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Prestwick for the An 225 Richard Bowater 20 August 2020

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This trip is with thanks to Ian Ellington who tipped me off about the Antonov 225 coming to Prestwick whilst we were photographing ZS-DDT Hawker 4000 at Teesside. Under normal circumstances we would have made the trip together and shared the cost but due to the virus restriction we had to travel separately. 

I had never managed to see Mriya so the opportunity couldn’t be missed. On the Sunday morning I watched the An 225 take off from Bangor Maine airport and head our way just before we departed in the car. For quite a few years now we have travelled to Strathaven for the annual hot air balloon festival and ventured to Prestwick on Saturday morning after the balloon flight. This year it was going to be the other way around.

I noticed the Prestwick local papers and media had been advertising the arrival of the AN 225 for a few days even though all other social gatherings had been cancelled. I selected an ideal field at the end of the runway to avoid the crowds and to our surprise Ian was already there.

 A Ryanair 738 arrived first followed by a C17 A7-MAP of the Qatar Air Force, ideal to judge positioning on the field for the Antonov. In the distance the huge aircraft appeared with its six engines and a light smoke trail behind it. The down side with photography is you only see the subject through the lens unless it goes around for a second approach, no chance on this occasion.

The crowds started to disappear as we waited for the next and our last arrival LX-LCL 744F it arrived so we departed to Strathaven.

We got the usual friendly reception at Strathaven airfield with an almost guided tour of the two hangars. There were a few new residents one notably being G-CHRM C42 once Teesside hangar 1 resident. Another being G-HIND Maule which appeared at Teesside some years ago badly damaged after trying to land at a private strip now fully repaired. With the airfield visit complete it was time for Haddock and chips in town and then the long drive home. We would usually have stopped at Carlisle but due to the circumstances we stayed on the motorway.