Back to Home Page   

Olympic Practice Run (by Chris Smith & Stuart Reid)

I'd long been planning on doing the popular London day trip again with the intention of trying to guestimate what the volumes of road traffic will be like during the Olympics, as well as factoring in other things too. If everything goes according to plan, I'd be making this trip at least twice during the London Olympics.

There were quite a few people who had expressed interest in joining me on the trip, so I'd spent the last few weeks cross-referencing my own days off work with theirs and as soon as we were all off at the same time, the trip would be a go. However, the weeks were passing and no progress was being made so I ended up grabbing the Bull by the horns and setting a date and whoever was available was available and whoever wasn't would have to persuade me to go again some time (won't be hard!). As it turned out, Stu Reid was available to make the trip and without his eyesight I would have logged up to a third less than what's listed below!!

Durham Tees Valley Airport
08-09-2011 0600 - 0605

EC-IBK Raytheon B350 Super King Air Gestair  
G-CDEB Saab 2000 Eastern Airways  
M-ERCI Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Challenger 605 Unknown  
PH-KZB Fokker 70 KLM Cityhopper  

Given Gamston's proximity to the A1 you almost have to call in, despite knowing there wouldn't be a great deal to see at that time of day, we noted a few interesting bits.

Retford Gamston Airfield
08-09-2011 0755 - 0825

G-BCPN Grumman AA-5 Traveller G-BCPN Group  
G-BNTD Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior II Private Former Teesside resident
G-BTVX Cessna 152 The Flight Centre 2010  
G-CCLV Diamond DA40D Diamond Star Singers Corporate Asset Finance Ltd  
G-DJET Diamond DA42 Twin Star Papa Bravo Aviation Former Teesside resident
G-PNIX Reims Cessna FRA150L Aerobat Dukeries Aviation  
M-EGGA Raytheon B200 Super King Air Langley Aviation  

Just South of Gamston, dumped in a scrap yard is a Lightning, it's in a very poor state, covered in graffiti. I'm not sure the Lightning has an owner any more following the rumoured bankruptcy of the scrap yard - perhaps it would be worth trying to salvage it and tidy it up a bit?

Balderton Village
08-09-2011 0840(ish)

XN728/V English Electric Lightning F2A Unknown Very poor state
       

Cambridge on hindsight is a little bit off the beaten track, despite Google Earth suggesting otherwise. Nevertheless we made quite a bit here, had I been on my own, I wouldn't have been able to read off half of what we did.

Cambridge Airport
08-09-2011 1020 - 1135

CS-DFA Dassault Falcon 900 Netjets Europe  
CS-DHP Cessna 550 Citation Bravo Netjets Europe  
CS-DHQ Cessna 550 Citation Bravo Netjets Europe  
CS-DNY Cessna 560XL Citation Excel Netjets Europe  
G-781 Lockheed C-130H Hercules Royal Netherlands Air Force  
G-AHIZ De Havilland DH82A Tiger Moth CFG Flying  
G-BAIG Piper PA-34-200 Seneca I Mid-Anglia School of Flying  
G-BFWB Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior II Mid-Anglia School of Flying  
G-BREZ Cessna 172M Skyhawk Pilot Flying Group Training
G-EUAB Europa XS Private  
G-FTAX Cessna 421C Golden Eagle Unknown Stored/WFU
G-GHPG Cessna 550 Citation Bravo Concolor Ltd  
G-HERC Cessna 172S Skyhawk The Cambridge Aero Club  
G-MASF Piper PA-28-181 Cherokee Archer II Mid-Anglia School of Flying  
G-MAST Piper PA-28R-180 Cherokee Arrow Unknown Confirmation needed
G-MEGS Cessna 172S Skyhawk The Cambridge Aero Club  
G-MICE Cessna 510 Citation Mustang Fteron Ltd  
G-OTYP Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee Private  
G-TABS Embraer EMB-110P1 Bandeirante Alan Mann Aviation Group  
N129TB Commander 690C Jetprop 840 Eagle IV LLC  
N4514X Piper PA-28-181 Cherokee Archer II Baxter 4514X Holdings Inc  
N6182G Cessna 172N Skyhawk Southern Aircraft Consultancy Inc  
N821CC Cirrus SR22 5 Wild Horses Inc  
U06 Fokker 50 Royal Netherlands Air Force  
XV208 Lockheed C-130K Hercules W2 Marshall Aerospace Airbus A400M engine testbed
XV212 Lockheed C-130K-30 Hercules C3 Royal Air Force Stored
XV294 Lockheed C-130K-30 Hercules C3 Royal Air Force  
XV295 Lockheed C-130K Hercules C1 Royal Air Force  
XV299 Lockheed C-130K-30 Hercules C3 Royal Air Force  
XV307 Lockheed C-130K-30 Hercules C3 Royal Air Force  
ZD949 Lockheed L-1011-500 TriStar K1 Royal Air Force  
ZH880 Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules C5 Royal Air Force  
  Agusta A109 Unknown Mostly white - mis-read as G-WINA or G-TARA
  3x Cessna Citation (Netjets Europe) Parked amongst CS-DFA/DHQ/DNY
  Diamond DA42 Twin Star Unknown Overshoot 1121

