Air Alpes - The Corvettes - Their Arrivals

Their Arrivals

Air Alpes initial flirtations with jet aircraft date back to April 1971 when Aertirrena demonstrated a Yakovlev Yak-40 registration I-JAKA. Aviaexport also lobbied to place the Yak-40 with Air Alpes during a sales presentation of CCP-87791 during that year, however nothing came of these initial presentations and Air Alpes made no commitments.

In 1972 Air Alpes entered into the Air France reservation system ALPHA 3. During this same year the GIECAR group (Groupement d'Interet Économique des Compagnies Aériennes Régionales) was created, leading to greater planned associations with Air France when agreements are forged to form a partnership between Air Limousin, Air Champagne Ardennes and Pyrenair, all flying on the behalf of Air France.

Among the new routes, flown under Air France's are: Marseille to Barcelona, Marseille to Geneva and Metz to Düsseldorf.

1974

This association with Air France continued with the decision to place orders for four Aérospatiale Corvette SN-601 Serial 100 "short range business regional jets." The orders were followed by and option for eight additional Corvette SN-601, serial 200d models and finally in 1974 Air Alpes entered the jet age with the arrival of the Aérospatiale Corvette series 100 and a further decision to have Amaury de la Grange Institute train its pilots to fly them. On September 28 flying in the full colors of Air France upon the Chambéry - Paris route, Air Alpes entered the "jet age" when Corvette F-BVPA (s/n 5), commenced flying regional feeder services.

Corvette series 100 Fleet

F-BVPA (s/n 5) September 28, 1974 Chambéry -Paris

F-BVPB (s/n 6) September 1974

F-BVPC (s/n 12) February 1975,

F-BVPD (s/n13).

In 1974 Air Alpes acquires Air Champagne Ardennes soon after the recent take over of Air Limousin, Air Rouergue and Pyrenair. The number of aircraft continue to increase with the arrival of the Cessna 401 (F-BOJZ), Cessna 402 (F-BRIY) and Cessna 411 (F-BPFM) from this consortium of companies.

1975

Additional Corvettes F-BVPC (s/n 12) and F-BVPD (s/n13) arrived beginning in February 1975 and were to be used upon other Air France regional routes.

Air Alpes was also interested in the 30/40 seat Dassault Aviation, Mystere 30, however this aircraft failed to make it into production and was cancelled by Dassault in 1975.

One aspect of the Corvettes which proved to be very successful was the Air France branding, and in October the first of 2 Fokker F-27 turboprops arrived. The Fokker F27 Mk 400 was a turboprop aircraft, with a capacity of 44, equipped with two Rolls-Royce Ltd, "Dart engines,": (s/n 10.340) which was soon register as F-BYAA. The first F-27 route was Chambéry to Paris, the same route initiated by the Corvettes a year earlier. Subsequent routes would be flown by Air Alpes Fokker F-BYAB delivered on November 5, the first F-27 to wear the full painted colours of Air France just as the Corvettes did.

Fokker F-27 Mk 100 Fleet

F-GCPA (s/n 10.258) - Delivered - 1980

Fokker F27 Mk 400 Fleet

F-GBDE (s/n10.469)

F-BYAA. (s/n 10.340) - formerly OO-SBP

F-BYAB (s/n 10.342) - formerly OO-HLN

Fokker F.27 Mk 600 Fleet

F-BYAR (s/n 10.430) - Delivered - 1978

F-GBGI (s/n 10.430)

F-GCJV (s/n 10.360) - Delivered - 1980

Fokker F-28 Mk 1000 Fleet

F-BUTI (s/n 11.034)

F-GBBS (s/n 11.050)

F-GBBT (s/n 11.052)

The Fairchild Hiller FH-227 Fleet

F-GCLN (s/n 527) Delivered - 1980