Stansted Airport History and Nostalgia

[Sotonsean]

EDIT.....since starting this thread the title has been changed from "Scandinavian Invasion" to something that better reflects the various topics and discussions. The new title to this thread is now named "Stansted Airport History and Nostalgia".

I appreciate everyone's contributions.

​​​I thought that I would start a thread regarding the Scandinavian Invasion that occurred on Sundays at London Stansted Airport during the late 1970's and 1980's long before the low cost airlines and the new terminal that opened in 1991.

During that period London Stansted Airport was more of a ghost airport except for a few seasonal charters by the likes of Air Malta, Austrian Airlines, Aviogenex, Balkan Bulgarian Airlines, JAT Yugoslav Airlines, Transeuropa, a few scheduled flights from Jersey European Airways and Air UK. There was also the summer only weekly Viscount service from British Midland Airways to Jersey.

London Stansted during the mid eighties also saw for a limited time the Highland Express B747 to Newark via Prestwick. Wardair operated a weekly B747 to Toronto plus the Caribbean Airways (Lionair) B747 charter to Barbados and the occasional American Trans Air TriStar. Towards the end of the eighties STN also saw regular visits from the Canadian airlines Air Transat with their B757's and Tristars and Crown Air DC8-52's. There was a short lived scheduled flight by Aer Lingus to Dublin with B737. Air France flew to Paris CDG with a SAAB 340 along with KLM to Amsterdam with a F27.

The maintenance areas always had something of interest with regular visitors such as Air Guinea B707/ B727, Air Liberia B737, Air Mali B727, Somalia Airways B707, TAAG Angola Airlines B707, ZAS "Airline of Egypt" B707 and many more.

TransMeridian CL-44's, DC8's, Shorts Belfasts, IAS Cargo Airlines DC8's. TransMeridian Cargo merged with IAS Cargo Airlines in 1979 to form the short lived British Cargo Airlines. Other cargo movements by U.A.S. Cargo B707, Uganda Airlines B707 and Hercules, the odd Flying Tiger Airlines DC8.

There was of course the dedicated Ford flights with their BAC1-11's and Gulfstream 1's and aircraft on crew training flights from various airlines but on the whole there wasn't many movements especially compared to today.

But the real highlight of the week was on a Sunday when London Stansted Airport saw many movements from various Scandinavian airlines that we're otherwise not seen in the United Kingdom. The only time you would probably see those airlines would be in their respective countries or in European sun destinations and in particular Greek or Spanish resort airport's.

On a Sunday at London Stansted during the late 1970's upto the late 1980's you could see regular and multiple movements by the following airlines although some eventually moved to London Gatwick Airport as in the case with Finnair and Kar Air Finland. Sterling Airlines briefly moved to Luton Airport but eventually moved back to London Stansted Airport. Scanair was sold off by SAS and became Premair.

Braathens SAFE...B737, B767
Busy Bee...B737
Conair...B720, A300, A320
Finnair...DC8, DC9
Kar Air Finland...DC8
Linjeflyg...F28
Mearsk...B720, B737
​​​​​​Premair...A300, DC10
SAS Scandinavian Airlines...DC8, DC9, D10
Scanair...A300, DC8, DC10
​​​​​​Sterling Airlines...B727, DC8, Caravelle
Transair Sweden...B727
Transwede Airways...B737, Caravelle

I'm sure that there are many members on here who can remember the Scandinavian Invasion at London Stansted Airport during that period.

I would be interested to read about other people's memories from that period as well as sharing photos.

The Luton Nostalgia thread over the years has always been a fairly active thread with some great posts and some excellent photos. Let's see if we can do justice to the past history at London Stansted Airport.

I look forward to reading your comments

Sean

​​​

[Musket90]

Here's a few.

MAOF ...B720 ...Tel-Aviv
Intercontinental...DC8-50... Lagos (the airline that struck the tail of a parked Flying Tigers DC8 in the cargo apron during a go around due fog)
AEI...CL44... JFK (cargo)
Fedex...Started with B727-100...Memphis via Goose Bay or Gander
Air UK...Bandeirante...Paris CDG
Algerian...Hercules (cargo)
Tradewinds... B707 (cargo)

Instone...Bristol 170

[GAXLN]

I thought that I would start a thread regarding the Scandinavian Invasion that occurred on Sundays at London Stansted Airport during the late 1970's and 1980's long before the low cost airlines and the new terminal that opened in 1991.

During that period London Stansted Airport was more of a ghost airport except for a few seasonal charters by the likes of Air Malta, Austrian Airlines, Aviogenex, Balkan Bulgarian Airlines, JAT Yugoslav Airlines, a few scheduled flights from Jersey European Airways and Air UK. There was also the summer only weekly Viscount service from British Midland Airways to Jersey plus during the mid eighties for limited time the Highland Express B747 to Newark via Prestwick. Wardair operated a weekly B747 to Toronto plus the Caribbean Airways (Lionair) B747 charter to Barbados and the occasional American Trans Air TriStar.

The maintenance areas always had something of interest with regular visitors such as an Air Mali B727, Air Guinea B707, Somalia Airways B707, TAAG Angola Airlines B707 and many more plus the TransMeridian CL-44's and Shorts Belfasts.

There was of course the dedicated Ford flights with their BAC1-11's and Gulfstream 1's and aircraft on crew training flights from various airlines but on the whole there wasn't many movements especially compared to today.

But the real highlight of the week was on a Sunday when London Stansted Airport saw many movements from various Scandinavian airlines that we're otherwise not seen in the United Kingdom.

I look forward to reading your comments

Sean

​​​

At the risk of slight thread drift, one date which saw a depleted operation from Stansted was Sunday, January 21st. 1979. The whole of the south was covered in fog but Cardiff remained pretty fog free as, I believe, did Bournemouth. Cardiff’s day started early with the diversion from Gatwick of GK64 a Laker Airways DC-10 and, as well as a rugby airlift back from Scotland, the airport handled over twenty diversions. A mid-afternoon appearance was made by three Sterling Airways Caravelles diverting in quick succession from Stansted. Where Stansted’s other flights that day ended up I have no idea, but for Cardiff it was an amazing day still etched in my memory with a good selection of aircraft. Somewhere at home I still have my log of the movements that took place and some pictures too of a pretty unusual day for Cardiff. Apologies for the thread drift, let’s return to Stansted!

[TCU]

I grew up in the village of Stansted Mountfitchet and spent many, many happy hours spotting at Stansted airport during this period.

Normal hang out spots were the old terminal, the grass area to its immediate left (where Stansted Aviation Society eventually had a temporary building) or cycling around various in airport or perimeter vantage spots (low or no fences in those days). Kindly ATEL folk would let you peek into hangar 4 if you were well behaved.

The Scandi invasion was largely two pronged, with an early morning fleet and then a repeat in the late afternoon/evening. The Sterling flights were normally the last to arrive and depart, normally after dark (season varying of course)

I seem to recall Busy Bee also operated occasional F27's. Nor-Fly and Fred Olsen would also pitch in with ancient Convair 340/440's.

Other regulars were the CAA/CAFU HS748 pair of G-ATMI and G-ATMJ and Eric Thustons PA-23 G-ASMY, training aspiring pilots. I took my first ever flight on G-ATMJ in 1977 as part of a programme organised by the CAA for Essex school children.....imagine that today?

The ATEL Hangar 4 would, as noted by the OP, attract amazing exotica from around the world, mostly in the form of 707's and DC-8's but occasionally other types, including the Turkish Air Force Viscounts, Britannias, CL-44's and Hercs

A few memories from that era. All the below circa 1983
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1739x1264/bbag_l1011_d70d387cba8903fc1e39feda3083cdf4de4fff8b.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/852x555/nor_fly_06_83_817d6a0b63d2090db8cd4d930aa6f07dee949e26.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/647x445/smy_2883cf62165fcff9216acff60523fbce6311738c.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/854x540/turkish_viscounts_06_83_8a42feec6fb4707a75abc076db8294f9c5b8 f2cc.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/853x544/wisc_06_83_18ab937cc8d5638a4fc3c111c84206663d3a0fe4.jpg

[Alsacienne]

Lovely to share these memories .... can't provide images but enjoyed the Skyvans and Fokker F27s! Plus the joys of a good walk from home to the airport for a strong mug of tea in the portakabin. Also wonderful moments driving over the end of the runway (when the lights were green!).

[Sotonsean]

TCU

Many thanks for your contribution to the topic plus your excellent set of photos from that period. I have a few photos hidden away somewhere but there are many photos on Flickr showing the Scandinavian visitors plus the variety of visitors to the ATEL maintenance facility.

I remember getting my father to drive me and a few buddies all the way from Southampton to Stansted one Sunday morning in 1980 and when we arrived we were surprised to see a few diversions from London Gatwick which was fog bound. They included a Braniff International Boeing 747 N601BN "the original Big Orange", a Wardair Boeing 747, British Airways B747. It was quite a shock to see three Boeing 747's on the ground together at the same time at Stansted back then. With the only other movement by a Braathens SAFE Boeing 737 my father got bored so we persuaded him to drive us to Luton to do some biz spotting. There wasn't much going on there either so off we went to Heathrow where there was obviously much more to see and my father was much happier.

My father is 83yo now and only the other week he said to me, "do you , remember when you made me drive you and your friends all the way to Stansted all those years ago, I wasn't expecting to do an all dayer dragging you around the airport's". And that was before the M25 was fully completed, it must have been hell for him.

But looking back at it now I'm so thankful that he did and I rightly told him so. I jokingly said "well that's what dad's are for, are you expecting the petrol money now" 😂

[HZ123]

I was a PC in the British Airports Constabulary at STN from 72-75, living at the Chequers Ugly. I recall the Saturn Airways stretch DC8 and the Indian Air force Connies. I recall TMAC refurbishing a CL44 which had sat on its belly for a number of years closeby the TMAC Hangar. additionally the Carvairs, the Ford fleet a number of the crews drunk in the Chequers and the BAA Ops Manager was a guy called Frank Quick who had been a fighter pilot in WW11, he used have a Cessna 150 and would fly to LGW to pick up a twin to do lighting check at LGW and LHR. I accompanied him a couple of times and I recall landing back in the dark as it was practice to switch off the runway lights, saving monies and he new it like the back of his hand.

My first introduction was to go there for a couple of days to guard Donaldson's 707 that was in ELAL livery, the former having gone broke. Nothing changes in UK aviation.

Some of you may also remember the armed robbery at the terminal Nat West Bank, originally blamed on the IRA, then turning out to be a BAA Duty Officer and an Airport fireman. Such happy memories of the airport and its surrounds

[Musket90]

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https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1299/trans_sahel_849089bddb26262ab96a88f39fe07b2c8a2c5d26.jpg

[Sotonsean]

Musket90

Many thanks for your contribution with those excellent photos of DC8's at London Stansted during that period, it's much appreciated.

London Stansted definitely saw some rare aircraft during the 1970/80's.

Do you have any more to add, maybe a selection of B707's.

I might have to change the title to "Stansted, History and Nostalgia", similar to the Luton equivalent which has lots of information and photos from a bygone era

I look forward to many more contributions.

[TCU]

Musket 90. Wonderful pics. Up until the late 70's, possibly early 80's that area in front of hangar 4 and back westerly to the GA park was ridiculously accessible, with nothing more than a 4ft picket fence between self and the heavy metal

Living in Stansted village, one could often hear the engine runs into the baffles, shown in the Aerocaribbean DC8 picture, late at night....I always loved them but I guess the folk in Burton End might have been less impressed
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/866x526/n2cc_06_83_cdea83cb458b049a03b002116498bbecd918aa83.jpg

[rog747]

Cough Ahem - STN early 1970's we must add Lloyd International 707's plus BMA 707's too, both regulars based out of STN, along with the USA Affinity charters of Saturn AFA ONA Universal with their DC-8's
Of course we must not forget the based airline Channel AW with their Trident OneE's and BAC 1-11's followed with the fleet of tired ex Olympic and BEA Comet 4B's that struggled to keep revenues afloat until the demise.

https://www.bishopsstortfordindependent.co.uk/news/time-flies-stansted-airports-history-in-pictures-9056709/

[GAZIN]

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/640x459/c09ff4da_8fd5_4238_aac0_9899489ee161_a159fe798d85c236b755d80 3ce17bd673a6f47bf.jpeg
Some Scandi Boeings.

[GAZIN]

A Scandinavian freighter.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/640x436/51f30d19_78de_49fe_a30e_19ff4990490d_ecd7e52f97385c12b1878d9 7e2457535ad2d7fea.jpeg

[Sotonsean]

Cough Ahem - STN early 1970's we must add Lloyd International 707's plus BMA 707's too, both regulars based out of STN, along with the USA Affinity charters of Saturn AFA ONA Universal with their DC-8's
Of course we must not forget the based airline Channel AW with their Trident OneE's and BAC 1-11's followed with the fleet of tired ex Olympic and BEA Comet 4B's that struggled to keep revenues afloat until the demise.

https://www.bishopsstortfordindependent.co.uk/news/time-flies-stansted-airports-history-in-pictures-9056709/

Rog

Although I initially opened this thread about London Stansted Airport during the mid 1970's to the late 1980's and in particular the Scandinavian Invasion on the Sunday I purposely omitted any aircraft or airline's prior to that including those that you have listed which I'm personally aware of.

Due to the fact that London Stansted Airport has a great history in regards to the variety of aircraft seen at the airport prior to the mid 1970's I think that this thread should actually be called London Stansted Airport, History and Nostalgia similar to the popular Luton thread as their is so much to cover.

I appreciate your contribution to this thread and with your expertise and knowledge of the aviation industry from that era I thoroughly welcome your input.

As you have mentioned London Stansted Airport saw many affinity charters from several US carriers during that period plus those from British Midland Airways with their B707's.

Lloyd International of course which were based at the airport with their fleet of Britannias and B707's. Donaldson International Airways Britannia's and B707's. It was Donaldson International Airways who famously flew the first Ugandan refugees into London Stansted Airport from Entebbe after the dictator Idi Amin expelled them from the country after his coup, there is footage of the event on YouTube.

Other than the US airline's that you have already mentioned such as,

AFA American Flyers...DC8
ONA Overseas National Airlines...DC8
Saturn Airways...DC8
Universal Airways...DC8

London Stansted Airport during that period also saw other US airlines on affinity charters such as,

Capitol Airways...DC8
Trans International Airlines...DC8
World Airways...B707/DC8

London Stansted Airport first came to my attention as a 7yo when my grandfather gave me his flight ticket which I used to collect and it was a World Airways flight from New York JFK to London Stansted Airport on a DC8-63 in 1972. I still have it as part of my collection and I can remember asking my grandfather at the time "where is Stansted" never having heard of the airport prior to that.

Regarding American Flyers Airline AFA, their Boeing 727-100's made history by being the first airframe of the type to operate transatlantic flights from mainland USA to London Gatwick and Manchester and also to Frankfurt obviously with a couple of fuel stops.

Saturn Airways absorbed the assets of the defunct Universal Airlines in May 1972.

Saturn Airways was absorbed by Trans International Airlines TIA in December 1976 making Trans International Airlines the largest cargo and affinity charter airline in the world at the time.

