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Regional aircraft operators
around the world have to start somewhere, and many have chosen the ten-seat
Britten-Norman Islander or its bigger sister, the eighteen-seat Trislander,
as their entry level aircraft. The Islander has been in production for 35
years, and Trislander production ceased in 1979. In the Britten-Norman, founded in the 1950s by John Britten and Desmond Norman, is now the trading name of B-N Group Ltd.
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April 2011: Airfield News As of 1 January 2011, Bembridge Airport
reverted to the day-to-day control of Bembridge Airport Limited. From this
date, Britten-Norman ceased to be involved in airfield operations at Bembridge
and has been unable to access to the main airfield, without permission. The
tower at Bembridge continues to be staffed and the heliport and remain Aeroclub
open, and non-resident aircraft are still welcome, but Prior Permission is
required. B-N is reported to be negotiating to return to managing the airport,
but has taken on leases for two new airfields - Sandown and Lee-on-Solent. B-N Group said in a statement: “Sandown airfield, which had previously
been reduced to the status of “farm strip” will now be managed over the term of
the lease as a fully functioning airfield. The move comes following a decision
by a local farmer to close the airfield at Bembridge Airport, which the Company
had managed and operated very successfully up until last New Year’s Eve, when
the farmer’s bales were placed across the taxiways and entrances to the site. Sandown
Airfield is proposed as the Company’s new general aviation hub on the Island.
The Company hopes to replicate what was achieved at Bembridge airport and has
already started some renovation work. The Company will start promoting the
airfield at the end of April 2011 in time for the busy tourist season ahead. At
the same time, the Company has also taken a lease at Daedalus Airfield at
Lee-on-the-Solent, near Gosport. The former Royal Naval Air Station was once
home to the Hampshire Police Air Support Unit and is the current home of
Britten-Norman’s defence operations as well as being the regional home of the
Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The company intends to link operations between
the two sites in order to encourage tourism to both locations, with visitors
being offered discounted fees when visiting both sites. At this time a decision
on a possible future location for Bembridge’s general aviation maintenance,
repair and overhaul company, BN Aviation, has yet to be taken, though it is
anticipated that much of the smaller aircraft maintenance work will be carried
out at Sandown. The remainder of the work will be relocated away from the Isle
of Wight.” The owner of Bembridge Airfield and the
based Vectis Gliding Club have issued their own statement: “Vectis Gliding Club and Bembridge
Airfield Ltd are pleased to announce the reopening of Bembridge Airfield on
Saturday, 9 April 2011 as an unlicensed airfield. Since an announcement in
early December that current management of Bembridge Airfield would cease, the
owners of the land pledged they wanted the facility to continue operating.
Vectis Gliding Club will be managing the Airfield during their operational
times each Saturday, Sunday and Bank holidays, and also Wednesday during BST.
Prior permission is required (PPR) for any aircraft to land at the Airfield by
telephoning 07770 228852. Further information can obtained from
www.vectisglidingclub.co.uk” However, news from the
German Aviation Authority informs us that c/n 2305 has been allocated
registration D-IOLO for Friesian Islands operator OLT. - Ostfriesische
Lufttransport of Emden. OLT have operated Islanders since their first, D-IOLT
c/n 21, was delivered 40 years ago on 17th April 1968. They currently have two
BN-2B-20 Islanders (D-IFBN c/n 2185 and D-IFOX c/n 2186) in their fleet, and
last year sold a third (D-IOLA c/n 2187) back to B-N. Over the past 40 years OLT
have owned or operated 17 different Islanders. * Latest Press
Releases from BN Group: * To a list of
previous Press Releases from BN Group To see the lastest news
about BN aircraft on the web check the links below: Aero Tropics grounded by CASA: Aero
Tropics 1.7.08 Highland Airways' First Service: HIGHLAND
17.6.08 Malta Update: Islander used for drug running in Spain: Loganair link up with Flybe: LOGANAIR
3.3.08 LOOP Magazine flight test
BN-2T: New General Manager for FIGAS: FIGAS
23.2.08 Britten-Norman
sell ex-Surveillance Australia aircraft: Surveillance Australia 20.2.08 Britten-Norman open warehouse near Heathrow: BN at Iver 2.11.06 BN Defence open for business at St. Athan: BN Defence 17.10.07 BELIZE DEFENCE FORCE ISLANDER (BDF-5) AIRLIFTED
FROM CRASH NEWS OF ISLANDER SALE TO IRAN IS INCORRECT: SHETLAND COUNCIL'S ISLAND HOP FROM NEVIS TO MONTSERRAT: THE SHORTEST SCHEDULED FLIGHT 2006: Best Spirit In The World Flies High With Loganair: MORE LINKS ADDED AS WE FIND THEM!
To
Contact B-N: To
contact BN Historians:
22.1.12: Island Airways, Michigan chosen as SBTDC Business of the Year
Click here to see the story video on You Tube.
23.8.09: Roraima introduce their third Islander
Islander 8R-GRB (msn 431 ex N431V & G-IOWA) was delivered to Roraima in
June and entered service on 26th July: click
here to read the story.
