Cambrian Airways

[bycrewlgw]

Hey guys anyone have any information on the routes Cambrian used to operate? Have searched the net but have not managed to find anything! Any info much appriciated!

BYCREWLGW

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Well they certainly operated from Heathrow to Cardiff. A pretty abysmal picture I took of one of their Viscounts at Heathrow in 1964 can be seen here:
http://www.brendan-mccartney.fotopic.net/p28288343.html

[Mr A Tis]

Well, I know they used to operate from Liverpool to Heathrow ( Viscounts & 1-11s), LPL - IOM, LPL-Cardiff, LPL-Glasgow LPL-Belfast, LPL-Dublin & Manchester - Isle of Man all with Viscounts. The 1-11s also used to do charters from Liverpool to Palma & Malaga amongst other places.

[Mr_Grubby]

http://www.btinternet.com/~simon.gurry/Dadsphotos/DC3Cambriansmall.jpg


DC 3 at Hurn in 1964.

Clint.

[WHBM]

V. Quick summary

Started off in 1935 at Cardiff with little light types of the time, worked through lots of deHavillands. BEA bought minority shareholding in 1956, DC3s were their first mainstream type. Developed routes primarily from Cardiff and Bristol plus other oddballs, Channel Islands as ever a common destination. The "crumbs from BEA's table" approach continued in 1963 when the BEA network from Liverpool and the Isle of Man was transferred to them, along with their first Viscounts. They got some secondhand One-Eleven jets in 1969 (Cambrian never had a new aircraft) for odd routes and started holiday charters to the Med with them. BEA expanded their shareholding, merged them gradually into similar operator BKS, and when British Airways came along in the early 1970s the name disappeared into the corporate branding but the routes carried on as BA.

By the end the route structure was still recognisably based on short-haul, somewhat seasonal operations from Bristol/Cardiff and Liverpool, including the charters to the Med plus a few marginal routes operated on BEA's behalf from Heathrow.

My first ever flight as a child was Cambrian Viscount G-AMOO, Liverpool to Isle of Man in 1966. Fare £3:18:0. Still have the ticket and timetable !

[LowNSlow]

Was it Cambrian that flew Swansea - Jersy in the early 1960's using Dragon Rapides?

[Buster the Bear]

http://www.timetableimages.com/i-bc/cs5804a.jpg

[WHBM]

Cambrian did Swansea to Jersey from 1957 onwards, but with Doves. Their last Dragon Rapide went in Spring 1959.

[cornwallis]

I flew Glasgow Liverpool Cardiff in a Cambrian viscount.The 1-11 fleet had secondments to fly the IGS for BEA and they also did some work for Gulfair in the early seventies.The 1-11 also flew to a number of it destinations.

[WHBM]

Summer 1956 Cambrian timetable :

Bristol airport was still Whitchurch at this time

Cardiff-Southampton-Paris : Daily
Cardiff-Whitchurch-Southampton-Paris : 1 a week
Cardiff-Dinard-Southampton-Dinard-Cardiff : Weekly W pattern
Cardiff-Southampton-Nice : 3 a week
Cardiff, Gloucester, Whitchurch to Guernsey, Jersey : 44 return flights a week
Liverpool-Guernsey/Jersey : 5 a week direct plus 4 via Cardiff
Cardiff-Whitchurch-Belfast : 3 a week
Cardiff-Heathrow : 3 a week

Obviously Channel Islands dominated things. Here's the detail of the Nice DC3 flight :

Cardiff 2200 : Mon, Tue, Sun
Southampton 2245/2310
Nice 0340/0510
Southampton 0940/1005
Cardiff 1050

1956 Fleet, 9 aircraft :

Dragon Rapide AJCL ALZJ (not used much on schedules)
Dove AIWF AJOT
Heron AOGO AOGU AORJ
DC3 AMSW AMSX

Things ramped down very much in the winter, but after the season above in 1956 Cambrian DC3s did a lot of work through Blackbushe on the Hungarian refugee airlift from Austria.

[Opssys]

From the the Cambrian Airways Tribute Site (http://www.unforgettable.org.uk/cambrian/):

The 31st March 2006 marks 30 years since Cambrian was fully absorbed into British Airways.

Hard to believe it was that long ago. Unfortunately the Site doesn't seem to have much on route information

DIH

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Anyone know Pete Steeley (spelling?) who used to fly for Cambrian and where he ended up?

