Originally Posted by
LTNman
Ah, these two then. I think some folk here have remarkable memories. Either that or extraordinary days at Luton are burned into peoples memories.
Or you were a mega-anorak who recorded days like this with meticulous detail, not just aircraft movements but also including where they were parked and what the weather was like....
I was working a night shift (2000-0800) on 31/12/78. Management had struck a deal for us to start early at 1700 and finish after the last movement, which was the regular Sunday Austrian DC-9 STD 2150. Then everyone was expecting to go to a New Years Eve party. Temperature was already down to -5
º when I arrived for my shift to be greeted by the sight of 4 diverted Dan Airs, a couple of Lufthansa 737's and the 2 Laker DC-10's on stands 16/17. It was dark, so I didn't realise taxiway Alpha was home to the 3rd Laker DC-10 and a Sterling Caravelle. A Lufthansa 727-200 and a Midland DC-9-14 had already departed after diverting in earlier. Snow moved in during the evening dropping the temperature down to -7
º but the airport must have stayed open, with the Austrian managing to get in and out on time. Needless to say, with the ongoing situation and the threat of more diverted flights, no-one got away for their planned parties until after midnight, around 0100 in my case.