Originally Posted by
LGS6753
My first transatlantic trip was LGW-JFK on a GK DC-10-10 in March 1978, a bit before Skytrain started, although the aircraft was painted in Skytrain colours. It was an ABC (Advanced Booking Charter), .
The aircraft were painted as Skytrain from delivery, for the DC-10s in the early 1970s; it took that long to get the Skytrain licences. The DC-10 Skytrain title was done in a backing of half a USA flag and half a Union Flag. The A300s that came at the end, intended for the same concept across Europe, had the same livery except that the title backing was now an elongated full Union Flag.
Older One-Elevens and 707 were similar colours but had no main fuselage titles at all, a slightly unusual Laker feature, having it only on the tailfin. The red and black colours were those of the jockeys at Freddie's longstanding personal horse racing stable.