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hatton
22nd Aug 2016, 16:16
Any British Air Ferries memories out there?

HZ123
23rd Aug 2016, 07:31
As a Police Officer at STN (72-74) I recall the aircraft coming in for service at TMAC, which I believe was the parent company. In fact was involved in an arrest related to 'Fat Louis'. Would my memory be correct ?

treadigraph
23rd Aug 2016, 08:04
Was astonished to see (and hear) a BAF Carvair rumbling across Purley at about 1500 - 2000' about forty years ago, probably transiting around Heathrow and home to Southend. Wonderful sight and sound.


Names. "Plain Jane" was one I think.

Nightstop
23rd Aug 2016, 08:10
Mrs Nightstop worked for BAF during the long hot summer of '76 while I was bashing the SEN circuit for the Clacks at SLAC. Fond memories of staff travel to Le Touquet and Ostend for duty free booze and ciggies. John LL-Beard was a Training Captain with BAF, I was most impressed when he came to do an Instuctors Rating on the PA 28 at Ted Clack's. John's son Paul (now retired) later became a senior trainer at AirUK and GO :).

Pontius Navigator
23rd Aug 2016, 12:07
Used to see Bristol Frighteners doing the Speke-IOM hop.

Always wondered who would fly their cars back and forth and at what cost at todays rates.

IcePack
24th Aug 2016, 21:01
Joined BAF in 76. Having instructed for SLAC. By the end of 77 I had been through Bagdad twice. What a great grounding BAF was fantastic experience & great people. The places we took the HP7 & VC8 looking back is unbelievable. The nice thing thanks to the likes of John L-Beard nearly all who past through BAF had very successful careers.
Oh & I deny all the mischief we got up too.

parabellum
24th Aug 2016, 23:11
Was it a BAF Carvair that was based in Abu Dhabi circa 1969/70 that was contracted to a construction company that was building a large military airfield somewhere out in the desert, I think Oman, or was that a Bristol Freighter? The grey cells aren't keeping up these days!

IcePack
24th Aug 2016, 23:25
It was a Carvair (ATL98) think its reg was KN. but thought it was Muscat & circa 1972/3

Stationair8
25th Aug 2016, 08:08
They had a recruiting team come out to Australia in 1988, and with a brand new commercial pilot's licence I sent them, my CV. A lovely letter came back saying that I needed an IFR rating and a few more hours, and thanked me for my interest in BAF.
I sat next to a guy a few years later on a ground school, that had been accepted into BAF and had flown Viscounts, first as a F/O then a command slot. He had done the oil run out of Aberdeen for Shell and then the Parcel Force work.

Democritus
25th Aug 2016, 12:44
Perhaps one of BAF's more unusual contracts - I took this photo in February 1980 at what used to be called Salisbury Airport in Rhodesia. I was out there flying a helicopter on a UK Government contract in connection with and immediately prior to the elections which saw Mugabe take power. I can't remember now but presumably the Herald was there for similar reasons?

Tempsford
25th Aug 2016, 14:16
I flew on Carvair G-ASDC LTN-NAP in the late 70's carrying a RR Spey to change on a Monarch BAC 1-11. I arrived at work in time to be advised that the rest of the engine change team had gone on the relief 1-11 and I had drawn the short straw to fly on the Carvair. I was more than happy with the arrangement and thoroughly enjoyed the flight.
Temps.

Mooncrest
25th Aug 2016, 21:16
Occasional Herald and Carvair charters through LBA for years prior to 1982. Then they bought most of the BA Viscount fleet and did hundreds of Jersey rotations for the next decade or so. A similar situation for many British airports although LBA, unusually, didn't see much of their associate company, Guernsey Airlines. Some of those V806s must have passed through LBA wearing half a dozen liveries over the years!

Wycombe
25th Aug 2016, 21:23
As a young lad, I remember a BAF Herald (G-APWA) doing pleasure flights at an Airshow at Blackbushe in 1977.

chevvron
26th Aug 2016, 01:17
Occasional Herald and Carvair charters through LBA for years prior to 1982. Then they bought most of the BA Viscount fleet and did hundreds of Jersey rotations for the next decade or so. A similar situation for many British airports although LBA, unusually, didn't see much of their associate company, Guernsey Airlines. Some of those V806s must have passed through LBA wearing half a dozen liveries over the years!
My last flight in a Viscount was an ATCO Fam Flight with BAF on the Gatwick - Rotterdam run. I remember thinking 'what lovely big windows compared to jet airliners.'

