Shorts Skyvan, 330, and 360

Short Brothers and Harland Limited introduced the Skyvan Turboprop STOL light transport in 1963. Short Brothers PLC stretched the Skyvan by 12 feet 5 inches to create the Model 330 in 1974. The cabin of the 330 was stretched an additional seven feet to create the Model 360 in 1981. The 360 is easily distinguished by its single vertical stabilizer.

On Sunday, February 5, 2006, a pair of Air Cargo Carriers Shorts 360s flying out of Milwaukee-General Mitchell Airport, Wisconsin collided in flight. Shorts 360s N327AC and N3735W had been equipped with a ferry tanking system in order to fly to Iraq. After the completion of a ferry tanking system checks, the airplanes joined up to take air-to-air photos. They collided. N3735W lost a wing and crashed near Watertown, Wisconsin, killing three crew members. N327AC made an emergency landing at Juneau-Dodge County Airport, skidding off the runway. All three crew members aboard N327AC survived the accident.

Golden West Shorts 330, N330GW on approach to land on Runway 25 at the Santa Barbara Airport on September 13, 1979. Its Shorts construction number is SH.3010. It first flew on May 25, 1977. Short Brothers registered it as G-BETN. Golden West acquired it on July 5, 1977. The U. S. Army bought it as C-23B Sherpa, 85-25342 in May 1985.

Golden West Shorts 330, N335GW on approach to land at Los Angeles International Airport on November 21, 1981. Its Shorts construction number is SH.3062. It is one of two 330s to be registered as N335GW. It first flew on January 20, 1981. Short Brothers registered it as G-BIOD. Golden West acquired it on July 30, 1981. Command Airways leased it as N156DD in January 1984.

Golden West Shorts 330, N330GW on approach to land at Los Angeles International Airport on November 21, 1981.

Delta Aviation Shorts Skyvan, N101WA at the Santa Barbara Airport in January 1983. Its Shorts construction number is SH.1859. It first flew on March 14, 1969. Short Brothers registered it as G-AXAF. It was delivered to Cherokee Airlines as N22CK on May 2, 1969. It was leased to Caribbean Air Services in 1969 and Jetco Aviation International in 1970. Interstate World Aviation bought it in 1973 and registered it N101WA. Calm Air Ionternational bought it March 1974 and registered it as C-GHBO. Petco Aviation bought it in December 1974 and registered it as N101WA. It passed through the hands of Shawflight Incorporated and Lodi Airport Corporation before Malaysian Air Charter bought it in September 1979 and registered it as 9M-AXB. Delta Aviation bought it in April 1982 and registered it as N101WA. It was subsequently sold to Dynamic Air. It has been registered to Arctic Air Group of Anchorage, Alaska since August 15, 1998.

Imperial Airlines Shorts 360, N691A on approach to land on Runway 25 at the Santa Barbara Airport in October 1984. Its Shorts construction number is SH.3618. It first flew on August 3, 1983. It was delivered to Imperial Airlines on August 20, 1983. Shorts Air Lease Incorporated repossessed it in September 1985. It was stored at Phoenix, Arizona until Business Express leased it in June 1986. Chancellor Asset Corporation bought it in December 1986 and leased it to Business Express.

Imperial Shorts 360, N701A about to take off from Runway 25 at the Santa Barbara Airport in July 1985. Its Shorts construction number is SH.3627. It first flew on November 25, 1983. It was delivered to Imperial Airlines on December 4, 1983. Shorts Air Lease Incorporated repossessed it in September 1985. It was stored at Phoenix, Arizona until Chancellor Asset Corporation bought it in November 1986 and leased it to Shorts Air Lease Incorporated. Atlantic Bank of New York bought it in January 1987 and leased it to Shorts Air Lease Incorporated, which subleased it to Business Express. It has been registered to Air Cargo Carriers of Milwaukee, Wisconson since December 29, 2005.

Imperial Shorts 360, N701A taking off from Runway 07 at the Santa Barbara Airport in October 1985.