23.8.09: Amazing Video from 1996: recovery of Roraima A/W Islander from
Colombia
Islander 8R-GRA (msn 3006) is recovered from a remote location in Colombia
after being stolen from Guyana: click here to see the You
Tube video!
17.5.09: Islander pair flying display at Duxford
Islanders G-ECZA and G-OBNL put on a great display at Duxford click here
for pictures
6.5.09: Blind Man flies and Islander
A blind man who took the controls of an aircraft in a charity fundraising event
said it was a "brilliant experience". Colin McArthur, 57, piloted a
Britten-Norman Islander plane during a flight from Bembridge Airport, Isle of
Wight. The trip follows a previous charity event which involved Mr McArthur
controlling a 130-seat hovercraft. Mr McArthur, from Sandown, lost his eyesight
through Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) 22 years ago and was raising money for the RP
Fighting Blindness charity. The father-of-five said: "I have just come
back down to earth with a bump - it was a brilliant experience."It was a
weird experience, I could feel the plane banking left and right and the pilot
gave me a brilliant commentary as we flew out to sea and over the island.
"As a young lad of 14 I was partially-sighted and was at the Farnborough
Air Show in the mid-1960s where the Islander was unveiled. It stole the
show." Mr McArthur said he is hoping to raise more than £1,000 from the
flight and was planning to organise further events for the charity. In 2007, he
steered the Hovertravel craft from the Isle of Wight for a 20-minute trip under
the guidance of a professional pilot. Link to BBC Web site for film clip: click here .
6.5.09: World's shortest scheduled flight on YouTube
Click here to see the YouTube clip of the Loganair scheduled flight on an
Islander, from Westray ib the Orkneys to Papa Westray. Elapsed flying time is
two minutes over a distance of just nine miles.
6.5.09: Another new Islander from recent batch arrives at Bembridge
The first new build Islander to arrive from Romania this year, G-CEUB c/n 2306,
arrived at Bembridge on 19th March at 1730. As before the BN-2B-26 was quickly
put inside the factory, where it is being prepared for an as yet undisclosed
customer.
28.5.08: New Islander arrives at Bembridge
The first new build Islander to arrive from Romania, G-CEUA c/n 2305, for a few
months flew in to Bembridge on 24th April at 1635 from Luxembourg. First flown
at Bucharest, Romania on 22nd April, the BN-2B-20 painted in the usual green
primer was quickly put inside the factory, where it is being prepared for an as
yet undisclosed customer.
BNG Purchases Surveillance Australia aircraft
18.2.08
Changes in Customer Support 8.2.08
From Police Aviation News May 2008: Article is on page 5: MALTA
27.5.08
From Police Aviation News April 2008: Article is on page 4: SPAIN
27.5.08
Download January 2008 issue from:LOOP 28.2.08
You will have to register, but this is FREE!
Working
Lunch 15.06.07
BDF
3.4.07
BDF 3.5.07
IRAN
27.3.07
B-N Group's official comment 28.3.07:
Britten-Norman has NO representation in Iran. Mr Ghobadi has previously
represented Britten-Norman, but neither he nor Paravaran Asseman have existing
consultancy or other representation agreements with the Company.
During the 40 years of manufacturing of the Islander a number of aircraft have
been sold to Iran all of which are in civil use only. There have been no sales
of new aircraft, used aircraft or aircraft related spare parts by the Company
to Iran of late.
Since the year 2000 one civil aircraft has been supplied to the Iranian Civil
Aviation Organisation by Britten-Norman following a stringent exercise by the
UK government to approve that aircraft for export. This aircraft is in use as a
passenger aircraft with a humanitarian/air ambulance secondary role and was
contracted for sale in 2002. The supply of that aircraft is in no way related
to the current diplomatic issues in Iran.
Britten-Norman's highly dependable products are popular in countries worldwide
where infrastructure requires unsupported rough field operations. Although
there have been expressions of interest for further aircraft sales in Iran,
Britten-Norman does not believe that there is a prospect of immediate future
sales nor does it believe that UK export clearances would necessarily be
available for any such new aircraft sale at the present time.
SIC
17.2.07
ISLAND HOP
9.2.07
Picture:VP-AAG
SUN
AIR MERGER 7.2.07
LATEST ISLANDER DELIVERY:
SHETLAND
NEWS 26.1.07
SHETLAND
TODAY 26.1.07
LONDON AIR LINK TO TAKE OFF AGAIN:
ISLE
OF WIGHT AIRWAYS 11.1.07
Picture:G-IOWA
OAG
3.1.07
AIRLINE GROUNDED AFTER ISLANDER DITCHES:
STUFF.CO.NZ
30.12.06
NEW
ZEALAND HERALD 29.1.07
Britten-Norman delivers 50th aircraft for Cirrus:
50th
CIRRUS 10.11.06
Loganair 31.10.06
Highland
Park 2.11.06
Pictures:
G-BLDV
G-BPCA
B-N Group Limited
Bembridge
Isle of Wight
PO35 5PR
Tel: +44 (0) 870 881 5060
Fax: +44 (0) 870 881 5061
Email: enquiries@britten-norman.com
16 Greenacre, Knaphill,
Tel: +44(0)1483 854849
Fax: +1(225)208 6967
Email: enquiries@bnhistorians.co.uk