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BOAC/BA Routes to Australia 1973-74

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BOAC/BA Routes to Australia 1973-74

Old 19th Nov 2014, 11:13
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BOAC/BA Routes to Australia 1973-74

I'm trying to recollect how we flew from LHR to BNE in 1974.

As a 10 year old I can clearly remember departing BNE in August 1973 aboard a BOAC VC10 Super for a trip to the UK. Our routing was BNE-DRW-RNG-CCU-BOM-KWI-LHR. Connecting to a Vickers Viscount to LBA!

But the return journey in August 1974 is hazy! I suspect it was via either AUH or ADD and then SIN, but I'm not certain. I think it was also a VC10, but not 100%. Any help appreciated.

Thanks,
Aus ATC
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Old 19th Nov 2014, 14:52
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It was still a VC-!0 in1974.
The summer timetable has 3 flights a week---
Mon LHR/DAM/BAH/DXB/CMB/SIN/BNE.
Fri LHR/KWI/BAH/CMB/SIN/BNE.
Sun LHR/BGW/DOH/CCU/SIN/BNE.
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Old 19th Nov 2014, 19:35
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I have found five entries for Brisbane flights for 73/74 in my logbook.

They are;

13th May 1973 SVC10 G-ASGO SIN 12.42 BNE 20.05 BA722

23rd March 1974 SVC10 G-ASGL KUL 13.41 DRW 18.29 BA710

23rd March 1974 SVC10 G-ASGL DRW 19.12 BNE 22.35 BA710

27th March 1974 SVC10 G-ASGL BNE 06.03 DRW 10.00 BA737

27th March 1974 SVC10 G-ASGL DRW 10.48 SIN 15.08 BA737

Hope this helps.
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Old 20th Nov 2014, 04:40
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Thanks for the replies. Those routes don't ring any bells though - maybe my memory is worse than I thought!!
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Old 20th Nov 2014, 12:00
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I was VC.10 Cabin crew at that time.
I did a BNE-DRW on 09/09/73 G-ARVC. (Standard VC.10)
We then positioned on Qantas 707 to HKG and then operated back
HKG/CCU/KWI on 13/09/73 on G-ARVE another Standard VC.10.
KWI/LHR on 17/09/73 on G-ARVE again.

I dont recall us ever going to RNG on any fleet and dont think BA flew there then?
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Old 20th Nov 2014, 13:10
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RNG - no I don't think BA or BOAC ever went there but we did go to RGN Rangoon as was - Yangon as it is now known.
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Old 20th Nov 2014, 13:22
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RNG - no I don't think BA or BOAC ever went there
We certainly never operated to RNG (Rangely, Colorado, USA) but we did fly to RGN (Rangoon/Yangon). I operated SVC10 G-ASGA there on 17/12.72 en-route from Delhi to Hong Kong (BA732).
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Old 20th Nov 2014, 17:59
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Thread drift. Remember the BA888, known by 2UE in Sydney as the Late Late Late.

BD
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Old 20th Nov 2014, 18:02
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Can't help with routings but I do remember that BA and Qantas, around that time, introduced what they called a one-way excursion fare with a designator YOX, from LON to SYD/MEL, for £196. It seemed cheap at the time but in real money compared with fares now, quite expensive.
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Old 21st Nov 2014, 01:46
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I'm drifting the thread a bit here too but around that time in the 70's there were obviously several permutations of the UK-Australia route operated by BOAC. My JJC log book shows Heathrow-Winnipeg-Los Angeles in a 707, then transferring to a VC-10 and flying Los Angeles-Honolulu-Fiji-Sydney in December 1973. The return in January 1974 was Sydney-Fiji-Honolulu-Los Angeles-New York in a VC-10, then transfer to a 747 for New York-Heathrow.
Was this flag flying in both east and west directions a throwback to Empire days and the desire to have a worldwide presence? Or was there genuine corporate thinking behind it in order to pull in business from as many stops as possible along the way?
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Old 21st Nov 2014, 06:03
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I travelled London to Brisbane on 30th April 1973 in a BOAC VC10 via Bahrain, Dhaka[ Dacca then ] and Darwin. We weren't allowed to disembark at Dhaka because of the political situation. Many buildings around the airport were shell damaged.
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Old 21st Nov 2014, 06:18
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I recall SFO-HNL-TYO, and SFO-HNL-FIJI-SYD with 707's. Once had to divert a Fiji-SYD service to BNE due SYD Wx. Navigation Fiji-HNL was almost entirely by Astro, Loran a bit sparse on that route

707's had 3 month flight deck crew "postings" to SYD, HNL & HKG in the early '60s. before SYD was taken over by the VC-10. The 747 took over "postings" again in the late '70s.

My HNL posting was notable because the RAF had a small detachment based in Hawaii, at Hickam USAF base, which "shared" the same airfield as HNL Intn'l. They were there to service a Hastings that transitted once a week for the Atom Bomb testing ranges on Christmas Island at the time. The USAF base school let the kids out early on Tuesday and Thursday, to go see a Limey tail wheel aeroplane ! (I kid you not )

The RAF had a water-ski boat, and we had Stewardesses. We came to an "arrangement" !

