rica - it had served there with local regional carrier Sansa as TI-AZU


Photo Link to image of this same aircraft as TI-AZU


Steve