Wilga 2000MA - G-RTRT

I recently visited the small airfield at Oaksey Park, a couple of miles south of Kemble airport ( Gloucestershire, UK ) and was lucky to see the only Wilga 2000 currently registered in the UK on maintenance - G-RTRT.

G-RTRT was built at the PZL factory at Warsaw-Okecie in 2006 and is construction number 00060021, ie #021.

This aircraft first flew in Spring 2006 registered in Poland as SP-WHO - it was exhibited at the Berlin ILA aero trade show in May 2006 painted all red with a yellow trim. The aircraft came to the UK shortly afterwards and was registered with the UK CAA on 8th June 2006 as G-RTRT owned by the local agent PZL International Aviation Marketing and Sales at North Weald airfield in Essex. 

In July 2007 this Wilga 2000 was sold by the local dealer to it's current owner in Gloucestershire ( note this owner had previously owned Wilga 2000MN G-RIIN c/n 010 ) - G-RTRT operates from a private strip not far from Oaksey Park.

Wilga G-RTRT does not fly a great deal - the UK CAA website shows that it had accumulated only 35 flying hours by December 2011 - as you can see from the photo it looks in perfect condition, the Lycoming engine virtually spotless.

At the moment G-RTRT is the only Wilga 2000 in the UK - the two previous examples G-RRIN and G-RIIN were both exported onto Canada.


Steve

G-BWDF - PZL 104 Wilga 35A - UK Accident 6th May 2010

Today, the 6th May 2010 is General Election day in the UK - people have been voting since 7am this morning.

At about 8am reports came in of a light aircraft plane crash at the airfield at Hinton in the Hedges. On board was Nigel Farage a parliamentary candidate ( for the UKIP party ) and a pilot.

The wreck of Wilga G-BWDF - Photo courtesy Sky News

The crashed aircraft is a PZL 104 Wilga 35A G-BWDF. There are reports that the aircraft was trailing a towing banner promoting the UKIP party and that this might have become caught in the rudder of the aircraft. Both the pilot and Mr Farage have been taken to hospital for treatment. Photos from the accident site show the aircraft inverted with major damage to the cockpit area.

G-BWDF c/n 21950955 is one of the last Wilga to have been built having first flown in July 1995 at the PZL Okecie factory in Warsaw Poland. When it was deliverd in was painted in a two tone green camoflague c/s and was based at White Waltham airfield to the West of London.  For several years it sat parked at White Waltham as the grass grew aound it.

External Link to photo of G-BWDF in its original green colours


By late 1999 it was dismantled and removed from White Waltham by lorry. It underwent a rebuild at Rushett Farm airstrip near Chessington and was back in the air by 2003 ( with just 22 flight hours in total ). In 2004 it was seen at Husbands Bosworth airfield acting as a glider tug.

By 2006 it was operating from the airfield at Dunsfold still painted green but by 2008 it had been repainted dark blue. In recent years the aircraft has been operated by "Sky Banners". The aircraft had flown 239 flight hours by 31.12.2008.

Let's hope the pilot and the passenger make a full recovery.


More info here via the Sky News website news story

More info here via the BBC News website news story


Steve