We ski'd in a lagoon at the side of the airport, later re-claimed land to construct the present runway 06R, "Reef runway" - in later years I would tell my co-pilot that I learned to water ski on this runway. "Brakes released, check full power, V1, Rotate" Silly old Fart, I'm sure they thought !

Quote. ".... known by 2UE in Sydney as the Late Late Late." Thought it was the 'Late 8 8' ? but won't argue.
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Old 21st Nov 2014, 08:07
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The Golden Temple

My other half (Purser Paula) says certainly BOAC went into Rangoon. When she was an 'A' Lady on 707s she remembers being on the flight deck in a poor weather approach and the Captain asking all present to try and spot 'The Golden Temple' to establish their position! The CC were told never to uplift any food or water from Rangoon - definitely not safe.

I remember that DJ in Sydney announcing one morning "Right Folks Ive got some shokkin' news about the Pommie Eight Eight Late 'plane, it's just arrived on time! But don't get too excited Folks - it's not today's plane - it's yesterdays.....

Ian BB
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Old 21st Nov 2014, 10:18
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Myself and family flew from Heathrow to Melbourne by B.A. Boeing 747 in Feb.1974 via Bahrain, Bangkok, Darwin. Don't recall any flight numbers as I was and never have been that interested. Too busy mending airplanes for that.
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Old 21st Nov 2014, 12:58
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Indeed I remember going to Rangoon on the way back from Hong Kong to LHR on VC10 around the mid 70s. I got off and spent 30 mins with a small number of other pax in a tiny terminal building and watched a Burma Airways F27 arrive to occupy the other stand.

Next stop was Calcutta, also no catering options. Back in the day BA (well still BOAC in all but name) seemed to have a different route every day to HK.

VC10s took me to a few other places BA no longer go to
Addis Ababa, Khartoum, Entebbe, Seychelles
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Old 21st Nov 2014, 15:18
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primreamer,
One of the reasons for so many stops was that the aircraft in those days had a relatively limited range. I can't remember the numbers, but London to Barbados was stretching it a bit on a Super VC10.
I have just looked through my logbook and see we certainly went to Rangoon on VC10s. One trip in 1973 shows the following itinerary. London-Beirut-Delhi-Rangoon-Hong Kong-Singapore-Darwin-Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne-Auckland-Sydney-Brisbane-Melbourne-Perth-Singapore and then passenger back home on a 747. 14 days away and all so much more fun then I guess it is now!
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Old 22nd Nov 2014, 11:15
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I enjoy reading about the VC10, all very interesting. But I keep thinking it would have been quicker on a ship to Australia!

You would think with 4 engines on a relatively small plane that the VC10 could have carried more fuel, so it wouldn't have to land so often.

My parents used to go on a BOAC VC10 to Cape Town. I think they refuelled in Nairobi, but where else would they have refuelled?
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Old 22nd Nov 2014, 11:25
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I don't think it went to CPT, but to JNB. None of the VC10 variants quite had sufficient range to do LON-CPT (6011 miles) or JNB (5636) nonstop with a viable payload.

The reason for the NBO stop was most likely that, as well as refuelling, they could carry revenue traffic on both segments (LON<>NBO and NBO<>JNB). I think some services went via Lagos, Accra, or Kano.
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Old 22nd Nov 2014, 11:40
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You would think with 4 engines on a relatively small plane that the VC10 could have carried more fuel, so it wouldn't have to land so often.
One of the reasons for so many stops was that the aircraft in those days had a relatively limited range.
Of course the main reason they stopped so often was not for fuel, but because that is where the pax wanted to get to. LH was more operated like a bus route in those days. On the 707 we frequently did LHR-FCO-Far East, or Karachi Rome Frankfurt London. Short sectors done by an aircraft that could stay airborne for 9-10 hours.
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Old 22nd Nov 2014, 15:27
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Originally Posted by VC10man
My parents used to go on a BOAC VC10 to Cape Town. I think they refuelled in Nairobi, but where else would they have refuelled?
Zurich.
December 24, 1973, we flew from Nairobi to Zurich to Heathrow in a Super VC10 with about 10 passengers on board. Manchester was fogged in so we then travelled by train from London to Manchester, eventually being picked up by my uncle in his new fangled Morris Marina in the wee small hours of xmas day for the 25 mile drive to our final destination near Blackburn, Lancashire (of the 10,000 holes).

In early December 1971, when I was 8, we were on the first BOAC 747 service from Melbourne to Hong Kong via Darwen. The 1971 India-Pakistan war fired up almost immediately, closing Indian airspace and stranding us in the far east, before we eventually flew Hong Kong, south of India to Tehran, Beirut, Heathrow and thence to Ringway, Manchester to get home in time for xmas.

I have no idea what the aircraft or airlines were, and I missed out on seeing hippy era Kathmandu as originally planned, but I do remember the mountains to the north of Tehran and the Crusader Castle at Sidon very clearly.

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