The fire service has kindly allowed us to use this Trident as a parts source for our restoration of G-ARPO, and have invited us to visit in early 2010 to see what is available and what we’d like. We would then come back at a later date to strip the parts and take them to Sunderland ready to be put into our Trident.

G-AVFE is largely complete both internally and externally, although we are led to believe little remains of the cockpit instrumentation. We will, however, be able to take the rudder, seating, control columns, rear service doors, internal panels and anything else that would help.

We are very grateful for this offer from Belfast International Fire Service and look forward to a better final result in G-ARPO because of it.

If you haven’t been, the De Havilland museum has finished an excellent preservation of the forward section of Trident 2E G-AVFH in BEA colours, with a full interior and cockpit. I’d fully recommend a visit.

Most of the spare parts have apparently come from former Channel Airways Trident G-AVYE and British Airways Trident 3B G-AWZO. They are surplus to the museum’s requirements, so we are free to use them on G-ARPO wherever we can. Most are luckily standard across the Trident 1, 2 and 3 variants.