[LowNSlow]

WHBM there must have been somebody else running charters to Jersey then as I was 5 or 6 (which would have made it 1962-63) when I remember seeing the Dragon Rapides flying over Oxwich beach on their way to Jersey. Alternatively, my brain might be malfunctioning again :ugh:

[jabberwok]

Always an excuse for another picture.
http://www.homepages.mcb.net/bones/WebAircraft/G-AMOJ.jpg

[The AvgasDinosaur]

I can remember their CWL/BRS to MAN flight with DC-3s CS247 and CS 248. They even used Rwy 28/10 at Ringway.
I think most of their DC-3s were sold in Cyprus and are still out there in poor condition.
Be lucky
David

[KeMac]

Cambrian also flew the Edinburgh-Belfast (Aldergrove) route at the end of the sixties or early seventies. The Cambrian routes could do with a bit of research as I had a hard time trying to get info on this for my book on the History of Edi airport. They also flew numerous rugby charters into Edi.

[Musket90]

Flew with them LPL-JER in 1971/72 returning JER-LBA with Northeast Airlines. Both Viscount 800s.

[Malcolm G O Payne]

For some years in the early 1950s Cambrian operated Staverton on behalf of Gloucester and Cheltenham Corporations. The airport manager was Captain Ronnie de Wilde.

[cornwallis]

One of the Cambrian DC-3s was on the dump in Bahrain?in the 1970s when the 1-11 went out there for Gulf Air.It still had a Cambrian safety card in one of the seat pockets.

[TCAS FAN]

AVGAS DINOSAUR

As far as I remember from my days as an ATC Cadet on camp at St Athan in the early sixties, the last of their DC3s (three or four of them) went to a Morrocan company. I remember them parked at Rhoose (as Cardiff was in those days) in their new paint schemes and "CN" registrations prior to delivery.

[heading 125]

You'll all have me sheding a tear.:{
My dad now 82, was chief pilot for Cambrian at the end. He still enjoys telling me all those stories about flying 14 hour days endlessly back and forth to Jersy and positioning back to Haverfordwest in the dark along the coast at 500 feet in the Rapid and doing the samething 5 days a week.. But the one thing that does stick out in my memory is that in their history they only had one accident, the VC8 at Liverpool on a training flight with assemetric flap.
Ho no! Just had dad on the phone telling me about the time Capt Heinzlipshoot overtook him with a Viscount while he was flying a BAC1-11 from Bristol to Cardiff. Happy days and from what I can understand a great airline to work for.

[jabberwok]

Ah yes. 20th July 1965 it was and G-AMOL was the aircraft in question.

The report says:

"Viscount 701, G-AMOL departed Ronaldsway at 16:49 for a flight to Liverpool. The flight was made at flight level 70 and at 17:08 hours the aircraft was identified by Liverppol radar over Wallasey and positioned for a PPI continuous descent radar approach to runway 26. Half a mile from touchdown the radar approach was completed and the aircraft was then seen (on radar) to be just discernably to the right of the centreline. No radio messages were received from the aircraft after the start of the talk-down. At 550 metres from the threshold, it was estimated to be at a height between 30 and 60 metres and about 40 metres to the right of the centre line. At this paint witnesses saw the aircraft bank and turn to the right. The fuselage was level and the aircraft was banked almost vertically for part of the turn. When heading in approximately the opposite direction to the runway it rolled on to its back and crashed into the roof of a factory about 365 metres to the right of the extented centre line of the runway and about 550 metres from the threshold.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The aircraft went out of control during the final stage of an approach to land but the reason for this has not been determined."

I recall subsequent discussion about flap failure but I cannot find if this was proved. It featured in an earlier Viscount 701 crash at Manchester (G-ALWE BEA, 1957).

A great airline indeed and some excellent people working for it.

[The AvgasDinosaur]

To Heading 125,
I only wish people like your dad would write their biography so we could all enjoy their tales.
Give him my best wishes.
Looking forward to further posts from you ( Please !)
Be lucky
David

[SPIT]

Hi
I was in the Liverpool Airort Security/Police in the 70s. Our office was outside the Cambrian Hangar by the Jctn of the Main Apron and the Weat Apron. The engineers always used to park a 111 from London there with it's GPU going full blast until a Sgt (who will remain nameless) went out and informed the persons on the A/C that if they parked it there again whilst we were trying to eat he would ensure that every member of the Cambrian groundstaff was prevented from any access to this A/C untill the GPU used All the fuel for it. The GPU was shut off but that was the end of OUR FLIGHTS with them,but that aside the Cambrian Staff were the nicest people at the Airport,(ground or air staff) ;) ;)

