MH370 – Will it be found?

by | Mar 16, 2023 | Airport History, Airport News, Aviation News, Book Reviews, Spotting, Spotting News, Wrecks and Relics

On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The disappearance of the Boeing 777-200ER remains one of the most puzzling aviation mysteries of all time. Despite extensive search efforts, the wreckage of the plane has never been found, and the fate of the 239 people on board remains unknown.

The initial search for the plane focused on the South China Sea, where it was believed to have crashed. However, subsequent investigations suggested that the plane had flown off course and may have ended up in the southern Indian Ocean. This led to a massive search effort involving more than two dozen countries, but no trace of the plane was found.

The disappearance of MH370 raised many questions about the safety of air travel and the ability of modern technology to track planes. The plane’s communication systems were deliberately turned off, suggesting that someone on board had hijacked the aircraft. This has led to theories that the plane was intentionally diverted and may have been flown to a remote location.

The search for MH370 was one of the most expensive and extensive in aviation history, costing an estimated $150 million. The search involved advanced underwater search technology, including autonomous underwater vehicles and towed sonar systems. Despite these efforts, the wreckage of the plane has never been found, leading some to speculate that the search was not thorough enough or that the plane may have been deliberately hidden.

The disappearance of MH370 has had a profound impact on the aviation industry. It has led to increased scrutiny of airline safety procedures, including the use of satellite tracking systems and cockpit security measures. It has also raised concerns about the need for improved communication and coordination between airlines and aviation authorities.

In addition to the technical and operational questions raised by the disappearance of MH370, there have also been emotional and psychological impacts on the families of the passengers and crew. For many, the lack of closure and the uncertainty surrounding the fate of their loved ones has been devastating.

In conclusion, the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 remains one of the most baffling aviation mysteries of all time. The extensive search efforts have failed to locate the wreckage of the plane, leaving many questions unanswered. The incident has had far-reaching implications for the aviation industry and has led to increased scrutiny of safety procedures and technology. Despite the passage of time, the search for answers continues, and the families of the passengers and crew remain in search of closure.

Prestwick and Lend Lease

by | Jul 14, 2022 | Airport History, Spotting

Prestwick was the northerly most UK airfield on the Crimson Route, the northerly, shorter and mainly summer trans atlantic route for lend lease aircraft with the range and equipment to make the trip.

There were four UK airfields that were arrival points for lend lease air traffic, these were RAF St Mawgan, RAF Valley, RAF Nutts Corner and Prestwick. The most used was RAF Valley, due to it’s proximity to the USAAF Eighth and Ninth Air Forces in East Anglia – recieving some 60 – 70 aircraft each day.

Prestwick Airport did manage some 37,000 landings of mainly Lend Lease aircraft, being located closest to RAF Reykjavik in Iceland and RAF Vágar in the Faroe Islands. It was the initial ATC recieving base in United Kingdom for ferried aircraft from the United States. 1403d AAFBU. Began operations in July 1941 as the Eastern Terminus, Atlantic Division, Ferrying Command. In Jan 1943 it became the Head Quarters of Air Transport Command, Eastern European Wing. Prestwick remained as the main terminus of the North Atlantic route throughout the war.

With the begining of the Lend Lease traffic and the later entry of the United States into the war, Prestwick was assigned the station ID of AAF 500 with nearby RAF Ayr being assigned AAF 570 – these were used to obfuscate the actual location of the airfields.

Below is a citation from “Army Air Force Stations – by Captain Barry Anderson USAF’

United States military units assigned in the United Kingdom (UK)during World War II had to avoid any direct connection with specific geographic locations for security reasons. Most United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) units therefore identified their location with a “station number.” Although each USAAF installation in the UK was named–generally after the nearest railway station–official correspondence and unit histories most often employed the station number.

The serious use of Prestwick began in September 1941 when the airfield became part of No 44 Group. Many familiar aircraft types such as Boeing B-17, Consolidated B-24 heavy bombers and Canadian-built de Havilland Mosquitoes all passed through on  the transatlantic ferry route operated by the Atlantic Ferry Organisation (ATFERO). Shortly after that No 1425 (Communication) Flight used Consolidated B-24’s and Vickers Wellingtons for the development of a ferry route to the Middle East before being assigned to Lyneham in early 1942. The Air Transport Auxiliary also operated at Prestwick through No 4 Ferry Pilots Pool between 1940 and 1945. All this made the site a very busy airfield with as already stated above some 37,000 aircraft passing through Prestwick by the end of the war.

As mentioned in a previous post, the use of Prestwick Airport for this purpose was promoted by Captain Duncan Macintosh – the relatively fog free local environment was a major plus. But more on that in a future post, as the end of the second world was not as we know the end for Prestwick – unlike so many other USAAF and RAF bases.