Uploaded October 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
De Havilland DH-89A Dragon Rapide, TX310, G-AIDL operating from the Imperial War Museum, Duxford for a passenger 'sight seeing and air experience' flight with Classic Wings, on 13th April 2024.
This Dragon Rapide was built under licence by Brush Coachworks, Loughborough in 1946 as a Rapid Master III with construction number 6968.
Ordered under Ministry of Supply Contract 6 / Aircraft / 5072 / C20a the aircraft had been allocated the RAF serial TX310, but was never issued to the RAF. Although it was received by de Havilland Aircraft Holdings in May 1946, the aircraft didn’t take up the UK civil registration G-AIDL until August 1946 when it was acquired by Eric Gander-Dower MP, who also owned Allied Airways (Gander Dower) Ltd at Dyce, Scotland. Named ‘The Wanderer’, the aircraft was used mainly as personal transport for Eric Gander-Dower, but also by Allied Airways. Whilst at de Havilland’s facility at Witney in April 1950, the aircraft was seized by the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire and together with a spare engine, was sold at auction in April the same year to Goodhew Aviation of Kidlington, Oxford.
In October G-AIDL was acquired by aircraft sales broker W. S. Shackleton and almost immediately sold to Fox’s Glacier Mints Ltd. They based it at Rearsby, Leicestershire for the next eleven years and used it as a company transport. During this time the aircraft was also converted to Mark 6 standard. In 1961 the aircraft transferred to Andrew Flatley and operated from Halfpenny Green airport near Wolverhampton and in April 1962 ownership was passed to The Midland Metal Spinning Company Ltd.
They operated the aircraft from Halfpenny Green until January 1967 and two months later it was sold to The Army Parachute Association. The aircraft was moved to Netheravon, Wiltshire where it was used as a jump platform (alongside G-AGTM) for the next ten years.
In June 1977, the aircraft was sold to Southern Joyrides and was operated by Mike Hood from Redhill for a further ten years. The aircraft moved to Caernarfon, North Wales in 1987 when it was purchased by Ray Mackenzie-Blyth trading as Snowdon Mountain Aviation, which was subsequently renamed Air Caernarfon, and used for pleasure flying.
Air Caernarfon together with G-AIDL was purchased by the Air Atlantique group in the early 1990s and although initially remaining with Caernarfon, the aircraft was subsequently relocated to Coventry from where it operated until November 2015, when it was bought by Cirrus Aviation Ltd, Clacton-On-Sea, who owned it until September 2019, when it was transferred to its current owners, Avalon Adventures Ltd, also at Clacton -On-Sea. The aeroplane currently flies in a Royal Air Force scheme with its original RAF serial TX310 and is fully approved for passenger flying. Named ‘Nettie’ in its previous life at Coventry and when flying with the now-closed Classic Air Force at RAF St Mawgan (Newquay) in Cornwall.
The aircraft continues to be operated from Duxford by Cirrus Aviation Ltd trading as Classic Wings.
This Video and Audio content is
Copyright © StephenKeeler (HightFlight/SkyHighFlightTV) All Rights Reserved
De Havilland DH-89A Dragon Rapide, TX310, G-AIDL operating from the Imperial War Museum, Duxford for a passenger 'sight seeing and air experience' flight with Classic Wings, on 13th April 2024.
This Dragon Rapide was built under licence by Brush Coachworks, Loughborough in 1946 as a Rapid Master III with construction number 6968.
Ordered under Ministry of Supply Contract 6 / Aircraft / 5072 / C20a the aircraft had been allocated the RAF serial TX310, but was never issued to the RAF. Although it was received by de Havilland Aircraft Holdings in May 1946, the aircraft didn’t take up the UK civil registration G-AIDL until August 1946 when it was acquired by Eric Gander-Dower MP, who also owned Allied Airways (Gander Dower) Ltd at Dyce, Scotland. Named ‘The Wanderer’, the aircraft was used mainly as personal transport for Eric Gander-Dower, but also by Allied Airways. Whilst at de Havilland’s facility at Witney in April 1950, the aircraft was seized by the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire and together with a spare engine, was sold at auction in April the same year to Goodhew Aviation of Kidlington, Oxford.
In October G-AIDL was acquired by aircraft sales broker W. S. Shackleton and almost immediately sold to Fox’s Glacier Mints Ltd. They based it at Rearsby, Leicestershire for the next eleven years and used it as a company transport. During this time the aircraft was also converted to Mark 6 standard. In 1961 the aircraft transferred to Andrew Flatley and operated from Halfpenny Green airport near Wolverhampton and in April 1962 ownership was passed to The Midland Metal Spinning Company Ltd.
They operated the aircraft from Halfpenny Green until January 1967 and two months later it was sold to The Army Parachute Association. The aircraft was moved to Netheravon, Wiltshire where it was used as a jump platform (alongside G-AGTM) for the next ten years.
In June 1977, the aircraft was sold to Southern Joyrides and was operated by Mike Hood from Redhill for a further ten years. The aircraft moved to Caernarfon, North Wales in 1987 when it was purchased by Ray Mackenzie-Blyth trading as Snowdon Mountain Aviation, which was subsequently renamed Air Caernarfon, and used for pleasure flying.
Air Caernarfon together with G-AIDL was purchased by the Air Atlantique group in the early 1990s and although initially remaining with Caernarfon, the aircraft was subsequently relocated to Coventry from where it operated until November 2015, when it was bought by Cirrus Aviation Ltd, Clacton-On-Sea, who owned it until September 2019, when it was transferred to its current owners, Avalon Adventures Ltd, also at Clacton -On-Sea. The aeroplane currently flies in a Royal Air Force scheme with its original RAF serial TX310 and is fully approved for passenger flying. Named ‘Nettie’ in its previous life at Coventry and when flying with the now-closed Classic Air Force at RAF St Mawgan (Newquay) in Cornwall.
The aircraft continues to be operated from Duxford by Cirrus Aviation Ltd trading as Classic Wings.
This Video and Audio content is
Copyright © StephenKeeler (HightFlight/SkyHighFlightTV) All Rights Reserved