[cornwallis]

I believe that Heinz Lipschutz got his name out of a phone book after the end of WW2.I went to school with a lot of the chilldren of Cambrian staff.I remember:
Anne Webster-her father was the technical instructor.What her father didn't know about the 1-11 wasn't worth knowing
Rob Clowes-his father was the senior steward at Cambrian
Rupert Passmore-son of the late Bill who I think took a command on the viscount in Scotland.
I also remember the childrens christmas parties at Rhoose-always a jolly time.
I had a flight on a viscount from Gla-Lpl-Rhs with the late Carol(Charles) Vlcek? as the F/o.Fun days.My school had a travel agents model of a Cambrian Viscount-I wonder what they did with it?

[GJHillard]

I read with interest the letters posted on Cambrian Airways, I am the owner of the tribute site and was myself with Cambrian at Rhoose in the 1960s. I agree with the sentiments that Cambrian was indeed a great airline to work for and after all this time it is still fondly remembered, we had two 30 year reunions in March 2006 in Cardiff and Liverpool and another is planned for 2008. The tribute site is at present in the process of being transferred to a new server and expanded to cover all aspects of Cambrian ( including fleet and timetable information ) and will also cover Northeast as part of the British Air Services Group, my objective is to record all the information I can in one place to pass on for posterity, so that this great Airline is not lost to History. I ask any of the members of this site who have any information or photographs would they please pass them on to me so they to can be recorded. I have also been approached regarding writing a book on Cambrian and the BAS Group, but at present am still employed full time, but hope at a later date to achive this objective and hope to gather all the information that is still availabe with this also in mind. G.J.Hillard.

[GJHillard]

For the members who have an interest and memories of Cambrian Airways, The New Look Website is now up and running at www.cambrianairways.co.uk (http://www.cambrianairways.co.uk) It is now with a new server and I can now expand it and will also be adding some old film clips as soon as I can sort out the software to post them. I last posted on this site in September 2006, asking for information and memories to record while they are still available. To date I have not received any reply to my request, I would like to ask members to take the time to pass this information to me, because no matter how much time and expense I go to sites like mine which hope to record the History of the Airline and its people will fail, and as so many other things in our time be lost to History. I would like to leave a record for future Generations to see what a great Airline and way of life it was, in an Aviation World that is already only a memory to the few of us lucky enough to be old enough to enjoy it, so please take the time before it is to late. Garry.

[arem]

<<Anyone know Pete Steeley (spelling?) who used to fly for Cambrian and where he ended up?>>

Used to fly with a Pete Steeley(?) on the 111-510's LHR based in the early '80's - lots of TXL's but don't know what happened to him after that

[ScouseFlyer]

If I remember correctly for a short while the Liverpool/London service dropped off at Hawarden in the mid sixties.Never did understand the economics of it and presumably why it did not last long.

[Golf Charlie Charlie]

SF, long time ago, but I think the Hawarden service was originally operated by British Eagle and briefly assumed by Cambrian after Eagle's collapse. I did once hear that the idea was to offer housewives a day return to shop in Chester (ten shillings return !), but I am not sure I believe that.

[ScouseFlyer]

GCC

You could well be correct-twas a long time ago and the memory dims!

SF

[jabberwok]

Nope - it was Eagle's attempt to get a LPL-LHR service to compete with Cambrian. They got the Hawarden to Heathrow route and just hopped over to Speke to complete the trip - which had it's fun moments..

"Liverpool approach, this is Eagle 345 just airborne from Hawarden, overhead Capenhurst at 1500ft.... Oops.."

Eagle may have gone (sigh) but the RA around Capenhurst is still there. The cooling towers have gone though..

[ICT_SLB]

Heading125,
Your father may well have been the pilot for my first ever flight which was in a Cambrian Rapide at the RAF Chivenor Battle of Britain day in 1958 or 59 - a quick trip around the pattern for 3 quid if memory serves.

IIRC we worked on ex-Cambrian 1-11s as British Airways Regional Division aircraft service bulletins were raised for them at BAC Hurn. I remember Uncle Roger in Flight remarking that there now was a Welsh BARD....

[wwrsimon]

Sorry if you've already been there, but have you tried:

http://cambrianairways.co.uk/ (http://cambrianairways.co.uk/website/index.php?module=PostWrap&page=http://cambrianairways.co.uk/gallery/)

Go to 'Gallery', then 'Cambrian Timetables'. A great site, and includes BKS and Northeast too.