DaveReidUK
26th Aug 2016, 06:47
I remember thinking 'what lovely big windows compared to jet airliners.'

You mean compared to other jet airliners. :O

http://www.bambootrading.com/1600/1615.jpg

chevvron
26th Aug 2016, 07:08
Now you've done it; someone will now say 'but it's not purely a jet, it's a turboprop' then someone else will say 'but todays high bypass turbofans are really turboprops' etc etc.

TCAS FAN
26th Aug 2016, 07:40
Parabellum/Ice Pack

It was a Carvair, around 1974/76, based at Abu Dhabi and painted in the construction company "Paulings" livery. The company had a contract to build a new military airbase at Thumrait in the southern Omani region of Dhofar.

Herod
26th Aug 2016, 14:07
but it's not purely a jet, it's a turboprop' then someone else will say 'but todays high bypass turbofans are really turboprops

When I was flying the F27 (fine aeroplane) I always said the Dart was a "Very High-bypass, unducted turbofan"

10 DME ARC
26th Aug 2016, 14:08
My one and only flight with BAF was late 80's on an empty oily VC8 going back to Sumburgh, BA had dumped my wife and I on an ID90, I knew the crew and spent the whole flight standing on the flight deck whilst my wife gossiped with the girls down the back.
Also on a weekend morning the first VC8 used to go back empty to Aberdeen so after breakfast they would take a low level sight seeing trip up Island followed by a 'low approach and go-around' at Sumburgh to activate the Scottish Centre FPL!! Great days.....:)

TCAS FAN
26th Aug 2016, 14:25
Jenkins

...and the New World Air Charter Dc6s, N19CA, N122A and N91308. Very profitable operation until '122A flew into Jebel Akhdar minutes after a night departure from Seeb full of fuel on way back to Larnaca after a CY fresh fruit/veg charter. Unfortunately killing the chief pilot/owner, senior first officer and flight engineer. I believe '19CA rotted away at Sharjah or Dubai, never heard what happened to '91308.

TCAS FAN
26th Aug 2016, 14:45
Icepack

Just came to me, it was GAREK.

treadigraph
26th Aug 2016, 15:10
Just googled N91308, seems to have been scrapped at Dubai. :(

IcePack
26th Aug 2016, 16:00
TCAS FAN.
Thanks for that. I was working for BAF as a cargo clerk whilst building hours 73/74 for instructors rating. I remember the Carvair going out to the OMAN & now you say it in paulings livery.
Funny old world, I took an A330 into Thumrait on a trouping flt a few years back.
On a different in put.
Anyone remember the Baltic viscount (BAF sold it to them) doing a fly past down Southends main Apron.

stevef
26th Aug 2016, 16:35
Was it SE-IVY?

IcePack
26th Aug 2016, 19:15
That rings a bell. But can't remember for certain.

malcolm380
26th Aug 2016, 21:45
Interesting thread. I did my flying scholarship and PPL at SLAC in 73 and was a member there throughout the 70s. Great memories.

DH106
27th Aug 2016, 08:45
I believe '19CA rotted away at Sharjah or Dubai, never heard what happened to '91308.

I think N19CA is the DC-6 that rotted away at Larnaca, wreck later moved to a small airfield near Nicosia. Have some piccies from 2011 but the upload doesn't seem to be working.

rolling20
27th Aug 2016, 13:46
I used to hang around the start of 06 at Southend and watch the BAF Carvairs and Heralds as they came and went back in the 70s.Coming home one night on a winters evening my mothers car was suddenly engulfed in a Carvairs landing lights and the noise as it overflew us was scarey to a young child, the road was literally on the threshold for 06. There was I believe a number 9 bus which took a hit from a Carvair, but it may have been a playground tale that I heard. A friends father once had a wheels up landing in a Carvair at Manston. They were told Southend was fog bound. He could however see his house, so he knew something was up. A white foam carpet at Manston was laid out for the landing.