Channel Airways although having a base at Southend Airport also used London Stansted Airport as a base for their Trident 1E's which weren't fully capableof using the runway at Southend on IT charters although they had initially used the airport with their Tridents. Although Channel Airways purchased five former BEA DHC-COMET 4's the "clapped out" DHC-Comet 4's purchased from Olympic Airways I believe were never flown by the airline but used for spares instead for the rest of the Comet fleet. A further example was also purchased from the Mexican airline Mexicana for spares. Neither the former BEA or Olympic Airways aircraft wore the full ChannelAirways livery just the airline's titles and and cheat line's from their former operators.

Channel Airways had initially purchased the Comets in 1970 for flying operations on behalf of Lyons Holidays along with winning a very lucrative travel contract by a consortium of three West German tour operators to fly from Berlin Templehof Airport to the Mediterranean.

In January 1971, Channel Airway received UK, US and Canadian permission to operate transatlantic affinity charters. A pair of Boeing 7O7's were to be purchased to commence North Atlantic operations to the USA and Canada later that year which didn't materialise.

Channel Airways failure to enter the transatlantic affinity charter market was followed by an unsuccessful attempt to establish itself as the UK's third scheduled domestic trunk airline in addition to BEA and British Caledonian Airways. Partial approval of an application to the UK Air Licensing Board (ATLB) in early 1971 to fly from London Stansted to Belfast Glasgow Newcastle resulted in the ATLB to provisionally license Channel Airways to fly between London Stansted and Glasgow from May 1972 which was ultimately reversed due to pressure from the state owned BEA.

The airline was successful but soon sold their pair of Tridents to BEA and in return purchased two former American Airlines BAC1-11-400's to add to their existing fleet of 1-11's for IT work. Soon after Channel Airways lost their lucrative Berlin contract to Dan Air and with costs rising the airline found itself in financial difficulties and with no potential buyers and with work drying up for their fleet permanent cessation of operations was followed by the withdrawal of the airline's AOC at the end of March 1973 and the airline ceased trading.

A sad end to what was at the time a very pioneering airline, very similar to the demise of British Eagle Airways which went into liquidation in 1968.

[Sotonsean]

GAZIN

Great photos especially the one with four Conair Boeing 720's on the ground at the same time at Stansted, excellent catch.

I can't quite make out the tail of the other aircraft in that photo, it appears to be a DC9.

​​Maybe an Austrian Airlines!

Do you know what airline it belongs to?

[GAZIN]

I have fond memories of growing up next to Stansted Airport in the 1970’s. There was a lot of crew training, I particularly remember the Lloyd Britannia’s, Invicta Vanguard’s, QANTAS 707’s, CAAFU Doves and 748’s, Thurston’s Apache, as seen above in TCU’s post and the magnificent CL44’s of TMAC. The road from Takeley ended a few feet from the taxiway, from there you could watch all of the above at close quarters, plus Channel Airways Comets, Saturn C130’s and other good stuff.


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/640x438/b1716b09_630b_41d8_8906_ebc166909a59_2631cd815922e57acad1098 658eed1194a60e002.jpeg
Canadair CL44 G-AZIN at STN.

[TCU]

GAZIN, those old country lanes around Burton End, Takeley, the Bury Lodge, Tye Green, Coopers End were rich with the sights and sounds of the old STN, where pistons, jets and turbofans could be heard in the same day.

Up until the late 70's "the dump" where many an aircraft ended its days was just the other side of a wire mesh fence in the Coopers End area. Many of those lanes were disrupted by the subsequent airport development

One could happily sit near the threshold of what was RW23 and watch the arrivals, near where the old African Safari "zebra" DC8 ended its days

A few ATEL 707/720 regulars that have flashed into my mind were AeroAmerica and Montana

Anyone remember the Young Air Cargo Britannia that sat next to Hangar 4 for years before meeting its end in "the dump"?

One other splendid memory was the rotating airport locator beacon that would flash across the adjacent Essex countryside deep in the night. It was located just behind the tree line shown in the pictures of the Emery DC8 and N2CC. I don't think at the time I quite realised what a transitional period this was for air transport and that before we knew it the fences were high, policeman would move you on and there was no where to park for free!

[GAZIN]

GAZIN

Great photos especially the one with four Conair Boeing 720's on the ground at the same time at Stansted, excellent catch.

I can't quite make out the tail of the other aircraft in that photo, it appears to be a DC9.

​​Maybe an Austrian Airlines!

Do you know what airline it belongs to?

I am not sure about the red fin, I had thought that it might have been a Sterling 727, but it does look DC-9’ish. On the same day I photographed 2 more Conair 720’s a Finair DC-9 and a Busy Bee 737. They were all football fan charters.

[Sotonsean]

I am not sure about the red fin, I had thought that it might have been a Sterling 727, but it does look DC-9’ish. On the same day I photographed 2 more Conair 720’s a Finair DC-9 and a Busy Bee 737. They were all football fan charters.

The tail in question definitely looks like it belongs to a DC9 rather than a B727. Although from the photo it can be difficult to confirm one way or another.

Sterling Airlines received their first Boeing 727-2J4ADV on October 01 1973 having ordered three examples directly from Boeing in 1971. At the time their fleet consisted of of 22 Caravelle 10's and 7 larger 131 passenger Caravelle 12's.

Sterling Airlines also put in an order for two Airbus A300B aircraft in 1971 that were never taken up by the airline.

I have enlarged the photo as much as possible and although it's not clear enough to exactly identify the airline it does look as if it could be an Austrian Airlines DC9 going by the tail of the aircraft. Austrian Airlines made frequent visits to London Stansted at the time on IT charters. But having a closer look, the markings on the tail could well be that of Sterling Airlines which would make it being a B727.

But nonetheless it's a cracker of a photo to have four Conair Boeing Boeing 720's on the ground at the same time at London Stansted.

If you have any other photos to upload to the thread that are similar to this showing aircraft from that period at London Stansted it would be much appreciated.

There are loads of excellent photos on Flickr of aircraft taken at London Stansted during the 1970/80's but obviously due to copyright I can't upload them here on pprune.

Many thanks for your contribution to the London Stansted Airport, History and Nostalgia thread.

Sean

[rog747]

Rog

Although I initially opened this thread about London Stansted Airport during the mid 1970's to the late 1980's and in particular the Scandinavian Invasion on the Sunday I purposely omitted any aircraft or airline's prior to that including those that you have listed which I'm personally aware of.

Due to the fact that London Stansted Airport has a great history in regards to the variety of aircraft seen at the airport prior to the mid 1970's I think that this thread should actually be called London Stansted Airport, History and Nostalgia similar to the popular Luton thread as their is so much to cover.

I appreciate your contribution to this thread and with your expertise and knowledge of the aviation industry from that era I thoroughly welcome your input.

As you have mentioned London Stansted Airport saw many affinity charters from several US carriers during that period plus those from British Midland Airways with their B707's.

Lloyd International of course which were based at the airport with their fleet of Britannias and B707's. Donaldson International Airways Britannia's and B707's. It was Donaldson International Airways who famously flew the first Ugandan refugees into London Stansted Airport from Entebbe after the dictator Idi Amin expelled them from the country after his coup, there is footage of the event on YouTube.

Other than the US airline's that you have already mentioned such as,

AFA American Flyers...DC8
ONA Overseas National Airlines...DC8
Saturn Airways...DC8
Universal Airways...DC8

London Stansted Airport during that period also saw other US airlines on affinity charters such as,

Capitol Airways...DC8
Trans International Airlines...DC8
World Airways...B707/DC8

London Stansted Airport first came to my attention as a 7yo when my grandfather gave me his flight ticket which I used to collect and it was a World Airways flight from New York JFK to London Stansted Airport on a DC8-63 in 1972. I still have it as part of my collection and I can remember asking my grandfather at the time "where is Stansted" never having heard of the airport prior to that.

Regarding American Flyers Airline AFA, their Boeing 727-100's made history by being the first airframe of the type to operate transatlantic flights from mainland USA to London Gatwick and Manchester and also to Frankfurt obviously with a couple of fuel stops.

Saturn Airways absorbed the assets of the defunct Universal Airlines in May 1972.

Saturn Airways was absorbed by Trans International Airlines TIA in December 1976 making Trans International Airlines the largest cargo and affinity charter airline in the world at the time.

Channel Airways although having a base at Southend Airport also used London Stansted Airport as a base for their Trident 1E's which weren't fully capableof using the runway at Southend on IT charters although they had initially used the airport with their Tridents. Although Channel Airways purchased five former BEA DHC-COMET 4's the "clapped out" DHC-Comet 4's purchased from Olympic Airways I believe were never flown by the airline but used for spares instead for the rest of the Comet fleet. A further example was also purchased from the Mexican airline Mexicana for spares. Neither the former BEA or Olympic Airways aircraft wore the full ChannelAirways livery just the airline's titles and and cheat line's from their former operators.

Channel Airways had initially purchased the Comets in 1970 for flying operations on behalf of Lyons Holidays along with winning a very lucrative travel contract by a consortium of three West German tour operators to fly from Berlin Templehof Airport to the Mediterranean.

In January 1971, Channel Airway received UK, US and Canadian permission to operate transatlantic affinity charters. A pair of Boeing 7O7's were to be purchased to commence North Atlantic operations to the USA and Canada later that year which didn't materialise.

Channel Airways failure to enter the transatlantic affinity charter market was followed by an unsuccessful attempt to establish itself as the UK's third scheduled domestic trunk airline in addition to BEA and British Caledonian Airways. Partial approval of an application to the UK Air Licensing Board (ATLB) in early 1971 to fly from London Stansted to Belfast Glasgow Newcastle resulted in the ATLB to provisionally license Channel Airways to fly between London Stansted and Glasgow from May 1972 which was ultimately reversed due to pressure from the state owned BEA.

The airline was successful but soon sold their pair of Tridents to BEA and in return purchased two former American Airlines BAC1-11-400's to add to their existing fleet of 1-11's for IT work. Soon after Channel Airways lost their lucrative Berlin contract to Dan Air and with costs rising the airline found itself in financial difficulties and with no potential buyers and with work drying up for their fleet permanent cessation of operations was followed by the withdrawal of the airline's AOC at the end of March 1973 and the airline ceased trading.

A sad end to what was at the time a very pioneering airline, very similar to the demise of British Eagle Airways which went into liquidation in 1968.

Spot on there with the Time frame = maybe we lived a parallel life ?? LOL (I'm from near Upminster, so SEN and STN airport spotty visits were also the norm)
I flew on a Channel Trident from STN with mum and dad 1971ish, 7 abreast front cabin, was fine - but I was 13 or 14 with my pal and mum and dad in a row of 4.

[rog747]

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/494x135/1eseat_b3a7c964f9d6f053901ebec9a986e76b23ae2484.jpg
One E 140 seat plan


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x699/0223120_d062f83d9142562dce4689e34820f01aabd28c71.jpg


Me! - The little boy far left under the nose at SEN - Sunday afternoon viewings for new holidaymakers


SotonSean
Actually it was Dan Air who purchased two former American Airlines BAC 1-11-400's early in 1969 to add to their existing fleet for new IT work.
This was soon after British Eagle went bust to quickly fill the gap for Lunn Poly Everyman Holidays S1969 flights -
The Dan Air base was set up surprisingly at LTN (Lunn Poly's flights on Eagle were all from LHR)
Dan's got 2 more 1-11's from Eagle a year later, plus G-AZED (rebuilt, ex D-ANDY w/off in an RTO at GRO 1970)

Channels' 1-11's were all new orders from BAC - Their first 1-11 was 89 seat G-AVGP.
They ordered 3 of a 99 seat version of the -400 that had an extra pair of overwing exits to allow that. (G-AVGP then went to Autair)
Only 2 of the 3 got delivered (one of which went directly on a lease to BUA for all summer 1969) and the 3rd went to Bavaria Flug and was never used by Channel.

Channel did order all 5 Trident One E-140's which were 139 seat versions.
G-AVYA - YE but they only took a pair in the end.
BKS and Air Ceylon took the 3 others.
Northeast (BKS) took Channels' pair via BEA after their demise.

Channel Airways and their in-house tour operator Mediterranean Holidays were famous for allowing prospective holidaymakers to view their jets on display both at SEN and STN airports usually on wet Sunday afternoons to tempt them into booking their next Hols.


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/534x800/channel_med_holidays_4bd8c4f61e1f4227a1e88fb87e9e173599d5260 e.jpg
---

Come on board!
It must be noted that most of these IT flights were moved to Stansted due to the noise complaints and short runway at SEN


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/353x267/1ecabin_04a1c316e62934bfbc0fae45b54863c7391a90ce.jpg


7 abreast seats front cabin Channel AW trident one E 140

[GAZIN]

Nice to see the Channel Airways info, I remember the Tridents parked outside the Channel hangar (now used by Inflite) and the ex Olympic Comets.
Here are a couple from the Transmeridian ramp.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/640x409/c762942a_2329_422c_bc8a_92d0a527a2db_04f41b2cb1687f0ff20678b fedeb287f0231bd90.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/640x429/2a5d9cb1_1763_454a_94dd_2095a2df94b3_d87097ec2a72f5f7d7fe049 a8097991014003d7a.jpeg

[Liffy 1M]

A few images from my archives. As others have said, Stansted was always worth a look in when passing through the area, though I don't recall seeing many aircraft actually moving when I dropped in.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49370141986_59315703c0_b.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/7489/15961638025_b40158666b_b.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/4396/36297153283_af69aff4e7_b.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/8031/8054808701_ed3d739a76_b.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/3325/3310318338_899274250a_b.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/8368/8531913497_0d2501a3f8_b.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/5723/30958717105_03a2c311ed_b.jpg

[treadigraph]

Great thread. I recall dropping into Stansted several times in the late '70s on LAAS organised coach trips to the Mildenhall Air Fete - yep, certainly remember Maersk 720s and Sterling 727s! Also those Turkish AF Viscounts shoehorned into a hangar on a visit sometime in the early 80s. A couple of THY 707s in '75 TC-JAM was one I think...

[Sotonsean]

I got admin to kindly change the title of the thread from "Stansted Scandinavian Invasion" to "Stansted Airport History and Nostalgia" to better reflect the history of the airport in a similar way to the popular Luton Airport History and Nostalgia thread.

I appreciate everyone's contributions and I have no doubt that this will continue to be an excellent thread for those who have fond memories of London Stansted Airport.

[rog747]

So, why did the Scandinavians descend en-mass every weekend from the 1970's in to STN (then LTN) ??? What was the attraction....

[Sotonsean]

So, why did the Scandinavians descend en-mass every weekend from the 1970's in to STN (then LTN) ??? What was the attraction....


Obviously this was before the advent of low cost carriers and the Scandinavians enjoyed the shopping in London and the United Kingdom compared to the very high prices in their own countries.

I think that the flights catered to Scandinavian tourism to England along with the shopping. The flights were sold as packages with hotels included similar to those going to Mediterranean or Canary Islands on IT's. Some of the tour company's had their own airline's such as Spies Rejser who were also the owners of the Danish airline Conair. In fact it was also the owners name. I can't remember all of the Scandinavian operators names but here are a few.

