The first AW 139 at Lee-on-Solent in February 2008. (photo, Mark Adams)

AgustaWestland AW 139
Three new-build AW 139 (originally AB 139) on order for delivery in early 2008. Used for search and rescue duties from bases at Lee-On-Solent and Portland. Operated by CHC Scotia under contract.

Serial	c/no.	Prev. Identity	Delivered	Fate/Notes
G-CGIJ	31203		27 Feb 2008	Solent primary
G-CGWB	31209		24 Apr 2008	Portland primary
G-SARD	31208		19 Mar 2008	Area spare

References:

• G-INFO

Islander G-BCEN seen at Manston in October 2000. (photo, Ian Haskell)	Islander G-BJWL seen at Southend in the early 1980s. (photo, David Oates)

Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander * Current *
The original pollution control contract was contracted to Harvestair, which provided five yellow-and-black painted BN-2A Islanders from mid-1982 until October 1987. Each was fitted with a prominent spraying boom attached to the fuselage. Their chemical spraying role was subsequently taken over by Air Atlantique Dakotas and Islanders.

Islanders G-AXZK and G-BCEN were used by Air Atlantique to supplement the Dakotas in the Pollution Control role in the early years of the contract, 1987-1990. G-BNXA was also used for a short while during 1987-1988. All three appeared in the green and white colours applied to the Dakotas.

From January 2000? Air Atlantique has provided one BN-2A-26 Islander (G-BCEN) for fixed-wing maritime surveillance and search-and-rescue duties in the Dover Straits area on a 5-yearly renewable contract. It is equipped with InfraRed and digital photographic equipment and a fourteen-man air-droppable life raft. It was based at Manston, Kent, until mid 2005, but later moved to Lydd.

Serial	c/no.	Prev. Identity	Delivered	Fate/Notes
G-AXZK	153	V2-LAD	Sept 1987	Air Atlantique, noted 27 Feb 1989, sold Jul 1990 to Jane's Aviation, UK
G-BCEN	403	4X-AYG	Oct 1987	Air Atlantique, registered to RVL Group 27.4.07, HMCG current
G-BNXA	80	V2-LAC	Sept 1987	Air Atlantique, noted 18 Jan 1988, sold Jan 1997 to Rock Air, Gibraltar
G-BJWL	166	4X-AYC	Feb 1982	Harvestair, sold July 1987 as 5B-CHD
G-BJWM	717	4X-AYE	Feb 1982	Harvestair, sold Sept 1989 as LX-AJH
G-BJWN	316	4X-AYL	Feb 1982	Harvestair, sold Dec 1989 as ZK-FVD
G-BJWO	334	4X-AYR	Feb 1982	Harvestair, sold May 1989 to Chapman Aviation, UK
G-BJWP	399	4X-AYP	Feb 1982	Harvestair, sold Feb 1990 as F-OGOV
G-HMCG	847		Oct 1979	Reg'd to Renco Ltd, sold Mar 1982 as N29884

References:

• Aviation News September 2003
• Baginton-Coventry Airport
• DoT Procurement Contract
• BN Historians

BN-2A Islander G-HMCG. (photo, BN Historians)

Cessna 402 G-MPCU seen at Fairford in July 1989. (photo, David Unsworth)

Cessna 402 * Retired *
One Cessna 402B Utililiner operated by Air Atlantique (Atlantic Air Transport Ltd) under contract for locating and reporting maritime pollution. Based at Coventry?

Serial	c/no.	Prev. Identity	Delivered	Fate/Notes
G-MPCU	402B-0823	SE-IRL	Feb 1988	to N98AR 12 May 1995

References:

• tba

Cessna 404 G-EXEX seen at Coventry in March 2004. (photo, Paul Turner)	G-EXEX seen at Kemble in June 2004. (photo, Nick Salmon)

Cessna 404 Titan II * Current *
One Cessna 404 Titan II operated by Air Atlantique (initially as Atlantic Air Transport Ltd, now Reconnaissance Ventures Ltd) under contract for locating and reporting maritime pollution. This aircraft was initially G-TASK, but replaced circa 2002 by G-EXEX. The latter was fitted with Sideways Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR), Ultra Violet (UV), InfraRed (IR) and visual sensors while the former had a reduced fit including only a single SLAR antenna on the port side. Based at Inverness Airport.

Serial	c/no.	Prev. Identity	Delivered	Fate/Notes
G-EXEX	404-0037	SE-GZF	2002?
G-TASK	404-0829	PH-MPC	2000?	noted May 2001

References:

• tba

F406 Caravan II G-TURF seen at Coventry in May 2003. (photo, Andy Graf)	G-TURF seen at Eastleigh in January 2006. (photo, BernieC)

Cessna F406 Caravan II * Current *
One Reims-built F406 Caravan II operated by Air Atlantique (initially as Atlantic Air Transport Ltd, now Reconnaissance Ventures Ltd) under contract for locating and reporting maritime pollution. Fitted with Sideways Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR), Ultra Violet (UV), InfraRed (IR) and visual sensors. Based at Coventry Airport.

