It's so sad to see this airport reduced to this. For many years it was my local airport, that was after it ceased being RAF Middleton St George. My father and I used to go there to watch the Javelins and Hunters and then the Lightnings as well as all the transports toing and froing along with the Practice Divs. Then the RAF beefed it up and lengthened the runway to be a V Force dispersal. and my Dad said, "They're going to sell it" They did and it became Tees Side Airport with BKS and Dan Air flying schedules and Monarch and others doing charters from there.
Through the Aero Club we got very friendly with the Control Tower staff and would visit the tower every Tuesday and Thursday evenings and all Saturday afternoon. Len Taylor was SATCO and John Henderson took over when Len went to New Zealand.Schedules and charters galore and even managed a trip or two when TAROM and Bavaria were crew training on the BAC 1-11. BEA did all their BAC1-11 series 500 training at Tees Side and we spent many a happy hour watching them. British Eagle were regular crew training visits too with their Britannias and BAC 1-11s. Got a trip with them in a 1-11. Channel Airways operated their daily "Scottish Flyer" originating BOH or EXT (time clouds the memory) and stopping at various points up the country before terminating at ABZ, ISTR, and then back down again. Even managed to get on board the first Lockheed TriStar to visit Europe when it came in to do a sales pitch to someone or other. I remember it was HUGE in comparison and in Eastern Airlines colours. We even had a service to Luton by Autair, later to become Court Line. They were frequently late and I remember the local slogan went, "Time to spare? Go Autair".
This rambles a bit, but it's mostly coming out as I remember things from when I was a pre teenager as well as in my teens and as a young adult. I'm well into my sixties now so, bear with me.
I remember Dan Air operating services with Dakotas and Airspeed Ambassadors as well as BKS using Ambassadors and Britannias on scheduled services. The air terminal was a large Nissen Hut down by the Eastern Apron. I was allowed to walk out to the aeroplanes and help escort the passengers in. Because I was so well known, there wasn't really anywhere I wasn't allowed to go sometimes with escort but also without. The fire section was Auxilliary Fire Service with the infamous Green Goddesses and I was taught how to marshal aircraft by one of the fireman. A far cry from today, but this was in the early sixties. I didn't appreciate at the time what a huge privilege this was with so many people looking out for me and teaching me everything I could absorb at such an early age.
This led to my first job in aviation when one of my contacts from "The Good Old Days" told me British Midland were looking for a Traffic Officer. I applied and got the job, starting work at week ends while I served my notice elsewhere. They operated four MME-LHR rotations a day with the Viscount. Apart from the airport, which didn't do a lot of it, we were the only handling agent on the place and were kept busy with our own flights, Dan Air's HS748s, Air Anglia, Dan Air charter flights to the Canaries, Spain and Italy and even Air Spain with their Stretch DC8s did a charter series to somewhere or other I can't quite remember (I think it may have been TFS).
It was a far busier place then and can't believe the decline it has suffered. Even in my early days, NCL was always the Big Airport and the Bogeyman trying to steal all our traffic.
Last edited by Doctor Cruces; 28th Dec 2018 at 18:41.