The view through the cockpit of DH.89A Dragon Rapide G-AIDL - about to land runway 23 at Sandown airport on the Isle of Wight

A short sequence of aerial shots taken from the venerable DH.89A Dragon Rapide G-AIDL :)
In the August of 1978, as a belated 16th birthday present, I was given the opportunity to take a pleasure flight in a vintage de Havilland DH-89A Dragon Rapide. The aircraft was operated by Southern Joyrides out of Sandown airport on the Isle of Wight that summer. This was probably the best flight I ever had! About 30 minutes flying over the whole island on a beautiful summer's day! Happy days :)

G-AIDL DH.89A Dragon Rapide c/n GQ2 was originally built by Brush Coachworks of Loughborough for the RAF in 1946, when it was allocated the serial TX310. It next passed into the hands of Allied Airways where it carried the name The Wanderer, but financial problems for that business meant that it was seized by the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire in 1950 who put it up for auction. Following a brief period with Goodhew Aviation it passed to Fox’s Glacier Mints with whom it served until 1959.

Passing through other hands on the way G-AIDL next emerged on parachute dropping duties with the Army Parachute Association at Halfpenny Green in 1967, which demanding work it continued for the next 10 years.

In the 1970s and 80s the aircraft operated pleasure flights from various airfields. In 1995, it was acquired by Air Atlantique, and in 2008 the aircraft was painted back into RAF colours as TX310. More info here: www.tangmere-museum.org.uk/news/dragon-rapide-g-aidl

You can see a random selection of my aviation memories here: www.flickriver.com/photos/heathrowjunkie/random/

Taken in: UK / England / Lake (show map)

Taken on: August 1, 1978

Tags:

G-AIDL

deHavilland

Propliner

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Sandown

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IOW

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