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