‘A real privilege to captain my club’s plane’
THE third and final new fog-busting ATR has arrived in Guernsey.
The aircraft sports the registration G-ORAI in honour of Guernsey Raiders rugby.
G-ORAI touched down at 6pm last Friday and will go into service later this week.
It is the third of the ATRs with the new technology, which will help pilots operate in low visibility. Staff are currently being trained to use the equipment.
ATR captain Fiona Power said the aircraft would be special for her.
‘As a player for Guernsey Raiders Ladies, I am particularly excited about this plane. To be able to fly on an aircraft named after our rugby team is going to be really special but to captain the aircraft honouring the team I play for will be a real privilege.’
Raiders director Chris Gnapp said they were delighted to see the new aircraft come into service.
‘Through our men’s, ladies and academy sides we have taken thousands of flights with Aurigny and have built up a fantastic relationship with them over the years,’ he said.
‘Now having a plane named after the Raiders further cements that relationship and we’d like to thank all involved at Aurigny for making that happen. The men’s side look forward to using it for the first time on Saturday for their away game against Tunbridge Wells.’
In the near future the aircraft will have a decal of the Raiders logo near the registration.
The latest arrival means the Aurigny ATR fleet will once again change.
G-COBO – one of the airline’s older ATR 72-500s – has almost finished its pre-sale check and is due to fly to Toulouse next week to be painted white. This will mean it will shortly no longer carry any Aurigny branding ahead of it being sold to ATR.
Later this week, G-VZON is due to fly down to Gran Canaria and have its pre-sale check, prior to its sale to ATR.
G-HUET is due to finish commercial flying for Aurigny at the end of February before it goes for its base check ahead of its return to the leasing company.
G-LERE will remain with the fleet until its lease ends in November 2021.
The rest of the airline’s fleet is made of the Embraer jet G-NSEY, and as well the other two fog-busting ATRs – G-OATR and G-OGFC – and several Dorniers.
