T'graph.
Yes thats the colour scheme I recall for sure. .Why i remember the engine noise as different I am not sure but as I said living in Stanwell for may years as kid you could tell pretty much what was coming next off of 27/28L just from the sound. .
Some time in the late 70s while walking from Ashford station to my home a very noisy and different sounding 747 .caught my attention. It was TWA 100 series and was really climbing out aggressively on a westerly departures from 09/10R when a big sheet of flame shot from one of the engines on my side together with a heavy whoompf sound. Really frightened me as I thought it must be really serious although the 74 immediately leveled out and carried on to the west with no apparent problem. I did worry me though and as I was literally passing a call box phoned LHR and got put through to ATC who politely explained what it was I had seen and said all was Ok and the crew were deciding what to do in terms of carry on or return but thanked me for calling anyway. Was the second time isaw falmes on an airliner the first was the BOAC 707 which lost an engine (literally )out of LHR) and I had a really clear view of its emergence return onto 05 . Unfortunatley my firnd and I also saw the huge column of black smoke behind a row of houses and knew that something very serious had happened . Itwas probably that experience that worried me about the TWA flight.. More traumatic was my sister's experience of being in Staines High Street when Papa India crashed. I asked if she saw anything and her resply was no but we felt it. A very sad day where i lived our immediate neighbours were Staines police officer , Ashford hospital nursing sister and BA fireman . and BEA Maintenance engineer who all ended up at the site. My dad was BEA Maintrol and knew both Capt Key and the supernumerary captain quite well. A very sad day