Laker Airways R/T callsign

[Chris Scott]

Can someone please remind me of the R/T callsign used by Laker Airways in its esrly days (late 1960s)?

IIIRC, the “Laker” callsign was not used until later.

Thanks in anticipation...

[rog747]

Can someone please remind me of the R/T callsign used by Laker Airways in its esrly days (late 1960s)?

IIIRC, the “Laker” callsign was not used until later.

Thanks in anticipation...


I recall registrations were used until call signs adopted -
Autair BMA and Court certainly used regn's...
from my gatwick spotting days from late 60's and the 70's I do not recall Laker having another call sign but maybe somewhere out there can expand as well

[Chris Scott]

I recall registrations were used until call signs adopted -
Autair BMA and Court certainly used regn's...
from my gatwick spotting days from late 60's and the 70's I do not recall Laker having another call sign but maybe somewhere out there can expand as well

Re my original question, and after a lot of head-scratching on holiday, I'm wondering if it might have been

"JETSET" ?

Or was/is that some other airline?

As for whether the flight-specific part used the flight number or the aircraft registration, I simply can't remember that either!

[rog747]

Re my original question, and after a lot of head-scratching on holiday, I'm wondering if it might have been

"JETSET" ?

Or was/is that some other airline?

As for whether the flight-specific part used the flight number or the aircraft registration, I simply can't remember that either!


jetset was air2000

[treadigraph]

Did they ever use Skytrain as a call sign after they got the DC-10s?

[Chris Scott]

jetset was air2000

Thanks, rog747. Air Z000 - another blast from the (more recent) past...

Re Skytrain, treadigraph, no doubt there are some ex-Laker flight crew from the early days and Skytrain who could answer both. Just a case of finding one...

[brakedwell]

Callsign: Laker

[treadigraph]

Thanks Brakedwell!

[JW411]

I didn't get there until the end of 1978 and the only callsign we ever used was "Laker".

[Musket90]

Registration callsigns to start with then "Laker". Didn't they also use callsign "Carribbean" when the early B707's were in Laker livery but with International Caribbean titles ?

[Chris Scott]

Thanks everyone. I guess that the use of the airline's name as part of the callsign was then so rare - at any rate in Europe - that hearing "Laker..." seemed odd.

[megan]

Didn't they also use callsign "Carribbean" LAKER BAHAMAS according to the listings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airline_codes_(L)

[Musket90]

Thanks megan - don't recall that callsign from my Gatwick Laker days but maybe my memory is failing with age !

[jensdad]

LAKER BAHAMAS according to the listings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airline_codes_(L)

That's a different airline. Laker Bahamas emerged in the 1990s. The Wikipedia page lists it as being USA airline. The 707s under discussion were the ones in basic Laker (first incarnation) colours with Caribbean Airways titles that were hanging around Gatwick and Manchester in the late 70s or so. I remember seeing one at Manchester when we went on holiday to Rhodes. We used to shlep down to Manchester as Enterprise Holidays did free child-places!

[brakedwell]

Caribbean Airways was registered in Barbados and as far as I know never operated any aircraft, unlike Caribbean Airlines based in Trinidad and Tobago.. When I was with Lauda we used the Caribbean Airways (Caribjet) callsign on our Barbados flights from Vienna and Milan. ISTR Virgin may have done the same at some time.

[WHBM]

International Caribbean was a quite longstanding Laker joint venture with Barbados investors, and a 707 had these titles applied. Principal route was Luxembourg to Barbados, mostly just once a week hence the aircraft appearing on other Laker ops the rest of the time. It operated from shortly after Laker got the ex-British Eagle (and onetime Qantas) 707-138Bs in 1969 right through to Laker's end. Sometimes it just positioned to Luxembourg, other years it actually operated in service, and also did charters from Europe (most commonly Germany) to Barbados. Laker had German-speaking cabin crew as they had a base in Berlin for operating Mediterranean charters, which were reduced in winter when Caribbean operations peaked.

[Mr Angry from Purley]

WHBM
I'm sure the 707 operated LGW-BGI for Caribbean Airways. I do recall the trip had a week's layover in BGI (so no-one ever went sick)
On the Royal Wedding (Charles and Di) I was nights and if my memory some of the rum punch served on said flight went missing.....#thegoodolddays

[MARK9263]

International Caribbean was a quite longstanding Laker joint venture with Barbados investors, and a 707 had these titles applied. Principal route was Luxembourg to Barbados, mostly just once a week hence the aircraft appearing on other Laker ops the rest of the time. It operated from shortly after Laker got the ex-British Eagle (and onetime Qantas) 707-138Bs in 1969 right through to Laker's end. Sometimes it just positioned to Luxembourg, other years it actually operated in service, and also did charters from Europe (most commonly Germany) to Barbados. Laker had German-speaking cabin crew as they had a base in Berlin for operating Mediterranean charters, which were reduced in winter when Caribbean operations peaked.