Atlas Resor from Sweden
Saga Tours from Norway
Spies Rejser from Denmark
Tjaereborgs Rejser from Denmark

From the mid 1960's up until to the late 1990's sea travel was also a popular means of transportation for Scandinavians to reach the United Kingdom and there were many options by several ferry company's including the following routes. Although not all of them operated at the same time.

Felixstowe... Gothenburg... Tor Line
Harwich... Esbjerg... DFDS
Harwich... Gothenburg... DFDS
Harwich... Kristiansand... Fred Olsen
Harwich... Oslo... Fred Olsen
​​​​​Hull... Gothenburg... Ellerman Wilson Line/Svea Line
Immingham... Gothenburg... Tor Line
Newcastle... Bergen... Bergen Line
Newcastle... Esbjerg... DFDS
Newcastle... Gothenburg... DFDS/Tor Line
Newcastle... Kristiansand... Bergen Line/DFDS
Newcastle... Oslo... Bergen Line
Newcastle... Stavanger... Bergen Line
Tilbury... Gothenburg... Swedish Lloyd

None of the above routes exist today except for a few routes such as Immingham to Brevik, Esbjerg and Gothenburg and Tilbury to Gothenburg all operated by DFDS and all of which are freight only. There are no longer any passenger ferry routes between the United Kingdom and Scandinavia. The last such route was between Esbjerg and Harwich by DFDS which ceased in September 2014.

In 1976/1977 the British ferry operator Townsend Thoresen operated a few winter only shopping trips a week from Leith (Edinburgh) to Kristiansand in Norway purely for Norwegians visiting the UK. They were actually advertised as shopping trips.

So going by all the Scandinavian flights plus the variety of ferry operators and routes you can see how popular the United Kingdom was to Scandinavians during that period.

Scandinavians now generally fly to the United Kingdom by British Airways, Norwegian, Ryanair and SAS Scandinavian.

[rog747]

Great Stuff -
Sterling Airways owned Tjareborg
Scanair (and Transair Sweden) was Vingressor
Conair was Spies

[Sotonsean]

Great Stuff -
Sterling Airways owned Tjareborg
Scanair (and Transair Sweden) was Vingressor
Conair was Spies

Rog

Thanks for that, I thought that Sterling Airlines was connected to Tjaereborg. (Tjaereborg was founded in 1962 and was based in and named after the village of the same name near to Esbjerg in Denmark)

Vingressor still exists today but operates as Ving and is owned by the Nordic Leisure Group which also owns Globetrotter, Spies, Tjaereborg and the airline Sunclass Airlines. The parent company is the Norwegian Strawberry Group.

Scanair was formed in June 1961 and was partially owned by SAS Scandinavian Airline System.

On the 01 January 1994, Conair owned by the Danish Spies Group and Scanair owned by the Scandinavian Leisure Group were merged into one airline. The new airline was named Premair A/S.

​​​​​​The Danish Spies Holdings still existed after it's airline merged with Scanair operating as they did before as Spies Holidays.

In 1994 not long after the merger of Conair and Scanair, Scandinavian Leisure Group was purchased by the British tour operator Airtours.

In 1996 Airtours Group purchased the Danish Spies Holdings.

In 2002 the Airtours Group rebranded under the new company wide banner of My Travel Group.

In 2002 the Airtours Group rebranded their Scandinavian operations as My Travel Scandinavia A/S. My Travel Scandinavia A/S included several Scandinavian operators such as Tjaereborg, Spies, Sunquest, Ving and the airline Premair.

On the 12 February 2007, My Travel Group announced that they had agreed terms to merge with Thomas Cook. After the merger the new company was known as the Thomas Cook Group.

In 2008 Premair was renamed to Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia.

In September 2019 Thomas Cook Group went bankrupt.

In November 2019 Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia was purchased by the Norwegian investor Petter Stordalen and his company the Strawberry Group and rebranded as Sunclass Airlines.

Sunclass Airlines still uses the original DK code and Viking call sign, so one way or another Scanair lives on albeit as Sunclass Airlines.

I have to admit that I absolutely love subjects such as this 😉

[binbrook]

Sotonsean:
You omitted the Immingham - Amsterdam - Gothenburg triangular ferry service (in both directions) offered by Tor Line in the 60s. I don't know when it finished but it was very useful for those in RAFG whose home was north of the English Midlands

[Cunliffe]

Great pictures from when spotting was wonderful.
I lived in Stortford from 69 to 72 and my few memories of Stansted from that time include:
Flying to Edinburgh on an Air UK F27 and leaving the car in the car park for a week for 90p.
Taking SWMBO and sprogs to the cafe for Sunday afternoon tea and watching BOAC doing circuits and bumps.
Visiting the tower with a residents group and asking to see the radar. "What radar?"
Being woken early hours of the morning by a very low flying jet. Local rumour mill said it was a Nigerian 707 overloaded with whisky which blew down the perimeter fence and was unable to make the noise abatement turn to avoid Bishops Stortford.
Anyway I hope the above comments are of some interest and feel free to correct my memories if they have become distorted over the years.

[Sotonsean]

Sotonsean:
You omitted the Immingham - Amsterdam - Gothenburg triangular ferry service (in both directions) offered by Tor Line in the 60s. I don't know when it finished but it was very useful for those in RAFG whose home was north of the English Midlands

I purposely left out the connection by Tor Line to Amsterdam as I was listing the Scandinavian connections.

But as you bring the subject up here's a brief summary of the Swedish shipping company Tor Line history of Sweden, Netherlands, United Kingdom service.

Tor Line started passenger operations in 1966 with the TOR HOLLANDIA (1966) between Gothenburg and Immingham.

Tor Line added Amsterdam on a triangular connection to it's Gothenburg to Immingham route in 1967 after the delivery of their second vessel the TOR ANGLIA which was a sister ship to the TOR HOLLANDIA.

Tor Line replaced the TOR HOLLANDIA in 1975 with the much larger TOR BRITANNIA on the Immingham-Amsterdam-Gothenburg route.

Tor Line replaced the TOR ANGLIA in 1976 with the much larger TOR SCANDINAVIA on the Immingham-Amsterdam-Gothenburg.

Tor Line replaced the UK port 1977 from Immingham to Felixstowe and continued the triangular link to Gothenburg via Amsterdam.

Tor Line was bought by the Danish shipping company DFDS in 1982 and operated as DFDS Tor Line. Felixstowe-Amsterdam-Gothenburg was replaced by Felixstowe-Gothenburg and started a direct Gothenburg-Amsterdam

In 1983 the UK terminal moved from Felixstowe to Harwich where DFDS also operated at the time to Bremerhaven, Esbjerg and Hamburg (the Bremerhaven and Hamburg having been previously been operated by Prinz Ferries which DFDS had acquired in 1981)

In 1985 the Tor Line name was dropped in preference of DFDS Seaways.

In 1991 DFDS Seaways was rebranded Scandinavian Seaways. TOR BRITANNIA was renamed PRINCE OF SCANDINAVIA, the following year TOR SCANDINAVIA was renamed PRINCESS OF SCANDINAVIA.

On the 04 January 1999 PRINCESS OF SCANDINAVIA arrived at Gothenburg marking the final Swedish link from Harwich to Gothenburg.

From the 05 January 1999 the Swedish route to the UK was Gothenburg-Kristiansand-Newcastle. The route continued with PRINCESS OF SCANDINAVIA.

In 2001 Scandinavian Seaways name reverted back to DFDS after reorganisation of the company.

On 31 October 2006 final sailing between Gothenburg-Kristiansand-Newcastle. Thus ending over 160 years of traffic with passenger ferries between Gothenburg and England was terminated.
​​​​
​​​​​​binbrook.....as you are very aware the ferry company's used to give preferential rates to service personnel traveling back and forth to their bases in Germany and in particular the links from German and Dutch ports were very popular with Army and RAF Personel.

My uncle was in the RAF and in the early to mid 1970's he was based at RAF Guttersloh. He tended to be transported by the MOD service operated by Britannia Airways from Luton Airport.

Hopefully everyone enjoys reading my posts regarding aviation but my real forte is shipping.

Sorry to go off thread.

[Sotonsean]

Great pictures from when spotting was wonderful.
I lived in Stortford from 69 to 72 and my few memories of Stansted from that time include:
Flying to Edinburgh on an Air UK F27 and leaving the car in the car park for a week for 90p.
Taking SWMBO and sprogs to the cafe for Sunday afternoon tea and watching BOAC doing circuits and bumps.
Visiting the tower with a residents group and asking to see the radar. "What radar?"
Being woken early hours of the morning by a very low flying jet. Local rumour mill said it was a Nigerian 707 overloaded with whisky which blew down the perimeter fence and was unable to make the noise abatement turn to avoid Bishops Stortford.
Anyway I hope the above comments are of some interest and feel free to correct my memories if they have become distorted over the years.

Regarding the airport parking. I believe that Stansted offered the cheapest parking at any UK airport at the time. Now day's your more than likely pay twice as much for a weeks parking than it does for a return Ryanair flight.

Just before Christmas I was looking at a day trip from Stansted to Copenhagen, price of return flight £15.00, price of parking £52.00, add in the cost of fuel from Southampton and the driving time I decided to use some BA miles and fly from LHR instead.

When Ryanair offered their £1.00 flights in the late 1990's to mid 2000's I took the opportunity on many occasions. In one week alone on one occasion I took the £1 offer and flew from Stansted to three different destinations in a week all for a pound return.

[ATNotts]

Sotonsean

Although heading totally off piste really enjoyed your potted history of Tor Line, brought back memories of my early days in the freight forwarding industry (now re-branded logistics, even though most of the companies with "logistics" emblazoned on their trucks and mast heads haven't a clue what logistics is - what they do is still good of freight forwarding or road haulage!!) and chasing shipping details for groupage shipments to Scandinavia.

[Sotonsean]

Sotonsean

Although heading totally off piste really enjoyed your potted history of Tor Line, brought back memories of my early days in the freight forwarding industry (now re-branded logistics, even though most of the companies with "logistics" emblazoned on their trucks and mast heads haven't a clue what logistics is - what they do is still good of freight forwarding or road haulage!!) and chasing shipping details for groupage shipments to Scandinavia.

I'm pleased that you enjoyed my "potted" history of Tor Line and that it brought back memories for you.

I actually thought that the mods might have deleted it based on the fact that it's not aviation related. At the time of writing it I wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do but I enjoyed writing it and I'm pleased that you enjoyed reading it.

I could write similar stories about many other shipping company's from the past, but this is not the place.

Although aviation is a huge passion of mine, the shipping industry is probably more of a passion of mine having been involved in it for the last 37 years.

In future though I will stick to aviation on pprune and in particular on the Stansted Airport History and Nostalgia thread considering that I am the person who started it😉

[Groundloop]

Regarding Tor line, don't forget the terrible BBC series "Triangle" that was filmed on that triangular route.

[VictorGolf]

Not too terrible. I seem to remember a quite famous actress sunbathing topless on the foc'sle or whatever. Poor girl, she looked frozen.

[Sotonsean]

Regarding Tor line, don't forget the terrible BBC series "Triangle" that was filmed on that triangular route.

As tacky as that show was, when I was a lad watching that series I always wanted to travel on the Tor Line sister's, and I was so excited at the age of 17 when I took my first voyage on the Tor Britannia from Harwich to Gothenburg in 1983. I loved those two ships from the day they entered service and they are still in service today operating for the Italian ferry operator Moby Lines from Genoa and Livorno to Sardinia. They are my all time favourite long distance ferries 😉

[Sotonsean]

Not too terrible. I seem to remember a quite famous actress sunbathing topless on the foc'sle or whatever. Poor girl, she looked frozen.

That was the actress Kate O'Mara who played the part of the ship's Purser. By all accounts according to a story recollected by herself it was filmed on a windy cold day and she said it was freezing 😂.

In the late eighties I had a female Purser on-board who looked and sounded just like Kate O'Mara, it was a ferry as well and we were traveling down to Spain and she was on deck in rather inclement weather in her bikini, I can remember saying to her at the time, "who do you think you are bleeding Kate O'Mara", she did laugh and I'm still in touch with her and she's often brought up the story ☺️

Anyway let's get back on track and continue the discussion of Stansted Airport History and Nostalgia.

[HZ123]

One for 1972 was a CL44 River Plate airlines with cattle unloaded in the shooting in butts? If that is the correct name of it?

[jensdad]

Great thread, this. Me and my parents popped into Stansted on the way back from London in, I think, about 1986 or so and as has been mentioned, there were loads of exotic aircraft sitting around but nothing actually moving. I've got some old photos (probably not very good quality) that I'll scan and upload.

Has anyone got any aerial photos of the airfield or in particular the old terminal and apron? Would be interesting to see the contrast between then and now...

[Loose rivets]

Blimey, Kate was a tad older than me. One of my favourites.

My mate Paddy lived in Tye Green. Tye Green Cottage in fact. Leather thongs to open the wood latched doors. Lovely. Handy for Lloyd.

Early 60's. Southend flying school. Auster. Land at Stansted and pay two and sixpence. Go to tower for a chat and coffee. Go back to Southend. No other aircraft movements in that time. Indeed, in 1970, regularly flew past Stansted at night in G-APGE, my little Club. It was my commute from Luton, (DAN 1-11) to Frinton. The white Stansted beacon Flash . . . . . Flash . . . Flash. Very comforting when on one engine at night. Nothing else in the sky. They were super friendly as they'd had no one else to talk to.

What a different world. Never dreamed it would change so much. In my old age I occasionally used to leave Norwich in an ATR c 21.00. I could not get a word in on the radio and once had to orbit before entering their space. Compared to 'my era' it was as though the sky was solid metal. Ugggg.

[Phileas Fogg]

Air France flew to Paris CDG with a SAAB 340 along with KLM to Amsterdam with a F27.

​​​

I think you'll find that the F27 AMS service was actually Air UK, sure enough on a codeshare with KLM but Air UK all the same.

During the min eighties summer seasons Dan-Air would base a jet in STN, maybe a 1-11 or 727, for bucket and spade work.

[Sotonsean]

Great thread, this. Me and my parents popped into Stansted on the way back from London in, I think, about 1986 or so and as has been mentioned, there were loads of exotic aircraft sitting around but nothing actually moving. I've got some old photos (probably not very good quality) that I'll scan and upload.

Has anyone got any aerial photos of the airfield or in particular the old terminal and apron? Would be interesting to see the contrast between then and now...

Look at post 11 and follow the link supplied by Rog 747.

If you go to Flickr there are several aerial photos of London Stansted Airport from the 1960's upto the present time. Also try doing a Google search as there are several online.

[Sotonsean]

I think you'll find that the F27 AMS service was actually Air UK, sure enough on a codeshare with KLM but Air UK all the same.

During the min eighties summer seasons Dan-Air would base a jet in STN, maybe a 1-11 or 727, for bucket and spade work.

I'm obviously aware of the Air UK flight from London Stansted Airport to Amsterdam along with the code share with KLM but I could swear that I saw a separate KLM flight listed from London Stansted Airport to Amsterdam with a F27 at the same time as the Air UK flight.

(BAA) British Airports Authority used to have a newsletter which I used to collect and I thought that I could vividly remember an announcement by KLM but I've obviously got that mixed up with the code share with Air UK. (One mistake isn't bad considering)

I had completely overlooked the fact that Dan Air operated from London Stansted Airport during the 1980's.

