The British Isles are full of surprises. What was meant to be a weekend trip to London first, finally included riding the Sikorsky S-61 Sea King, the Twin Otter and the BN-2 Islander to the amazingly beautiful Isles of Scilly off England's western coast.

Die Britischen Inseln sind voller Überraschungen. Was eigentlich nur als Wochenend-Trip nach London gedacht war, endete schliesslich als Abenteuer inklusive Flug auf dem Sikorsky S-61 Sea King, dem Twin Otter und dem Islander auf den Isles of Scilly.

Welcome to a trip report that spans seven time zones, includes ten flights on five different airlines, and most importantly, bids farewell to two iconic three-engined planes in passenger service – the Douglas DC-10 and Aurigny’s Britten-Norman Trislander.

On a trip around the Western US, I made good use of the ample possibilities to escape the Airbuses and Boeings, and used smaller, more interesting aircraft instead. Enjoy scenic rides on a Pilatus PC-12, a Q400, a S-76 helicopter and the mighty DeHavilland DHC-2 Beaver!