G-AHFD Once with B.S.A.A. and now with Skyways.
In Trooping Livery as WA 500.
G-AHFD was sold to Middle East Airlines in 1957 becoming OD-ADB.
OD-ADB looking very smart at Beirut 1957. Photo The Peter Keating Collection (c) A Flying History ltd.
Sadly OD-ADB and its five crew was lost over the Mediterranean on September 29th 1958. It was operating a cargo service from Beirut to London with a tech stop at Rome.
G-AGNY Eagle Aviation at Bovingdon 1950
In 1949 Harold Bamberg purchased Eagle's first Yorks. In 1950 the airline moved its base from Aldermarston to Luton where it was to remain until 1952.
Eagle Aviation's Halifaxes and Yorks were a familiar sight at Bovingdon. The company's first commercial flight carried cherries from Verona to Bovingdon in a Halifax on May 9th 1948. During the period of 1950-52 many flights were operated by Eagle from Bovingdon due in no small part to restricted airport opening hours and restricted customs facilities at Luton. It wasn't until 1951 that Luton Airport was granted a one year 'Customs facilities Trial' . Until then I believe that Customs and Excise staff from Bovingdon motored over to provide cover at Luton. Eagle like several of the larger British Independent Airlines relied on Government Trooping Contracts for their bread and butter. Jackie Pritchard writing in 2016 describes a journey on G-AGNY in 1951 when the airline had a contract with The Air Ministry:
' I flew on an Avro York G-AGNY this was in 1951 leaving Singapore and landing for over night stops in Ceylon, Bombay, Karachi, Iraq, Malta, and finally England. This was a bare bones flight, the plane had seating of all descriptions old car seats, coach seats, you name it, we boarded wearing only our tropical uniform but had the sense thank goodness to carry our great coats. The plane was exactly the same as if being used for cargo no heating and the fuselage was clearly visible rivets and all, we half froze to death the steward was the navigator, the food was in little brown cardboard boxes complete with dry curled up meat and not forgetting a small wooden knife and fork. I often think about that journey and wonder if there are many left who were on that flight with me
.'
Captain John 'Pancho' Villa. York Fleet Captain Eagle Aviation. When Bamberg sold his Yorks to Skyways, Villa went too.
Photo - Peter Villa.
Peter Villa Remembers: ' My father was a Captain with Eagle and later with LAC/Skyways. I attended Bovingdon Primary School and was there when the King died. We later moved to Garston and after that, Tring. I too spent time at the end of the runway and in the hangars when I could persuade Dad to take me. Independent aviation was so precarious Dad bought the caravan so he could move the family from base to base and job to job. Bovingdon sticks in my memory. We lived at Highcroft in a caravan for a while. It was parallel to the runway and you could hear the Merlins popping on the Yorks as they landed.' (pers com)
G-AGNY at Adelaide Circa 1953. Photo credit Robert Wiseman.
On June 26th 1954 while inbound to Berlin flying empty near Kyritz (Soviet occupied Germany) G-AGNY suffered an engine separation and crashed following loss of control. The crew of three were killed. The daughter of one of the pilots subsequently wrote in 2017:
' I flew in this plane in 1953 on a test flight from Stansted airport, my father was one of the pilots. He died in 1954, June 26th. It crashed over Germany with 3 crew , ironic as he flew through the war earning the DFC. I was 9 at the time and remember it clearly.'
Previously G-AMRI of Surrey Flying Services and now sold in 1955 by Freddie Laker to Air Liban OD-ACD is seen at Bovingdon.
Photo credit Bovingdon-Airfield.co.uk
OD-ACD at its new home, Beirut, 1955. This aeroplane was destroyed in a take-off accident at Tehran May 27th 1960. Three crew were injured. Photo credit The Peter Keating Collection (c) A Flying History ltd.
AND NOW FOR A BIT OF YORK DRIFT (OFF THE RUNWAY)
Brize not Bovingdon. MW168 November 28th 1946. Loss of power on N2 engine during take-off contributed to loss of control on this training detail. Photo credit baaa-acro
By 1949 the RAF had nine Squadrons of Yorks. During The Berlin Airlift 29,000 sorties were flown by these aeroplanes transporting approx 239,000 tons of supplies.
G-AGJD of BOAC at Castel Benito Libya February 1st 1949. On departure for London the York was caught by a strong gusting cross-wind. The pilot over-corrected and ran off the runway. No fatalities. Photo credit Andy Frish baaa-acro.
G-AMUM Scottish Airlines Luqa, Malta April 13th 1954. Prior departure for Stansted one engine suffered starter motor failure. The Captain elected to start the engine by wind-milling it during a high speed taxy. This was successful but control of the aircraft was lost in the process.
CF-HFP Pacific Western Airlines Cape Parry Airfield, North West Territories. June 25th 1957. Over ran on landing resulting in loss of Starboard undercarriage and damage that was beyond repair.
CAPE PARRY NORTHWEST TERRITORIES CANADA Geography Population Map cities coordinates location - Tageo.com
CF-HFX Arctic Wings at Hall Lake, Nunavut April 12th 1955. While taking off from Hall Lake the aeroplane hit a snowbank and broke its back. Both Arctic Wings and Pacific Western were amongst airlines using Yorks to re-supply the DEW Line project in Northern Canada. Photo credit baaa-acro.
As seen in 1972.
More recently.
HALL LAKE NUNAVUT CANADA Geography Population Map cities coordinates location - Tageo.com
And, if you have time to spare:
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