In early 1986 Gatwick Handling Limited set up a London Stansted operation called Stansted Handling Limited to handle the Dan Air charters during 1986 with a based BAC-1-11.

After the completion of the Dan Air series of charter flights in 1986 Stansted Handling Limited kept on a staff of 35 to handle ad-hoc charters including the occasional Evergreen and Worldways Canada flights.

During the summer months of 1986.

​​Dan Air flew from London Stansted Airport to Faro, Ibiza, Malaga, Mahon, Palma.

Some additional charters for 1986 not already covered include the following,

Aviaco DC-9 to Palma Saturday afternoons
Aviogenex TU-134 to Split on Saturday evenings and B727 to Pula on Sunday evenings
Balkan Bulgarian TU-154 to Bourgas on Saturday evenings
British Air Ferries Viscount to Jersey on Sunday morning's
Hispania B737 to Palma and Tenerife on Tuesday's

Plus the Scandinavian charters

Braathens SAFE B737 to Gothenburg, Oslo (Gardermoen), Stockholm (Arlanda) on Sunday
Conair B720 to Copenhagen on Saturday evenings
Linjeflyg F28 to Norrkoping, Stockholm (Arlanda) on Sunday
Mearsk B737 to Malmö on Sunday evening's
Scanair A300 to Stockholm (Arlanda) on Sunday evening's
Sterling Airlines B727 to Stockholm (Stockholm) on Sunday evening's and Caravelle's to Copenhagen on Friday and Sunday morning's
Transwede Caravelle to Gothenburg on Sunday evening's

Also during 1986 the following scheduled flights

Air UK SD330/360, F27 to Amsterdam, Brussels, Edinburgh, Frankfurt, Guernsey, Paris
Jersey European Airways SD330 to Jersey on weekday morning's
Wardair B747 to Toronto on Saturday afternoon's (summer only)

Plus a short series of trans-Atlantic charter flights by the following

American Trans Air L1011 to Orlando (day's unknown)
Worldways Canada DC8 to Toronto (day's unknown)

Cargo flights by the following

Air Bridge Carriers Merchantman to Belfast on Saturday night's (newspaper flights)
FedEx DC10 to Memphis three day's a week (day's unknown)
Kondair Trislander/Cessna Titan to Amsterdam (newspaper flights)
Plus the Fordair flights to Cologne and Valencia by BAC-11 and Coventry and Liverpool by Gulfstream 1
Securicor/Skyguard Herald from Birmingham and on to Brussels on Tuesday to Friday evening's

This is JUST for the year 1986.

Anyone want to add the charters/scheduled flights for other year's feel free to do so.

[Phileas Fogg]

I'm obviously aware of the Air UK flight from London Stansted Airport to Amsterdam along with the code share with KLM but I could swear that I saw a separate KLM flight listed from London Stansted Airport to Amsterdam with a F27 at the same time as the Air UK flight.

(BAA) British Airports Authority used to have a newsletter which I used to collect and I thought that I could vividly remember an announcement by KLM but I've obviously got that mixed up with the code share with Air UK. (One mistake isn't bad considering)

I had completely overlooked the fact that Dan Air operated from London Stansted Airport during the 1980's.

In early 1986 Gatwick Handling Limited set up a London Stansted operation called Stansted Handling Limited to handle the Dan Air charters during 1986 with a based BAC-1-11.

After the completion of the Dan Air series of charter flights in 1986 Stansted Handling Limited kept on a staff of 35 to handle ad-hoc charters including the occasional Evergreen and Worldways Canada flights.

During the summer months of 1986.

​​Dan Air flew from London Stansted Airport to Faro, Ibiza, Malaga, Mahon, Palma.

Some additional charters for 1986 not already covered include the following,

Aviaco DC-9 to Palma Saturday afternoons
Aviogenex TU-134 to Split on Saturday evenings and B727 to Pula on Sunday evenings
Balkan Bulgarian TU-154 to Bourgas on Saturday evenings
British Air Ferries Viscount to Jersey on Sunday morning's
Hispania B737 to Palma and Tenerife on Tuesday's

Plus the Scandinavian charters

Braathens SAFE B737 to Gothenburg, Oslo (Gardermoen), Stockholm (Arlanda) on Sunday
Conair B720 to Copenhagen on Saturday evenings
Mearsk B737 to Malmö on Sunday evening's
Scanair A300 to Stockholm on Sunday evening's
Sterling Airlines B727 to Stockholm on Sunday evening's and Caravelle's to Copenhagen on Friday and Sunday morning's
Transwede Caravelle to Gothenburg on Sunday evening's

Also during 1986 the following scheduled flights

Air UK SD360, F27 to Amsterdam, Brussels, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Guernsey, Paris
Jersey European Airways SD330 to Jersey on weekday morning's
Wardair B747 to Toronto on Saturday afternoon's (summer only)

Plus a short series of trans-Atlantic charter flights by the following

American Trans Air L1011 to Orlando (day's unknown)
Worldways Canada DC8 to Toronto (day's unknown)

Cargo flights by the following

Air Bridge Carriers Merchantman to Belfast on Saturday night's (newspaper flights)
FedEx DC10 to Memphis three day's a week (day's unknown)
Kondair Trislander/Cessna Titan to Amsterdam (newspaper flights)
Plus the Fordair flights to Cologne and Valencia by BAC-11 and Coventry and Liverpool by Gulfstream 1
Securicor/Skyguard Herald from Birmingham and on to Brussels on Tuesday to Friday evening's

This is JUST for the year 1986.

Anyone want to add the charters/scheduled flights for other year's feel free to do so.

Around 86/87 AUK also operated a Shed360 route STN/DUS, when asked by German ATC if he had a slot the ex WWll Captain replied to the effect that he didn't need a slot last time he flew the route :)

It must have been 87 that AUK started a STN/FRA F27 route, had an average load of around 2 pax but who cares about trivialities!

AUK, never mind the 360's, also had a Shed330, for sure that operated the pee-poor STN/BRU route, can't recall what else it might have done except keep engineering staff occupied.

[Sotonsean]

Around 86/87 AUK also operated a Shed360 route STN/DUS, when asked by German ATC if he had a slot the ex WWll Captain replied to the effect that he didn't need a slot last time he flew the route :)

It must have been 87 that AUK started a STN/FRA F27 route, had an average load of around 2 pax but who cares about trivialities!

AUK, never mind the 360's, also had a Shed330, for sure that operated the pee-poor STN/BRU route, can't recall what else it might have done except keep engineering staff occupied.

I accidentally ommited the Air UK SD330, I will edit my post to show this.

Air UK STN-DUS started in 1987 and I believe STN-FRA started in 1988 or late 1987.

[Phileas Fogg]

I accidentally ommited the Air UK SD330, I will edit my post to show this.

Air UK STN-DUS started in 1987 and I believe STN-FRA started in 1988 or late 1987.

STN/FRA definitely started in 87 because it was a NWI/STN/FRA service and until late 87 we remained based in NWI, until our relocation to STN, and I recall the crack of sparrow farts departures to STN ... And on the NWI/STN sector could be onwards pax to CDG or BRU (transferring aircraft in STN).

Air UK's STN/AMS/STN service was operated by Sheds until, must be, 87 before becoming an F27 route except that the Sunday morning service remained a Shed360 STN/NWI/AMS/NWI/STN combined route.

[Sotonsean]

STN/FRA definitely started in 87 because it was a NWI/STN/FRA service and until late 87 we remained based in NWI, until our relocation to STN, and I recall the crack of sparrow farts departures to STN ... And on the NWI/STN sector could be onwards pax to CDG or BRU (transferring aircraft in STN).

Air UK's STN/AMS/STN service was operated by Sheds until, must be, 87 before becoming an F27 route except that the Sunday morning service remained a Shed360 STN/NWI/AMS/NWI/STN combined route.

That sorts that out then for future reference but it doesn't really matter as my post was ONLY referencing flights from London Stansted Airport during 1986.

[VictorGolf]

I see from my passenger logbook (OK it's anorak time) that I flew Frankfurt to Stansted on Air UK Flt no UK725 on 5/12/86. It was one of Phileas Fogg's F27 flights which, if I remember correctly, had 4 passengers on it. There was a strong headwind and the captain came back and said words to the effect "it's going to be a long night" and opened a free bar which helped with the drone of the Darts. It actually took 2hrs and 10 minutes, almost exactly twice the average sector time of the .BAe.146s which followed the F27s on the route

[Sotonsean]

I see from my passenger logbook (OK it's anorak time) that I flew Frankfurt to Stansted on Air UK Flt no UK725 on 5/12/86. It was one of Phileas Fogg's F27 flights which, if I remember correctly, had 4 passengers on it. There was a strong headwind and the captain came back and said words to the effect "it's going to be a long night" and opened a free bar which helped with the drone of the Darts. It actually took 2hrs and 10 minutes, almost exactly twice the average sector time of the .BAe.146s which followed the F27s on the route

Do you know the date or at least the month in 1986 that Air UK started STN to Frankfurt?

Considering that you have logged the flight for 1986 I shall edit my post to add Frankfurt from STN by Air UK for that year but I will await confirmation from yourself regarding the start date before I do so.

[VictorGolf]

I'm afraid I don't have an exact date for the start of the Stansted-Frankfurt route but I would hazard a guess that it might have been the November that I flew on it. Purely on the basis that I liked to try something new and that Stansted was nearer home than Heathrow..

[Sotonsean]

I'm afraid I don't have an exact date for the start of the Stansted-Frankfurt route but I would hazard a guess that it might have been the November that I flew on it. Purely on the basis that I liked to try something new and that Stansted was nearer home than Heathrow..

In that respect then I shall edit my post to add Air UK Stansted to Frankfurt, thanks for clarifying that.

[Phileas Fogg]

I see from my passenger logbook (OK it's anorak time) that I flew Frankfurt to Stansted on Air UK Flt no UK725 on 5/12/86. It was one of Phileas Fogg's F27 flights which, if I remember correctly, had 4 passengers on it. There was a strong headwind and the captain came back and said words to the effect "it's going to be a long night" and opened a free bar which helped with the drone of the Darts. It actually took 2hrs and 10 minutes, almost exactly twice the average sector time of the .BAe.146s which followed the F27s on the route

Think yourself lucky, you could have been flying in a Shed :)

Yes, a load of 4 on a 44 seater sounds about right on that route!

[vulcanite]

I'm sure I remember 'racing' with other tearaway teenagers on Saturday nights in the late 60's from Braintree to STN to get a cup of coffee in the airport caff, in clapped out Minis and Anglias and even a Rover 90 or 100 (headlight in the middle?) and such. This would have been after the pubs had shut - of course. Am I correct in remembering that when you turned off the A120 you had to cross the runway as the terminal in those days was on the other side. Many years later I was based there with the late Gill Airways. Happy Days.

[Phileas Fogg]

In that respect then I shall edit my post to add Air UK Stansted to Frankfurt, thanks for clarifying that.

Thnking about it the FRA route must have started in 86, in 86 STN was purely a Shed base so they needed to utilise a NWI based F27 for the FRA route, STN only became a F27 base during 87, the route probably commenced at the start of the winter season ... whenever that may have been.

[TCU]

A check of my log reveals a few STN IT flights:

18.07.83 Stansted to Mahon on Dan Air BAC1-11-401AK G-AXCP
01.08.83 Mahon to Stansted on Dan Air B737-2L9 G-BKAP
02.09.84 Stansted to Palma on Aviaco DC-9 reg unknown
16.09.84 Palma to Stansted on Aviaco DC-9 reg unknown
27.08.92 Stansted to Kos on Air UK Leisure B737-4YO G-UKLA
04.09.92 Kos to Stansted on Air UK Leisure B737-4YO G-UKLA

In the late 90's I also used to connect through AMS a fair bit with KLM, with the STN flights always a KLM UK Fokker 100

My father did a fair bit of European business travel in the 80's, particularly to Holland, Belgium and the Rhinelands. I would often pick him up at STN arriving back from say AMS in an Air UK Shed. If a 23 arrival, I would sit in the car by the fence at Claypit Hill with my air band radio listening to his flight inbound (Zone 125.55 and Tower 118.15 in those days?). When I saw his Shed land, would drive back to the terminal, from which he would just be emerging. Into the car and home to Stansted village in 10 minutes for tea.....and they reckon the world has advanced?

[ea200]

I'm sure I remember 'racing' with other tearaway teenagers on Saturday nights in the late 60's from Braintree to STN to get a cup of coffee in the airport caff, in clapped out Minis and Anglias and even a Rover 90 or 100 (headlight in the middle?) and such. This would have been after the pubs had shut - of course. Am I correct in remembering that when you turned off the A120 you had to cross the runway as the terminal in those days was on the other side. Many years later I was based there with the late Gill Airways. Happy Days.

The only place to get a late coffee. We did much the same but probably early 70s. Didn't have to travel so far though. The road you remember didn't actually cross the runway as it was outside the perimeter fence, but it did have traffic lights to stop the traffic. Good thing as I seem to remember a CL44 flattening the fence after an overweight departure.

[Musket90]

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1412x1059/stn2_007f84845cbdf73ce54b04cd2571b8c41171c08e.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1512x1134/stn3_7f5a34d86b1aa8cd343ff5a4b0369f4160f08ff3.jpg
Looks like Titan Shorts 360 outside hangar
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1613x1210/stn4_5999ad46babe9ac3fb8cc5f444c3bc3dafd03b5f.jpg
IL76 in Heavylift livery in background
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1482x1112/stn6_0008c57159051aea859812ea707fa750eefc0236.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1613x1210/stn5_704b89cfaf5b686ab26285fd452cf7504f55eb40.jpg

[Musket90]

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1815x1361/stn7_db9373258ec7ea5d7b45104a02e0a81fa9aaab09.jpg

[jensdad]

Stunning photos, Musket90, thanks for sharing. Such a contrast to the modern terminal. I'm sure I'm just being nostalgic but it had the feel of a 'real' airport back then. Seeing all the exotically-registered DC-8s and 707s on my one pre-EasyJet visit to STN felt like a real adventure. My photos aren't as interesting as yours but I'll upload some tomorrow.

SotonSean and Rog747, thanks for putting me in the direction of that collection of photos. I particularly like the 'outdoor departure lounge'!

[jensdad]

This is the best I can contribute at the moment, folks. I'm looking to see if I can find my dad's old aircraft photos as his are better than mine I'm sure.
Anyway, here we have what looks like an ex-Air Canada DC-8 (could be the same one that's in Liffy 1M's photo in post #23), a ZAS Boeing 707, an ex-BA Trident and a Channel Express Herald. I'm thinking this is about 1984 or 1985.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/640x427/dc8_stansted_copy_640x427_640x427__db1cf9b14f91539ece44fd698 f20a58ff6f749bb.jpg

[WHBM]

One aspect of the Scandinavian charters was that, long before any EU operator could fly anywhere, the Scandinavian companies could fly from any of the countries, other than their home one. You can see this in some of the flights listed above, with Braathens of Norway operating from Stockholm or Sterling who operated from all of them. They would have a couple of aircraft based at each main city, and run them at an intensity similar to UK IT operators, down to various Mediterranean points all week. The Sunday London flights were a bit of a fill-in between these operations. It is also a Scandinavian feature, like Canada, that sun holidays have long been popular in winter as well as summer.

