That Alitalia 747
Hey Propliner Man, I too went up to the airport that day and shock horror, the miscreant at the right in the picture looks horribly like me!!! What date was this? I was certainly at school and was spotting from c.71 to about 75.
I also remember PB enterprises (Aero). PB Hardy was a very strange chap and had a strange friend called something like Gandy? Is Hardy still alive?
I was a member of the spotters club he ran (and still am in it's modern form as TAS!). I went on lots of trips all over the South of England with the club. In fact my very first flight was on one his trips. We went to Gatwick and there was an announcement that numbers would be drawn out of a hat for a flight from Gatwick to Redhill, Yes I won. We flew to Redhill in a Horizon G-AWAC. Apparently the owner was a friend of his, amazing stuff when I think about it.
I also recall going to the Barton airshow where he had a stand one year. He had an old car (can't remember what it was) and we put a "For Sale" sign on the windscreen, he went mad!
I'll go and dig out my old Cam's to see if I can add to your list of memorable aircraft. But, does anyone remember 3 IL18's lined up on the west apron, Tarom or Balkan, can't remember which!
I haven't collected numbers since the '70's but I'm still really keen on Aviation and I walk around 23L/05R at least 2 or 3 times a week to keep fit. I can get to the threshhold of 05R on foot in 20mins from home!
Is there anyone else out there who was around in the early/mid seventies? There were a number of guys from school (Broadway) who went up to the airport but I lost touch 30+ years ago.
Cheadle Boy