de Havilland D.H.84 Dragon II

de Havilland D.H.84 Dragon II

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05/15/2006. Remarks by Jack McKillop: "Aer Lingus Teoranta (Air Fleet Ltd.) was formed on May 22, 1936 and received help from Blackpool and West Coast Air to establish an air route between Dublin, Irish Free State, and Bristol, Gloucestershire, England, under the marketing name Irish Sea Airways. Blackpool and West Coast sold this aircraft, which had been registered in the UK as G-ACPY, to Aer Lingus which registered it EI-ABI and named it "Iolar" (Eagle). This was Aer Lingus' first and only aircraft and it was based at Baldonnel Aerodrome, the Irish Army Air Corps base outside Dublin. At 0900 hours, May 27, 1936, the aircraft took off from Baldonnel on Aer Lingus' first flight from Baldonnel to Bristol. Within a few weeks, summer service began to the Isle of Man and on September 14, 1936, the Dublin-Bristol flight was extended to Croydon Airport, London.

Aer Lingus acquired a de Havilland D.H.86A Express in September 1936 and a de Havilland D.H.89A Dragon Rapide in February 1938. With the acquisition of these two aircraft, the Dragon II became surplus and it was sold to the British airline Channel Air Ferries The aircraft was restored to the British registry as G-ACPY on February 19, 1938. Channel Air Ferries became Great Western and Southern Air Lines in 1939 after a merger.

On June 3, 1941, the Dragon took off from Land's End Airport, St. Just, Penzance, Corwall, England, en route to St. Mary's, Scilly Islands. [The Scilly Islands are located about 28 miles (45 kilometers) southwest of the coast of Cornwall.] The aircraft was attacked by a Luftwaffe Heinkel He 111 H4 and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. The pilot and five passengers were lost; only one body washed up near Portreath, Cornwall."


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05/15/2006. Remarks by Jack McKillop: "Aer Lingus Teoranta (Air Fleet Ltd.) was formed on May 22, 1936 and received help from Blackpool and West Coast Air to establish an air route between Dublin, Irish Free State, and Bristol, Gloucestershire, England, under the marketing name Irish Sea Airways. Blackpool and West Coast sold this aircraft, which had been registered in the UK as G-ACPY, to Aer Lingus which registered it EI-ABI and named it "Iolar" (Eagle). This was Aer Lingus' first and only aircraft and it was based at Baldonnel Aerodrome, the Irish Army Air Corps base outside Dublin. At 0900 hours, May 27, 1936, the aircraft took off from Baldonnel on Aer Lingus' first flight from Baldonnel to Bristol. Within a few weeks, summer service began to the Isle of Man and on September 14, 1936, the Dublin-Bristol flight was extended to Croydon Airport, London. Aer Lingus acquired a de Havilland D.H.86A Express in September 1936 and a de Havilland D.H.89A Dragon Rapide in February 1938. With the acquisition of these two aircraft, the Dragon II became surplus and it was sold to the British airline Channel Air Ferries The aircraft was restored to the British registry as G-ACPY on February 19, 1938. Channel Air Ferries became Great Western and Southern Air Lines in 1939 after a merger. On June 3, 1941, the Dragon took off from Land's End Airport, St. Just, Penzance, Corwall, England, en route to St. Mary's, Scilly Islands. [The Scilly Islands are located about 28 miles (45 kilometers) southwest of the coast of Cornwall.] The aircraft was attacked by a Luftwaffe Heinkel He 111 H4 and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. The pilot and five passengers were lost; only one body washed up near Portreath, Cornwall."