West Air Shorts 360, N342SB taking off from San Francisco International Airport on July 2, 1986. Its Shorts construction number is SH.3678. It first flew on September 25, 1985. Short Brothers registered it as G-BLZV. It was delivered to West Air Commuter Airlines on November 27, 1985.

United Express Shorts 360, N132DA at San Francisco International Airport on July 30, 1986. Its Shorts construction number is SH.3634. It first flew on January 26, 1984. Short Brothers registered it as G-BLCS. It was delivered to Dash Air as N132DA on March 10, 1984. Short Brothers repossessed it in December 1984 and leased it to West Air Commuter Airline. It has been registered to Shorts Aircraft Delivery Incorporated since February 8, 1996.

Skyhawk Shorts Skyvan, N50DA at the Santa Barbara Airport on October 13, 1986. Its Shorts construction number is SH.1852. It first flew on December 13, 1968. Short Brothers registered it as G-AWJM. It was delivered to Forrestair as VH-FSH on January 3, 1969. Ganellan Airways leased it on June 3, 1969 and returned it in December 1969. Short Brothers bought it on May 1, 1972 and registered it as G-AWJM again. Delaware Air Freight bought it on June 14, 1973 and registered it as N60DA. Oklahoma Aircraft Corporation bought it on January 11, 1977 and registered it as N80JJ. Garrett Corporation bought it on November 28, 1977 and registered it as N731E. Union Flights bought it in December 1983. It has been registered to All West Freight of Delta Junction, Alaska since May 13, 2002.

Shorts 330, N789US taking off from Runway 25 at the Santa Barbara Airport in August 1988. Its Shorts construction number is SH.3002. It first flew on July 8, 1975. Short Brothers registered it as G-BDMA. Time Air leased it on July 9, 1976 and returned it on August 31, 1976. It was transferred to Short Brothers USA Incorporated as N330US on June 16, 1978. The registration N335GW was reserved for it but not taken up. Golden West Airlines leased it on June 19, 1978 and returned it in August 1978. Short Brothers USA Incorporated leased it to Command Airways, Henson Airlines, Pennsylvania Airlines, Coral Air, Crown Airways, Mid South Airlines, Mississippi Valley Airlines, West Air Commuter Airlines, and Henson Airlines between August 1978 and August 1985. Chancellor Corporation bought it in December 1985 and leased it to Shorts Air Lease Incorporated, which sub-leased it to CCAir, Puerto Rico Airlines, and AV Air between January 1986 and January 1988. Shorts Air Lease Incorporated sub-leased it to PM Air from July 1988 to November 1988. Vincent W. Garrett bought it in December 1988. It has been registered to Molo Leasing Incorporated since July 6, 1993.

Shorts 330, N789US taxiing to Runway 25 at the Santa Barbara Airport on March 4, 1989.

Shorts 360-300, G-BPKZ in the livery of China Asia Airlines (which did not take delivery) at the Paris Airshow on June 18, 1989. Its Shorts construction number is SH.3756. It first flew on May 31, 1989. State Street Bank and Trust Company bought it on September 14, 1989 and leased it to Business Express.

The last 330. Shorts 330-UTT, G-BPYU at the Paris Airshow on June 18, 1989. It is painted as a U. S. Army C-23A Sherpa. Its Shorts construction number is SH.3124. This airplane is equipped with a tail cargo ramp that standard Shorts 330 airliners do not have.

U. S. Air Force C-23A Sherpa, 84-0459 at the Supreme Headquarters of Allied Powers in Europe (SHAPE) Airshow at Chievres, Belgium on June 25, 1989. Its Shorts construction number is SH.3104. It first flew on January 17, 1985. It was delivered to the Air Force as Spangdahlem on January 30, 1985. It was subsequently transferred to the U.S. Forest Service as N174Z.

Shorts 330, N789US on approach to land on Runway 25 at the Santa Barbara Airport in December 1989.

