Air UK Heralds and routes

[Mooncrest]

Which routes did the Herald fleet operate following the BIA merger with Air Anglia ? I remember historically there was something of a western bias with BIA, meaning their Heralds were often to be seen at the likes of Glasgow, Ronaldsway and Exeter. They used to fly between Leeds Bradford and Ronaldsway in the BIA days and in the early days of Air UK. Thereafter, one of them was based at LBA in the winter 1984/85 season, operating purely on the Belfast Aldergrove route. LBA had hitherto been a Friendship base and the Herald only stayed for one season. I think they were on the point of being completely withdrawn from use by then.

Thankyou.

[N707ZS]

They occasionally appeared at Teesside in the 80s possibly on the Norwich route, a long time ago!

[WHBM]

Our usual historic friend Airlinetimetables does not have anything for AirUK, or predecessor BIA.

The Heralds gravitated from the BIA routes, which had been based on their British United predecessor, based at Ronaldsway and Jersey, and to an extent at Exeter, Southampton and Belfast as well. The former Air Anglia routes meanwhile were up/down the east coast, via the various points between Norwich and Aberdeen, with several of these connected to Amsterdam as well. Air Anglia brought F27s to the party, where BIA brought a dozen Heralds. The concept of a network was less prevalent then, you just looked up in the travel agents' ABC Guide where you wanted to go, and who was the operator. It could be either of the two founders, and Dan-Air had an even more oddball collection of disconnected 748 routes, described quite accurately once as the "crumbs from the table" of the BA network.

Almost immediately, AirUK took over the BAF Herald opperations to the Continent from Southend as well, on the commercial side, but subcontracted back to BAF Heralds for the actual operation. They also commonly subchartered Heralds from BAF to cover thier own routes as well.

AirUK standardised on the F27, theit last Herald appears to have run at the end of 1985, including the one now preserved at Duxford in their colours. AirUK used to help Duxford out quite a bit at that time, they would send an F27 down from Norwich to plug a hole in an airshow programme, and when they started the F27 network up from Stansted in the early 1908s (pre-new terminal) represented themselves as the airline of East Anglia.

[Mooncrest]

I suppose the likelihood is that, after the merger, the Heralds largely remained on the old BIA routes, albeit in decreasing numbers. I seem to recall the UK was in recession in early 1980 so it may have been an opportune time to shed some routes and some aircraft. The F28s hardly started and the 1-11s were on charter business elsewhere on the network. Was there a long term plan to phase out the Heralds from the beginning, I wonder ? They were in the same class as the F27 and shared the same engines and big oval windows but not, overall, as successful as the F27.

I quite liked seeing the Air UK Herald based at LBA during 1984/85 although I'm curious as to why it appeared in the first place and why it only operated the Belfast route. More often than not it seemed to get a visual approach when coming back from Belfast. That's what I remember anyway.

[treadigraph]

There always used to be several BIA Heralds parked beyond the GA terminal at Gatwick in the 1970s, alongside Dan-Air HS-748s, did they have a base there also? I remember bits of one in a hangar at Eastleigh, think it had pranged on Jersey.

I liked the old scheme with the red fin... memories, eh?

[WHBM]

BIA Heralds at Gatwick were a further hangover from British United days, I don't have any timetable but recall that the "Silver Arrow" service from Gatwick to Le Touquet was handed across from BUA to continue operation, with Heralds, for a while. It had train connections from Gatwick to London (the regular service) and from Le Touquet to Paris, a special train service for which a branch line was laid in the 1960s right into the airport, and across the apron, with the small diesel train used standing next to the Herald.

The last time I took G-WHBM into Le Touquet a few years ago the tracks were still there embedded in the asphalt. Tjhe railway signals no longer showed any lights but were still physically there, rusting. I commented on all this as we bounced over it, but there was general non-comprehension ... if my navigation is any good (no comments please) Le Touquet is actually closer to London than it is to Paris, so the French train was the longest leg. Looking at Google Earth, the tracks are indeed still there now.

I think the Gatwick BIA Heralds also operated to Jersey on low demand services, as they had previously done, on subcharter to B. Cal.

