History research - British Airways (BEA & BOAC)

[Historyresearch]

Hello - I'm the son of a pilot and I'm trying to do some history research on British Airways (incl BEA and BOAC) during the 70s and early 80s. I'm really interested in speaking to pilots, cabin crew and ground crew who worked with the airline during this time.

If this includes you, perhaps you'd like to send me a private message? My name is Max, by the way.

[G&T ice n slice]

BOAC, october 1969 to september 1973

Known as British Overstaffed Airways Corporation

It was fine & happy place to work ... until the BEA/BOAC merger started.
Then it gradually became a place of torment for BOAC staff

So I left & joined the world's best airline.

[tristar 500]

Historyresearch.

I worked for the Best Ever Airline from 1963 until 2003 as a ground engineer, what do you want to know?

PM me if you wish.

tristar 500

[Ian Burgess-Barber]

Hello

I was BOAC (later BA) Cabin Crew on the Classic Fleet (747-136 & 236), 1973-1979 and then Cabin Crew Information Officer (and Sub-Editor of In-House CC 'Contact' Magazine) until I took the Thatcher Shilling (voluntary redundancy) in Dec. 1981. Since then I have seen everything that I suspected vis a vis BA come to pass.

PM me for the more contentious/litigious items

PS If it is relevant, I flew light aircraft as a PPL for 20 years

'Bye

Ian

[Capot]

You may wish to include a look at BOAC/BA's Associated Companies; usually regional airlines operating from hubs on one of BOAC's cabotage routes, which most of its non-Atlantic routes were.

It was a symbiotic relationship; the regionasl fed BOAC/BA and vice versa, usually with common-rated fares from/to London for most points on the regional's network.

Gulf Aviation/Air was one such, and a dimming memory says that Kenya Airways and Aden Airways were others.

BOAC helped with many things; in Gulf we came in on the BOAC/BA computer reservation system in about 1973-4, I think it was, which gave us access to world-wide sales and reservations much quicker than the telex.

We got 4 VC10s cheap, along with some of the oldest and in one or two cases best pilots to fly them (not so cheap).

Gulf provided BA with a lot of ground handling, slip crew admin assistance, flight planning etc at Bahrain and Abu Dhabi.

I don't know when Associated Companies finally packed up; it was a child of the colonial era, really. But it set up some good airlines, I think.

In Gulf we observed the start of the BOAC/BEA merger, and some of its more ridiculous aspects. When we got L1011's, it went without saying that the overnight maintenance at LHR would be done by BA. Except it wasn't; the aircraft were towed to BEA, sorry, European Division, was it, because they had monopoly rights to L1011s, for some reason. And there they were delayed, robbed of parts if ED had a problem and generally treated badly, so the contract was rapidly transferred to HAECO.

[chevvron]

Many years ago my ATC squadron did a visit to the BOAC maintenance and Ops facility at Heathrow. We were able to board several aircraft such as '707 and VC10 (this was before the jumbo era)
The father of one of my fellow cadets was a BEA employee at the time, and as we walked across the vast engineering hangar, my mate persisted in saying (in a very loud voice) 'It's much better at BEA'.
We all pretended he wasn't with us.

[Jhieminga]

Have you done any reading yet? Here's a start:
http://www.vc10.net/Misc/Images/BOACHistory_ChrisWoodley.jpg
BOAC - An Illustrated History
Chris Woodley (2004), Tempus Publishing, ISBN 0752431617
http://www.vc10.net/Misc/Images/amznUKbuyitnow.gif (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0752431617/ref=ase_alittlevc10de-21/)

http://www.vc10.net/Misc/Images/BA_HaraldPenrose_small.jpg
Wings Across The World - An Illustrated History of British Airways
Harald Penrose (1980), Cassell Ltd, ISBN 0304306975
http://www.vc10.net/Misc/Images/amznUKbuyitnow.gif (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0304306975?ie=UTF8&tag=alittlevc10de-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0304306975)

http://www.vc10.net/Misc/Images/BritishAirways-Gaskell_resize.jpg
British Airways: It's History, Aircraft and Liveries
Keith Gaskell (1999), The Crowood Press, ISBN 1840371420
http://www.vc10.net/Misc/Images/amznUKbuyitnow.gif (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1840371420?ie=UTF8&tag=alittlevc10de-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1840371420)

I lifted this from my website which is why it includes the Amazon links (mods feel free to remove those if it contravenes the rules). There are many more books available of course. I'm sure others can add to this list.

Also have a look at these sites:
BETTER ON A CAMEL (http://betteronacamel.com/)
And of course: A Little VC10derness (http://www.vc10.net) (sorry, shameless plug ;))

[tristar 500]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KF45F1MPL._SL500_AA300_.jpg (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/images/1844151867/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=266239&s=books)


You forgot the best one!!!!!

tristar 500

[Groundloop]

You forgot the best one!!!!!

Phil Lo Bao's "Illustrated History of British European Airways" was MUCH better.

[tristar 500]

Phil Lo Bao's "Illustrated History of British European Airways" was MUCH better.

Got that one, but couldn`t find it on that well known South American web site!!!!

tristar 500

[happybiker]

"The Challenge of BEA" by Gary May, the story of the great airline's first 25 years is also worth a look.

[Groundloop]

Phil Lo Bao's "Illustrated History of British European Airways" was MUCH better.

Got that one, but couldn`t find it on that well known South American web site!!!!

Wasn't difficult. Search "Phil Lo Bao":ok:

History of British European Airways: Amazon.co.uk: Phil Lo Bao: Books (http://www.amazon.co.uk/History-British-European-Airways-Phil/dp/0946141398/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297072416&sr=8-3)

[PPRuNe Pop]

Enough! :=