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CAFU   aircraft  1944–96

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CAFU had 49 aircraft in total registered to them, the last two assigned in 1982.
There were 13 different types from seven separate manufacturers, six British & one American.  There were four single engine types, and nine twin, six piston engine, two turboprop and one turbojet.  

MANUFACTURERS
    Airspeed
    Avro
    DH / DHC
    HS / BAE
    Miles
    Piper
    Taylorcraft

    AIRCRAFT                                     Tasks
    Single engine aircraft                     Eight.
    
    02 Taylorcraft Auster                      Refresher Flying & Communications
    02 Percival Proctor                          Refresher Flying & Communications
    02 de Havilland Tiger Moth          General Flying Tests / Instructor Ratings / Refresher
    02 de Havilland Chipmunk           General Flying Tests / Instructor Ratings / Refresher

    Twin engine aircraft 41,              Nine Types
    13 Avro Anson                        Tels Flight Inspection /Communications/ Refresher/ GCA/ Ordnance Survey
    03 Miles Gemini                     Refresher Flying & Communications
    05 Airspeed Oxford              I/R/Com/GCA
    09 DH104 Dove                            Tels FI/OS, IR/Com/Ref/VIP/GCA/OS
    03 Percival Prince               Tels FI
    01 Percival President        Tels FI
    03 DH125 / HS/BAe            VIP/Com/Ref/Radar
    03 HS748 / BAe                    Tels Flight Inspection / Communication /Refresher / Euro MPs / Educational Flts / Middle East Flight InspectionI

    01 Piper PA31                       Refresher Flying & Communications

(See aircraft registration dates below the last photograph).
 
PHOTOGRAPHS: Aircraft types flown by CAFU 1946 - 1996

    

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A 1 of A25
One of three aircraft put on to the Civil Register by the Air Ministry in June 1944.







Photo: Eddy harris

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A 2
Two Austers G-AGLLand GLK were both civil registered in August 1944 by the Air Ministry for use by the Air Ministry Civil Operations fleet.






Photo: Eddy Harris

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A 3
Two de Havilland Tiger Moths were registerd to the Ministry of Civil Aviation for use by their Operations Fleet in June and August 1945.








Photo: eddy Harris

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A 4
Not the first Anson assigned to the MCA, this one registered in July 1948 before the move from Croydon to Gatwick.







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Photo: Eddy Harris

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A 5
One of two Gemini believed to be used by the Unit for communication purposes, particularly by HQ staff.






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Photo: Eddy Harris

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A 6
G-AJLV was the first Dove to be registered to the MCA in April 1947.  LFT wasn't registered until Dec 1948.  Both these aircraft were used for Flight Inspection.

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A 7
One of the five Airspeed Consuls registered to the MCA in June 1947.  They would not be needed for the Instrument Rating tests until the airways came into being toward the end of the decade and the early 50's.

Some thought that they were not around until the 1950's but two of them were seen at Gatwick in 1947.


Photo: Eddy Harris

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A 8
G-ALVS was the first Instrument Rating Dove registered to the CAA in October 1949.  But this one, G-ANUW was not registered until May 1955, when the testing of candidates was increasing and the Consuls were about to be replaced.



Photo: Eddy Harris

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A 9
One of the three Percival Prince aircraft, G-AMKW, MKX & MKY, registered to the MCA in August 1951 to be used for flight Inspection of navigational aids throughout the UK.  MKY seen here in the Calibration Bay at Stansted in the 1950's.

That's CAFU, the Nissan Hut behind the open nose on the left.  Very cold and draughty in the winter.



Photo: Eddy harris

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A 10
The President G-APMO was not registered until 1958.  It completed the set of Telecommunication aircraft of four Doves and three Princes, plus this one in an early paint scheme at Stansted.


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Photo: Eddy Harris

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A 11
The first HS125 delivered to CAFU in 1966, it was one of the first batch of ten, note the six passenger windows.  The other nine aircraft went to the U.S.

Nice early shot of the Air Traffic Control Tower at Stansted Airport.




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Photo: Eddy Harris

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A 12
G-AVXI & VXJ were registered in November 1967, delivered in 1969 and became operational for flight inspection duties later in the same year.











Photo: Eddy Harris

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A 13
By the 1980's the 748 aircraft were put into corporate colours of the CAA.
The colour scheme was not approved by those at Stansted who had to crew the flight inspection aircraft, or by those who had to man the telecroscope equipment on the ground.









Photo: Derek Ferguson www.abpic.co.uk

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A 14
This 748, G-ATMJ was a 44 seat aircraft which gave CAA crews a more up-to -date environment in which to fly.  It was also used for Educational flight by Essex Schools, Carried Members of the European Parliament to Luxembourg and Strasbourg as well as being leased to Dan Air at weekends.

Airway reported that it had carried 42,000 passengers (4,000 of them children).

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A 15
G-BFBH PA31 registered in 1982 and never put into CAA colours.  A replacement for the twin-engine Doves and used for refresher flying by CAAFU and Flight Ops Inspectors.










    Photo: Jan Jenkins

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 David Lacy sent this in May 2021.  It is one of the few photos you will see of G-AVDX in CAA corporate colours, most of its life it was in the old White and Red with the Black cheat-line.
​Thanks David.

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A 16
The last aircraft to be registered to the CAA, G-CCAA in December 1982.  Not in corporate colours - but nearly.










Photo: Peter Moore www.abpic.co.uk

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During 2018, Gary Morton and his younger brother, Ian,   bought the cockpit of   G-ANAP.  It was in a dreadful state, but they are in the process of restoring it.  Much work has been completed so far and in the meantime he has also obtained CofA paperwork.  
One question he would like confirmed is: Did G-ANAP  ever have Decca installed?  Anyone with any knowledge on this please Email me at j3rivers@gmail.com. or garysmorton@gmail.com


                Photo: Garry Morton                                                         A17
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 Well, its Home.



















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​  A18

G-ANAP at its new home with Garry & Ian Morton.
Ian making a nice job of it.
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                                         A19

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Wow!  These boys mean what they say.












A20
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g-ANAP NOSE
​  ready to paint

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Pictures A21 – A25
​all from garry morton - below Gary's HS125 cockpit they are working on.  

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Photo's A26-A29

MA king a start on the HS125 Cockpit
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No: 30

Gary Morton and his brother Ian, Have excelled themselves in the work done on G-ANAP cockpit,

Displaying their work at a summer Cockpit Fayre in 2021.










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​Photo:  Gary Morton.
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