Electra departure

The last British-registered Lockheed Electra L188 (G-LOFC, aged 54 years) has departed from Coventry Airport to a new life flying for Buffalo Airlines in Canada.

The Electra only ever flew as a cargo aircraft in the UK, Air Atlantique (later West Atlantic, Europe’s largest independent air freight carrier) the main operator from 1994.  The airline at one time operated eight of the four-engined turboprops, which offered much the same freight capacity as a Boeing 737-200. 

The Lockheed Electra was developed in the 1950s following the success of the Vickers Viscount in the United States.  It was a larger aircraft and competed with the Vickers Vanguard.  In the end both were overtaken by the introduction of the larger and faster pure jets such as the Boeing 737 and Douglas DC9.  Just 170 civil versions were built but its military derivative (the Lockheed Orion, 757 delivered) remains in service today.  The Orion is a sister aircraft to the extremely successful Lockheed Hercules originally sharing much of the technology and engines.

A long time customer of West Atlantic was quick with praise.  “With the phase-out of G-LOFC, DHL Aviation bids farewell to an excellent aircraft and also an entire fleet that has certainly played an important role in ensuring reliable and on-time services in the Europe network for more than 20 years”. www.westatlantic.eu

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