[OUAQUKGF Ops]

BIA Heralds at Gatwick were a further hangover from British United days, I don't have any timetable but recall that the "Silver Arrow" service from Gatwick to Le Touquet was handed across from BUA to continue operation, with Heralds, for a while. It had train connections from Gatwick to London (the regular service) and from Le Touquet to Paris, a special train service for which a branch line was laid in the 1960s right into the airport, and across the apron, with the small diesel train used standing next to the Herald.

The last time I took G-WHBM into Le Touquet a few years ago the tracks were still there embedded in the asphalt. Tjhe railway signals no longer showed any lights but were still physically there, rusting. I commented on all this as we bounced over it, but there was general non-comprehension ... if my navigation is any good (no comments please) Le Touquet is actually closer to London than it is to Paris, so the French train was the longest leg. Looking at Google Earth, the tracks are indeed still there now.

I think the Gatwick BIA Heralds also operated to Jersey on low demand services, as they had previously done, on subcharter to B. Cal.

I worked as a Movement Controller for BIA at Gatwick from 1973 until 1978. In that time the Heralds were based at Gatwick and Blackpool only. Crews were based at Gatwick, Southampton, Jersey (cabin crew only) and Blackpool. Movement Control was based at Gatwick with Operations Officers manning Ops rooms at Blackpool, Jersey and Southampton. Maintenance base was Blackpool. It is a long time ago now and I cannot remember how many Heralds were based at Gatwick. We certainly operated a Gatwick-Guernsey-Gatwick scheduled pax service, likewise Silver Arrow to Le Touquet. Basic pattern of Operation was daily departure in the wee small hours of two freighter services one LGW/JER the other LGW/GCI carrying newspapers and mail. On arrival in the Channel Islands seats would be fitted to the Heralds and they would then do a full day's pax flying on the network before returning to the Channel Islands in the evening where the seats would be removed and the aircraft loaded with flowers and vegetables for their return to LGW. We also operated a nightly newspaper service for Sabena LGW/BRU/LGW and a scheduled pax service Gatwick-Antwerp-Gatwick. I'm sure there were other schedules we operated from LGW and charters too but it's all a bit of a haze now, though I can with certainty say that we did not operate a pax service LGW/JER.

[barry lloyd]

Well I'm glad Blackpool finally got a mention, OUA...
Whenever BIA/Air UK is discussed, poor old Blackpool is all too easily forgotten. As one of the aforementioned ops officers at the time, who moved to LGW when BLK was closed in 1981, I remember were flying to IOM, BFS, GCI and JER, prior to that. There were usually three aircraft based at BLK and it was the major maintenance base for the Herald. The aircraft were rotated to LGW via the Channel Islands. Good times at both BLK and LGW with excellent crews.

[treadigraph]

Thanks chaps - Mooncrest has a habit of airing excellent topics, ripe for a little diversion and able to tingle the "leetle grey cells"... :ok:

[EGTE]

Back in the day, BIA Heralds were in and out of Exeter all day long on services to Belfast, Dublin, Southampton and the Channel Islands. We young spotters would often log 8 or 9 different aircraft each day and each one would make a couple of rotations.
Once Air UK took over however, services were eventually drasticly slashed. So much so that, at the lowest ebb, there was just one weekly flight from and to the Channel Islands early on a Sunday morning with the F-27.
That encouraged the fledgling Jersey European to start services to Exeter with the Shorts 330 and Bandierante and the rest is history........

[Mooncrest]

Thanks chaps - Mooncrest has a habit of airing excellent topics, ripe for a little diversion and able to tingle the "leetle grey cells"... :ok:
Always a pleasure, treadigraph. Civil aviation was more interesting in decades past, even at humble LBA. Nowadays it's dominated by Jet2.

[Fokkerwokker]

Think there was a trip under a BCAL callsign LGW-MAN which then carried on MAN-BPL for a day-stop. Certainly appears in an old logbook of mine.

Pretty sure it went on mtce during the day or was swapped for another Herald out of mtce. It then went back to MAN, early evening, for the southbound sector to LGW for BCAL.