Simon

[jabberwok]

At least two of the three Cambrian 1-11's were ex Channel Airways and I think the other was ex Autair.

[GJHillard]

Cambrian tried to operate from Howarden in the 50s and again in the 60s under pressure from the North Wales Local Authorities and Business Community, But ceased after a short periods due to heavy losses. Garry. at www.unforgettable.org.uk/cambrian (http://www.unforgettable.org.uk/cambrian) & www.cambrianairways.co.uk (http://www.cambrianairways.co.uk)

[GJHillard]

BAC 1/11 400 series: according to my records, December 1969 G-AVOF to Cambrian, ex Court Line. January & July 1970 G-AVOE & G-AVGP to Cambrian, ex Court Line, and February 1971 G-AWBL to Cambrian, ex Court Line, all were aquired via BAC. I do believe that a couple of them served with Channel Airways before coming to Cambrian, but do not have details to hand. I hope this is of help. Garry. www.cambrianairways.co.uk (http://www.cambrianairways.co.uk)

[WHBM]

Hawarden services :

These started in April 1962 when Starways, based at Speke, made a stop on one of their daily Liverpool-Heathrow flights, initially with DC-4s, later with Viscounts. British Eagle took Starways over in January 1964 (gaining their Liverpool base) and continued the once-daily stop. Cambrian had also built up a Liverpool base with routes transferred from BEA, and were operating a once-daily schedule to Heathrow, although this was basically an intermediate stop on an Isle of Man to Heathrow services, Eagle providing the main service which had built up to about 8 daily rotations by 1966, some with Britannias and later One-Elevens, although the Hawarden stopper was always a Viscount.

Eagle went out of business at the end of 1968 and Cambrian became the main Liverpool operator, expanding the Heathrow route from one to five daily round trips, but Hawarden was never served. They applied to the ATLB for a licence for it, but this was never followed through.

There are still daily services out of Hawarden but they are private charters for BAe/Airbus to Filton and Toulouse, currently using a chartered 146 I believe.

In the 1960s we lived in Hoylake in the Wirral and a friend's father sometimes used the service from Hawarden, saying it was easier than getting over to Speke.

The Welsh Assembly has recently made funds available for a "North Wales to Cardiff" air service, which is going to operate to Valley in Anglesey. This is way off the populated areas of the country and looks unlikely to succeed. Hawarden would have been a much more effective point, it's in Wales (just !) which will satisfy the political point, has good road links with the North Wales coast main towns, and is close to the largest town in North Wales, Wrexham, which surely would deserve to be served first.

[barry lloyd]

WHBM
Spot on! As a former employee of both Cambrian and BAe, I remember both scenarios very well.
The Chester-Filton run was done with a 125 in my day, and the a/c went on to TLS.
Last year I flew to the IOM in an Emerald ATP, and in the seat pocket was a boarding card from the day before for a Filton-Chester flight!
I too find the 'wisdom' of operating from Valley questionable. Did no-one learn a lesson from St Mawgan?

[Graham Sherlock]

I travelled with Cambrian Airways in the 1960's from Liverpool to the Isle of Man when the ferries were closed because of the seamens' strike. I believe they were owned by BEA, but I could be wrong. The plane was a Vickers Viscount with huge windows through which I took some slide pictures en-route. I can probably get these scanned if anyone is interested.

Graham Sherlock
[email protected]

[Graham Sherlock]

I had a distant relative who worked on the desk of Starways at Speke. I seem to remember that the principal daily route was Speke - Hawarden - London and return. This was popular with those who could afford it because the alternative was a long road journey (prior to completion of M6 / M1) or a gruelling steam hauled journey (prior to electrification).

I can trawl my memory more if anyone would like me to - I lived at that time (late 50's, early 60's) as a schoolboy / student in Prescot.

My first flight ever was on a Cambrian Airways Vickers Viscount from Speke to Ronaldsway during the seamens' strike during which I took some slide pictures (pre 35 mm!).

Graham Sherlock
[email protected]

[merlinxx]

One of the finest airline posters ever:

TAKE OFF CAMBRIAN, with the tee shirted girl just about to reveal

Still have my copy very well stored and not for sale.

Merlin

[llanfairpg]

Lets have a look then!

[merlinxx]

You want to buy me a scanner that size? This poster was produced in I think 1971/2, I grabbed mine from CWL when we (Beatours) did a sub for the Dragon back in '72/73. I'll try and take a pic and post, but tried before with a duff result.

