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Royal Air Force Northolt
Previously Based Aircraft - various
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CM170 Magister
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Serial Model Notes
547/TR  Fouga CM170 Magister Based with the French Air Attache until late 1976
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Percival Pembroke
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Pembroke C1 XK884 in 60sqn colours, a regular visitor to Northolt for many years,
illustrates the standard colour scheme of the later years of it's service (MS)
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The following aircraft were at one time based with 207 Sqn:
Serial Model C/No Noted Notes
WV735 Pembroke C1 . 1976 .
XL929  Pembroke C1 P.66/87 1976 .
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Two Pembrokes, XF799 and XL954 were stored here in the early 1990's:
XL954 arr 18/05/90, became N4243C and departed to White Waltham 05/04/91.
XF799 arr 16/05/90, became N4372C and departed to White Waltham 06/04/91.
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XF799 mentioned above wore a non-standard colour scheme

Civil Registered Aircraft
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The following civil registered aircraft have been based at Northolt in recent years, whether under MOD contract or owned by based personnel.
 
Registration Type C/No Notes
G-ATFY Cessna F.172G 0199  Based during the 1970's
G-BHNK Jodel D120A 243 Arr 21/10/80, last noted 5/5/81
G-BUFM
G-OAKA		 BAe31 Jetstream  640 *** see below
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*** This aircraft operated regular MOD week-day charter flights from April 1995 to March 1998, firstly to Wildenrath and then to Gutersloh when the former base closed, taking over a route that had previously been flown by 32sqn Andovers until their retirement from service.  Very occasionally another Jetstream aircraft was substituted due to heavy maintenace.
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Air Swift operated Jetstream 31 G-BUFM first visited on 23/3/95 using c/s 'SWF408' on what was presumably a proving flight. The main flights began on 3/4/95 when 'FM departed as 'SWF400'. They then operated regularly on weekdays in the series 'SWF400-407', departing at 1700 local and returning around 0900 the next morning, each flight having it's number incremented by 1 until the '407 arrived on a Friday morning.  The aircraft then either stopped for the weekend, departed to Manchester for maintenance or to various airfields to operate charters for it's operator over the weekend, returning Monday PM in time to operate the '400.  These positioning flights used a flight number suffixed 'P'.
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On the demise of Air Swift, Air Kilroe acquired the aircraft and the contract, re-registering it G-OAKA over the weekend of 13/14th July 1996 returning on 15th as 'AKL02P'.  The '400' series flight number sequence  remained the same as before although the Air Kilroe 'AKL' prefix was assumed.  The flights continued until 27th March 1998 when 'KA arrived as 'AKL407' and finally departed to Manchester as 'AKL05' after three years of regular service.

The service was apparently halted as it was seen by some as a 'duty free' run for the privileged few.
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British Aerospace 125-700B
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Both aircraft pictured on the north side ramp (JB)
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Serial Model  C/No Arrived Notes
G-BLSM BAe125-700B 257208 21/01/00 Departed at 1545 on 10/3/02 to Reykjavik, Goose Bay then Toronto and onwards to the USA.  Re-registered as N501GF to Waffle House Inc
G-BLTP BAe125-700B 257210 22/01/00 Departed at 1550 on 10/3/02 to Reykjavik, Goose Bay then Toronto and onwards to the USA.  Re-registered as N502GF to Waffle House Inc

The arrival of these two aircraft followed the closure of the Metro Aviation hanger at Heathrow where they had been based since May 1985.  G-BLSM  arrived on 21st January as 'DRA202', whilst G-BLTP followed the next day as 'DRA212'.  Thet were operated by Dravidian Aircraft Services and radio callsign was 'Firestone' .  The flight numbers are derived from the day of the month plus a trip number.  Their sale was quite sudden and a surprise to many.
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British Aerospace 125-800B
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G-WBPR lining up on runway 25 during runway resurfacing work
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Serial Model  C/No Arrived Notes
G-WBPR BAe125-800 8085 31/03/99 see below
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 This aircraft was Northolt's first based civil registered executive jet. The aircraft had been a regular visitor here for over ten years, having originally been based at Heathrow, then Luton.  It was operated by the Granada Group PLC, formerly Trust House Forte and arrived at 1822 on 31/3/99, later taxying to the North side hangers at 1835.  The aircraft finally departed at 1606 on 15th January 2004 to Chambery, then on to Prestwick and the United States for sale.
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Following financial problems within the Granada Group G-WBPR was offered for sale in Flight International on 13th August 2001 (left).  Obviously some difficulty was had selling the aircraft as a further advert appeared in Flight dated 4th February 2003.  This time it appears to have been successful as the aircraft was registered to Cirrus Aviation Holding Ltd of the Isle of Man on 27/3/2003.  The aircraft departed Northolt at 0857 on 27th March 2003 flying for its new owners.  For the previous year only the occasional test flight was performed and the aircraft spent most of its life in the hangar at Northolt.  As of 11th April 2003 the aircraft was once again based at Northolt with its new owners!

 
Dassault Falcon 50/900
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N200UP visited many times as N96UH before re-registration as N200UP (RH)
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Serial Model  C/No Arrived Notes
N100UP Falcon 900 044 ??/01/00 UPC Aviation Services Inc 
N200UP Falcon 50 055 ??/01/00 UPC Aviation Services Inc
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These aircraft divided their time with Luton and lived in Hangar 311.  Falcon 50 N200UP was previously a visitor as N96UH and Falcon 900 N100UP later joined it.  It is difficult to give an actual date of arrival due to the regularity of their visit's beforehand, but early January 2000 would be a best guess.  They are/were operated by 'UPH', United PanEuropean Communications, a division of the Microsoft Corporation.  N100UP left late 2001, with N200UP becoming a visitor only in 2002.
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N96UH pictured before re-registration and repainting (JB)
N100UP on the ramp (JB)

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Bombardier CL604 Challenger
Serial Model  C/No Arrived Notes
N598MT CL604 5502 04/08/2003 As HB-JRY it first visited 30th April 2003 and visited nine more times before becoming based after arriving at 1243 on 27/07/2003.  The aircraft was officially re-registered as N598MT on 11th November 2004 and returned to Northolt as such on 13th of that month.  N598MT finally departed in December 2006.
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Cessna C525A Citationjet
Serial Model  C/No Arrived Notes
N100JS Cessna 525A 0176 04/08/2003 arrived 1458 hrs, dep early 2006
N100JS
Cessna 525B
0095
31/08/2006
arrived 1839 from Stansted.  Finally Departed 30th September 2007 to Luton

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Dassault Falcon 900
Serial Model  C/No Arrived Notes
G-HMEI Falcon 900 001 14/06/2004 arrived 1856 hrs carrying registration F-HOCI but with G-HMEI under the wing.  G-HMEI was registered to Executive Jet Group Ltd on 2/7/2004 and first flew as such on 7/7/2004 between 1302-1433

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Other Aircraft
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..The following table lists some of the other aircraft that have been based at Northolt over the years, although full details are not known:

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Serial
Type
Era
Notes
0-51133
Douglas C-47
early 1960's
3rd AF 
0-77214
Douglas C-47
early 1960's
3rd AF
0-48913 
Douglas C-47
early 1960's
3rd AF
       
       
       
       
       
       

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