Hooe I’ve got that right!

Happy daze!

[barry lloyd]

Think there was a trip under a BCAL callsign LGW-MAN which then carried on MAN-BPL for a day-stop. Certainly appears in an old logbook of mine.

Pretty sure it went on mtce during the day or was swapped for another Herald out of mtce. It then went back to MAN, early evening, for the southbound sector to LGW for BCAL.

Hooe I’ve got that right!

Happy daze!

You are quite right FW. That's exactly as I remember it, except that on arrival at BLK (BPL is an airport in China), it would go on to BFS.

[OUAQUKGF Ops]

Well I'm glad Blackpool finally got a mention, OUA...
Whenever BIA/Air UK is discussed, poor old Blackpool is all too easily forgotten. As one of the aforementioned ops officers at the time, who moved to LGW when BLK was closed in 1981, I remember were flying to IOM, BFS, GCI and JER, prior to that. There were usually three aircraft based at BLK and it was the major maintenance base for the Herald. The aircraft were rotated to LGW via the Channel Islands. Good times at both BLK and LGW with excellent crews.

https://www.airukreunion.co.uk/tag/handley-page-hpr7-herald/

[ZFT]

Am I dreaming or was there a Herald on the roof at LGW about 30 years ago?

[DaveReidUK]

Am I dreaming or was there a Herald on the roof at LGW about 30 years ago?

Go-around that went wrong. :O

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/991x1415/blackwhite2_1017c8424b05849f6da34e26cefcf357745ad928.jpg

https://www.lysanderassociates.com/2018/04/25/help-save-a-little-piece-of-history/

[treadigraph]

Some of my colleagues put it there - designed the structure on which it sat. Original plan was for an A300, then apparently a Convair 440 parked at Miami was proposed - I offered to represent the company on its delivery flight but the rotten sods decided on the Herald instead.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1181x833/gatwick_spectators_2_3f3bd25b29a582608d7525ee20d36facf070a85 d.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1181x827/gatwick_spectators_5_50346e0d712f316473e7ffb16b938ef9e586c44 a.jpg

[old,not bold]

That encouraged the fledgling Jersey European to start services to Exeter with the Shorts 330 and Bandierante and the rest is history........

For those who like their history fleshed out a little........

A BAA subsidiary, British Airports International, later Airports UK, took over management of EGTE from Airwork in April 1984. At that time Air UK ran a quite limited schedule to the Channel Islands, I think 2 rotations daily. Every flight had a wait-list of 10 or 20 people, it was heart-breaking to watch.
When Jack Walker sold his steel company to British Steel later in 1984, he bought 2 small struggling airlines, Spacegrand at Blackpool, and Jersey European Airways in the C.I. BAI went to see him in St Helier, and persuaded him to combine them and base them in Exeter. Part of the deal was that BAA, and Devon County Council (owners) would support the new airline Jersey European in its application to operate between Exeter and the Channel Islands. At the hearing in London, BAI provided evidence of lack of capacity vs demand, and of Air UK's reluctance to increase it, and JEA undertook to operate at least 4 daily rotations, 7 days a week. Air UK's passionate argument that this would simply replace one monopoly with another, because they would be forced to withdraw, fell on deaf ears. The Air UK team included one Jim French, at the time Air UK's Manager in Exeter, who presented a forecasting model to show that there was insufficient demand to support a 2nd carrier on the route. Unfortunately, Air UK had used a completely inappropriate forecasting model that anyone who had studied elementary transport demand forecasting in that era would recognise (it's about truck movements between 2 US cities) because it's in most textbooks on the subject. The CAA's economist in their team duly recognised it, shot the presentation down in flames, and a few days later the CAA gave JEA unlimited rights on the route.
JEA immediately published a schedule with 4 flights a day (I completely forget what with; F27?), and Air UK, rather then pulling out, matched it. So Exeter suddenly had 8 departures daily. It could not last and they eventually pulled out altogether.
The name Jersey European Airways was changed to British European Airways since there was no base in jersey, and this shortly became Flybe.

