Cheshire
XM285, G-31-15, G-AYFA
Built by Scottish Aviation Ltd (SAL) at Prestwick, Scotland as a Twin Pioneer CC.1 powered by Alvis Leonides Mk.514 engines.
16 Jul 1958 First Flight.
30 Aug 1958 Delivered to the Royal Air Force and allocated serial XM285.
22 Feb 1960 Allocated to 230 Sqn. Upavon, Wiltshire. (Squadron moved to Gutersloh, W. Germany 14 Jan 1963).
18 Jan 1963 Allocated to Station Flight, Odiham, Hampshire.
2 Dec 1963 Allocated to 225 Sqn. Odiham, Hampshire.
24 Aug 1964 Allocated to Station Flight, Odiham, Hampshire (possibly used by the Short Range Conversion Unit there).
Date unknown To 27 MU Shawbury for storage.
29 Nov 1969 Sold to Scottish Aviation and given Class B registration G-31-15 (probably for purposes of delivery flight from Shawbury to Prestwick).
15 Jun 1970 Registered as G-AYFA with Scottish Aviation.
11 Nov 1971 Aircraft fitted with Alvis Leonides Mk.531 (uprated) engines. Aircraft type becomes Twin Pioneer CC.3.
17 Nov 1971 Aircraft delivered to Hunting Aerial Surveys routing Prestwick - Blackpool (Squires Gate) – Staverton Aircraft fitted with floor camera apertures for mapping survey equipment.
29 Feb 1972 Aircraft operated by Flight One (a survey company) and stored at Staverton. Major contract with Ordnance Survey for Stereo Photographic survey work for the change from imperial to metric mapping of the UK (in company with other Twin Pioneer aircraft - G-AZHJ, G-BBVF and later G-BCWF). Aircraft used for para-dropping work at weekends.During work with the OSFU, survey aircraft based at Blackpool, Cambridge and Staverton.
24 May 1982 Aircraft CofA expired. External storage at Shobdon.
16 May 1991 Registration cancelled by the CAA.
1992 Aircraft scrapped by Neville Martin and the Sandbach Car & Commercial company, Sandbach, Cheshire
1992 Aircraft cockpit and both engines purchased by M. Davey and placed in external storage with The Aeroplane Collection (TACL) at the Craft Centre, Warmingham, Cheshire.
1994 Transported to Hooton Park, Cheshire for internal storage with TACL.
1995 Aircraft cockpit on loan to Solway Aviation Museum, Cumbria for external storage.
2006 Cockpit sold to D. Griffiths, Mold, N. Wales and stored in hangar at RAF Sealand.
2009 Cockpit sold, via e-Bay, to P. Lomax, Morecambe, Lancs. External storage.
2010 Cockpit sold, via e-Bay, to Jon Howard, Terry Parker, Mike Davey and Simon Pulford. To Hooton Park for external storage.
2012 Cockpit transported to Parbold, Lancs for preparation to display at the Newark Air Museum Cockpit Fest event, June 2012.
June 2012 Cockpit transported to Cheshire for storage and restoration
Thanks to Brian Jones of Liverpool for the operational data and date information.
Cheshire