IcePack
27th Aug 2016, 16:07
Urban Myth maybe, but one morning as a Cherokee PA28 was following a Carver ATL98 out to the holding point for rwy 24. PA28 Tx G??? holding IMC no 2. (ATL 98 engines were cold & puffing a bit) ATL98 Tx in reply before twr could answer. "Listen sonny when you are a big boy you can smoke too" !

Croqueteer
1st Sep 2016, 19:17
One of my better landings at Sumburgh about 1985 in G-APIM I think, on runway 35.

chevvron
2nd Sep 2016, 10:33
One of my better landings at Sumburgh about 1985 in G-APIM I think, on runway 35.
For those unaware, you have to do a curved approach to this runway due to Sumburgh Head to the south (Psst it's runway 33 not 35), the approach lighting being offset as a guide to ensure you pass between Sumburgh Head (left of photo) and the Sumburgh Hotel (right of photo)

10 DME ARC
2nd Sep 2016, 11:30
Ahhh the 185 radial visual break for 33 or downwind for 15.... In my time their saw a few aircraft come 'over' the hill straight-in for 33 mainly RAF C130's cos they could and I am sure a Mearsk B732 did on a diversion from Faroe??
The noise abatement left turns departing 33 were good as well with at least two BA 748's making it inside the VCR!!

t211
2nd Sep 2016, 18:40
Thank you everyone for this thread I have enjoyed it so far. I had a friend who Flew for BAF in the 70's his name was John Jackson does anybody remember him, I always wanted to fly the Herald and the Viscount but sadly it never happened I ended up with Dan-Air at the end of the 70's in Aberdeen. Ah Sumburgh Very fond Memory's, we had some old Captains ex Tridents one of them when i first Flew with this character he said he was going to the G E way some of you will know him. He may have past on by now over the hill lined up for 33, The departure of 33 was great if i remember rightly the Turn just after rotate was an emergency Turn ( correct me if i am wrong ). The Correct approach according to Captain John Smith was 550ft level on the inside of lighthouse then full flap then descending turn Great fun it was. The Poor farmer near the Threshold. Those were the Days T211

Georgeablelovehowindia
3rd Sep 2016, 10:17
From my photo album:

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/Georgeablelovehowindia/img373.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/Georgeablelovehowindia/img374.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/Georgeablelovehowindia/img375.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/Georgeablelovehowindia/img376.jpg

On a fairly benign Sumburgh afternoon.

Georgeablelovehowindia
3rd Sep 2016, 10:45
A quick relocation from Aberdeen, and courtesy of QF2, here we are in Kuala Lumpur (old) ready to ferry G-BEYD (ex RMAF FM1020) back to the UK. Things got off to a great start at RMAF Sempang when our travelling engineer undid an underwing inspection panel and a small but rather upset python slithered out and landed on his head. However we airtested it, found it satisfactory, no further local fauna presented itself, so we positioned it across to KUL and a four day fight with overflight and dip clearance paperwork then ensued before we could finally set off. As Icepack says, you had to stay flexible with Mike Keegan as a boss.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/Georgeablelovehowindia/img218.jpg

lotus1
3rd Sep 2016, 12:10
I always remember seeing my first carvair BAF in jersey Channel Islands around 72 my family and I was watching aircraft arrive on the other side of the terminal on a country lane when this strange aircraft arrived I knew this well when suddenly we was moved of by a member of the jersey police on a motor bike? Second time saw a carvair flying over Margate beach everyone looking up at this strange plane on its way to manston around76 on charter to invicta later on I was involved in aircraft charter operations got some very interesting material from BAF there Vip herald which you could charter good shots of Mike Keegan sitting down smiling also some interesting directors names one L PIggot OBE also the story of the CL44 WHich they leased from Transmerdrian for the short hop from Southend to Ostend which load factors failed then the gambling rumours of converting the CL44 in to flying casino and flying around the Caribbean ?

