A thought for POTD

[avioligist]

At a recent aviation group meeting the BN-2 Islander was being discussed. It raised the idea that a number of these left Blackbushe for exotic shores, and wonder if there are any in the deep archives of PB or any other followers of these great pages. If any available I feel it could result in an interesting theme, with colourful pictures.

Aviologist

[mark2rally]

I think Doug Arnold was a distributer for Britten Norman. I certainly saw a few Islanders in green primer arrive and be flown off to be painted. I was lucky enough to fly from Cranfield to Blackbushe with a guy called Len Batten in one that had been painted there. Doug flew us both to Cranfield in his Jet Ranger. The Islander was then sold to a customer in Brazil I think. Memories faded a bit since...............I also managed to hitch a ride in a trilander (G-AZZM?) that was doing pleasure flights from Blackbushe. Good days they were!

[christoff]

I too have a love of the BN2 Islander and if it is of interest to anyone, here is a link to my photos mostly taken on the Isle of Wight,but I would have loved to have seen the older airframes that passed through Blackbushe. If anyone has got pictures from days gone bye please post them on here,i'd love to see them. I think it's a much overlooked aircraft in British aviation, 50 years and still in production (just!)

www.flickr.com/photos/christoffiw/albums/72157639438625594

Regards

Chris.

[flyboy]

christof

Great collection of BN aircraft photos Chris. Stuart

[PB]

Stuart is not wrong! Shows the impact the Islander made on a global scale.

Here are a few more enjoying the main apron at Blackbushe...



PB

[flyboy]

Thanks Peter I hope Chris will like that one. Brings back many memories of taking photos out of my office window! Stuart

[christoff]

Indeed I do like that one,they were probably three of many that used to be parked on the field at Bembridge in the late 60's and 70's,sadly I only remember those days from my holidays on the Island,and was not spotting then...only moved here in the mid 80's and that's when my love for Islander was born,hence my photographic record runs from then to when they moved to Lee, and even then I managed to miss a few..

Chris.

[chevvron]

My first Islander trip was Sumburgh to Foula and back in GAVRA of Loganair on 13 Sep 1972.
The type was perfect for landing on Foula as the runway in those days was one third smoothish earth, one third earth with stones and the final third moss and other vegetation.
Two weeks later (27 Sep) I did the round island schedule with stops at Lerwick, Unst, Whalsay and Fetlar in GAXKB, also of Loganair.

[exeglkflyer]

Only BN product that I've ever flown in is the famous G-JOEY (although IIRC she was still G-BBDG at the time). This was during a family holiday to Guernsey/Jersey in 1979.

I was around 15 at the time and was allowed to fly on my own from GUR to JER for a days spotting at the latter. Great days.

Although I didn't fly in any, I have also seen the FIGAS Islanders in action down in the Falklands, in and out of some very small/uneven grass strips, in often atrocious weather.
It was said that they could land on the main apron (it is very big) at Mount Pleasant if the main runway/s were ever blocked.

[flyingdodo]

I remember probably around 1978, Doug Arnold, having sold an Islander (possibly G-AWNX) to someone on the west coast of America, then managing to cancel the deal, pay for a pilot to ferry the plane back and then sell it on to someone else, and still make a bigger profit.