Ideally would loved to have spent more time at Stansted, but we were already an hour behind schedule upon leaving Cambridge. Managed to nail a few extra Ryanairs and the highlight was probably the South African Fokker, the only aircraft in the airlines fleet!

London Stansted Airport
08-09-2011 1215 - 1415

A6-HRM Boeing 747-400 Dubai Air Wing  
D-ABAQ Boeing 737-800W Aer Berlin  
D-AVRA Avro RJ85 Lufthansa CityLine  
D-AVRO Avro RJ85 Lufthansa CityLine WFU?
D-CEBM Cessna 560 Citation Encore EBM-Papst Mulfingen GmbH & CoKG  
EI-DAE Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
EI-DCG Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
EI-DCL Boeing 737-800W Ryanair Dreamliner scheme
EI-DCM Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
EI-DCP Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
EI-DHH Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
EI-DHV Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
EI-DHX Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
EI-DLE Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
EI-DLJ Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
EI-DLM Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
EI-DPH Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
EI-DWF Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
EI-EBB Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
EI-EBM Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
EI-EFN Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
EI-EGB Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
EI-EKF Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
EI-EKO Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
EI-EMC Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
G-BWDB ATR 72-202 Aurigny Air Services  
G-CEAP Lockheed L-1011-385-1 TriStar 50 Unknown Stored/WFU - also marked G-IOIT
G-CGPT Dassault Falcon 900EX TAG Aviation UK  
G-EZAP Airbus A319-100 easyJet  
G-EZAV Airbus A319-100 easyJet  
G-EZBO Airbus A319-100 easyJet  
G-EZDU Airbus A319-100 easyJet  
G-EZEA Airbus A319-100 easyJet  
G-EZEW Airbus A319-100 easyJet  
G-EZFJ Airbus A319-100 easyJet  
G-EZIE Airbus A319-100 easyJet  
G-EZIL Airbus A319-100 easyJet  
G-EZNC Airbus A319-100 easyJet  
G-GSSB Boeing 747-400F Global Supply Systems  
G-LALE Embraer ERJ-135BJ Legacy 600 London Executive Aviation  
G-ZAPX Boeing 757-200 Titan Airways  
G-ZAPZ Boeing 737-300 Titan Airways  
M-INXY Embraer EMB-500 Phenom 100 Midland Aviation  
M-NICE IAI/Gulfstream G200 Galaxy Unknown  
M-YONE Canadair CL-600-2B16 Challenger 601-3A Inflite Aviation  
N310UP Boeing 767-300F UPS Airlines  
N742AX Boeing 767-200SF ABX Air  
N747AG Embraer ERJ-135BJ Legacy 600 Aircraft Guarantee Corporation  
N799WW Bombardier BD-700-1A10 Global Express Wells Fargo Bank Northwest  
P4-MES Boeing 767-300ER Roman Abramovich  
TC-AHP Boeing 737-800W Pegasus Airlines  
YU-BNA Dassault Falcon 50 Government of Serbia and Montenegro  
ZS-SKA Fokker 70 Airquarius Aviation  

I've probably mentioned this before in a similar trip report, but my understanding is the general rule at Luton is anything less than 40 Bizjets and you've had a bad result! We were more than chuffed with 55!! They just kept pulling them out of everywhere, it was like they were breeding!