VC10man
3rd Sep 2016, 12:45
My first flight was on a Bristol Freighter of Chanel Air Bridge from Southend to Hook of Holland in about 1960. It was with my mother, father and brother with the old man's Jaguar in the nose. I particularly remember feeling into the seat pocket and finding a sick bag which had been used! Yuk. If I remember correctly rain came through the windows during the flight.

Next year we went on a Carvair, much better.

Croqueteer
3rd Sep 2016, 16:49
I've just remembered, the pic of IM landing on 33 was taken by one of our LSI staff, Danny Lesley. Danny is a true Shetlander, he was also "Chief Guiser" at Up Helly Aye one year.Our LSI staff were all hard working, often in the worst of weather. Danny would stand behind the engines of our 700 series Viscount (pre baf) and hold the props stationary until we hit the starter button!

Bigt
3rd Sep 2016, 18:05
Ref the picture of BEYD. Were the long range tanks just to get home or a standard fit for RMAF?

Georgeablelovehowindia
3rd Sep 2016, 20:51
The tanks were ferry only, and only 'YD had them. Why this came about, I can't remember. The capacity was 330 imp gal each - they were gravity filled - and they increased the range by around 600 n.m. This allowed us to make giant strides for a Dart Herald: Kuala Lumpur - Bangkok - Calcutta - Karachi - Bahrain - Larnaca - Belgrade. Then one of the ferry tank pumps failed, so we became a normal version, requiring a stop in Nurnberg, then home to Southend.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/Georgeablelovehowindia/img219.jpg

Gravity fuelling the ferry tanks at Bahrain 15 October 1977. What our engineer Bernie Riley is doing crawling around up there goodness knows. Perhaps after the python on his head at Sempang he felt it was safer on top!

Shaggy Sheep Driver
5th Sep 2016, 13:04
My one and only Viscount flight was with BAF, Manchester to Jersey (should have been Guernsey but that was fogbound). I proffered my PPL and asked the captain for the jump seat at MAN.

"We don't have one, but you can stand behind the copilot's seat if you like".

So I did. Takeoff to touchdown!

Came home on G-BMAP's jump seat (F27). How an aeroplane with half the number of Darts can be twice as noisy I don't know!

BAF Hostee
20th Sep 2017, 22:12
Oh yes! I remember good old BAF as a hostee. I was based at Southend airport for a few weeks and then back to Ghardaia in Algeria flying on Viscounts and Heralds. Lots of stories from 1980/1983. Does anyone remember The Rostemedes Hotel and the tin beds in Djanet??

IcePack
21st Sep 2017, 13:54
Ah yes but the heralds were there first. Djanet "Hilton" room made of papyrus reeds, the alarm call being a goat eating your room. Awful at the time but looking back great fun.
BAF did some amazing charters.

ex-cx
24th Sep 2017, 09:52
I did my first ever line check out in Algeria flying Ghardaia to Algiers, at night, in a BAF Herald with ee-up Eddie Roocroft. He said he'd fly it oop there and I'd fly it back. So, after take off with the autopilot in Eddie headed south, not north. Then fell asleep. Aha.... he's testing me out to see if I'm assertive, I thought. So, I woke him up.
"What the bloody hell! Is there a problem lad?"
"No sir, but we're heading in the wrong direction."
"Then bloody sort it out and if you wake me up again before it's time to descend,
I'll bloody fail yer!"

I passed.

Eeee those were 't days.

Some names from the era...

Eddie Roocroft
Sam Ashkuri
Gil Pattinson
Dave Lonsdale
Harry Willis..... poster boy for string vests :-0
Caroline Frost
Frank Hargreaves
Roy Harding
Ray Scott
John Woodhouse
Bob Elwell

Trigger any memories?

I never did get down to Djanet but did lots of other places inc Libya and Egypt and way further beyond with BAF.

Four Wings
24th Sep 2017, 17:40
Good to see an old thread still lives!

Seems I'm the last guy around who actually took his own car on BAF Carvairs.

First time was in mid 1961 when I had flown in to Cologne from Ghana to collect a new Ford Taunus, which I then drove to England via Rotterdam - Southend by Carvair. Did that route again (out and back) in winter 1965 when I took my girlfriend skiing in Austria.

