28th April 1966

LY 251 departed London 1529 EGL/Eagle Island 1630 F350 56n 20w 1721 56n 30w next ETA CYQX 2015 temp' -54C wind 260/90 endurance 06+40 SelCal AHCM

EL AL B.720-058B, 4X-ABB

CTAPW 46n 04.45w 1728 F060 VMC enroute to LPMT/Montijo but returning to LFRH/Lorient due to trouble with number two engine.

Portuguese Air Force ?, type ?

MATS 20971 44.40n 05.48w 2325 F100 STG/Santiago 0004

USAF C-124C Globemaster II, 52-0971

24th April 1966

VVV 91998 departed EGQS/RAF Lossiemouth 1422 STN/Stornoway 1501 climbing F085 60n 10w 1523 ETA BIKF/Keflavik 1825 endurance 11+00

U S Navy R5D-5 (C-54S), 91998

This became a regular on the Northern HF frequency net over the following years. Whilst it was initially delivered to the U S Army Air Force as 42-72645 it soon served with the RAF (much of it's time in the Asian theatre). It joined the U S Navy in February 1946 and was retired to Davis Monthan, AZ in October 1970 with an assigned park code of 3C079. It was subsequently sold onto the civilian market and re-registered N96449 as a C-54Q. Regrettably it ended its days on 01/12/1980 when it suffered a mid-air collision (during a photo air-to-air session as a fire bomber, coded '118' with Waig Aircraft Inc), with  another C-54G fire bomber (N406WA/'119') some 8 km North of Indio, CA with both crew being killed. The other C-54 made an emergency landing at Palm Spring MAP, CA from where both aircraft had earlier departed.



21st April 1966

RFR MOGOW 56n 20w 1534 F210 descending F190 56n 10w 1630 endurance 03+40 ETA Ballykelly 1700. At 10w call Scottish on 124.5 VHF

RAF Transport Command, Handley Page Hastings

18th April 1966

Trans Caribbean 82R 53n 20w 0857 F330 15w 0922 overhead Shannon 0948 temp' -58C wind 050/20, fuel remaining 65,000, ETA Frankfurt 1130

Trans Caribbean DC-8-54F, N8782R

RD 109 57.50n 20w 0934 F330 57.25n 15w 0957 57.10n 10w 1023 ETA Paris 1130 temp' -60C wind 085/10 Mach .82

Airlift International DC-8-54F, N109RD

N3548W 41.25n 35w 2233 F110 MIKE 2341 FS/Flores next destination Santa Maria and then departing there for Geneva, ETA Geneva 19/0600. (all copied on 5641)

Delivery flight (type?), N3548W

16th April 1966

RD 16H departed Shannon 0933 54n 20w 1121 F100 54.04n 25w 1202

Airlift International DC-7C(F), N8216H

Air Force 33253 47.21n 08w 1118 F160 47n 10w 1142

USAF VC-118A, 53-3253

14th April 1966

RD 302 52n 15w 0945 F130 Shannon 1052 unable to raise Shannon on VHF

Airlift International DC-7C(F), N302G
This aircraft was previously with Shannon Air as EI-ANM

VV 37892 52.30n 20w 1118 F110 52.42n 15w 1228 overhead Shannon 1343 CML/Clonmel fan marker 1417

[Photo: © free from Lockheed Constellation Military collection]

U S Navy WC-121N, with VW-4, Roosevelt Roads, 137892

VV 45929 50n 02w 1118 F060 48.15n 08w 1244 47.45n 10w 1309

U S Navy WC-121N, 145929 [A good day for 'weather' Connie's!]

13th April 1966

Trans Caribbean 82R 47n 10w 1026 F330 FRQ/Ploneis 1055 ETA Frankfurt 1210 temp' -52 wind 230/75

Trans Caribbean Airlines DC-8-54F, N8782R

9th April 1966

G-ATPT 48.20n 10w 1443 F090 49.30n 08w 1536 RR/Round Island 1610 After 08W contact London on 124.75 or 133.6 VHF

Cessna 182J on delivery, G-ATPT. Still going strong in the UK some 45 years later!
[See extract from Aerad chart EUR/1 (January 1965) below for location of Round Island, just off Lands End]

7th April 1966

RFR MBAUM departed EGXP/Scampton for Goose Bay. F430, TAS 480 kts heading 286 degrees. Oceanic clearance received from 57n 10w to Goose Bay, via 58n 20w - 59n 30w - 58n 40w - 57n 50w F430

Royal Air Force Vulcan (?)

5th April 1966

FloAir 636 by Ocean Station 'J' 1556 F110 52.45n 15w 1704 52.40n 10w next. ETA Shannon 1830. OS'J' requested to get a D/F fix on the flight, 'J' reported the flight to be 80 nautical miles off course (North of 'J'). The flight was on course and on time at Ocean Station 'C' and Shannon didn't think it was possible that the flight could be 80 miles north of 'J'! Message from Shanwick timed 1617 to OS'J' that the winds from OS'J' to 15w were variable at 05 kts and possibly NW'erly at 5-10 kts from 15w to 10w. The flight was requested to try and get a cross-bearing with the Shannon VOR (EJS) on 113.3 and the Eagle Island VOR (EJB) on 117.4
Flight subsequently reported 52.45n 15w 1704 F110 52.40n 10w 1816 on 5641 (HF).

Delivery flight, possibly Piper Aztec N5970Y (?)

4th April 1966

OK 523 53n 30w 2255 F200 52n 40w 0050 temp' -25C TAS 325 kts wind 300/30 SelCal FGBH
Message from Cubana timed 2220z:- for zones 7/8 no significant weather. Layers at 23,000', with light to moderate icing. Winds at 500 Mb zones 7 to 11, as follows, 310/00 (z7), 320/30 (z8), 140/40 (z9), 130/40 (z10) and 180/30 (z11). OK 523 requested 51 cold meals for our arrival.

[Photo: © Paul Zogg]

CSA Britannia 318, OK-MBB. The 'zones' referred to above relate to each 5 degrees of longitude, used as weather sectors on the North Atlantic.

3rd April 1966

SB OJC 53n 15w 0840 F350 overhead Shannon 0907 ETA London 1005 Mach .82

Sabena B.707-329, OO-SJC

BA 601 54.30n 20w 1328 F350 54.30n 30w 1417 ETA CYYZ/Toronto 1845 SelCal EFDJ

BOAC Super VC-10, G-ASGA

AZ 909 49.40n 30w 1500 F120 49.30n 25w 1545 Shannon 1811 TAS 255kts. From 30w to Shannon 03+11, average wind component +5 kts. Both Shannon and Dublin forecast are 'open' for your arrival.

Alitalia DC-7F, (either I-DUVA or I-DUVE?).

[Photo: © Robin A Walker, I-DUVA (as DC-7C) at London, Heathrow - 13/06/1959]

This was their eastbound all-cargo service from New York to Milan, via Shannon. See extract from their timetable below:-

As it happened, I copied their return service the following day (4th) as AZ 908 51.30n 25w 1335 F100 51n 20w 1423

2nd April 1966

SB OFB 51n 40w 2235 F130 52n 30w 0010 ETA Shannon 03/0315 temp' -4C wind 270/20 at 51n 45w

Sabena DC-7C(F), OO-SFB.
This aircraft was later operated by Spantax (as EC-BSP), Talingo Airlines (as HP-868), T & G Aviation (as N3755U) and finally with Aerochago Airlines (as HI-619SP). Regrettably it ended its days when it crashed into the sea shortly after take-off from Miami, FL on 06/11/1992.