[DaveReidUK]

The name Jersey European Airways was changed to British European Airways since there was no base in Jersey, and this shortly became Flybe.

I think you mean British European Airlines. No red square involved. :O

[old,not bold]

I'm sure you're right, it was all a long time ago!

[ZFT]

Some of my colleagues put it there - designed the structure on which it sat. Original plan was for an A300, then apparently a Convair 440 parked at Miami was proposed - I offered to represent the company on its delivery flight but the rotten sods decided on the Herald instead.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1181x833/gatwick_spectators_2_3f3bd25b29a582608d7525ee20d36facf070a85 d.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1181x827/gatwick_spectators_5_50346e0d712f316473e7ffb16b938ef9e586c44 a.jpg
Thanks to both you and Dave for the memory refresh

[Musket90]

In late 70's I remember the BIA Heralds parked on the "North Park" opposite the South Terminal central pier occasionally sharing with Dan-Air 748's.
One of their Heralds had an "incident" at Gatwick in early 1975 when during the take-off the gear was retracted too early resulting in the aircraft settling back onto the runway which was then blocked for several hours until aircraft recovery was complete.
I think they also flew a Blackpool - Prestwick early morning mail/newspaper flight in the early 70's as I was fortunate to have flown on one.

[Harry Wayfarers]

I joined Air UK in 1985 so some of this is from before my time but as I recall remembering.

BIA had bases at BLK, LGW (let it not be forgotten that their head office was in Redhill) and down south, think the base was SOU but with aircraft overnighting in CI, certainly for the GCI/LHR route.

Upon and after Air UK's start, the BIA takeover of Air Anglia reportedly to get some more favourable aircraft types, the IOM routes and BLK base were given up, Manx Airlines was supposedly set up by Air UK and BMA (BMI) but I recall that was simply Air UK handing the IOM routes to BMA on a plate.

The LGW base also went, until many years later when BAe146's were to operate a LGW/Scottish route or two, and apparently 'PV' was given the BAC1-11's as a wedding present for marrying in to the B&C Shipping family and told to go and play with those under a reincarnated BIA.

The HPR7's continued on the CI routes until whenever the one was flown in to Duxford by which time Air UK had acquired some stretched F27-500's specifically to operate some of the ex HPR7 CI routes, particularly the prime GCI/LHR route..

[42psi]

I can recall the Herald being used for a while LHR/GCI. Was replaced then by the F27.
Mail was seat loaded in rows 1/2 with a net used to secure it.
Where possible pax were not to be seated in row3, the net went over the seat backs of row 2.
Given the loads were usually always pretty full most of the time that was unlikely.
Two rotations per day, morning and evening.
In the event of being unable to get into GCI (WX) I believe the operational instruction was to return to LHR rather than divert to JER. That way the flight was cancelled due to "weather", originating pax were rebooked for next available with HOTAC only required for transit pax.
Struggling now to recall the flight No's, think it might have UK131/132 & UK 136/137.
Also recall a Captain Haysom (Heysom ?), think he was either fleet or training skipper.

[Herod]

I don't think Chris Haysom was ever on the Herald. Certainly the F27, and IIRC the Shorts 3-60. After retiring as Ops Manager (?) I believe he worked for Eastern out of Humberside before retiring to Market Rasen (?)

[WHBM]

Just to note in passing that the photos of the Herald on the Gatwick roof are not of a BIA/AirUK model, but the first of the fleet at Channel Express (bought secondhand from Arkia of Israel), who progressively took over the Channel Islands mail, flowers and freight from BIA, and then in recent times of course rebranded themselves and managed such success in the Mediterranean holiday market that most everyone else has been retreating from ...

Anyway, from the news today (11 Jan) the churn among UK regional short-haul operators continues, as ever.

[42psi]

I don't think Chris Haysom was ever on the Herald. Certainly the F27, and IIRC the Shorts 3-60. After retiring as Ops Manager (?) I believe he worked for Eastern out of Humberside before retiring to Market Rasen (?)

