h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So, can you travel there by Trislander aircraft?
And how does it compare to the Isle of Wight, which although not a Channel Island, is the largest island in the English Channel.

<BB<

For those who don't know, a Trislander is a little 14-seater passenger aircraft with fixed undercarriage and 3 piston engines. Each pair of seats in the aircraft has its own door, and the pilot will come round and check that yours is properly shut before taking off. The Trislander is actually a stretched version of the Islander, which only had two engines.

The airline that flies Trislanders around the Channel Islands is Aurigny. However they are growing and now fly larger aircraft on most routes. AFAIK the only way of getting on a Trislander is to fly to Alderney.

They are also the people behind the Joey books (think Thomas the Tank Engine with wings). G-JOEY is, or at least was, a real aircraft flying between Guernsey and Alderney. However Aurigny have now dropped their distinctive but dated bright yellow livery, which is a pity.

Paul.

Yep, that's what a Trislander is. They were made by Britten Norman, a company based on the Isle of Wight, which still doesn't have a public airport.

I'm curious to know the differences between the Channel Islands and the Isle of Wight. I can imagine each island has a very distinct personality - afterall, East and West Wight are opposite in many ways, and the people who live in each Medine tend to stay there.

<BB<

G-JOEY is still going strong, I am happy to inform you, flying with Aurigny. I flew in him when I was quite small and got a certificate to say so. It was all very exciting! He looks exactly like in the books.

Channel Islands vs. Isle of Wight;
Without going into the characters of their inhabitants, The Channel Islands are smaller and less industrialized than the IOW, which has, for example, a "proper" railway and ship-and aircraft building. Administratively, the IOW is an English county, whereas the Channel Islands are more independent; their legal system is also separate from that of the UK.
The proximity to France also has some influence on the character of the islands.

Trislanders; I have recently heard tell that Britten-Norman are intending to start Trislander production again. I hope so, I like flying on these minimal aircraft.

I hope so. I usually see them flying every day or two as they pass quite near where I live. They're great little aircraft, and make a real aircraft noise.

<BB<