VP-BHM

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The above referenced DC8-62 which has been on the ground at Lasham for over a year carried out a successful test flight this afternoon. The aircraft departed shortly after 1600 and returned after carrying out a low flypast at approximately 1725.

The aircraft will now ferry to Maastricht for a repaint on Thursday 19th April, returning to Lasham around 1st May for final completion which is expected to take another 14 days prior to redelivery.

Sadly the days of the DC8 at Lasham are fast coming to a close as ATC has advised its DC8 customers that it will no longer be maintaining its DC8 approval from the end of 2007. This is due to the declining number of engineers who are still current on the aircraft type. Numbers are now down to 5 or 6 and most of them, due to their seniority are Crew Chiefs/Aircraft Managers so cannot all be allocated to one individual aircraft.

Phil

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That's sad news for those of us that remember MK Airlines bringing in their DC-8s over the years.

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VP-BHM duly departed to Maastricht at 1630 this afternoon.

[Admin (Annette Andria)]

and Even Sadder aircraft illustrated reports that there are no complete b707 left in UK the last being broke up very Recently . not a type frequent at Lasham but the DC8 will be missed . time marches on and old engineers fade away to service the Angel flight

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I remember seeing assorted B707 at Lasham - I think the last one being the Azal Cargo one that sat around for a year or so. One of the rarer registrations was J6-SLF which went off to some 'spooky' airline in the Caribean...

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ZS OSI arrived on Friday. Having despatched VP -BHM on Thur., I wonder who else in the world has spoken to two different DC-8's on consecutive days.

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Only blokes who are 100 years old Al!!

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Did you get a special delivery card from Her Majesty?!
btw my first ever foreign holiday in September 1976 was by means of DC-8 CF-CPT from Gatwick to Vancouver (via a tech stop at Edmonton) We had the same one for our return flight but that was non-stop YVR-LGW.
All the books had this as a DC-8F, so it has always been a puzzle to me that this was in full passenger configuration!

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VP-BHM has now returned to Lasham. After another low fly past it landed at approx 1150. Now mainly white with blue and grey wave along fuselage, two tone blue tail and engines.

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Here are a few pics of ZS-OZV which may well be making its final departure from Lasham within the next couple of days.

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A quick note for all you DC8 lovers - ATC has reversed its decision regarding the continuation of DC8 maintenance and has committed to African International for at least another year and possibly longer. Next planned visit due early January.