Flew Silver City long nose Freighters several times Lydd - Le Touquet when on leaves in 1963 and 1964. Yes, the windows leaked, but it still remains the fastest ever way of crossing the Channel with a car at 20 minutes. Later I did it many times by hovercraft, but their best time ever that I experienced was 25 minutes.

Funny how now it seems curiously dated but at the time was perfectly rational and very cool.

For those interested in the routing you had to fly back then my 1961 flight to Cologne was Accra - Barcelona BOAC Britannia, Barcelona - Zurich Swissair DC7 (en route from South America), Zurich - Cologne Swissair Convair 440 - you got variety in those days!

The 1961 flight has always stuck with me for a mystery side story: I was working for Shell in Ghana and when I went on leave the local General Manager gave me an ordinary hand addressed letter with a British stamp to Shell Centre in London to post when I got to England. I pointed out it would be two or three days before I got there but he said no matter, but it can't go in the Ghana post. So the first thing I did on driving out of Southend Airport was to stop at the first red post box and post the letter. To this day I have no idea what it was about.

Mr Oleo Strut
24th Oct 2017, 00:33
As a young lad, I remember a BAF Herald (G-APWA) doing pleasure flights at an Airshow at Blackbushe in 1977.

And now she rests in peace, hopefully for ever, at the Berkshire Museum of Aviation at Woodley, near her birthplace. I worked on her as an HP apprentice in the early 60s and can still hear the miaow of her Darts when wound up and smell the kerosene. She looked very smart in her BEA livery, as she is now. Good memories!

YVRLTN
24th Oct 2017, 20:05
My granddad knew Mike Keegan quite well I think. He set up Datapost and used BAF. Prior to Parcelforce, what routes/aircraft did BAF operate for Royal Mail?

fat'n'grey
31st Oct 2017, 07:57
Ref post #17......

Way back when in MCT, I recall the Paulings Carvair getting airborne (OK a contradiction in terms) one summers day. The aircraft used to fly up and down the coast for some very considerable time to gain height before setting course overhead. On one occasion, I completely forgot the Carvair. All sorts of traffic in and out for some 15-20 mins, then the Carvair reported setting course overhead! Not my proudest moment and one re-lived many times in the safety and human factor courses I deliver.

Also remember the Bristol Frighteners at SOU.They always seemed to perform very steep turns onto 20 final.

chevvron
31st Oct 2017, 15:05
My one and only Viscount flight was with BAF, Manchester to Jersey (should have been Guernsey but that was fogbound). I proffered my PPL and asked the captain for the jump seat at MAN.

"We don't have one, but you can stand behind the copilot's seat if you like".

So I did. Takeoff to touchdown!



Yes when I was detached from Glasgow to Sumburgh I did the same in the BEA VIscount. Crossing Scapa Flow at 500ft trying to spot sunken ships was most exhilerating!

dixi188
31st Oct 2017, 17:19
fat'n'grey,
I didn't know that the Bristol Freighters operated out of Southampton.
I remember them at Hurn in the early '60s, Silver City and then British United.

TCAS FAN
31st Oct 2017, 22:12
dixi188

The Bristol Freighters most certainly did operate out of what was originally Southampton/Eastleigh. My parents house was about 1.5 miles from touchdown on the then runway 21, remember them thundering overhead.

They moved out in the early 1960s after flight cancellations caused by waterlogging of the grass runway.

Their stay at BOH was only temporary, moving back to SOU, together with the other airlines who moved out, within weeks of the opening of the new concrete runway, I believe in 1965.

Pom Pax
1st Nov 2017, 05:47
Took the Cortina on a Bristol Freighter in July '67 to Cherbourg.

canberra97
1st Nov 2017, 08:57
There is a Flickr page by Barry Friend with some excellent photos from Southampton taken in the 1960's taken shortly after the paved runway was completed with Bristol freighters along with Heralds, Viscounts, etc.

Go to Flickr and do a search there good pictures as Flickr is an excellent site to look for pictures you dream of but never expected them to be there, my eyes have watered so much from some of the rare and unique photos posted on Flickr.

chevvron
1st Nov 2017, 11:56
Took the Cortina on a Bristol Freighter in July '67 to Cherbourg.