Sterlings Caravelles were notable for some astoundingly long-haul holiday flights they did with them in the 1970s, to Thailand (long a popular place for Scandinavia, or to San Francisco in California - the latter a bit unbelievable were it not for several photos on the web and a couple of accounts of the flights. They typically routed Copenhagen-Keflavik-Bangor-Omaha-San Francisco. They went through Bangor to and from the Dominican Republic as well - then next day the short hop to Stansted.

[Musket90]

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1613x1210/stn8_62ff416d0b95c3ab45f4b5e16ccb8aebc729d726.jpg
New terminal under construction- September 1988
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1210x1613/stn9_b7ce15e317e44e60a54659cc554154b6de32260f.jpg
July 1995
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1613x1210/stn10_8309c346473ddd6d30385a09d0d268fc4e43eb23.jpg
New control tower under construction - July 1995

[dixi188]

Channex Electra but who's is the orange tail A300? Schreiner?

[treadigraph]

The Airbus looks a bit like Hapag?

For just a second I thought the IL-76 was a C-141A in the top pic! :}

[WHBM]

I'm wondering if the lower aircraft in the middle picture is a Trident 3. For many years after their withdrawal G-AWZU was kept at Stansted and used for tug driver training. Engines removed but cowlings remained. It was kept nicely clean and retained its livery apart from the BA titles being removed. It could be seen parked at various gates of the new terminal and looked remarkably complete and ready to fly if you didn't know it or look closely. I always looked out for it. Believe it was finally scrapped in 2003.

Regarding DC8s there, I arrived back in the early 1990s on a humdrum Air UK 146 from Edinburgh, we parked alongside an MGM Grand DC8-62. They were a notably high end US operator with an all first class fitout, who ran schedules from New York to Las Vegas and Los Angeles for the wealthy. Must have been a charter over to London.

[G-ARZG]

The Airbus looks a bit like Hapag?

For just a second I thought the IL-76 was a C-141A in the top pic! :}

Don't think Hapag ever had A300F. Looks a lot like ZS-SDG from SAA!

[Musket90]

The Trident looking aircraft in the middle picture may be a DC9-30 or 40. I vaguely remember SAS used to operate a schedule in the early days of the new terminal but not sure of the exact year.

[treadigraph]

Don't think Hapag ever had A300F. Looks a lot like ZS-SDG from SAA!

I think you be right! Didn't know SAA had a A300F! She seems to be still going with an ER- reg wherever that is.

[Musket90]

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1280x960/berf100__945ec6a9d8f275aeffe2a072ba9477a88d8e3672.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1280x960/chanexb733_215e22444e8d1b83954d806580b7bce378195008.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1280x960/fcaa321__03ef499ccadb70736946b7b00a6bd2acb5fca67f.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1280x960/nasb733__2532bd00b45e2e2371c3e7aa073c023c09f0a4eb.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1280x960/tnta300__729d844584106089aecd9d262e60364346f053a1.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1280x960/trab738w__76efc9bcd3501c60618a8119fe626328729e389f.jpg

[WHBM]

Another short-lived operator; Flying Finn, which we took (week after I took the photo) Stansted to Helsinki in 2003. Former Finnair MD-80, and also the crew. They had previously been a Finnish travel agency who had a short-lived go at schedules. Not part of the Sunday Scandinavian set, this was a daily operation. Took it with a Russian passport holder with a Finnish visa - only in Finnish. Stansted handling agent at check-in had no training in reading these, but said they just looked for a date somewhere that was in the future.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1504/dscn0200_448d9a2b5c7a3a995be8f547df43877cad601c59.jpg

[Herod]

WHBM: I arrived back in the early 1990s on a humdrum Air UK 146 from Edinburgh. :=

Now that is slander!!. AirUK 146's were never humdrum. ;) "Gentleman's horseless carriage" more like.

[dixi188]

I remember one evening about 2000 ish, we were being loaded for a UPS flight to CGN (Channex A300). Parked next to us was an Ethopian IL76. The Service air ramp supervisor told us that the captain had locked the cockpit door and was demanding to be taken to Tesco before they departed.
We left, but the following evening we heard that the Ethopian captain had his wish and came back from a 24hour Tesco with 3 taxis full of stuff.

[WHBM]

WHBM: I arrived back in the early 1990s on a humdrum Air UK 146 from Edinburgh.

Now that is slander!!. AirUK 146's were never humdrum. "Gentleman's horseless carriage" more like.
Indeed. Very impressively, one was the only aircraft I've been in that was struck by lightning, same route, EDI-STN one evening, which was regular for me then. Big flash but handled it perfectly, lights didn't even dip. Bit of a noise though. These were the days before London City ran to Edinburgh, which I transferred to - and before AirUK moved on to Buzz, then Go took over the route, and finally Easyjet.

AirUK had a holiday flight side, badged as AirUK Leisure, with 737-400s, including one or two based at Stansted. They must have had a separate AOC, because one low-season morning at Stansted one was standing in for a 146 to Edinburgh, and check-in were thus having to inform each passenger about the substitution. Elderly couple in front of me are told in best Essex girl accent "Edinburgh, yeah, it's a Leisure flight this morning, yeah?". Which of course was completely meaningless to them.

[meleagertoo]

How sad, Go B in it's vile new orange livery.

[happybiker]

I was working at Stansted in the early 1980s and remember very well the 3th June 1983 when the space shuttle visited. I doubt I will ever see such a sight again.

https://nats.aero/blog/2014/06/space-shuttle-stansted/

[c52]

Can't believe that crowd of spectators! When I had an airside pass for BAA it was forbidden to take a camera airside.

[corsaman]

As a student in the summers of 1986/87/88, I worked at the Regent Palace Hotel, in Piccadilly, as a hall porter. Our sundays were completely taken up with the storage of departing Scandinavian's bags, left with us whilst the guests enjoyed a final day in London, before an evening flight home. I still have one of the colourful Spies tags somewhere,and remember the flight numbers being for Scanair and Conair flights to Gothenberg, Stockholm and Copenhagen. As a further aside, as a 5 year old in snowy January 1971, my parents treated me to a mini cruise on Tor Line, aboard the 'leaping' Leda, from Newcastle to Bergen and Stavanger. Fond fond memories!

[GAZIN]

An Air UK incident from 1987.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/640x428/379ecccb_a34e_4433_9991_dec7c0fbb748_cbccf1ffeeac4129a10bb09 a9eaa3f41d3e10ffe.jpeg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/640x443/5a8a1963_b741_48af_ae5d_6e80d4510db7_bf93b072f2687331e880b33 3717c9f5feaa00653.jpeg

[Phileas Fogg]

Not forgetting 1998 when Leeds United FC came close to being written off


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1798x1204/ea_c793c3049768ffb643711b945a30f5f8d896b587.jpg

[Wyvernfan]

Thanks for posting those two incidents up guys. I wasn’t aware of the Air UK one and hadn’t realised that the Leeds Utd football team headline happened at Stansted.

Apart from the BEA Argosy landing accident ending up in someone’s garden, and the Korean Air 747 - are there any other incidents of note that happened at Stansted?



Rob

[TCU]

Wyvernfan

This is probably as good a list of incidents as any:
https://aviation-safety.net/database/airport/airport.php?id=STN

[Level bust]

There was Monarch's 1-11, GAXMG I think, doing touch and go's. Unfortunately they did one with the wheels up! Probably late 70s early 80s.

[GAZIN]

I think the Monarch 1’11 incident was 1977, I remember seeing it patched up ready to be ferried out. There was also a Uganda 707 that ran off the side of the runway in the snow and sank in the soft ground, apparently one or more of the reverses failed to deploy. The runway was blocked for quite some time. Normally that wouldn’t have caused much chaos, but there were quite a few Gatwick fog diversions there that day, winter 77/78.
I have heard about several other earlier incidents, Lloyd Britannia nose undercarriage collapse, Air Charter York, belly landing, after undercarriage retracted too early during takeoff! There were also a few fatal accidents in the 50’s.

[Opsbeatch]

A Falcon 900 diverted to Stansted in the early 2000's with gear troubles, gear collapsed and went through the PAPIs.
Was in the hanger being repaired for a few weeks.

OB

[BSD]

I can't find my logbook at present, otherwise, I could date the Monarch 1-11 wheels-up. I was doing my recurrent base check (TMAC) that day and we were sharing the circuit with them. All stopped after that as the runway was blocked for a while! Next day, the aeroplane was in the TMAC hangar having been put back on its wheels. The damage looked remarkably slight.

There was a really significant incident when a DC-8, which may have been a Nigerian airline and a Phillipino operator (ACMI?) carried out an approach in very low RVR and on going round, struck the tail of a Flying Tiger DC-8 parked over on the old main apron, where Harrods is now. Late '79 I think. It then diverted to Manchester IIRC.

I believe, the crew were not familiar with the "approach ban" limitations and how they apply in the UK and felt being "cleared for the approach" by ATC gave them the authority to have a look, even though the RVR being reported was below minima. Cue: much revision of the approach ban, its implications and when and where you could continue/were required to break off an approach by all and sundry.

ATEL looked after an Aero Commander (G-ASIO) I flew for a short time. The ATEL chaps were excellent and seemed to like working on the aeroplane. Their hangar was always full of interesting stuff, Tradewinds '44s, itinerant 707s, Turkish Air Force Viscounts, etc.

Happy days!

[treadigraph]

Monarch 1-11 was 27th Feb 1978 (https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/197550).

Do recall the DC-8 incident vaguely, but nothing on Aviation Safety...

Ah, here it is (https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19820905-0)...

[happybiker]

Stansted was the scene of an interesting political incident in 1984 when Umaru Dikko, a Nigerian politician, was kidnapped in London. He was located at the airport in a crate together with a medic having been drugged just before being loaded on to a Nigerian Airlines 707. Needless to say diplomatic relations between UK and Nigeria were a tad strained in the next couple of years. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10938453/Umaru-Dikko-obituary.html

[WHBM]

My first time through must have been 1978, on of all things a BA 747 inbound from Los Angeles. There was a strike in progress at Heathrow, and we landed not to disembark but to reprovision some aspect (not fuel) before continuing after about an hour. The only other aircraft visible I recall was a Ugandan cargo 707 sat in a corner.

Should have been flying out of there yesterday morning as well, but that trip has been lost ...

[Sotonsean]

As a student in the summers of 1986/87/88, I worked at the Regent Palace Hotel, in Piccadilly, as a hall porter. Our sundays were completely taken up with the storage of departing Scandinavian's bags, left with us whilst the guests enjoyed a final day in London, before an evening flight home. I still have one of the colourful Spies tags somewhere,and remember the flight numbers being for Scanair and Conair flights to Gothenberg, Stockholm and Copenhagen. As a further aside, as a 5 year old in snowy January 1971, my parents treated me to a mini cruise on Tor Line, aboard the 'leaping' Leda, from Newcastle to Bergen and Stavanger. Fond fond memories!

The LEDA was not owned or operated by Tor Line.

The LEDA was completed in 1953 by Swan Hunters, Tyneside for the Norwegian company Bergen Line for service between Bergen, Stavanger and Newcastle.

Withdrawn from service in 1973 and sold to Saudi Arabia as a pilgrim ship. Sold again in 1983 and converted into a cruise ship. After several owner's and names she was eventually scrapped in 2002.

The Swedish company Tor Line was formed in 1964 with operations commencing in 1966 between Immingham and Gothenburg with the TOR HOLLANDIA.

[Sotonsean]

Thanks for posting those two incidents up guys. I wasn’t aware of the Air UK one and hadn’t realised that the Leeds Utd football team headline happened at Stansted.

Apart from the BEA Argosy landing accident ending up in someone’s garden, and the Korean Air 747 - are there any other incidents of note that happened at Stansted?



Rob

I do recall that a British Airtours/British Airways Boeing 707-436 whilst on crew training at London Stansted Airport during the seventies crashed whilst attempting a touch and go. The aircraft belly flopped onto the runway and caught fire.

I have tried to search online for a link to the story but I couldn't find anything related to the incident but I'm sure that I had previously read about it somewhere online.

A similar incident with a British Airtours Boeing 707-436 also occurred at Prestwick Airport during the seventies.

[treadigraph]

I do recall that a British Airtours/British Airways Boeing 707-436 whilst on crew training at London Stansted Airport during the seventies crashed whilst attempting a touch and go. The aircraft belly flopped onto the runway and caught fire.

That was G-APFK at Prestwick (https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19770317-2) in March 1977.

[Sotonsean]

That was G-APFK at Prestwick (https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19770317-2) in March 1977.

Yes I'm aware of the Prestwick incident as mentioned in my post but I'm fairly certain that a similar incident also occurred at London Stansted.

[Non-Driver]

I was 16 in 1983 and desperate for an apprenticeship but all the airlines still had training programs frozen from the recession of the time. I applied to ATEL and although they couldn't offer me a place they extended an invite to come down (I lived in Lancashire) and have a look around. The old boy who ran their training department was a welcome host and me & my dad spent a few hours at H4 (?). I remember a ZAS 707F in for a check and the floor was rotten from camel piss. I loved all the 4-holers that we didn't get to see at MAN. The place was eerily quiet compared to MAN but had a great day out. Also had my first experience of Abbot Ale in the pub in the village (sorry occifer, only time I ever drank under-age....).

[treadigraph]

Think BEA had an Argosy crew training prang at Stansted in the late '60s.

[Sotonsean]

Think BEA had an Argosy crew training prang at Stansted in the late '60s.

Yes I believe so and that incident has already been mentioned in a previous post but the incident that I'm referring to definitely involved a B707 and occurred sometime during the seventies.

[DaveReidUK]

Yes I'm aware of the Prestwick incident as mentioned in my post but I'm fairly certain that a similar incident also occurred at London Stansted.

If it did, (a) they kept it very quiet and (b) repaired the aircraft. The only BA/Airtours -436 loss was the one at Prestwick.

[Sotonsean]

If it did, (a) they kept it very quiet and (b) r
​​​epaired the aircraft. The only BA/Airtours -436 loss was the one at Prestwick.

Yes I'm sure that if it happened they wouldn't have kept it quiet and whilst I'd been searching online for any incident involving a B707 at London Stansted I'd noticed that the only BA/KT B707-436 loss was the one at Prestwick.

But if you've read my posts on this thread your notice that I do have a very good memory and although I can't add anything further at this time I'm quite certain of an event of some kind involving a B707 at London Stansted Airport sometime during the seventies.

The similarity of the incident that I'm thinking of at London Stansted to the one at Prestwick is where I might have imagined it being a KT Boeing 707-436.

But we all live and learn throughout our lives even if we do think that we already know it all but I look forward to someone bringing up a story regarding some sort of incident at London Stansted Airport during the seventies but I'm grown up enough to be informed otherwise.

If it's totally proven wrong and instead it's just a figment of my imagination I can thereby ommmit it from my memory 😉

[Wyvernfan]

Wyvernfan

This is probably as good a list of incidents as any:
https://aviation-safety.net/database/airport/airport.php?id=STN

TCU many thanks for that, very helpful. I hadn’t realised the Argosy accident was that bad, having just read that it cartwheeled. Strewth what a mess.

