British Airways and service to Calgary, Canada in early 80s

[jamtide]

In the early 1980s I remember British Airways flying their 747s into Calgary. Did they also fly Tristars on this route from LHR? Curious as I'm compiling a list of airlines and the aircraft used to fly into Calgary (CYYC/YYC) both present and past.

Thanks,

Jamie E.

[renfrew]

The 1981 timetable shows a 747 and the 1982 shows a Tristar.
The service didn't last long.
Ken.

[jamtide]

Thanks! I knew I saw one as a kid, the Tristar that is. Actually, can you tell me what 747 version was used, the -100 or -200 or does it not say?

[Captain Slogg]

Going back to the early 70`s I operated as cabin crew through Calgary several times on B.A (and formally BOAC) 707s en route London to LAX. Showing my age now!

[jamtide]

So did BOAC operate through Calgary as well using the 707?

[Captain Slogg]

Yes it was about the time they actually merged/changed name from BOAC to B.A.-around about 1974 if my memory is correct.
The 707s were usually the 707-336 versions. There were some strange union flight time agreements then and the cabin crew used to change in Calgary but the same flight deck crew carried on to L.A (Its usually the other way round and its the flight deck crew that have the duty hours problems before the cabin crew do)
London to L.A was also getting close to max range on a fully loaded 707 against the prevailing winds too-so would also possibly have been a combined en route fuel stop too.
The flights would normally come back direct from L.A non-stop.

[Speedbird48]

I have just dug out my log book and I was in Calgary for the first time with L1011-500 G-BFCB on 5/11/81. Did a return flight due to vibration on #1 fan in G-BFCE on 7/11/81 and went Calgary-LHR on 8/11/81.
The routing for the Tri-Star was either LHR-Calgary-Vancouver or LHR-Edmonton-Vancouver. If it was outbound via Calgary it came back via Edmonton and vice versa.
I seem to have spent almost half of December 1981 shuttling between Calgary-Vancouver-Edmonton having left LHR on 15/12/81 and getting back on 27/12/81.
You are correct that the service was for only a short time and was operated with the -500 version of the L1011.
After April 1982 the service seems to have been changed as I have several trips from LHR-Seattle-Vancouver with some via Edmonton. The last of those trips for me was 16/9/82.
I hopes this helps a little.

[Wycombe]

.... same aeroplanes still fairly regular visitors to YYC today of course!

[uy707]

Thanks for the info advising me BOAC and then BA used to serve YYC together with creewing the 707.
Alain