Your fault for buying a Cortina!

canberra97
1st Nov 2017, 12:50
I think in 1967 the Ford Cortina was the must have car so no fault of his own to have owned one plus he actually got to take it on a Bristol Freighter from Southampton to Cherbourg:-)

radioian
7th Nov 2017, 00:22
I have flown on a British Air Ferry Viscount ; g-apey. Ive actually flown on it twice- once in the early 1970s and again 20 years back. It was just going out of passenger use onto freighter.
I love the look & the sound of the Viscount with its Rolls-Royce Dart quartet singing & whistling.

elefunt
13th Nov 2021, 17:00
Oh yes! I remember good old BAF as a hostee. I was based at Southend airport for a few weeks and then back to Ghardaia in Algeria flying on Viscounts and Heralds. Lots of stories from 1980/1983. Does anyone remember The Rostemedes Hotel and the tin beds in Djanet??

Hello Hostee,
Here are a couple of photos from inside those straw huts at Djanet between 1981 and 83. Another photo shows Linda and Rosemary en route to an oasis near to Ghardaia. Rosemary drank the sediment left overs from our President wine before leaving. Another photo shows the Viscount in Air Algerie colours. We used to stop at Tamanrasset. One night at about 3am, in the hotel, appeared at my bedroom door to stay the night with me because the waiters were using their master keys to enter the girls` rooms. It amused me to think that she felt safe in my room. And of course she was! Happy memories, Brian Edwards

Blackfriar
14th Nov 2021, 07:44
BAF memories
First ever flight Belfast-Isle-of-Man Viscount
Then a few BFS-JER summer hols
Fast forward 10 years and I'm a despatcher at BFS handling the nightly BAF Viscount bringing 7 tons of The Sun newspaper to Belfast. We'd offload that and then load 7 tons of live eels for Amsterdam.
Daytime work in the summer was the Jersey flights. Standing on the sunny ramp hearing the whistling Darts rushing up the taxiway and then park for a quick turnround.
I did get a ride on one when going to a friends wedding - empty positioning BFS-SOU. We were very high for a Viscount, maybe over 30,000 ft. Then standing for the SOU landing. Wonderful.

draglift
14th Nov 2021, 12:36
My first ever flight on a Viscount was not a BAF one, I think it belonged to North East and was G-AOYL from London Heathrow to Leeds Bradford in Feb 1975.

My one and only experience of a BAF Herald. I was expecting a Gulf Air F27 from Bahrain to Dhahran. I got into this thing and realised it was not a F27 and the charming stewardess told me it was a Handley Page Herald and had just arrived from England and was on a wet lease.

Liffy 1M
14th Nov 2021, 18:31
I did get a ride on one when going to a friends wedding - empty positioning BFS-SOU. We were very high for a Viscount, maybe over 30,000 ft. Then standing for the SOU landing. Wonderful.

Looking on-line, the service ceiling for the 800 series seems to have been FL270, though personally I don't recall hearing Viscounts going above about FL190 in their latter years. The Manx IOM-LHR service was one that used to venture up to those lofty heights, if my memory is correct.

kcockayne
14th Nov 2021, 19:20
I have memories of Cambrian 701s flying at FL270 on flights to the Med' out of Cardiff in the mid sixties.

meleagertoo
14th Nov 2021, 19:30
I have happy memories of positioning Aberdeen-Sumburgh on BAF's Viscounts, huge windows, such a pleasant way to travel.
Many years later the AOC of the new startup I joined was piggybacked on BAF's and my 146 conversion was done in the proper way - chalk and talk - by an exceptionally wise old engineer whose name I have shamefully forgotten. Once airborne our early line training was under the auspices of BAF and often on their routes too. I recall one trip to some snow-strip in Norway (Dagali?) where as far as I could see from the jumpseat we were simply landing on a big unmarked snowpatch in a forest, though I was assured braking action was produced by the distribution of hot sand...The wonderful 146 coped just fine - as it always did.
The old-fashioned (may I swear here?) airmanship and self-reliance of those BAF pilots was all too short an introduction into how the fixed-wing mentality could be so similar to rotary before our own totally-civvy-inexperienced RAF derived 'training' department took over and practicality and thoughtfulness went south from there.
Good memories!