Thanks also to everyone’s else’s contributions, fascinating stuff!


Rob

[Sotonsean]

TCU many thanks for that, very helpful. I hadn’t realised the Argosy accident was that bad, having just read that it cartwheeled. Streets what a mess.

Thanks also to everyone’s else’s contributions, fascinating stuff!


Rob


​​​​​Well obviously after reading that report I can put my thoughts of any incident involving a BA/KT Boeing 707-436 at London Stansted Airport during the seventies firmly to sleep 🤗

At the same time I'm now wondering that after all these years I've been confusing it with the incident at Prestwick as the particulars are very similar.

So moving on now that we can totally discount my theory.

[DaveReidUK]

Speaking of 707 accidents at Stansted in the 70s, an Air Uganda 707 skidded off the runway and sustained substantial damage in January 1979.

[corsaman]

The LEDA was not owned or operated by Tor Line.

The LEDA was completed in 1953 by Swan Hunters, Tyneside for the Norwegian company Bergen Line for service between Bergen, Stavanger and Newcastle.

Withdrawn from service in 1973 and sold to Saudi Arabia as a pilgrim ship. Sold again in 1983 and converted into a cruise ship. After several owner's and names she was eventually scrapped in 2002.

The Swedish company Tor Line was formed in 1964 with operations commencing in 1966 between Immingham and Gothenburg with the TOR HOLLANDIA.
Thank you very much for that - exactly right.
​​​​​

[Musket90]

The only British Airtours incident I am aware of at Stansted was in March either '84 or '85 when a Tristar on a training sortie left the taxiway paved surface while taxying out to runway 23 to start the training. The right main gear got stuck in the mud and it took a while to pull it out as it was heavy with fuel. . Apparently the captain was the same as the one on the B707 Prestwick incident a few years earlier. I've got some Kodacrome photo slides of it but don't have ability to convert to print photos to show on here.

Also Kondair Trislander G-BCCU in September 1986 operating a night Amsterdam - Stansted freight flight. The pilot fell asleep and the aircraft hit the sea damaging the undercarriage..

[Phileas Fogg]

Think BEA had an Argosy crew training prang at Stansted in the late '60s.

Moving on to the very late 80's I worked with an ex BEA/BA Captain who had been a rookie pilot at the time on the jumpseat of that Argosy, with his wonderful humour he did jest that he did think twice about continuing as a pilot or not.

[STN Ramp Rat]

what a great thread, I remember the IL76's of the 1990's
Uralintervaia inbound with flasks of something which required large radioactive signs on it
Sayakhat picking up cigarettes which were driven from Belfast
Uzbekistan Airlines with general cargo
Aeroflot scheduled service twice a week.
Turkmenistan with Silver and Gold.
and the based Heavylift ones.

I remember one shift where there were five IL76's from three different companies lined up on the alpha stands..... Its not like that now !!!

[Sotonsean]

It's not like that anymore as the IL-76 has been banned from EU airspace since 01 April 2002.

But London Stansted Airport has and does see it's fair share of cargo operators although obviously the variety isn't what it once was.

Whilst we're on the subject of cargo operators that previously used London Stansted Airport over the years perhaps we can compile a list of scheduled airline's that operated pure cargo flights.

I'm NOT listing ad-hoc cargo flights as there has been numerous airline's operating those into London Stansted over the years.

Here is a brief list of airlines that previously operated "SCHEDULED" pure cargo flights into London Stansted Airport, some of them were short lived such as examples like the Lufthansa Cargo, Japan Airlines Cargo and Singapore Airlines Cargo flights.

Any additional airline's that I have missed feel free to add.

Aeroflot Cargo
Air France Cargo
Air Hong Kong
British Airways World Cargo
CargoLogic Air
Cathay Pacific Cargo
Dragonair Cargo
Egypt Air Cargo
Emery Worldwide?
Etihad Airways Cargo
Global Supply Systems
Icelandair Cargo
Japan Airlines Cargo
Korean Air Cargo
Lufthansa Cargo
NCA Nippon Cargo Airlines
Singapore Airlines Cargo
Silk Ways Cargo Airlines
Transaero Cargo

[Phileas Fogg]

It's not like that anymore as the IL-76 has been banned from EU airspace since 01 April 2002.

But London Stansted Airport has and does see it's fair share of cargo operators although obviously the variety isn't what it once was.

Whilst we're on the subject of cargo operators that previously used London Stansted Airport over the years perhaps we can compile a list of scheduled airline's that operated pure cargo flights.

I'm NOT listing ad-hoc cargo flights as there has been numerous airline's operating those into London Stansted over the years.

Here is a brief list of airlines that previously operated "SCHEDULED" pure cargo flights into London Stansted Airport, some of them were short lived such as examples like the Lufthansa Cargo, Japan Airlines Cargo and Singapore Airlines Cargo flights.

Any additional airline's that I have missed feel free to add.

Aeroflot Cargo
Air France Cargo
Air Hong Kong
British Airways World Cargo
CargoLogic Air
Cathay Pacific Cargo
Dragonair Cargo
Egypt Air Cargo
Emery Worldwide?
Etihad Airways Cargo
Global Supply Systems
Japan Airlines Cargo
Korean Air Cargo
Lufthansa Cargo
NCA Nippon Cargo Airlines
Singapore Airlines Cargo
Silk Ways Cargo Airlines

BA World Cargo don't have any freighters, it's either in pax aircraft bellies or sub-contracted freighters, at Cargo Lion we operated DC8's for BA ex LGW until they wanted the slots for pax so moved us to STN, then came the B747 mob who's name escapes me

[Sotonsean]

BA World Cargo don't have any freighters, it's either in pax aircraft bellies or sub-contracted freighters, at Cargo Lion we operated DC8's for BA ex LGW until they wanted the slots for pax so moved us to STN, then came the B747 mob who's name escapes me

Global Supply Systems GSS operated three Boeing 747-400F on behalf of British Airways Cargo. It was a parent company of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings holding UK CAA Type A Operating License.

Global Supply Systems was formed on the 31 January 2001 and started operations on 29 June 2002. It began operations for British Airways World Cargo between London Stansted Airport and Frankfurt and Hong Kong using a Boeing 747-400F on dry lease from partner Atlas Air. The company was founded by Atlas Air and John Robert Porter and was majority British owned (51%) with Atlas Air as minority shareholder (49%).

GSS Global Supply Systems eventually operated three Boeing 747-400F aircraft. Two were painted in the white and blue tailed livery of GSS with one aircraft painted in the full British Airways World Cargo livery.

Boeing 747-47UF/SCD N495MC from Atlas Air wore the full British Airways World Cargo livery and was the only Boeing 747 wearing the "English Rose" livery as part of the British Airways "world tails" concept. It was based at London Stansted Airport.

In January 2014 British Airways World Cargo as the main customer terminated it's contract with Global Supply Systems GSS effective from 30 April 2014. GSS was unable to find a new customer and ceased operations later that year.

In February 2014 British Airways and Atlas Air had an arrangement where three brand new Boeing 747-800F aircraft would operate for British Airways World Cargo based at London Stansted Airport. The three Boeing 747-800F aircraft were British registered, British Airways crewed and fully painted in British Airways World Cargo livery and operated flights to destinations such as Chicago, Delhi, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Johannesburg.

London Stansted Airport was a long haul base for British Airways World Cargo.

British Airways World Cargo operated three Boeing 747-8F in full British Airways World Cargo livery.

G-GSSD
G-GSSD
G-GSSE

(Loads of photos and videos online showing these particular aircraft especially at London Stansted Airport)

On the 29 July 2013 London Stansted Airport saw the arrival of British Airways A380 G-XLEA, it was parked at Satellite 1 along with a British Airways World Cargo Boeing 747-8F G-GSSD as part of a publicity event

(Again loads of photos and videos online showing this event)

​​​​​In 2015 British Airways World Cargo terminated their arrangement with Atlas Air and British Airways World Cargo was renamed IAG Cargo with all pure cargo flights from London Stansted Airport ceasing.

At the same time Qatar Airways Cargo took over many of the IAG Cargo flights excluding their own cargo flights into London Stansted Airport.

The majority of IAG Cargo is carried as belly freight along with the dedicated flights operated by DHL.

As your aware up until March 1982 British Airways had a pure cargo operation British Airways Cargo with a sub fleet of Boeing 707-320C, Merchantman plus a single Boeing 747-200F registration G-KILO which was subsequently sold to Cathay Pacific Airways Cargo.

G-KILO was delivered to British Airways Cargo on the 30 September 1980. Sold to Cathay Pacific on the 15 March 1982 and re-registered as VR-HVY.

Dedicated British Airways Cargo flights ceased in February 1982 with all remaining cargo flown as belly cargo.

[DaveReidUK]

BA World Cargo don't have any freighters, it's either in pax aircraft bellies or sub-contracted freighters

Predating the "World Cargo" moniker, but BA did of course operate a 747-200F (G-KILO) for about 18 months at the start of the 1980s.

[Sotonsean]

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/440x293/440px_british_airways_world_cargo_747_8_g_gsse_ecbd87514cc09 848d265a3ebb7f03b3ce5900148.jpg

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x728/3492709668_e87717e9606b58564e00132a635eb1410a703b83.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/926x640/926px_boeing_747_47uf_scd_british_airways_world_cargo_atlas_ air_an0174875_849bef59be8593f7e9c1bf945e2b88be7330a7ac.jpg


Two photos of British registered British Airways World Cargo Boeing 747-8F operated between 2013 and 2014. Three examples were wet leased by British Airways World Cargo from Atlas Air and based at London Stansted Airport.

The bottom photo is Boeing 747-47UK/SCD N495MC leased to GSS Global Supply Systems from Atlas Air and wearing the "English Rose" tail and operating for British Airways World Cargo based at London Stansted Airport. N495MC operated for British Airways World Cargo out of London Stansted Airport from 2001 to 2012.

British Airways World Cargo operated from London Stansted Airport to destinations including,

Chicago, Delhi, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Johannesburg.

[dixi188]

I think parcels qualify as scheduled cargo, so add:-
UPS
FEDEX
TNT / Air Foyle
Heavylift
Channel Express

[Sotonsean]

Predating the "World Cargo" moniker, but BA did of course operate a 747-200F (G-KILO) for about 18 months at the start of the 1980s.


British Airways received a factory fresh Boeing 747-200F G-KILO on the 30 September 1980. First flight of G-KILO was on 19 September 1980.

It was during this period in time that British Airways were going under a major marketing overhaul adjusting the airline's name to British. The airline was still registered as British Airways. Aircraft wore just the title of "British" minus the airways. G-KILO wore the titles British cargo.

On the 15 March 1982 British Airways sold G-KILO to Cathay Pacific Airways and re-registered VR-HVY, it was put on the airline's Hong Kong to Frankfurt and London Gatwick routes.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/320x210/38654494566_bef16fce01_n_3b69657cae70b5f4868be8ff0ede1c548ee 52a63.jpg
G-KILO British cargo at the British Airways maintenance area at London Heathrow Airport in March 1981

[Phileas Fogg]

I think parcels qualify as scheduled cargo, so add:-
UPS
FEDEX
TNT / Air Foyle
Heavylift
Channel Express

Whilst Air Foyle had their own AOC, which a certain easyJet operated under in their early days, I'm not aware that Air Foyle operated 'scheduled' cargo/courier other than sub-contracting for one or more of the big boys, ditto for Heavylift also, can't speak for Channex as I never worked for them but I think ditto also.

[Sotonsean]

I think parcels qualify as scheduled cargo, so add:-
UPS
FEDEX
TNT / Air Foyle
Heavylift
Channel Express

Of course parcels qualify as cargo but my list was a compilation of cargo operators that PREVIOUSLY operated SCHEDULED flights from London Stansted Airport.

FedEx..Still operate from London Stansted Airport
TNT..Is now a subsidiary of FedEx
UPS.. Still operate from London Stansted Airport

Although Heavylift operated cargo flights from London Stansted Airport they were invariably "ad-hoc" charter cargo flights compared to full scheduled cargo flights. The only flight that Heavylift operated that could more or less be classed as a scheduled cargo flight was their operation from London Stansted Airport to Hong Kong.

Channel Express operated the newspaper runs and various other flights but we're they full on scheduled cargo flights!

[STN Ramp Rat]

the Air Foyle AOC was used for the TNT 146's in the early days.
Channel Express operated for the Post Office I also believe they operated scheduled service Hearald's in the early days from the Channel Islands.
Heavylift operated a Belfast AMS-MAN-AMS for a few years carrying KLM cargo but under using a heavylift callsign. I don't know if that counts as scheduled service or not.

[WHBM]

It's not like that anymore as the IL-76 has been banned from EU airspace since 01 April 2002.
Vienna airport January 2018 ....

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x768/dscn0475_16f415e3b72e4e880d1058b31dc74b7aa3e29a8f.jpg

[Phileas Fogg]

the Air Foyle AOC was used for the TNT 146's in the early days.
Channel Express operated for the Post Office I also believe they operated scheduled service Hearald's in the early days from the Channel Islands.
Heavylift operated a Belfast AMS-MAN-AMS for a few years carrying KLM cargo but under using a heavylift callsign. I don't know if that counts as scheduled service or not.

Yes you're right about Air Foyle and TNT, my final airline employment was for Air Foyle/Heavylift so I learned the history of Air Foyle then, a few operators piggy backed off their AOC during early operations, Air Foyle did quite well out of it, Debonair might have been another one.

[Sotonsean]

Vienna airport January 2018 ....

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x768/dscn0475_16f415e3b72e4e880d1058b31dc74b7aa3e29a8f.jpg

After searching again online there are literally loads of pages referring to the EU wide ban of the IL-76 in EU airspace that came into effect in 2002.

You can do the same and your find the exact same results!

Swiss airspace is still open to the IL-76 so perhaps this is a diversion.

The only reason why I'm assuming that a IL-76 was at Vienna Airport in 2018 was a diversion or it was given special permission in aid of a humanitarian relief flight.

[TCU]

Great video of an Il-76 departing STN....in 2017:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH3b54Sducg

For a while in 1999 I used to live in a house near Molehill Green (The Three Horseshoes being my walking local). It was a time when both the Il76 and An124 were STN regulars and there was nothing quite like a late evening/early morning approach and landing of a Russian beasty on 23 to get your senses going and shake the crockery in the kitchen cupboards.

[Phileas Fogg]

This is still the best :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThoZNxy2JZk

[WHBM]

The only reason why I'm assuming that a IL-76 was at Vienna Airport in 2018 was a diversion or it was given special permission in aid of a humanitarian relief flight.
It was actually routing Everett-Keflavik-Vienna-Dubai, probably after picking something up at Boeing.

[STN Ramp Rat]

The IL76MD was banned. The IL76MF was not.

the IL76MF has new generation quieter engines and AFAIK is only operated by VDA and Silkway.

and yes a few IL76MD’s have operated since the ban on special flight exemptions ....

[dixi188]

Channel Express operated scheduled cargo/parcels services on behalf of various companies.
These I remember having been there.
Late 1980s - STN-BRU-STN 5 nights a week for Fedex. HPR7.
1990s - STN-EDI-STN 5 nights a week for Royal mail. After a while this changed to EDI-STN-EDI. L188.
Late 1990s/early 2000s - STN-CGN-EMA-STN 5 nights a week for UPS. A300.
Around 2000 - STN-LGG-STN 5 nights a week for TNT. A300. (G-CEXI in TNT colours)
They also started a scheduled weekly cargo service in their own right STN-IST-STN around 2002 with the A300, but I think it only operated twice.
There were also some F27 flights, but I was not involved with these.

