In the early sixties, Shell Aircraft was a regular visitor at Groningen-Eelde airfield with their De Havilland DH-114 Heron 2D's.
At the end of the sixties, these four-props airliners were replaced by the Hawker Siddeley HS.125. On 9 February 1970, executive
jet-aircraft Hawker Siddeley HS.125 srs.3B G-AVXK was photograped at Eelde. Over the years, Shell operated three models of the HS.125: srs.1B;
srs.3B and srs.800. The 1968-built Hawker Siddeley HS.125 srs.3B c/n 25134 was test flown as G-5-18. On 7 November 1967, the aircraft was
registered G-AVXK with Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd., Kingston-upon-Thames. After registration G-AVXK was cancelled as exported to Germany
on 20 March 1968, the HS.125 series 3B/RA was registered D-CHTH in Germany in July 1968. On 24 February 1972, the aircraft was restored to
the UK registered as G-AVXK with Ferranti Ltd., Oldham, as registered owner and the aircraft entered service with Shell Aircraft. On 7 May 1975,
Shell Aircraft Ltd., London, was registered as owner. On 7 September 1981, the G-AVXK was registered as chartered with Overseas Business Service
Ltd., London. Registration G-AVXK was cancelled as exported to Nigeria on 24 January 1983. In Nigeria the aircraft was registered 5N-AOG. On 5 April 2000, the
aircraft was registered N230TS as a DH.125-3A/RA with the additional serial number NA700. After several noise-complaints, the N230TS was grounded
at Martin County Airport in Florida, USA. On 23 June 2001, registration N230TS was cancelled. On 22 January 2004, the N230TS was restored
to the register, now with Shewcon LLC in Dover, Delaware, USA. Today, the aircraft is registered N230TS with Dodson International Parts Inc.,
Rantoul, Kansas, as a Hawker Siddeley DH.125-3A/RA with serial number NA700. However the aircraft is still registered N230TS, it was withdrawn
from use and is scrapped since. |