Thanks for that, I wasn't entirely sure, I do recall him operating the route.
Hadn't realised he became Ops Mgr.

I have fond memories of him. The route out of LHR was always weight challenged. Full pax loads plus freight and mail together with not enough space for everything. No idea where everything was going to to actually fit.

As one of my first load sheets after training I made a right pigs ear of it, he patiently sat down in the cabin with me and went through it. Resulted in a fresh load sheet and helped a young tyke who was a bundle of nerves at the time. His approach that day gave me a confidence boost and all these years later I remain in the industry.

I use that today as an example when training.

[treadigraph]

Just to note in passing that the photos of the Herald on the Gatwick roof are not of a BIA/AirUK model, but the first of the fleet at Channel Express.

Indeed; I think it's still in one piece next to the fire training compound at the 08 end of the runway. I think it was John Hackett who Captained its delivery from Bournemouth to Gatwick.

[Arthur Bellcrank]

Following the relocation of BIA to Norwich in 1980/81 the Herald fleet was very quickly reduced, most of the aircraft were broken up at Norwich from memory G-AVEZ, G-ASBG and the Whiskey series, a very few went to museums, some managed to soldier on for a few years with other operators, G-AVPN went to a few operators and ended its days with CEX as a freighter before display at Elvington.
Routes after the merger were mainly as prior to the formation of Air Uk, The Heralds operated the Guernsey-Gatwick, Guernsey-Sou routes, including a night mail on a Guernsey based aircraft, also for a time in 1982 a Herald operated a Norwich - Amsterdam route.
Old,not bold, JEA used SD360 on the CI routes initially, then operated two HS748 "G-BGMO" and "G-BGMN" in the early 1990s, these were phased out by the 6 ex Australian East West F27s that were introduced around 1991.

[WHBM]

The route out of LHR [GCI] was always weight challenged. Full pax loads plus freight and mail
Bit of a short sector for that being an issue. If you were at altitude overhead say Southampton you could possibly see both runways. Even my PA28 could manage it !

[Harry Wayfarers]

Old,not bold, JEA used SD360 on the CI routes initially, then operated two HS748 "G-BGMO" and "G-BGMN" in the early 1990s, these were phased out by the 6 ex Australian East West F27s that were introduced around 1991. !

JEA utilised Twotters initially, would have been a tad awkward putting a Shed thru Shoreham, the Sheds came later!

Air UK went thru the hassle of getting the F27-500 on to the British register and thereafter JEA acquired F27-500's.

[Akrotiri bad boy]

I remember the BIA "Paper Plane". They used to come into Lossie around 01:00hrs carrying the Scottish daily rags which had been printed earlier that evening in Manchester. I was riggering on 226OCU at the time and we'd often wander over to the VASS pan and help unload the bales of newspapers into waiting John Menzies trucks. You'd get an early look at the next day's news, well that's if you consider the Daily Record to be news. Through some nefarious means tickets for the return flight to Blackpool were available from the VASS Chiefy. I took a ride down sometime in 1979 and clearly remember standing between the pilots drinking tea as we cruised sedately over a sleeping nation wrapped in a sodium glow far below. I think I had to stand as there were no seats in the back! The return trip up was a little different as the aircraft was stacked with newspapers, I recall fashioning an armchair out of bales and settling down to read the awful news of Uncle Dickie's demise.

[bill2b]

What an interesting thread, thanks folks. The reason I found it was that today Mrs B got an old book through the post today and inside one of the pages was this "Book mark", I thought it might be of some interest.
Also Akrotiri bad boys post about Lossiemouth and 226 OCU caught my eye because I too was a rigger at Lossiemouth between 78 and 81, I was in Jag ASF and for the last year I too was on 226.
I remember the paper plane as well although I never got a ride in it, I did get a lift in the Whisky plane G-BAPL once or twice.
Small world.


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1417x911/airuks_9c7f9344af05cc50ae06956237cde4626ee40433.jpg

[Flap40]

UK 524 was EDI-LGW (probably on a BAe146) and i would guess at this being pre mid 1992 as there was no gap between the U & K once the Blue tail livery arrived with the first F100 in late July 1992.

