G-AHAG Sywell 14-08-22
Southernsailplanes De Havilland DH89a Rapide,G-AHAG,'Bryher' in Scillonia Airways colours is seen at Sywell Aerodrome the morning after 'The Blades' Ball in which she was giving pleasure flights to the guests.
History
Ordered in 1944 as a DH89B Dominie 2 serial RL944, she was never delivered to the RAF & was almost exported to Brazil, but instead she departed DH Witney at 12:20 on 24 Feb 1946 & was delivered to the Lancashire Aircraft Corporation.
She spent 1946 & ’47 travelling the UK & Europe on taxi, charter & pleasure flights, even venturing as far north as Oslo & south to Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). She was sold at the end of 1947 to Universal Flying Services, flying taxi & charter flights until 1949 before becoming the company communications aircraft for Blackburn Aircraft at Brough. Her service continued with Hawker-Siddeley after Blackburn was absorbed & by 1965 she was Hawker’s last Rapide in service. Withdrawn from use in October ’65, she & G-AHGC were destined for the Nov 5th bonfire at Dunsfold.
In the nick of time G-AHAG (& AHGC) was saved by Bryan Neely, who was expanding his Scilllonia Airways fleet. Repainted in Scenic Flights colours, G-AHAG was named ‘Bryher’ after one of the smaller Scilly Isles & for four years was a familiar sight over the skies of south west England flying passenger services & pleasure flights.
Scillonia Airways ceased operation in 1969, with G-AHAG carrying out the last operational flights from Lands End. Scillonia’s assets were sold off at auction & G-AHAG was bought for £205 & leased to the Army Parachuting Association.
Repainted orange, she was starting to look shabby, not having been refurbished since 1956, but spent the next two years dropping parachutists alongside Rapides G-AGTM & G-AIDL, both now preserved by Air Atlantique. On July 15 1972 during a formation drop, she famously gained a passenger midair when two parachutists hit the roof of her fuselage having jumped out of the Islander above, one of whom went through the roof & ended up in her radio bay. Sadly in 1972 she was taxied into by a Cessna, with her engines almost out of life she was not repaired, instead being relegated to the back of a hangar to be eventually de-rigged & sat gathering dust.
Restoration
Ralph Jones (Southern Sailplanes) acquired G-AHAG in 1979 & she arrived at Membury by road in 1980. Ralph spent the next 30 years collecting spares & working on her part time. In 2009 the restoration gained new interest & accelerated to full time with a team of volunteers & the staff at Flight Composites, Membury. Extensive work was also carried out by Sky4 Aviation at Branscombe.
She is finished in a colour scheme based on the Scillonia Airways schemes used on their Rapides from ’63 to ’69. The interior is finished in period leather with eight seats.
G-AHAG Sywell 14-08-22
Southernsailplanes De Havilland DH89a Rapide,G-AHAG,'Bryher' in Scillonia Airways colours is seen at Sywell Aerodrome the morning after 'The Blades' Ball in which she was giving pleasure flights to the guests.
History
Ordered in 1944 as a DH89B Dominie 2 serial RL944, she was never delivered to the RAF & was almost exported to Brazil, but instead she departed DH Witney at 12:20 on 24 Feb 1946 & was delivered to the Lancashire Aircraft Corporation.
She spent 1946 & ’47 travelling the UK & Europe on taxi, charter & pleasure flights, even venturing as far north as Oslo & south to Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). She was sold at the end of 1947 to Universal Flying Services, flying taxi & charter flights until 1949 before becoming the company communications aircraft for Blackburn Aircraft at Brough. Her service continued with Hawker-Siddeley after Blackburn was absorbed & by 1965 she was Hawker’s last Rapide in service. Withdrawn from use in October ’65, she & G-AHGC were destined for the Nov 5th bonfire at Dunsfold.
In the nick of time G-AHAG (& AHGC) was saved by Bryan Neely, who was expanding his Scilllonia Airways fleet. Repainted in Scenic Flights colours, G-AHAG was named ‘Bryher’ after one of the smaller Scilly Isles & for four years was a familiar sight over the skies of south west England flying passenger services & pleasure flights.
Scillonia Airways ceased operation in 1969, with G-AHAG carrying out the last operational flights from Lands End. Scillonia’s assets were sold off at auction & G-AHAG was bought for £205 & leased to the Army Parachuting Association.
Repainted orange, she was starting to look shabby, not having been refurbished since 1956, but spent the next two years dropping parachutists alongside Rapides G-AGTM & G-AIDL, both now preserved by Air Atlantique. On July 15 1972 during a formation drop, she famously gained a passenger midair when two parachutists hit the roof of her fuselage having jumped out of the Islander above, one of whom went through the roof & ended up in her radio bay. Sadly in 1972 she was taxied into by a Cessna, with her engines almost out of life she was not repaired, instead being relegated to the back of a hangar to be eventually de-rigged & sat gathering dust.
Restoration
Ralph Jones (Southern Sailplanes) acquired G-AHAG in 1979 & she arrived at Membury by road in 1980. Ralph spent the next 30 years collecting spares & working on her part time. In 2009 the restoration gained new interest & accelerated to full time with a team of volunteers & the staff at Flight Composites, Membury. Extensive work was also carried out by Sky4 Aviation at Branscombe.
She is finished in a colour scheme based on the Scillonia Airways schemes used on their Rapides from ’63 to ’69. The interior is finished in period leather with eight seats.