London Luton Airport
08-09-2011 1510 - 1645

4X-CLL IAI/Gulfstream G200 Galaxy Unknown  
5N-BGV Grumman American G-1159 Unknown  
A6-RJA Gulfstream G300 Royal Jet  
C-GCPM Gulfstream G-IV PM Air Inc  
CN-MBP Embraer ERJ-135BJ Legacy 600 Dalia Air  
CS-DFX Raytheon Hawker 800XP Netjets Europe  
CS-DRG Raytheon Hawker 800XPi Netjets Europe  
CS-DTF Dassault Falcon 2000EX Unknown  
CS-DXC Cessna 560XL Citation XLS Netjets Europe  
D-ATTT Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Challenger 604 Windrose Air Jetcharter  
D-IWBL Cessna 525A CitationJet CJ2+ Air Traffic GmbH  
EC-KCA IAI/Gulfstream G200 Galaxy Unknown  
EI-CPT ATR 42-300 Aer Arann Regional  
EI-DLK Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
EI-DPM Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
EI-GDL Gulfstream G550 Westair Aviation  
EI- ATR Aer Arann Regional  
G-CDZL Boeing 737-800 Thomson Airways  
G-CGUZ Cessna 525A CitationJet CJ2+ Gama Aviation  
G-CIEL Cessna 560XL Citation Excel Enerway Ltd  
G-EZAJ Airbus A319-100 easyJet  
G-EZDC Airbus A319-100 easyJet  
G-EZED Airbus A319-100 easyJet  
G-EZIU Airbus A319-100 easyJet  
G-FDZJ Boeing 737-800W Thomson Airways  
G-HARK Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Challenger 604 Corbridge Ltd  
G-IRSH Embraer ERJ-135BJ Legacy 600 Legemb Ltd  
G-LEGC Embraer ERJ-135BJ Legacy 600 Delos Engineering Corporation  
G-LGKD Gulfstream G550 TAG Aviation UK  
G-MACP Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Challenger 604 Ocean Sky Aircraft Management  
G-MPCD Airbus A320-200 Monarch Airlines  
G-ODAG Cessna 525A CitationJet CJ2 Air Charter Scotland  
G-OOOX Boeing 757-200 Thomson Airways  
G-OZBR Airbus A321-200 Monarch Airlines  
G-TSLS Bombardier BD-700-1A11 Global 5000 TAG Aviation UK  
HA-LPT Airbus A320-200 Wizz Air  
LN-HST Cessna 750 Citation X Sundt Air  
M-BIGG Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Challenger 605 Signal Aviation  
M-CELT Dassault Falcon 7X Cravant Ltd  
M-RLIV Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Challenger 605 Mobyhold Ltd  
M-YBJK Gulfstream G550 AC Executive Aircraft  
M-YJET Dassault Falcon 2000EX EASy My Jet  
N12LX Dassault Falcon 2000EX Dassault Falcon Jet Corporation  
N18WF Bombardier BD-700-1A10 Global Express Westfield Aviation  
N67TM Gulfstream G-IV EMC Corporation  
N85V Gulfstream G-V Wells Fargo Bank Northwest  
N108DB Gulfstream G550 Wilmington Trust Co  
N125XP Raytheon Hawker 800XP Surewings Inc  
N132SD Gulfstream G-V Wells Fargo Bank Northwest  
N270SC Gulfstream G-IV Trans-Exec Air Service  
N300CR Gulfstream G-IV Crane Co  
N300L Gulfstream G-V Colleen Corporation  
N468GH Dassault Falcon 900C Highland Alternate LLC  
N518FX Bombardier BD-100-1A10 Challenger 300 Bombardier Aerospace Corporation  
N528M Gulfstream G550 Swiflite Aircraft Corporation  
N604BC Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Challenger 604 Ball Corporation  
N611JW Dassault Falcon 900B Tristram Inc  
N650PL Gulfstream G550 Wells Fargo Bank Northwest  
N778CR Gulfstream G450 Unknown  
N803AG Gulfstream G450 Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation  
N874C Gulfstream G-IV Hewlett-Packard  
N8767 Boeing 737-700W BBJ1 Wells Fargo Bank Northwest  
N900YG Dassault Falcon 900EX Wells Fargo Bank Northwest  
OE-HII Bombardier BD-100-1A10 Challenger 300 Amira Air Private jet of Niki Lauda
P4-KMK Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Challenger 605 Unknown  
P4-TPS Gulfstream G550 Petroff Air  
VP-CSF Gulfstream G-IV Unknown  
VQ-BLA Gulfstream G550 Unknown  
ZS-BOT Hawker Beechcraft Hawker 900XP National Airways Corporation  
  Airbus A320-200 Wizz Air  