[bill2b]

Thanks for that Flap40, another small world thing was that my parents lived 3 miles from Edinburgh airport during this era.
One question, what is the cricket bat with the cross on it? Could it be no smoking.
Cheers

[Herod]

bill2b. Yep, you got it in one. A nice reminder of noe very good airline.

[Flap40]

When we was doing our ground school for the 146 at Norwich we got to see what the damage from a tail strike looked like. I cannot remember the reg but I know that the incident was at EDI, on the UK525, on runway 25, on the 25th July 1994. All the 25's made it stick in my mind hence knowing the route for the UK524 above.

[treadigraph]

One question, what is the cricket bat with the cross on it?

Got me stumped... ;)

[wub]

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x599/airuk_7b74c2b5b7b782751bb3edec1d3af6ebaec87438.jpg
At EDI

[Herod]

G-UKHP it would seem.

[PV1]

I joined Air UK in 1985 so some of this is from before my time but as I recall remembering.

BIA had bases at BLK, LGW (let it not be forgotten that their head office was in Redhill) and down south, think the base was SOU but with aircraft overnighting in CI, certainly for the GCI/LHR route.

Upon and after Air UK's start, the BIA takeover of Air Anglia reportedly to get some more favourable aircraft types, the IOM routes and BLK base were given up, Manx Airlines was supposedly set up by Air UK and BMA (BMI) but I recall that was simply Air UK handing the IOM routes to BMA on a plate.

The LGW base also went, until many years later when BAe146's were to operate a LGW/Scottish route or two, and apparently 'PV' was given the BAC1-11's as a wedding present for marrying in to the B&C Shipping family and told to go and play with those under a reincarnated BIA.

The HPR7's continued on the CI routes until whenever the one was flown in to Duxford by which time Air UK had acquired some stretched F27-500's specifically to operate some of the ex HPR7 CI routes, particularly the prime GCI/LHR route..you are obviously quite an expert. I find your reference to me marrying into the B & C shipping family quite insulting. I never did, was already married when I joined BIA and we bought the 1-11’s and certainly did not play with them. You also denounce and denigrate the professionalism of those who joined us

[Doctor Cruces]

I know Air Anglia used them on the sched from NWI-ABZ for a while when I worked for them at ABZ in the mid 70s. Can't remember which way they came, I think they may have replaced the DC3 on the LBA route, can't imagine that would take the 27 off the MME route.

[Nightstop]

When we was doing our ground school for the 146 at Norwich we got to see what the damage from a tail strike looked like. I cannot remember the reg but I know that the incident was at EDI, on the UK525, on runway 25, on the 25th July 1994. All the 25's made it stick in my mind hence knowing the route for the UK524 above.

Sadly that could have been a flight I was in Command of. Night landing, F/O was PF and got slow approaching the threshold, he cut the power and flared too high. During the roll-out, the rear cabin crew called on the inter-phone to report a scraping noise during the landing, just as I was telling the F/O he’d scrape the tail one day if he did that again! Will check my logbook, in another location right now.

[Herod]

Black mark, Nightstop!! I guess a -200. IIRC, the -300 had a tail bumper, because of the longer fuselage. Couldn't have been me, I was shutting-down engines of the F 100 by then! I take it you're still well, and still flying?

[Flap40]

Herod, you've got it the wrong way round. The -100 had a decent sized tail bumper, the -200 a smaller one and the -300 did not have one as it wound probably been hit too often as the clearance was so small. The approach speeds were faster than the -200 for a given weight to give greater clearance.

Nightstop, I know who the Captain was. It was a line training sector.

[Herod]

Flap40, you are of course correct. The old joke was that there was no bumper on the -300 because, as you say, it would have contacted. I blame age, and the fact that my last flight on type was in '92. Blo*dy Heck, that was 27 years ago!!

