Originally Posted by
crewmeal
I guess when they filmed 'The Crown' How did the BOAC ... the Viscount fly? It's all computer generated.
If they had a BOAC Viscount, that was correct. BOAC never ran Viscounts, but their overseas-ownership arm, BOAC Associated Services, did, and leased Viscount 700s to Aden Airways, among a number of others, in BOAC livery with small Aden titles.
before the VC-10 actually entered service with BOAC
First VC10 deliveries, April 1964 to BOAC, September 1964 to British United. The BOAC ones replaced Comet 4s on these routes. The BUA ones did initially do military charters (always a mainstream use for BUA Britannias) before replacing Britannias on East Africa schedules, and later supplanting BOAC on South America.
I am still amazed we had the USSR being so friendly
Alas the media image. Russians in private life are actually some of the most pleasant, honourable and hospitable people you may find
. And they have always despised their leaders (Czars, Socialists, New Russians, in equal quantities).
There was a particularly nasty customs man at Lyneham at that time
So I will tell this one. The very first time I ever arrived in Russia, at St Petersburg, I anticipated a KGB-style reception. But in the customs hall it was the opposite. Elegant Russian 40-something woman has her suitcase opened on the inspection counter. Russian customs officer, young-20-something, young enough to be her son, full old-socialist style uniform with oversized hat, on the other side. Woman is giving the officer what for in full volume. Officer is slightly cowering backwards, not knowing what to do, under the torrent of invective (I presume). Not the image at all ! I think she won.
we avoided Turkey and flew over Armenia and Georgia
Just a short while ago, Singapore to LHR nonstop on a 777, we took this exact same route, direct overhead Baku.
Did you look down on The Caspian coast to see the Ekranoplan - alias Caspian Sea Monster ?
The prototype must have been trialling about then.