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Old 23rd December 2005 | 07:07
  #64 (permalink)  
Helen49
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 488
Likes: 9
From: UK
Flightwatch.....

Most interesting to read your posts on LBA, the Viscounts, 748s etc. I was at LBA in those days in ATC and, like you, can remember much of it as though it were yesterday! GASPL, the first departure from the newly constructed runway 33.

British Eagle were the first Viscount operators at LBA, using V700s on their LBA-MAN-Newquay service from runway 28(!) and I well remember the first BKS viscount operations using the Channel Viscounts..... in Channel colours. I also remember an incident when a BKS Captain with many hours on the V700 landed on runway 33 and shut down the 'inners' by mistake, leaving the aircraft stranded on the runway!

I recall BKS having 6 V700s, all with slight variations in the colour schemes! In the '70s 'Northeast' operated the Viscount 800s on IT flights to various destinations in mainland Spain and the Balearics.

Throughout the 60s and 70s, Viscounts were the backbone of LBA operations and therefore provide many fond memories!

H49
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