[pzu]

Late ‘75 and into ‘76 was tripping out of Orkney home to Teesside and using AirUK from ABZ - some trips were F27 via NCL to MME and a couple were Heralds(?) via MAN to LBA

PZU - Out of Africa (Retired)

[Offchocks]

Late ‘75 and into ‘76 was tripping out of Orkney home to Teesside and using AirUK from ABZ - some trips were F27 via NCL to MME and a couple were Heralds(?) via MAN to LBA

PZU - Out of Africa (Retired)

It was most probably with Air Anglia as AirUK did not come into existence until 1979 I believe. If memory serves me correctly, Air Anglia had a lone Herald but didn't start operating it until 1977.

[pzu]

Correct was Air Anglia

[browndhc2]

Air Anglia wet leased G-ASVO from British Midland entering service on the 2nd of March 1975.G-BAVX was also used whilst 'SVO was on check .The Midland lease ended in March 1976 and another Herald G-BCWE was leased from British Air ferries for a Six week period commencing April 76.

[Jerbourg]

I found these Air UK Herald images whilst searching through 'Guernsey Airport Of YesterYear' on FB.
Credit to the original photographer/s
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1377x659/g_bazj_8869fcab6da8c8ec183fc26a478be9d0849b4fef.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1476x1176/g_apwe_2d59a2dc2e73e4fdc4d417736aa5c7d733871608.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1384x1028/g_apwg_b89b45bf2f70fb21b344ba897f8a121ee4e5929a.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1408x1056/g_apwj_4100f20d0f526371bd7135d08e3d8cc609f88b25.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1672x1172/g_avpn_0dd20dcb507796a9565bed734c4908235a7c0014.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1460x1176/herald_573bd86e36d8f95ca462dd593b9d7e92665f4544.jpg
I

[Mooncrest]

Nice pictures. I think G-BAZJ was the only Air UK Herald with a completely blue tailfin. Likewise, only one F27 and some 1-11s received this look until someone sagely pointed out that all blue against a blue sky was an accident waiting to happen. Or something like that.

[treadigraph]

Not blue sky thinking then... sorry. :}

[pax britanica]

I flew an orange stripe version, orange tail too possible from LHR-Antwerp in mid 70s. Actually we ended up on a Sabena 707-300 because the Herald went tec but we flew back on one though i cannot remeber which colour scheme.
I do remember Antwerp airport which was tiny and you walked through a pretty little flower garden and through a white wooden gate to get from departure' lounge' to the aircraft. Nice view into LHR over London being high winged . My vague recollection was that it was rather more primitive than the F27 which I flew on quite bit

[Arthur Bellcrank]

I remember that the -300 had a small L shaped angle riveted externally fore/aft at the point where the fuselage would strike the runway, this was to aid inspection, if the angle wasn't there then a strike had occurred.
I repaired a JEA -300 at Exeter, very straight forward, the damaged area trimmed up and a large preformed chemi eitched skin rivetted over the hole. The repair skins were on the shelf in stores ready for issue.
Nice picture of ZJ, this was the first Herald to be painted in the new colour scheme, when it arrived at Blackpool the general opinion was that it looked like a fag packet.

[OUAQUKGF Ops]

Well the Air Anglia livery for the first F27 was from a design inspired by Dougie Brown's packet of Rothmans. I was sitting by him on the DC3 as he sketched it out on a sick-bag. We were on our way to Amsterdam to spend the day at the Fokker factory prior to the introduction of the F27. It wasn't until we were boarding at Norwich that Wilbur Wright bellowed out to us that Fokker wanted to know what the livery should look like.....

At the risk of slight thread drift....

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/731x432/screenshot_2021_09_01_at_17_45_16_f27_ph_fil_google_search_9 dc3ddd2b4b3fb4f28aaffa004cc07eaa13c72b9.png

Air Anglia's first F27 introduced 1972. Initially operated on Air Anglia's AOC with its Dutch Registration. Fokker also supplied two Training Captains.
Photo Credit Richard Hunt.


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/966x646/screenshot_2021_09_01_at_09_41_17_g_asvo_aberdeen_30_4_1975_ ace127e4f102308f01a22bb92081eb1d261ab6b0.png
H.P. Herald - Leased from BMA in 1975 and photographed at Aberdeen. Photo credit Lewis Grant.