Merlin expat Valley Boy

[HowlettM]

Reading the various tgreads relating to Cambrian Airways reminds me of my first flight as an unaccompanied minor in the mid-1950s when I flew from Guernsey to Staverton, via Bristol (Whitchurch) in a Cambrian Airways Dove G-AIWF. On the return leg from Staverton to Bristol I seem to recall that I was the only passenger in the cabin. Not sure if there were any flight attendants on board but it was quite an experience for an 8 year old and one I have never forgotten.

[magpienja]

jabberwok thats a nice picture at Liverpool, do you remember G-AMPY DC-3 being stored in that hanger around the era.

Nick.

[rog747]

they operated a scheduled summer service LHR to dubrovnik with bac 1-11

this may have been by the time it was BAS cambrian mid 70's ?

[CSman]

It was 1973 that we flew the Lhr- dubrovnik, (schedule). In 1974 we flew Cwl -Brs -Dubrovnic as a holiday charter

[jabberwok]

jabberwok thats a nice picture at Liverpool, do you remember G-AMPY DC-3 being stored in that hanger around the era.

Sorry Nick - only just seen your post. Yep - G-AMPY was stuck at the back of Hangar 1 around 1969/70. She was unloved by all and I thought she would end up on the scrap heap. It's a joy to see her flying still.

I have a shot of her stuck in that hangar but it's not good enough to scan in.

[magpienja]

Hi Jabberwok I wonder if this one is any better.

Nick.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc86/nickjaxe/G-AMPY.jpg

[jabberwok]

Very similar - except someone parked a Chippie in front of mine.. ;)

http://homepages.mcb.net/bones/Images/Aircraft/G-AOST.jpg

[magpienja]

Very inconsiderate of them to park it there I just cant make out the reg of the chippy, I would have been about 14 when I took that picture, how much freedom we had in those days to wonder around hanger,

Bit different today, I wonder if I knew you then.

Nick.

[norwich]

Gentlemen, I think you will find the inconviently parked chippy is G-AOST, ex WB687, c/n C1 / 0135. With a new cannopy ? Keith.

[WK622]

Re Post 38

"Eagle went out of business at the end of 1968 and Cambrian became the main Liverpool operator, expanding the Heathrow route from one to five daily round trips, but Hawarden was never served. They applied to the ATLB for a licence for it, but this was never followed through."

From the Liverpool timetable for Jan 1970 CS 4853 0830 Mon - Fri Cambrian Viscount departure to Chester and London - reverse route arrive Speke at 2050 as CS4860.

I suspect like several on this thread, I lurked on the balcony at Speke in the late 60's early 70's so Cambrian will always have a special place in my memory, along with Dan Air DC-3s & Ambassodors and Channel Airways Herons. Happy day's in "The City of Change & Challenge" as it was known then!

Finally, as an aside to the crash of G-AMOL, the tea factory it crashed onto was rebuilt but it closed some years ago. Last time I was up in Liverpool the now deralict building was up for re-development.

:) WK

[jabberwok]

I may be rather out in my dates above. The photo of G-AOST and G-AMPY was probably taken before 1969 because I was using colour by then. It may well be 1966 or 1967.

In the earlier years I was likewise a balcony spotter and as Magpienja says it was a different world. A courteous request to look round the hangars was rarely refused and on quiet days bored staff would be kind enough to show us round the aircraft.

By 1969 I was transposed to the dizzy heights of ATC and was in a better position to photograph aircraft. Some other nostalgia shots here (http://homepages.mcb.net/bones/Photography/Aviation_Photos2.htm)

[magpienja]

Jaberwok some fantastic pics there, why o why did I not get to see the connie at liverpool what a fantastic picture.

Nick.

[ATNotts]

Jaberwok,

Some classic BHX images. Are there more where they came from?

Andrew

[jabberwok]

The Connie was one of many. many Ford charters - usually to the cheapest outfit they could get. This would bring in some fine old birds from time to time, usually DC4's or DC6's but you never knew what was going to turn up. Great days.

The Brum shots are from 1968 as I worked there before moving up to Speke. There are more shots from both places but I am only just starting to transfer them from slide to PC. The slides have deteriorated over the years (too many house moves) but it is amazing what a good scanner can do.

Here's a Brum shot that brings the thread back on track as this aircraft went to Cambrian after Autair..

http://homepages.mcb.net/bones/Images/Aircraft/G-AWBL.jpg

[magpienja]

Great days indeed thanks for sharing them with us.

Nick.

[ATNotts]

More great nostalgia!!

I cannot remember seeing Vanguards with front and rear integral airstairs deployed before. I'm sure that by the time I was taking more than apassing interest in commercial aviation, Vangaurds were using motorstairs at BHX.

