Interesting to see the news reel clip. Looking back on it now I was rather shocked to see how ill George VI appeared to be.
The death of the King in these circumstances lead to Queen Elizabeth II becoming the first British reigning monarch to fly on a British Airline (obviously not a scheduled service). However before boarding the Argonaut at Entebbe she had been flown by East African Airways from Nanyuki to Entebbe in DC3 VP-KHK RMA Sagana thus EAA became the first airline to carry a British reigning monarch.
I cannot claim to have flown on G-ALHK Atlanta but enjoyed (endured ?!!) two flights on Argonauts in summer 1958: likely to be LHN Argosy and LHS Astra. LHR - NBI return for school holidays in Kenya. The return trip in LHS turned into something of an adventure.
We had left Nairobi in the afternoon, called at Entebbe and were within about an hour of Khartoum when "engine problems" were encountered. It was decided to return to Entebbe as facilitites there were better. By about midnight all the passengers (mainly youngsters returning to school) were installed in the Lake Victoria Hotel.
Repairs took all next day so we departed Entebbe for the second time 24 hours later: in fact the next days flight, also BA161, left before we did. Interesting when all the passengers became intermingled and no one knew which BA161 they were supposed to be boarding!!!
As has been said the effect of the engine noise persisted for a couple days after the flight had been completed. Have to say I think the noise of the Wright turbo compounds on an Air France Starliner was even more penetrating.
Still wonderful flights to look back on.............
Planemike
Last edited by Planemike; 5th Feb 2012 at 18:40.