[TCU]

STN Ramp Rat....thanks for the qualification....every day is a school day as they say

Down here at 18E/33S we have a regular Il76 service from my new local airport (FACT) to Antarctic.....is a lovey sight to see it descending in a clear Cape sky having magically appeared from the South....from where only penguins and whales normally emerge. Apols for wanderings.

Back to topic, one of the most exciting times I can recall, was when we all thought Laker DC-10's Skytrains would give sleepy Stansted an injection of life. I can recall the Laker signs going up above the check in desks and Skytrain air stairs parked in anticipation for the first service.

The Laker fleet had always been quite regular visitors anyway, partaking in "bump and go" training. Although I was a school boy at the time, I can recall it was a huge event locally and the 11th and a half hour disappointment of seeing services start from Lakers preferred LGW, saw Stansted revert back to the sleepy backwater we have all been discussing above.

As an aside, deep in some loft box, I still have my unused compensation voucher provided to all passengers who had flown the Atlantic in the "Skytrain years" which came out of the successful action against the scurrilous Pan Am, TWA and BA for their part in assisting Lakers demise. That's probably a topic in its own right.

[DaveReidUK]

British Airways World Cargo received a factory fresh Boeing 747-200F G-KILO on the 19 September1980.

On the 30 September 1982 British Airways World Cargo sold G-KILO to Cathay Pacific Airways and re-registered VR-HVY, it was put on the airline's Hong Kong to Frankfurt and London Gatwick routes.

Yes, though it was actually delivered on the last day of September 1980 and cancelled on its sale to Cathay in March 1982, hence my reference to 18 months. It predated the establishment of BAWC as a semi-independent operation by about 15 years, being wholly owned by BA.

[ATNotts]

Two other cargo operations from back in the day?

AEI (Air Express International - CL44 f/t somewhere in USA?
Wrangler (Bluebell) Aviation - CL44, again I recall once or twice a week from USA

Both, if I recall correctly late 70s, early 80s

[Dendmar]

Does anyone have any photographs or info of the Vulcan that visited Stansted on 31 Oct 1977?

[BSD]

Anyone remember Highland Express? Operated a solitary 747-100 (G-HIHO) which I believe ended up with Virgin

Operated STN-PIK-EWR and back. I travelled on them once, from STN. They offered the (then) cheapest fare London to Scotland which was a set £19. Such good value that the plane was full for the short leg to PIK.

The PIK-EWR leg was generally pretty empty.. They didn’t last long.

Sometime around ‘88-‘89 at a guess.

[DaveReidUK]

Anyone remember Highland Express? Operated a solitary 747-100 (G-HIHO) which I believe ended up with Virgin

Operated STN-PIK-EWR and back. I travelled on them once, from STN. They offered the (then) cheapest fare London to Scotland which was a set £19. Such good value that the plane was full for the short leg to PIK.

The PIK-EWR leg was generally pretty empty.. They didn’t last long.

Sometime around ‘88-‘89 at a guess.

Founded by a poker-playing ex-Virgin exec who died tragically young: High-flier with a zest for risk (https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12073744.high-flier-with-a-zest-for-risk/)

[WHBM]

Founded by a poker-playing ex-Virgin exec who died tragically young:A bit more than a "Virgin Exec", but I know what you mean. It was actually his idea, thought up following the Laker collapse. He called it British Atlantic Airways, but couldn't get finance until he tapped, unlikely at first, Richard Branson for the money. Branson's main contact with aviation at first had been nothing more than his mother had been a BSAA stewardess in the late 1940s. The idea was renamed to Virgin Atlantic Airways, and that explains the name retained to today.

Branson and Fields fell out after a short while, but nothing daunted Fields set up a second operator, that was Highland Express. They got the cheapest 747 on the market. This was originally an American Airlines aircraft which had been rolling round the secondary market since its withdrawal a few years previously, and was renowned around the industry for being the worst Lemon/Hangar Queen there was. There's often one of any type. Highland operated through Stansted as described for some months in 1987, but were plagued by the unreliability and maintenance expense of this 747, and went under at the end of the year. After another couple of years of odd work it came into the Virgin fleet as G-VMIA in 1990, where apparently it always held the operator's record for unscheduled maintenance expense and delays for the next 10 years, until Virgin scrapped it in 1999.

[Sotonsean]

The IL76MD was banned. The IL76MF was not.

the IL76MF has new generation quieter engines and AFAIK is only operated by VDA and Silkway.

and yes a few IL76MD’s have operated since the ban on special flight exemptions ....

Many thanks for adding that information.

That explains why they are still seen within the EU albeit the IL-76MF. I thought that it might have something to do with new generation quieter engines but couldn't find anything online to confirm that.

[Sotonsean]

Two other cargo operations from back in the day?

AEI (Air Express International - CL44 f/t somewhere in USA?
Wrangler (Bluebell) Aviation - CL44, again I recall once or twice a week from USA

Both, if I recall correctly late 70s, early 80s

AEI (Air Express International) CL-44'S operated a scheduled "charter" cargo flight upto three times weekly between New York JFK and London Stansted Airport during the late 70's early 80's.

​​​​​​Bluebell Aviation was formed in 1969 and renamed Wrangler Aviation in 1973. Wrangler Aviation operated a weekly "ad-hoc" operation into London Stansted during the 1970's, the service wasn't a full "scheduled" cargo flight.

On that basis I wouldn't class Wrangler Aviation as being a former "full scheduled pure cargo operator" at London Stansted Airport.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/499x309/14445877702_a9d415e7bc_e6eeee5c077464955b427c2d2e9389cd4068a fb5.jpg
AEI Air Express International CL-44 D4-2 N121AE at London Stansted Airport 1981
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/400x225/60111_1071806747_ac0a80520f5dc842fbb4a52d5e375a9f310c226d.jp g
Wrangler Aviation CL-44 at London Stansted Airport in 1978

[Loose rivets]

Gosh, these memories. I was being bumped around the circuit in a Laker 1-11, and it dawned on me that I'd got a couple of days off when I was done. I asked the tower if they'd call my wife in Frinton. Poor girl, but absolutely no road traffic at nights then.

[Sotonsean]

Yes, though it was actually delivered on the last day of September 1980 and cancelled on its sale to Cathay in March 1982, hence my reference to 18 months. It predated the establishment of BAWC as a semi-independent operation by about 15 years, being wholly owned by BA.

According to airfleets.net the details are the same as my post.

G-KILO first flight 19 September 1980.
G-KILO delivery flight 30 September 1980 (arriving LHR 01 October 1980)
G-KILO sold to Cathay Pacific on 15 March 1982 re-registered VR-HVY.
B-HVY stored March 2008
B-HVY scrapped at Kemble May 2008

I had added previously that G-KILO was sold to Cathay Pacific Airways on the 30 September 1982, I got the information online but according to airfleets.net it was 15 March 1982 which would make it approximately 18 months as you have stated, I'm therefore assuming that 30 September 1982 is incorrect!

I remember at the time of the announcement in 1982 as being rather surprised that British Airways we're disposing of G-KILO so soon.

I remember seeing G-KILO at LHR shortly after her delivery and several times afterwards until she was sold to Cathay Pacific and then I would see her regularly at LGW.

I'm aware that G-KILO was wholly owned by British Airways and that BAWC was set up year's later as a semi-independent operation.


​​​​

[Sotonsean]

Channel Express operated scheduled cargo/parcels services on behalf of various companies.
These I remember having been there.
Late 1980s - STN-BRU-STN 5 nights a week for Fedex. HPR7.
1990s - STN-EDI-STN 5 nights a week for Royal mail. After a while this changed to EDI-STN-EDI. L188.
Late 1990s/early 2000s - STN-CGN-EMA-STN 5 nights a week for UPS. A300.
Around 2000 - STN-LGG-STN 5 nights a week for TNT. A300. (G-CEXI in TNT colours)
They also started a scheduled weekly cargo service in their own right STN-IST-STN around 2002 with the A300, but I think it only operated twice.
There were also some F27 flights, but I was not involved with these.

The fact that Channel Express operated scheduled services on "behalf" of other companies doesn't really count I don't think. It's just the same as Jet2 or Titan Airways operating flights on behalf of the Royal Mail, at the end of the day they were Royal Mail flights.

I won't add Channel Express to the list of former scheduled cargo airline's operating from London Stansted Airport based on the two flights STN-IST-STN as there have been many other examples that I could easily add if that we're the case.

I'll be re-editing the list accordingly.

[Sotonsean]

Anyone remember Highland Express? Operated a solitary 747-100 (G-HIHO) which I believe ended up with Virgin

Operated STN-PIK-EWR and back. I travelled on them once, from STN. They offered the (then) cheapest fare London to Scotland which was a set £19. Such good value that the plane was full for the short leg to PIK.

The PIK-EWR leg was generally pretty empty.. They didn’t last long.

Sometime around ‘88-‘89 at a guess.

Highland Express is a good idea for a discussion during the week as it's an airline that we've not really touched on yet in the Stansted Airport History and Nostalgia thread.

Another topic worth discussing in the Stansted Airport History and Nostalgia thread are the Canadian airlines that previously operated from London Stansted Airport. We've already covered the US airline's operating affinity charters into London Stansted Airport on page 1

[Sotonsean]

Highland Express is a good idea for a discussion during the week as it's an airline that we've not really touched on yet in the Stansted Airport History and Nostalgia thread.

Another topic worth discussing in the Stansted Airport History and Nostalgia thread are the Canadian airlines that previously operated from London Stansted Airport. We've already covered the US airline's operating affinity charters into London Stansted Airport on page 1
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x723/12900103415_838067fd2a_b_1d9aef844cfefb260104ea4fdaad4c460f5 4f390.jpg
Highland Express single Boeing 747-123 G-HIHO at London Stansted Airport in August 1987 operating flight VY201 to New York, Newark EWR via Glasgow Prestwick, PIK. The route operated four times weekly
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/680x443/dcx3svjxkaa1dcc_62f26957044034a4e9f32ea2905ee66c4cdffaaf.jpe g
Air Transat L1011 C-FTNH at London Stansted Airport on the 18 September 1996 operating TSC247 to Toronto, the route operated weekly.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/680x449/dcmd_fqxuaamai4_aef493da424772d37a2dd4237e1e563f3395e3dc.jpe g
Skyservice Airlines Airbus A330-222 C-FBUS just arrived at London Stansted Airport from Toronto as SSV901 on 23 June 1997
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/500x241/4049080007_fe13af11d5_585a5bf124285bd8e724c120dc46fad81cdf3e 35.jpg
Royal Airbus A310 C-GRYD arriving at London Stansted Airport on 14 June 2000 as flight ROY144 from Toronto. This was a weekly flight operated on a Wednesday.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/500x243/4049081707_1d906ffa94_80941b70d87f7c57a2121f17d78869737aa798 df.jpg
Air Transat Boeing 757-200 C-GTSN at London Stansted Airport in September 1995 operating flight TSC246 from Toronto

[rog747]

747-123 G-HIHO ended up with Virgin Atlantic in 1990 coming from Qantas who had been leasing it out.

She was refurbed with 14J and 474Y seats and became G-VMIA and we used her solely on the Miami or MCO for some years.
She was always full and operating out of LGW at MTOW.
Still had the underfloor galleys - The only one in the VS fleet.
Named Miami Maiden, then became Spirit of Sir Freddie some years later. She ended up on the BOS route more often than not.

[Wyvernfan]

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/680x443/dcx3svjxkaa1dcc_62f26957044034a4e9f32ea2905ee66c4cdffaaf.jpe g
Air Transat L1011 C-FTNH at London Stansted Airport on the 18 September 1996 operating TSC247 to Toronto, the route operated weekly.


Thanks for posting this photo, Sotonsean, as I flew on a Air Transat L1011 from Stansted to Toronto in 1989 which was also my first flight in an airliner - although sadly I didn’t make a note of the aircraft serial number. The flight was made even more exciting from my perspective as because of a strong headwind we had to land at Goose Bay in Labrador for extra fuel which in turn meant I got to see resident Avro Vulcan B.2 XL361 - albeit from the aircraft side door as we weren’t allowed off.


Rob

[dixi188]

The fact that Channel Express operated scheduled services on "behalf" of other companies doesn't really count I don't think. It's just the same as Jet2 or Titan Airways operating flights on behalf of the Royal Mail, at the end of the day they were Royal Mail flights.

I won't add Channel Express to the list of former scheduled cargo airline's operating from London Stansted Airport based on the two flights STN-IST-STN as there have been many other examples that I could easily add if that we're the case.

I'll be re-editing the list accordingly.

It's your list after all.

However most of the Channel Express flights were on Channex callsigns except the TNT which was "NITRO", and I don't remember the Royal Mail having their own AOC.

I've also remembered we did a weekly and sometimes twice weekly BA flight to Tel Aviv in 1997/8. BA callsign, and also STN-CGN-SHJ-LCA-STN for UPS 5 days a week in 2000/2001.

PS. Jet2 is Channex.

[treadigraph]

Ford had quite a fleet at Stansted as I recall, three 1-11s and two or three Gulfstream 1s? Pilot published a good article about their ops a couple decades back.

[STN Ramp Rat]

BAWC had quite a hub at Stansted in the 1990's
they used Gemini Air Cargo DC10's to South America on Mondays. all three African International DC8-54's on charter from Stansted to Africa all week and the Channel express flights as well. this then moved on to the three Atlas B747's which in turn became Global Supply Systems.

[STN Ramp Rat]

another scheduled service cargo carrier at Stansted that has not been mentioned is MK Cargo with their DC8's and latterly the B747's. they moved to Stansted from Gatwick and If I recall correctly they moved to Manston before they went bust.

[TCU]

Ford had quite a fleet at Stansted as I recall, three 1-11s and two or three Gulfstream 1s? Pilot published a good article about their ops a couple decades back.

The 1-11's were G-BEJM, JW and G-BFMC (all -400's)
The G1's G-ASXT, G-AWYF and G-BRAL

Had a very good school mate who's dad was a Ford 1-11 Captain

[oldandbald]

Remember Ford operating MD-87s into Stansted in the mid 90s, I think these were VP-BOP and VP-BOO . In those days , as I recall, if ATC didn't specify an airspeed restriction they reduced to about 140 kts 6 or 7 miles out,

[STN Ramp Rat]

The 1-11's were G-BEJM, JW and G-BFMC (all -400's)
The G1's G-ASXT, G-AWYF and G-BRAL

Had a very good school mate who's dad was a Ford 1-11 Captain

and they finished off with a couple of B737-700's which went to Southwest Airlines when they closed down. I believe the passengers then went from Southend on flightline

[Sotonsean]

another scheduled service cargo carrier at Stansted that has not been mentioned is MK Cargo with their DC8's and latterly the B747's. they moved to Stansted from Gatwick and If I recall correctly they moved to Manston before they went bust.

