BAC 1-11's at Luton Airport

Welcome, today you can choose your own transport and camera as we are looking at BAC 1-11's over several years as they passed through Luton.  Remember the roar of the Rolls Royce Spey's  on a hot day as a Courtline 1-11 with 119 plus 2 on board takes the full length of the runway to get airborne,  still to be heard as it disappears over the horizon in a nose up attitude climbing away like a homesick mole, hoping it might reach flight level 190 by the time it gets to France. Happy days, why do they complain about aircraft noise nowadays?

In for  repainting ready for summer lease is Cayman Airways VR-CAB

Taxying past is British Island Airways  G-AXOX.

Air UK G-CBIA taxying out.

Viewed at point alpha from the fire station roof is Courtline's G-AXMF.

An Unusual colour scheme for Dan Air is G-TARO in its former Tarom scheme.

Coastal states Gas executive 1-11 ( or Bark as they were known in the USA) N500CS

Monarch's G-AWWZ on a typically wet Luton apron.

So we say goodbye to Roger and Reggie as they disappear round the perimeter road, till next time.

Number 36 in a Never Ending Series

London Heathrow 1970's

Welcome, today we have a mixed bag taken at Heathrow. So if you prefer 1972 you can go in the Hillman Minx or if you prefer 1974 you can go in the vaguely rally prepared Mini so lets be away round the lanes to point the Zenith B at some aircraft.

Taken from the terminal one car park is T.A.P. Boeing 727 CS-TBM

A typical summer day in 1972 on terminal three car park finds Iran Air Boeing 727 EP-IRC having work done on the port thrust reverser.

A better day in 1973 on the terminal 3 car park gives the opportunity to get 2 B.O.A.C. VC10's in one shot,   with G-ASGL in the foreground.

Back to 1972 on the Queens Building we find Swissair DC9 HB-IFY pushing back.

Still 1972 on the Queens Building THY DC9 TC-JAE is being refuelled.

Another T.A.P.  Boeing 727 CS-TBP pushing back from the Queens Building in 1972.

So as the car disappears into the sunset we say goodbye to Roger and Reggie till next time.

Something for the over 50's

Not original or aeronautical but well worth repeating.

Not so long ago we had Bob Hope, Jimmy Saville and Steve Jobs.

Now we have no No Jobs, No Hope and No one to fix it !

Number 35 in a Never Ending Series

Luton Airport Arrivals 1972

Welcome, it's early 1972 and we tread the well worn path round the Luton Airport perimeter road. The Agfa Stillette Rapide is loaded with Black and White, and you can sink into the luxury of the leather seats in the 1965 Hillman Minx for the trip.

We go round the far side to the fire station road where there are no fences to obstruct photography and where we find Hunting Surveys C47 G-AVPW note the magnetic survey device under the fuselage  which is wound out on a wire behind the aircraft.

British Midland's BAC 1-11 G-AXLN

Slightly earlier late November 1971 Britannia Airways Boeing 707-321c G-AYEX is rolled out for the first time. Britannia's other 707 G-AYSI  can be seen behind the number 1 engine on the compass swing bay. Its often forgotten that Britannia was a 707 operator for  2 years, using them on affinity group charters ( remember those ?) to Kuala Lumpur, Los Angeles and Vancouver, along with the first long range IT flights to Montego Bay and Monastir and Tenerife in europe. The 6000ft length of the Luton runway did not suit the Boeing 707's lead sled characteristics meaning that transatlantic flights had to make a tech stop at Keflavik or Gander on the way out, or in the case of Vancouver by flying 10 minutes in the wrong direction for a tech stop at Stansted (ZSD in those days) change flight deck crew then fly direct ZSD - YVR, flights also carried a navigator who directed the trans atlantic part with the aid of a bubble sextant and Loran (a long range version of the Gee set found in wartime lancasters).

British Midland's Viscount 800 G-AZLR

Monarch's Britannia G-AOVG

An unusal visitor is Braathens Safe F27  LN-SUF.

And so as the Hillman Minx glides round the perimeter road and down the hill, we say goodbye to Roger and Reggie till the next time.

Number 34 in a Never Ending Series

Sent to Coventry Part 2

Welcome back to 14th february 1974, where the nearly rally prepared ford cortina estate is still parked in the FREE car park outside the timber terminal building at Baginton. So lets continue  with our tour of the back lot.

Arriving for fuel is Jet Ranger G-AYBE

Beech Queenair G-ASKM. In the background can be seen the centre section remains of a BAF Bristol Superfreighter one of several cut up at Coventry at this time.

Percival Prentice G-APIU another prentice that ended its days on the Baginton back lot.

Fortunately still in existence is Percival Prentice G-APJB

Final Prentice today is G-AOKO

And finally is the rare Percival Prince G-AMLZ.

And so as the Cortina roars off into the sunset we say goodbye to Roger and Reggie till next time.

Sent to Coventry Part 1

Welcome, its 14th february 1974 and today we are off to Baginton  as it was known for years before it jumped on the bandwagon to become Coventry International.  There is word of an unusual arrival so the nearly rally prepared ford cortina estate  is fuelled up and the zenith B is loaded with ilford black and white so lets head north up the M1 and the M45 to the darkest midlands.

As usual in those days we can wander around the hangar's as we please , and outside the Shackleton Aviation hangar is the reason for the trip. Super Constellation N7777G in for radio repairs. Unfortunately as with the other connies that arrived in England during this period it was eventually abandoned  where it went unserviceable as repairs were beyond the owners cheque book, this time in Dublin, but was eventually rescued by the Science Museum and is now on display at Wroughton.

Leopard Moth G-ACLL

And yet another Leopard Moth G-ACMN

Hiding at the back of the hangar is an unidentified  DH Rapide fuselage

And just like buses along comes another anonymous DH Rapide this one possibly G-AEML

Cessna 414 G-BBUJ

That's all for now  but look out for part 2 with more relics to be found at Coventry.

Number 33 in a Never Ending Series

Luton Airport Graveyard 1972

Welcome, it's April 1972 and today we are off to Luton once again, this time to view the residents of the Graveyard. There is plenty of room as we are in the Bedford HA van today, and the Agfa Stillette Rapide is loaded with black and white film, so lets be off and rattle our way up the hill to the airport.                                                                            

Viewed across an empty long term car park are the last of the Britannia 102's G-ANBE and G-ANBL with their Britannia Airways titles painted out.

In those days the graveyard area was not fenced off from the road so you could wander at leisure around the  residents. Here is another view of Britannia's G-ANBL and G-ANBE before they were finally cut up in July 1972.

Prototype Handley Page Jetstream G-ATXJ  behind the MacAlpine hangar.

The B25 Film Camera ship  N7614C  behind the MacAlpine Hangar before it was finally evicted to make way for MacAlpine's second hangar.

Not resident but wedged in between the Monarch and Britannia Brit's is Dan Air's HS748 G-AXVG

And so as the HA Van rattles it's way into the sunset we say goodbye to Roger and Reggie till next time.