U. S. Air Force C-23A Sherpa, 83-0513 of the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base on October 22, 1994. Its Shorts construction number is SH.3101. It first flew on August 31, 1984. It was delivered to the Air Force as Ramstein on November 6, 1984. It was transferred to AMARC as CD0003 on December 23, 1997. It was registered as N46JH by Jim Hankins Air Service of Jackson, Mississippi on April 14, 2000.

U. S. Air Force C-23A Sherpa and Lockheed NC-141A Starlifter, 61-2775 at Edwards Air Force Base on October 22, 1994.

U. S. Air Force C-23A Sherpa, 83-0513 of the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base on October 21, 1995.

U. S. Air Force C-23A Sherpa and Lockheed NC-141A Starlifter, 61-2775 at Edwards Air Force Base on October 21, 1995.

This appears to be the empennage of a former American Eagle Shorts 330 in a storage yard in 2005. Photo courtesy of Q.

Air Cargo Carriers Shorts 330, N936MA on approach to land on Runway 25 at the Santa Barbara Airport on January 10, 2006. Its Shorts construction number is SH.3036. It first flew on October 10, 1979. Short Brothers registered it as G-BGNI. It was delivered to Metro Express as N936MN on October 24, 1979. It was leased to Comair in May 1983 and returned in 1984. Henson Airlines leased it in October 1985. It was delivered to Alliance Air in August 1992 but their ticket was suspended in 1993. Air Cargo Carriers of Milwaukee, Wisconson leased it in September 1993 and then bought it on January 12, 1996.

Air Cargo Carriers Shorts 330, N936MA on approach to land on Runway 25 at the Santa Barbara Airport on January 10, 2006. It carries packages between Ontario and Santa Barbara for DHL five days a week.

Air Cargo Carriers Shorts 330, N936MA on approach to land on Runway 25 at the Santa Barbara Airport on January 10, 2006.

Air Cargo Carriers Shorts 330, N936MA at the Santa Barbara Airport on January 12, 2006.

Cockpit of Air Cargo Carriers Shorts 330, N936MA at the Santa Barbara Airport on January 12, 2006. All of the instrumentation is classic analog dials.

Cockpit of Air Cargo Carriers Shorts 330, N936MA at the Santa Barbara Airport on January 12, 2006.

Cargo compartment of Air Cargo Carriers Shorts 330, N936MA at the Santa Barbara Airport on January 12, 2006.

Air Cargo Carriers Shorts 330, N936MA landing at the Santa Barbara Airport on April 1, 2006.

Air Cargo Carriers Shorts 330, N390GA taxiing to Runway 25 at the Santa Barbara Airport on June 19, 2006. It was registered as G-BJFK by Short Brothers on August 27, 1981. It was delivered to Inter City Airlines on September 25, 1981. British Midland Airways leased it on October 1, 1981 and bought it on August 2, 1983. Short Brothers bought it on March 30, 1984. Air UK leased it on May 6, 1984 and returned it to Short Brothers on January 4, 1985. Spacegrand Aviation Services leased it in April 1985 and sub-leased it to Jersey European Airways on October 125, 1985. National Airways leased it on July 21, 1987. Fairflight Leasing Limited bought it on October 13, 1987. Air Europe Express leased it on April 27, 1989 and returned it to Short Brothers in January 1990. It was withdrawn from use and stored at Exeter, South Devon, UK. It has been registered to Air Cargo Carriers of Milwaukee, Wisconsin since May 19, 1998.

Air Cargo Carriers Shorts 330, N390GA takes off from Runway 25 at the Santa Barbara Airport on September 27, 2006.

Air Cargo Carriers Shorts 330, N390GA takes off from Runway 25 at the Santa Barbara Airport on September 28, 2006.

Air Cargo Carriers Shorts 330, N390GA parked at the Santa Barbara Airport on September 30, 2006.

Shorts 330, N390GA

The source of much of the information on this display is Turbo Prop airliner Production List, published by The Aviation Hobby Shop of West Drayton, Middlesex, England in June 1990.

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