I grew up in the village of Stansted Mountfitchet and spent many, many happy hours spotting at Stansted airport during this period.
Normal hang out spots were the old terminal, the grass area to its immediate left (where Stansted Aviation Society eventually had a temporary building) or cycling around various in airport or perimeter vantage spots (low or no fences in those days). Kindly ATEL folk would let you peek into hangar 4 if you were well behaved.
The Scandi invasion was largely two pronged, with an early morning fleet and then a repeat in the late afternoon/evening. The Sterling flights were normally the last to arrive and depart, normally after dark (season varying of course)
I seem to recall Busy Bee also operated occasional F27's. Nor-Fly and Fred Olsen would also pitch in with ancient Convair 340/440's.
Other regulars were the CAA/CAFU HS748 pair of G-ATMI and G-ATMJ and Eric Thustons PA-23 G-ASMY, training aspiring pilots. I took my first ever flight on G-ATMJ in 1977 as part of a programme organised by the CAA for Essex school children.....imagine that today?
The ATEL Hangar 4 would, as noted by the OP, attract amazing exotica from around the world, mostly in the form of 707's and DC-8's but occasionally other types, including the Turkish Air Force Viscounts, Britannias, CL-44's and Hercs
A few memories from that era. All the below circa 1983