We were approx three hours behind schedule upon reaching East Midlands, but like Gamston, it's proximity to the motorway means you almost have to call in, otherwise it would be almost four hours continuous driving! The two Oman Air (possibly ex-Oman Air given they had no titles?) were a nice surprise.

East Midlands Airport
08-09-2011 1820 - 1915

CS-TEI Airbus A310-300 Oman Air  
CS-TEX Airbus A310-300 Oman Air  
EI-DLH Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
EI-EKM Boeing 737-800W Ryanair  
G-BFBU Partenavia P68B Victor Reconnaissance Ventures Ltd  
G-BIKM Boeing 757-200SF DHL Air  
G-BLZP Reims Cessna F152 East Midlands Flying School  
G-BODY Cessna 310R Reconnaissance Ventures Ltd  
G-BVKB Boeing 737-500 bmibaby  
G-BVZE Boeing 737-500 bmibaby  
G-COBO ATR 72-500 Aurigny Air Services  
G-DHLE Boeing 767-300ERF(W) DHL Air  
G-DHLG Boeing 767-300ERF(W) DHL Air  
G-EXEX Cessna 404 Titan Reconnaissance Ventures Ltd  
G-GBMR Raytheon B200 Super King Air M and R Aviation  
G-HEMZ Agusta A109S Grand Sloane Helicopters  
G-MANO BAe ATP(F) West Atlantic  
G-ODSK Boeing 737-300 bmibaby  
G-OETV Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain Hinde Holdings  
G-OMAP? Rockwell Commander 685 Cooper Aerial Surveys Ltd Confirmation needed - in Hangar 31
G-VIPP Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain Capital Air Charter  
G-VIPY Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain Capital Air Charter  
G-VKGO Embraer EMB-500 Phenom 100 M-KICK LP In Hangar 31
LZ-BHC Airbus A320-200 BH Air  
M-RWGW Bombardier Learjet 45 Woodlands Air LLP  
N289CW Cessna T303 Crusader T303 Holding Inc  
N497XP? Raytheon Hawker 400XP Aircraft Guarantee Mgmt and Tr. In Hangar 31
N642P? Piper PA-31 Turbo Navajo B Corporate Air (Ireland) Inc Confirmation needed - in Hangar 32
N709EL Beech 400A Beechjet Gal Air Inc In Hangar 31
XW664 Hawker Siddeley Nimrod R1 Royal Air Force  
ZS-JIZ? Lockheed L-100-30 Hercules United Nations  
  BAe 125 / Hawker ??   In Hangar 31

Knowing a DC-8 was waiting for us back at base finished the trip off nicely, although it's a shame we weren't there to see it land and I sure wasn't getting up early the following morning to see it depart!! After the amount of driving I'd done today, I was planning a six-month hibernation!

Durham Tees Valley Airport
08-09-2011 2135 - 2145

G-DPJR Sikorsky S-76B Spirit Blackbird Logistics Ltd  
G-MAJC BAe Jetstream 41 Eastern Airways  
I-TOPH Raytheon Hawker 850XP Sirio  
M-ERCI Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Challenger 605 Unknown  
N872CA Douglas DC-8-71F National Airlines  

I'd budgeted 13 hours for the trip and it took 16, so taking into account the additional traffic on the roads for the Olympics, it's probably unfeasible to do this trip in a single day, it may even be unfeasible to do it over two of three days given Hotel rooms will be pretty much non-existent, but if you can figure a way around these obstacles, I would imagine it will be more than worth it.

Pictures were not very plentiful, what with the lousy weather conditions, and the lack of opportunities due to ridiculous fences, below is a selection of what we were able to get.

Stuart's Photos

Chris' Photos

Back to Home Page