Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 13-Feb-14, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 31-Mar-23.

This aircraft was delivered to Bavaria Fluggesellschaft as D-BIBI in May-64. It was sold back to Handley Page Aircraft as G-AVPN in Jun-67 and leased to Itavia as I-TIVB the following month. Itavia bought it in Jul-70.

It was sold to BIA British Island Airways as G-AVPN in Jul-73 and BIA was merged into AirUK in Jan-80. It was wet-leased to 'Skyguard' in Aug-85 and returned to AirUK in Sep-85. In Feb-86 the aircraft was sold to Nordic Oil Services and leased to Business Air Centre.

In Mar-86 it was sub-leased to Euroair Transport and returned to Business Air Centre in Sep-86. The aircraft was returned to Nordic Oil Services in Aug-87 and stored at Norwich, UK.

It was leased to British Air Ferries as a small package freighter in Nov-89 and then sold to Channel Express Air Services in Nov-91. It was sold to The Dart Group PLC (owners of Channel Express and later Jet2.com) in Feb-92 and leased back to Channel Express.

After 33 years in service the aircraft was permanently retired at Bournemouth, UK in Jul-97. It was donated to the Yorkshire Air Museum in Oct-97 and placed on display at Elvington, Yorkshire. I was advised in Apr-19 that over the intervening years the airfame had suffered from extensive corrosion and at that time only the nose section survived.

Tags:   D-BIBI Handley Page HPR.7 Dart Herald Bavaria Fluggesellschaft aircraft airplane airliner jet-prop turboprop aviation preserved

© All Rights Reserved

Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 17-Jan-15, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 06-Apr-23.

The last operational Hermes doing pleasure flights at the Biggin Hill Air Fair in May-63. I was going to go on it but the queues were always so long (that and it was £5 - A fiver was a lot of money to an 18 year old in 1963!!!). I wish now that I'd gone for it!

Only 25 Hermes 4's were built (plus a Hermes 1 which crashed on it's maiden flight!, a Hermes 2 and two Hermes 5's).

This aircraft was the second prototype Hermes 4 and was first flown in Aug-49 as G-ALDA. It was delivered to BOAC British Overseas Airways Corporation in May-51 but was returned to Handley Page Aircraft just three months later and was stored at the Handley Page airfield at Radlett, UK in Aug-51.

It was modified to Hermes 4A standard in Jul-52 and was leased to Airwork Ltd in Oct-52. The aircraft was occasionally chartered by the UK Ministry of Defence for moving troops around Europe, Malta, Cyprus and North Africa when it used the RAF serial WZ838.

Airwork bought it in Dec-56 and converted it back to Hermes 4 standard in May-57. It was sold to CL Surveys in Aug-59 and sold on to Falcon Airways in Oct-59. Falcon Airways sold it to sister company Air Safaris in Oct-60.

The aircraft was repossessed by the Mercantile Credit Company and leased to Skyways of London in Nov-61. It was returned to the lessor in Jan-62 and stored.

It was sold to Air Links in Aug-62 and was permanently retired at Southend, UK in Dec-64. It was broken up at Southend in 1965.

Tags:   G-ALDA Handley Page HP.81 Hermes 4 Air Links aircraft airplane airliner piston Propliner aviation broken up

© All Rights Reserved

Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 07-Feb-15, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 07-Apr-23.

Not the best photo in the box. Three icons of British post-war aviation history. A Handley Page Hermes, an Avro York and a Bristol Freighter taken at London-Gatwick Airport not long after the centre pier had been completed. I'm standing in a field where the old North Pier was eventually built.

© All Rights Reserved

Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 20-Mar-22 (DeNoise AI).

"It'll be serviceable in 2 hours Captain" (Airline Engineers were always optimists...).

G-ALDT was delivered to BOAC British Overseas Airways Corporation in Sep-50 as a Hermes IV and later converted to Hermes IVA standard. It was in service with BOAC for less than 5 years and was sold to Skyways in Feb-55.

It was leased to Middle East Airlines as OD-ACB in Jul-55 for 3 months and returned to Skyways as G-ALDT in Oct-55. In Oct-60 it was leased to Bahamas Airways as VP-BBQ for the winter and returned as G-ALDT in Jun-61.

It was sold to Air Safaris the same month but was repossessed 5 months later in Nov-61 as they didn't keep up the payments!

It was retired at Stansted in Jan-62 and bought by Air Links in August the same year. The aircraft was ferried the short distance to Southend where it was slowly cannibalized for spare parts. It was broken up in mid 1964.

Tags:   G-ALDT Handley Page 81 Hermes IV ex Skyways (derelict) aircraft airplane airliner propliner aviation broken up

© All Rights Reserved

Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 11-Mar-15, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 16-Dec-23.

G-APWA was the 1st production Dart Herald and, as it was used as a demonstrator, it has a long history. Delivered new on lease to Jersey Airlines in May-61, it was returned to Handley Page at the end of the summer season in Oct-61.

It was leased, short-term, to BEA British European Airways in Jan-62, returning to Handley Page in Apr-62. It was leased to Autair International (Apr/Aug-63), the Royal Malaysian Air Force (Aug-63/Jan-64), SADIA, Brazil as PP-ASV (Feb-64/Oct-65), returning to Handley Page as G-APWA.

Then to British Midland Airways (Apr/Sep-66) before being sold to SADIA Brazil in Nov-66, this time as PP-SDM. SADIA was renamed Transbrasil in Jun-72. It was leased to TABA in 1975 returning to Transbrasil in 1976.

It returned to the UK as G-APWA in Aug-76 when it was bought by British Air Ferries. A lot of wet-leasing to TAT Touraine Air Transport followed, Apr-79, Jun/Jul-79, Sep/Oct-79 and Jan/Feb-80. It was wet-leased to Nile Valley Aviation (Jun/Nov-80), AGIP Oil (Nov-80/Jan-81) and Air Ecosse (1981/82).

It was retired at Southend, UK, in late 1982. It was sold to Panavia Air Cargo in Jan-85, they were renamed General Aviation Spares in Feb-86, the aircraft remained stored at Southend until it was preserved at Woodley, Berks, in Mar-93.... Phew!

Tags:   G-APWA Handley Page HPR7 Dart Herald 100 BMA British Midland Airways aircraft airplane airliner jetprop turboprop regional commuter aviation preserved

© All Rights Reserved