Call-sign was 'Caribbean 005'

[brakedwell]

WHBM
I'm sure the 707 operated LGW-BGI for Caribbean Airways. I do recall the trip had a week's layover in BGI (so no-one ever went sick)
On the Royal Wedding (Charles and Di) I was nights and if my memory some of the rum punch served on said flight went missing.....#thegoodolddays

Our VIE - BGI flights were also weekly. Seven days in Sam Lords Castle made it a very popular trip, especially during the Viennese winter.

[JW411]

International Caribbean Airways started off in 1970 as a joint venture between Fred Laker and two businessmen based in Barbados. In 1973 the two businessmen sold their shares to the Government of Barbados which ended up with a 51% stake in the operation. The aircraft used were initially Laker 707s, which, as someone has already mentioned, carried Caribbean titles on the roof and the tail and also the blue - yellow - blue national flag of Barbados. I joined the DC-10 fleet and from time to time, one of them carried similar titles. I have a photograph of G-BBSZ so adorned but I can't post it (it's not mine so subject to copyright regulations, I assume). We had four Bajan F/Os who were actually only supposed to do Barbados flights but, in actual practice, they joined in with everyone else. One of them has either just retired or is just about to retire from Virgin after a long career there. In the cabin, half of the girls were Bajan (they didn't like going to Europe in the winter). In my time we stayed at the Paradise Beach (a Cunard hotel) on the west coast. Fred kindly furnished us with two Minimokes so that we could get around the island. The callsign used was "Caribbean" and the airline code was "IQ" (Laker was "GK"). A quick look at my log book produces IQ001 - LGW-BGI, IQ003 - LGW-LUX and IQ004 - BGI-LUX. Finally, I was told by one of my older colleagues that in the beginning, the flight deck used to have to swap hats between a Laker flight and a Caribbean flight!

[Musket90]

JW - Yes I remember the Caribbean callsign from my Gatwick days and IQ code. I have photos somewhere of a B707 and possibly DC10. I'll try to find them.

[Harry Wayfarers]

International Caribbean Airways started off in 1970 as a joint venture between Fred Laker and two businessmen based in Barbados. In 1973 the two businessmen sold their shares to the Government of Barbados which ended up with a 51% stake in the operation. The aircraft used were initially Laker 707s, which, as someone has already mentioned, carried Caribbean titles on the roof and the tail and also the blue - yellow - blue national flag of Barbados. I joined the DC-10 fleet and from time to time, one of them carried similar titles. I have a photograph of G-BBSZ so adorned but I can't post it (it's not mine so subject to copyright regulations, I assume). We had four Bajan F/Os who were actually only supposed to do Barbados flights but, in actual practice, they joined in with everyone else. One of them has either just retired or is just about to retire from Virgin after a long career there. In the cabin, half of the girls were Bajan (they didn't like going to Europe in the winter). In my time we stayed at the Paradise Beach (a Cunard hotel) on the west coast. Fred kindly furnished us with two Minimokes so that we could get around the island. The callsign used was "Caribbean" and the airline code was "IQ" (Laker was "GK"). A quick look at my log book produces IQ001 - LGW-BGI, IQ003 - LGW-LUX and IQ004 - BGI-LUX. Finally, I was told by one of my older colleagues that in the beginning, the flight deck used to have to swap hats between a Laker flight and a Caribbean flight!

Yes Jock, I recall, I think his name was, F/E Cliff Smithurst or Smethurst with two hats, one Laker and one Caribbean, I also recall when the 'Caribbean' B707-351's were brought out of retirement and pax complaining on a LGW/PMI how they wished they had been flying with Laker and not this Caribbean mob :)

[rog747]

LAKER BAHAMAS according to the listings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airline_codes_(L)


FYI
Laker Bahamas was Laker (mk2) set up in 1992 when Sir F bought some old DC-10 30's to rekindle the airline out of FLL, not the Carribean outfit from 1970 set up by Laker and the barbados Govt and tourism board
International Caribbean Airways - ICA
Laker first used its 707-138B's then Dc10's then 707-351B's on the route which was a trip first originating in Luxembourg
when Laker mk1 went under in 1982 other airlines including iirc Cargolux 747 BCAL and Marinair DC10's operated the route for them (
air seychelles too rings a bell?)

[Harry Wayfarers]

WHBM
I'm sure the 707 operated LGW-BGI for Caribbean Airways. I do recall the trip had a week's layover in BGI (so no-one ever went sick)
On the Royal Wedding (Charles and Di) I was nights and if my memory some of the rum punch served on said flight went missing.....#thegoodolddays

Do you also, on royal wedding day, recall our neighbour's 'British Airtours' brand new union flag going missing from their flagpole probably as a result of that rum punch that went walkabout Andy? :)

[Mr Angry from Purley]

Do you also, on royal wedding day, recall our neighbour's 'British Airtours' brand new union flag going missing from their flagpole probably as a result of that rum punch that went walkabout Andy? :)

Harry
Affirmative but least I didn't wake up in it....

[JW411]

Harry Wayfarers:

Cliff is in my log book as Smithurst.