Google Earth - St Athan

Tenlavs · Post by **Tenlavs** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 12:55 am

Google Earth have recently added high-res pictures of South Wales. There are 2 VC10s clearly visble at St Athan. One of them must be XV103 as it was the last white jet and the only one to have been scrapped at St Athan. The one near the hangar has all 4 engines removed. I think this must be a K2 being prepared for scrapping (perhaps ZA142) as a jet in major would be in primer rather than grey. The photo must have been taken in mid 2001 and was obviously before the super-hangars were built. The current graveyard for VC10s is the caravan park just N of the eastern runway cable. Can anybody spot anything else of interest on the site - there must be some other bits of K2 laying around? Sad (in both senses) but interesting!

NB Top tip to improve Google Earth resolution - click Tools - Options - Cache and then Clear Memory Cache.

Post by **Jelle Hieminga** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 9:31 am

Interesting tip that! I don't play with Google Earth that often and hadn't thought of looking around St. Athan yet. I have had a good look now though! The cockpit section of ZA144 should still be around, but I need to look back at when it was scrapped to see if it could be on these images. There is a chance that these photos were taken earlier of course.

The next challenge of course is who can find more VC10s on Google Earth?

Laurieg · Post by **Laurieg** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 9:07 pm

The aircraft outside Twin peaks is either another scrap one or it is waiting to go in on Major. (No engines fitted. You can see the beaver tails quite clearly). The aircraft on the scrap site must have been the first one. There is a lack of parts sitting around, and no removed u/c which is the last item to come off.

It is unusual to remove the engines and leave the a/c outside but about that time there was an acute shortage of Conways. It may have been the case that the preceding Major had post airtest snags and was occupying the slot.

Post by **Jelle Hieminga** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 4:15 pm

A post on the Flypast forums made me look at Google Earth again and I actually found the remains of another VC10! This could be ZA144 of which the cockpit section might still be around for use by the Aircraft Recovery and Transportation Flight.