Under the terms of the July 2000 Pollution Control contract, Air Atlantique were obliged to provide a dedicated Cessna F406 modified to spray chemicals from a belly tank. The aircraft is based at Inverness Airport. It is not clear which specific aircraft this is, although G-LEAF has been photographed with a belly tank. A provision of the contract is that a further F406 be available when required, and this aircraft is possibly G-FIND (c/n 0045).

Serial	c/no.	Prev. Identity	Delivered	Fate/Notes
G-TURF	0020	PH-FWF	Oct 1996
G-LEAF	0018	EI-CKY	2000?

References:

• tba

Dakota G-ANAF seen in July 1991. (photo, Torsten Maiwald)	Dakota G-AMSV seen in June 2003. (photo, Jan Lidestrand)

Douglas DC-3 Dakota * Retired *
From 1982 Harvestair operated two Dakotas for spraying major oil and chemical spills from ships under contract from the Department of Transport. In October 1987 the contract was passed to Air Atlantique.

Seven DC-3/C-47 Dakotas were operated at various times by Air Atlantique (Atlantic Air Transport Ltd) under a pollution control contract which was placed in October 1987 and renewed in 1990?. Fitted with spray bars under the tailplane for applying dispersant chemicals. Based at Coventry Airport. Withdrawn in 2003.

Serial	c/no.	Prev. Identity	Delivered	Fate/Notes
G-AMPZ	16124/32872	EI-BDT	4 May 1982	Harvestair, to Air Atlantique Oct 1988 (spraybars removed)
G-AMYJ	15968/32716	SU-AZF	Jan 1982	Harvestair, to Air Atlantique Jan 1990, wfu Dec 2001
G-AMCA	16218/32966	KN487		AAT, in service 9 June 1988, wfu Jan 2002
G-AMHJ	13468	SU-AZI		AAT, in service 24 Sept 1987, wfu 23 Jan 2003
G-AMPO	16437/33185	KN566		AAT, in service 8 June 1988, wfu Jan 1998
G-AMPY	15124/26569	EI-BKJ		AAT, in service 1993, to radar research Jan 2002
G-AMSV	16072/32820	F-BSGV		AAT, in service 25 Mar 1982, wfu by 5 June 2001
G-ANAF	16688/33436	N170GP		AAT, in service ?, to radar trials Jan 1998

References:

• Aviation News September 2003
• The Douglas DC-1/DC-2/DC-3: The First Seventy Years (Air-Britain)
• Baginton-Coventry Airport

Electra G-LOFE demonstrates its spray system. (photo, Erik Sleutelberg)	G-LOFE shows the quick-fit spraybar rig. (photo, Simon Willson)

Lockheed Electra * Current *
Two Lockheed L-188C(F) Electra operated by Air Atlantique (Atlantic Airlines Ltd) under contract for pollution control. Fitted with removable aerial spray equipment to combat oil pollution at sea. Each aircraft can carry 15 tonnes of dispersant. Based at Coventry Airport. One aircraft assigned to the contract is usually G-LOFE, the other is drawn from G-LOFB or G-LOFC depending on availability.

Serial	c/no.	Prev. Identity	Delivered	Fate/Notes
G-LOFB	1131	N667F
G-LOFC	1100	N665F
G-LOFE	1144	EI-CET	Jan 1999

References:

• Dispersant Spraying Aircraft

S-61N G-BDIJ at Lee-on-Solent. (photo, Iain Kitchen)	Another view of G-BDIJ in action. (photo, MCA)

Sikorsky S-61N * Current *
At least eight S-61N Mk II used at various times, 1987-2008. Used search and rescue duties. Operated by Bristow Helicopters Ltd under contract.

Serial	c/no.	Prev. Identity	Delivered	Fate/Notes
G-BBHL	61-712	N4032S	?	based Stornoway.
G-BBHM	61-713	N4033S	May 1993	based Portland. w/o 15 July 2002 at Poole after engine fire.
G-BBVA	61-718		12 May 1987	based Stornoway.
G-BCLC	61-737			based Sumburgh.
G-BDII	61-750	9M-ELF	24 Sept 1987	based Stornoway. w/o 17 Oct 1988 after ditching in the sea
G-BDIJ	61-751	9M-AYF		'Crathes', based Lee-on-Solent.
G-BDOC	61-765		?	based Sumburgh.
G-BIMU	61-752	N8511Z	1988	'Stac Pollaidh', based Stornoway.
G-BPWB	61-822	EI-BHO	May 1997	'Portland Castle', based Portland.

References:

• tba

S-92 N8010S see prior to formal delivery. (photo, MCA)	Another view of S-92 N8010S. (photo, MCA)

Sikorsky S-92 * Current *
Four new-build S-92As delivered from 2007. The first was formally handed over on 1 March 2007 at HeliExpo in the USA. Used search and rescue duties, two each based at Stornoway and Sumburgh. Operated by CHC Scotia under contract.

Serial	c/no.	Prev. Identity	Delivered	Fate/Notes
G-CGMU	920034	N8010S	June 2007	Stornoway primary, reg'd 5 June 2007
G-CGOC	920051	N45165	Dec 2007	Shetland primary, reg'd 30 Nov 2007
G-SARB	920045	N80562	Sept 2007	Stornoway secondary, reg'd 18 Sept 2007
G-SARC	920052	N45168	Dec 2007	Shetland secondary, reg'd 30 Nov 2007

References:

• G-INFO