renfrew
15th Nov 2021, 10:47
In 1988 I was waiting to board a BA flight from Inverness to Glasgow which was being operated by BAF Herald G-BAVX.
There were no staff around at boarding time so a passenger decided to self board.
The only other plane was a Dan Air 1-11 so he obviously chose it with the other passengers trailing behind.
Security was a bit different in those days.

elefunt
18th Nov 2021, 15:11
BAF memories
First ever flight Belfast-Isle-of-Man Viscount
Then a few BFS-JER summer hols
Fast forward 10 years and I'm a despatcher at BFS handling the nightly BAF Viscount bringing 7 tons of The Sun newspaper to Belfast. We'd offload that and then load 7 tons of live eels for Amsterdam.
Daytime work in the summer was the Jersey flights. Standing on the sunny ramp hearing the whistling Darts rushing up the taxiway and then park for a quick turnround.
I did get a ride on one when going to a friends wedding - empty positioning BFS-SOU. We were very high for a Viscount, maybe over 30,000 ft. Then standing for the SOU landing. Wonderful.
Hello Blackfriar, Happy days, I believe that on one of those flights, sea water leaked into the aircraft which caused a few rust problems.
The Viscount performance always impressed me as I had previously flown the Argosy. My most memorable moment was when I first handled the Viscount as a co-pilot while still in the RAF. We were practising a three engine take off when the instructor pulled back another throttle on the same side for a two engine take-off.
I remember applying quite a lot of rudder with the sight of grass a few inches below the wheels! The Argosy would have sunk straight back onto the runway due to its extra weight.
As I drift into retirement, I need something to replace these adrenaline stirring moments.

WHBM
19th Nov 2021, 10:13
In 1979-80 I made multiple business trips to Southend, for which the hotel provided was the Airport, seemingly still there on the west side. Parked right behind the room was the hulk of the last Carvair, Plain Jane, which seemed just abandoned there. I think the aircraft museum that used to be there had their eyes on it, but eventually the whole museum closed. There was no fencing, just walked across to inspect the aircraft a few times. The hotel was right by the 06 threshhold, and at about 1am there were a couple of BAF Herald night freight departures to Europe which would spool up and wake everyone up. Noisy old Darts.

Must have been about 1984 I was at the hotel again just when BAF had bought the old BA Viscount fleet, in the week there a different one used to turn up each afternoon, I believe being ferried in from storage at Cardiff. Presumably the crew went over each morning on the train or whatever and ferried it back.

There was a great account in Propliner magazine in the 1980s by one of a BAF Herald crew about a fascinating charter, including a couple of dicey moments, to support the "Paris to Dakar" road rally, a significant sporting event of the era across the Sahara. Presumably the experience of subcharters to Air Algerie described above served them well.

tubby linton
19th Nov 2021, 17:44
There was a great account in Propliner magazine in the 1980s by one of a BAF Herald crew about a fascinating charter, including a couple of dicey moments, to support the "Paris to Dakar" road rally, a significant sporting event of the era across the Sahara. Presumably the experience of subcharters to Air Algerie described above served them well.
If you are a member of the Handley Page Herald group on FB you will find the article

Cuttysarkkid
23rd Mar 2024, 02:50
dixi188

The Bristol Freighters most certainly did operate out of what was originally Southampton/Eastleigh. My parents house was about 1.5 miles from touchdown on the then runway 21, remember them thundering overhead.

They moved out in the early 1960s after flight cancellations caused by waterlogging of the grass runway.

Their stay at BOH was only temporary, moving back to SOU, together with the other airlines who moved out, within weeks of the opening of the new concrete runway, I believe in 1965.
"Bishopstoke"?. Me too , 1953 - 1972, employed at SOU airport 1970-1972 😀

TCAS FAN
29th Mar 2024, 08:19
"Bishopstoke"?. Me too , 1953 - 1972, employed at SOU airport 1970-1972 😀

Who with? I left SOU Feb 71, to escape the UK tax system, after a couple of years working for Nat Somers.