Did BEA have the airstairs removed at some stage?

[magpienja]

I remember as a kid of around 14 living in Liverpool under airway red 3 as it was then armed with my VHF skymaster airband radio listening to vanguards on the London Belfast route coming more or less over my home at between 18.000ft and 24.000ft, I could recognise a vanguard miles away from the distinctive sound of the engines,

I saw one once with con trails at around fl240 never seen it before or since,

I think I had the whole fleet that were flying for my log book coping them on red 3 on my radio, in those days the aircraft reg was the callsign "BEELINE golf echo charlie estimate wal 19 fl180 Spanish head next"

They were the days.

Nick (feeling old)

[Arik]

Have vague memories of Cambrian growing up as a child, Dad was a F/O on 1-11's out of Taff's Cafe originally then moved to LHR, before being shipped off to Bahrain for a stint there. Have fond memories of Bill Passmore who I got to know again as an adult as we moved near him. Just editing as thought of two others, Dave Phillips & Pete .. surname will come to me (both went onto BA)

Any other Cambrian/Gulf Air kids on here?

Arik

[GJHillard]

I would welcome any Cambrian Scans for use on the Cambrian Website at Welcome To www.cambrianairways.org.uk (http://www.cambrianairways.org.uk) Garry

[tristar 500]

ATNotts asked a long time ago Did BEA have the airstairs removed at some stage?

All the BEA Vanguards had front & rear airstairs fitted right from the start.

They stayed fitted until the first airbridges started to appear at LHR. We then removed the front one`s but the rear stayed fitted until the aircraft were removed from service.

tristar 500

[ATNotts]

Tristar 500:-

Thanks very much, I reckon my "spotting days" at BHX probably about coincided with the arrival of the airbridges on T1 at LHR!!

[India Four Two]

I have just read this thread for the first time and noted the 2008 post by merlinxx
One of the finest airline posters ever:

TAKE OFF CAMBRIAN, with the tee shirted girl just about to reveal



and the follow up plea from llanfairpg

Lets have a look then!


All is revealed, so to speak, on the last image on this page:

cambrian airways (http://www.cambrianairways.org.uk/page_1077034.html)

They certainly don't make ads like that any more.

[Planemike]

and the planes aren't bad either.....!!!! http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/icons/winksbuddie.gif

Planemike

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Anyone recall Pete Steely? He was training at Kidlington when I was there in 1970. I believe I exchanged greetings with him once or twice at Heathrow..

[SevernTMA]

21st May 2011

On Saturday Ted Parker sadly passed away.

R.I.P

[thrubwell]

hi all

i can remember regularly flying on Cambrian Viscounts from IOM-LPL and on their 1-11s from LHR-IOM ( terminal 1 if i recall correctly)
This would have been in the early to mid 70s.
i also think the colour scheme/ logos changed somewhere in this time.

bye

[bairnsdale]

I dont know who you are but I met that aircraft GAMOA and phoned opps in RHOOSE. Geof Perrot didnt believe me . but he changed his mind when he arrived in B R S. Had the aircraft not rolled back on the BRS apron nothing looked amiss. it was only then that the tail dropped the fusalage crumpled. it had broken at the main spare I often wonder what would have happend if the roll back didnt happen?? [email protected]

[bairnsdale]

Please read my report on G A M O A Richard Wilks ex duty officer traffic Brs 1960 s

[Proplinerman]

I remember Cambrian very well in their latter stages-I was a planespotter from 1971-6. Here's a somewhat distant shot of one of their V800s at M/C in 1971:

Cambrian Viscount 800 at Manchester, Autumn 1971 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48975048@N06/4910247080/)

And a shot of one of their 1-11s in their dayglo final colour scheme at Liverpool in August 1974, though following their final absorption into BA on its formation on 1-4-74, the aircraft by then sports BA titles. I've got other photos of their Viscounts taken in 1974 in full BA colours, but with very small Cambrian titling:

Liverpool Aug 1974 Cambrian 1-11e | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48975048@N06/5257878459/)

[bcgallacher]

Back in the days when I was a mechanic at Glasgow I turned a Cambrian DC3 around - about 30 min later it returned with I think the right propeller missing - it had shed it over Glasgow and it was some hours before an elderly lady returned from shopping and found one of Hamilton Standards products in her living room. There was a really good photograph of it being lifted out through the hole in her roof. She must have received very generous compensation as she made absolutely no complaint or statement to anybody.