G-AIKR Consul log book

[rj]

I could not resist this item on ebay. It the a very rare MCA form 26 journey log book for G-AIKR a Airspeed Consul of Airwork. These are rare as  rocking horse s&&t! Back in the day every commercial aircraft had one of these but they rarely survive. The period covered is  October 52 to August 57. The aircraft was mainly used for crew training and the odd charter. I will gradually list all the flights that are in the book. Anybody have a photo that can be added to this thread?
Rob

[rj]

OK part 1
22/10/52 local training 1030-1050, 1200-1245 Capt Covington FO Phillips, 13:10-14:10 Capt Phillips FO (unreadable), 14:20-14:50 Capt Covington FO Whitehill
23/10/52 local training 12:00-12:50 Capt Stenner FO Pope,
24/10/52 local training 09:45-11:35 Capt Muggeridge FO Budd,14:20-14:50 Capt Covington FO Whitehill, 14:30-15:50 Capt Pope FO Holland
25/10/52 SBA training 14:35-15:35 Capt Goodman FO Pattison
29/10/52 SBA training 15:45-16:55 Capt Dyson FO Colyer
4/11/52 Blackbushe-Shawbury 10:15-11:15 return 15:30-16:30 Capt Covington FO Rane? remarks 'liason'
10/11/52 training 10:05-11@10 Capt (unreadable) FO Atkinson

SBA was the 'Standard Beam Approach' a early form of ILS but only worked in terms of direction towards the runway with no height component.
Rob

[Deleted]

Here's a piccy I took at Biggin Hill in May, 1964, although  first saw it at Sywell in 1962.

[rj]

Thanks for that, color too! Can't have been many Consuls flying at that time? IKR still exists, was in store in Canada for many years but in now under restoration by the RNZAF Museum.
Rob

[PB]

..and here she is "at home"...



..at London Blackbushe alongside Airwork's main hangar.

PB

[rj]

Thanks for the photos guys here is this mornings installment..
10/11/52 SBA training 1415-1455 and 1610-1650 Capt Pope FO ATkinson
11/11/52 SBA training 14:10-15:10 and 15:11-1555 Capt Ashpitel FO Transwell
12/11/52 SBA training 14:15-1605 Capt Dyson FO Chambers
13/11/52 locals 14:45-15:30 Capt McLeod FO Bland
14/11/52 GCA approaches 1440-1630 Capt Muggeridge FO Collier?
8/12/52 'SBA's and QDM's' 1515-1615 Capt (unreadable) FO Covington
11/12/52 'generaf I/F & QGH' 14:15-15:20 Capt (unreadable) FO Twomey,
12/12/52 'SBA L/DS' 1515-1600 Capt (unreadable) FO Riley
31/12/52 15:25-16:30 crew names unreadable
3/1/53 12:30-1308 again crew names unreadable

The flights do get more interesting in time, but sadly the handwriting does not!

[rj]

I am going to pick out the more interesting flights or this will take years!
January 1953, the 6th,7th and 11th saw local training flights
26th January saw a flight to Usworth departing at 10:15, then to Digby and return on 28th at 16:15
3rd February saw a flight to Gatwick at 14:45 returning 18:00 carring spare parts
the 12th and 16 saw multipule local flights
19th February saw another spares run to Gatwick at 14:30, back an hour later
24th Februart saw a crew ferry flight to gatwick in the afternoon
there were further crew traing flights on 25th,and 26th
Capt Stevenson ventured to Stansted on 27th at 14:50
the following day IKR routed Blackbushe (12:30)-Filton (13:40) Stansted(1450) Blackbushe(1615)

Rob

[rj]

are you sitting comfortably, then I shall begin. G-AIKR March 1953
2nd March 2x Locals in the afternoon
4th and afternoon return to gatwick 20min each way
11th saw a round trip to Southend 35 min each way, much less London traffic in those days then!
12th two trips to Southend ferrying Viking crews.
25th 26th and 27th several local training flights
30th a Viking crew ferrey to gatwick in the afternoon
April 1953
2nd the first international trip in the log with a 08:00 trip to Schiphol returning at 17:30
8th a trip to Deauville out 10:20 return 16:05
9th-15th saw many training flights and CofA test
16th 12:10 depart to Deauville return empty 1525
17th back to Deauville empty 12:30 return 15:35
rest of April saw more IFR and SBA training

Interestingly some of the later flights list Captain, First officer, radio officer,and Air hostess for trips to Paris, all in the confines of a Consul!
Rob

[rj]

Todays installment in the life of a Blackbushe favorite

6/5/53 Cap Lacy took a crew to gatwick and return
Rest of May saw about a dozen pilots renewing their Instrument ratings with capt harding and Burke
8/6/53 depart for Ipswich at 08:35 Cap Harding arrive Ipswich 09:35 departed for Harwarden 09:40 arrive 11:15, return to Blackbushe 12:50
There is a big gap between 16/6/53 and 9/53
6/9/53 Capt Head flew to Deauville at 09:54, returning at 14:30, at 15:10 he flew to Sywell arring at 15:45, return to Blackbushe 16:40 2h20 in the air
the following day Cap Winsland departed for Croydon at 15:25, then onwards to Deauville at 17:15, and avvived back at Blackbushe at 19:35
19/9/53 IKR departed to Wattisham at 09:30, and did two local flights there with 7 and then 12 pax, returning to base at 20:55
The rest of September and October were local flights only.

[rocky14]

Hi rj..I don't know if you provided more on this thread but what I have read brings the aircraft to life. Looking at AB research re the Consul reveals:

G-AIKR Consul c/n 4338 ex PK286 Regd 25.9.46 to Airspeed Ltd. Regd 11.11.46 to Chartair Ltd, Thame. CofA 8574
issued 5.12.46. Regd 2.1.47 to Airwork Ltd, Perth. Regd 29.1.60 to Airwork Services Ltd, Perth. Regd 20.2.62 to
Thomas H Marshall, Christchurch. Regd 3.9.62 to Rapid Flying Group Ltd, Baginton. Regn cld as wfu 10.5.65
[prior to CofA lapse on 14.5.65]. To Radio Control Services and on display Woburn [7/65] as side-show. To
Skyfame Ltd on behalf of Royal Canadian Air Force Museum, Rockcliffe; shipped to Canada 10.65.

I recall seeing G-AJLR at Fairoaks in early 1963 - quite a history! - maybe it visited the Bushe?

G-AJLR Consul c/n 5136 ex R6029 Regd (CofR 11406) 21.5.47 to Olley Air Service Ltd, Croydon. CofA 9407 issued
10.6.47. Damaged when overturned on landing Manises, Valencia 13.10.47; returned to UK in Bristol Freighter for
rebuild. CofR No changed to R1794 .50. Cld & regd 16.2.53 to British Transport Commission, London SW1. Cld
18.2.53 & regd 19.2.53 to Cambrian Air Services Ltd, Cardiff. Cld 24.9.53 & regd 30.9.53 to Morton Air Services
Ltd, Croydon. Cld 16.7.56 & regd 2.8.56 to All-Power Transformers Ltd, Byfleet [based Fairoaks]. Badly damaged
in forced landing in snowstorm nr Cressage, 8 ml S of Shrewsbury 23.2.57 [or 25.2.57]. Rebuilt Ringway and
reflown 11.7.57. Regd 12.11.62 on name change to APT Electronic Industries Ltd, Fairoaks. CofA lapsed 23.4.63.
Open storage at Fairoaks (9.66). To RAF Museum [1.68] for storage. Regn cld 26.2.73 as pwfu. Refurbished for
Singapore Airlines and on display.