I purposely omitted MK Airlines (which was the company's official name) from the list of former pure cargo operators that PREVIOUSLY operated SCHEDULED flights from London Stansted Airport for one particular reason.....MK Airlines was not a fully fledged SCHEDULED cargo airline, it operated on "ad-hoc" schedules along with operations on behalf of other airline's.

MK Airlines Ltd was a cargo airline formed in Accra Ghana in 1990. The airline was founded by Michael C Kruger as MK Air Cargo d'Or. (MK stands for it's founders initials).

MK Airlines was operational between 1990 and 2010 concentrating on freight services to and from Africa and Europe as well as one off flights to North America.

Headquartered and registered in Ghana the airline had a network of cargo flights with hubs at Accra Kotoka International Airport and London Gatwick Airport. Initial operations was with a single DC8. In 1993 the MK Airlines branding was adopted.

Between 1995 and 1996, the headquarters of the airline were located in Nigeria. From 1999 onwards, MK Airlines expanded it's fleet with cargo configured Boeing 747-200. The last of the DC8's were withdrawn from service in 2006.

In September 2006 MK Airlines was issued a new airline license by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority. The airline's headquarters were now based at Hartfield, East Sussex.

In November 2007, plans for a rebranding of the airline as British Global were announced. The company had it's airline code changed to BGB accordingly, but in March 2008 the rebranding was postponed indefinitely.

Due to financial problems MK Airlines had to suspend all flight operations on 10 June 2008 and went into administration. Following a reorganization of the airline's funding, bankruptcy administration could be left until 24 June 2009. Plans for an acquisition of more fuel-efficient aircraft of the Boeing 747-400 could not be realized.

On 09 April 2010, all operations of the company ceased with the surrender of the Air Operators Certificate to the UK CAA on the same day.

During it's lifespan MK Airlines operated the following aircraft

13 Boeing 747-200
6 DC8-50
5 DC8-60/70

IATA code 7G
ICAO code BGB
Callsign BRITISH GLOBAL

Operating bases,

Accra Kotoka International Airport
London Gatwick Airport "from 1990 to 2006"
Manston (Kent International) Airport "from 2006".
Luxembourg Findel International Airport
Ostend-Bruges International Airport

MK Airlines operated from and had headquarters at London Gatwick Airport from the time of it's start up in 1990 up untill the airline moved it's operating base to Manston Kent International Airport in 2006.

London Stansted Airport certainly saw quite a few flights from MK Airlines but the airline was never based at the airport and the flights were ad-hoc charters rather than fully fledged SCHEDULED cargo flights. MK Airlines flights from London Stansted Airport we're mostly flown on behalf of other airlines or operator's such as Astral Aviation, BAWC and Panalpina.

​​​​For example in the summer of 2009 BAWC were using MK Airlines on flights between London Stansted Airport and Bahrain under the flight code BAW3599.

After MK Airlines went bankrupt Astral Aviation commenced their own operations between Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and London Stansted Airport.

Another African cargo airline based in Nigeria was Flash Airlines which had a connection with MK Airlines in one way or another.

Flash Airlines was a short lived Nigerian cargo operator with five DC8-55F's operated charter operations in 1985 between Africa and Europe. The first two aircraft were leased from the Intavia Group which was owned by one of founders of MK Airlines.

Flash Airlines went bankrupt in 1989 and we're regular visitors on ad-hoc charters into London Gatwick Airport as well as infrequent visitors to London Stansted Airport.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/499x333/7876004880_9ca0ee9d8b_82160a08872e01c8b24aa970a7571d256b11f2 52.jpg
MK Airlines G-MKBA Boeing 747-2BF at London Stansted Airport on 01 August 2008
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/500x332/30890921182_44d91446cf_82a2a0b31d8bfd7cf6447e66b4cc8f6ef56d1 513.jpg
MK Airlines DC8-55F TF-MKG at London Stansted Airport during 1999

[Sotonsean]

BAWC had quite a hub at Stansted in the 1990's
they used Gemini Air Cargo DC10's to South America on Mondays. all three African International DC8-54's on charter from Stansted to Africa all week and the Channel express flights as well. this then moved on to the three Atlas B747's which in turn became Global Supply Systems.

Could you possibly elaborate more on the BAWC hub at London Stansted Airport during the 1990's prior to the formation of GSS Global Supply Systems in 2001.

If possible could you include the destinations and possible schedules during this period.

Many photos online depicting the African International DC8-54F's as well as the Gemini Air Cargo DC10-30F's at London Stansted Airport during this time frame but I wasn't aware that they were flown on behalf of BAWC.

I was out of the country for the majority of the 1980/90's so I'm personally not totally aware of the BAWC operations at London Stansted Airport during this period.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/319x207/47260073952_312ff82ce4_n_c82474f9e9798a630d3410b7d05b6ef3dfe bca82.jpg
Gemini Air Cargo DC10-30F N616GC at London Stansted Airport on 19 April 1999
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1023x652/5733905807_509fc3c95b_b_e268cdfd1529386a7c4e625ffa79a187789f b6d7.jpg
African International DC8-54F at London Stansted Airport during 1999

[Sotonsean]

It's your list after all.

However most of the Channel Express flights were on Channex callsigns except the TNT which was "NITRO", and I don't remember the Royal Mail having their own AOC.

I've also remembered we did a weekly and sometimes twice weekly BA flight to Tel Aviv in 1997/8. BA callsign, and also STN-CGN-SHJ-LCA-STN for UPS 5 days a week in 2000/2001.

PS. Jet2 is Channex.

Absolutely.

Formed in 1978 at Bournemouth Airport as Express Air Services with a small fleet of Dart Herald's operating flights to the Channel Island's of Guernsey and Jersey. Those flights particularly took newspapers outbound and flowers and vegetables on the inbound flights. The company also operated overnight cargo flights to Europe and within the UK.

In the early 1980's Air Express secured post office contract's by the Royal Mail and changed it's name to Channel Express.

In 1983 Philip Meeson and his DART GROUP acquired Channel Express.

In 2002 the owners of Channel Express, the DART GROUP PLC formed it's own low cost airline Jet2 based at Leeds/Bradford Airport.

In January 2006 the Channel Express name was completely dropped and the company rebranded entirely to become Jet2.

Throughout the company's history the,

IATA code LS
ICAO code EXS
Callsign CHANNEX

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x683/handley_page_hpr_7_herald_209_channel_express_an2055776_1e40 ee3a3018760308d7297f37448d7e53d0749b.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/512x255/unnamed_295015b305c5227163ad6f8d578e61f2cd82dcac.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x636/43751855225_34c705a0f7_b_b23deea011c721249c2b936b929b45a2ac9 17208.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/886x590/channel_express_airbus_a300_krier_a47627461f32cc7a2b8abe6bba fe504027cbfd76.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/800x600/g_celp_channel_express_a9b053d497a02d3819b1e3f9a1b75dc526686 a0e.jpg
And finally
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x503/jet2_737_leeds_bradford_airport_043580368abd9061ad383a635aed 35e6f982eb0a.jpg

[Sotonsean]

and they finished off with a couple of B737-700's which went to Southwest Airlines when they closed down. I believe the passengers then went from Southend on flightline
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/400x225/11208_1416066058_0371f15085bb5fe06fafe91da0c8f25488532b52.jp g
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x683/20054626304_fedb85bfe4_b_65a322c8206f0ba22b2a8b517cfdf4e9d93 1dc69.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x683/19505524479_236f05db8f_b_e432c3b061de7ecf14ff0267e8a62279e2b eb8ce.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1023x682/21702877919_752de36a0f_b_3154cfa3b168b20a2c7340f0a0cd62743ea d15fa.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1023x682/17029760785_e594a3a315_b_6e3e59e55b9b5eff42dea90c3f14948b142 9546e.jpg

[SpringHeeledJack]

I seem to remember seeing either the G1 or G3 regularly at LHR back in the day parked over by the then PanAm Mx facility. Am I mis-remembering ?

[treadigraph]

There used to be a couple of UK registered G2s/G3s based with Fields at Heathrow, plus visitors either there or in the cargo area.

Shell Aviation had a 2 and later a 3, plus some HS125s.

[Sotonsean]

I seem to remember seeing either the G1 or G3 regularly at LHR back in the day parked over by the then PanAm Mx facility. Am I mis-remembering ?

No your not mis-remembering, the Ford Gulfstream 2's were regular visitors to LHR back in the day parked over at the Fields Aviation hangar which was situated on the other side of the Pan Am maintenance facility where part of Terminal 4 is now situated.

As has already been pointed out the Fields Aviation Hangar area was a magnet for Gulfstreams back in the day and various examples were present including other business jets on any given day.

Business jet's were also to be seen in the cargo area's plus the apron where the Euro Hub pier was built between terminals 1 and 2.

[SpringHeeledJack]

Thanks for that, good to know the grey matter hasn't totally gone! I seem to remember that it resembled the then SAA livery. Yes, Fields with their hangar, and as noted with several biz jets in situ at any one time. Sorry to keep it LHR, but did the Fields hangar have a curved/arched roof ? My minds eye says yes, with the 'Fields' written large across it.

[Musket90]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20211380

I also remember in early-mid 80's Tradewinds B707's departing to Lagos heavy unsettling noise sensitive locals.

[Sotonsean]

Thanks for that, good to know the grey matter hasn't totally gone! I seem to remember that it resembled the then SAA livery. Yes, Fields with their hangar, and as noted with several biz jets in situ at any one time. Sorry to keep it LHR, but did the Fields hangar have a curved/arched roof ? My minds eye says yes, with the 'Fields' written large across it.

The hangar at LHR was a three curvard arched roof with FIELDS AIRCRAFT SERVICES LIMITED in large red letters. It was built originally for Hunting Clan in 1953. Demolished and replaced by a modern facility if I remember correctly around 1986. It no longer exists as the expansion of Terminal 4 eastwards meant that the latter hangar was demolished.

[Sotonsean]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20211380

I also remember in early-mid 80's Tradewinds B707's departing to Lagos heavy unsettling noise sensitive locals.

The story regarding the Nigerian national has already been discussed with a link provided in post 89

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/240x160/30336674674_072ff77984_m_da7c59b1c18046ef12e0d7abc88ae852df6 1c440.jpg
Tradewinds Boeing 707-321C G-BNGH at London Stansted Airport in July 1986.

[Musket90]

Thanks Sotonsean. Missed post 89, must be be staying at home that's driving me mad !

Although not cargo related I couldn't find any post on this thread related to this tragic accident which occurred in October 1987, a few days after the hurricane strength winds.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f086e5274a13140002fb/Cessna_421B__G-HAST__08-88.pdf.

[Sotonsean]

Thanks Sotonsean. Missed post 89, must be be staying at home that's driving me mad !

Although not cargo related I couldn't find any post on this thread related to this tragic accident which occurred in October 1987, a few days after the hurricane strength winds.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f086e5274a13140002fb/Cessna_421B__G-HAST__08-88.pdf.

I'm not actually familiar with that incident myself as I wasn't in the country at the time.

But thanks for posting the link to the incident, it must have been an horrific situation for all concerned.

[Musket90]

Yes it was. i was working there at the time and remember seeing the aircraft parked outside a day or so before the accident.

At that time new taxiways were being constructed onto the runway from the new terminal side. This involved night works between 2230 and 0600 hrs local weekday nights when the runway distance was reduced to 1500m. The runway edge lights at the time were elevated (they are now flush) and plastic buckets were placed over the elevated lights in the closed off area so they weren't visible.to pilots. On the early morning of 16th October '87 when the hurricane winds arrived many of the plastic buckets were blown off exposing the lights in the closed off area.! Fortunately no movements were expected until after 0600 hrs. Because the wind direction was south to south west and Stansted's runway direction being more favourable, a number of diversions from Gatwick and possibly other SE airports were received once the runway re-opened to full length.

[Sotonsean]

Very interesting Muskat, thanks for sharing that.

Whilst we are in clamp down due to Covid-19 I think that diversions at London Stansted Airport during the 1970/80's might be a good subject to discuss during the coming weeks.

​​​​​​We've already discussed the Scandinavian visitors, the US affinity charters, Canadian charters and previous cargo operators on the Stansted Airport History and Nostalgia thread.

But before I start discussing diversions as there have been so many over the years I think that I might bring up the discussion regarding long haul charters as in the Lion Air Boeing 747 and American Trans Air TriStar flights.

I'll leave that to another day though as it's late now 😉

[HZ123]

On a trivial subject as a Constable at STN in I believe 1973 Paul Getty arrived in the middle of the night in a twin turbo about the size of a G1. I believe it was Rouseau Aviation/Airline, featured in much of the press the same day. Stating we had all been instructed to look away from him as he disembarked. I remember it was a weasel like elderly man. Am I right or was it someone else?

[Sotonsean]

On a trivial subject as a Constable at STN in I believe 1973 Paul Getty arrived in the middle of the night in a twin turbo about the size of a G1. I believe it was Rouseau Aviation/Airline, featured in much of the press the same day. Stating we had all been instructed to look away from him as he disembarked. I remember it was a weasel like elderly man. Am I right or was it someone else?

Considering the fact that you were a police constable on duty at the time of the event I should imagine that you would have more insight to the events of that evening compared to the majority of others reading this thread!

In 1973 Rousseau Aviation had a fleet of 2 Fokker F-27s, 2 HS.748s, 5 Nord Aviation-262s Fregates, 1 Beachcraft Baron, 1 Beachcraft Bonanza, 1 Cessna172.

​​​​​​Rousseau Aviation was sold to TAT Touraine Air Transport in 1973, the name disappeared in 1976 having been totally absorbed into TAT.

What month in 1973 are you referring to?

You do realise that 1973 was a very significant year for the Getty family with John Paul Gettys Grandson, John Paul Getty III being kidnapped for ransom in Rome that lasted for several months which inevitably involved his ear being cut off!

John Paul Getty III was aged 16 at the time of his kidnapping in Rome at 03.00 on Tuesday 10 July 1973.

Although being one of the richest men in the world at the time, John Paul Getty was indeed a very weasel like elderly man.

I wasn't expecting to be discussing this event on the Stansted Airport History and Nostalgia thread!

[BSD]

Among the more unusual visitors: American Airlines MD-11s. I have a feeling these were flown from the factory to Marshalls at Cambridge for finishing off and avionics work which may have been cabin IFE. Whether their arrivals were too early for Cambridge to accept them, or whether they were clearing customs or whatever, they seemed to route via STN. I remember being parked on the ramp next to one early one morning. They had a short life with AA and I think got sold off to FedEx to become freighters. They're probably still landing at STN even now in 2020.

[Phileas Fogg]

Among the more unusual visitors: American Airlines MD-11s. I have a feeling these were flown from the factory to Marshalls at Cambridge for finishing off and avionics work which may have been cabin IFE. Whether their arrivals were too early for Cambridge to accept them, or whether they were clearing customs or whatever, they seemed to route via STN. I remember being parked on the ramp next to one early one morning. They had a short life with AA and I think got sold off to FedEx to become freighters. They're probably still landing at STN even now in 2020.

Last I checked Fedex were still operating a couple of ex Laker DC10-10's, I believe redesignated as MD10's

[Akrotiri bad boy]

Surely not the old girls Western Belle and Eastern Belle! I thought we'd have been using them for razor blades and beer cans a long time ago.:confused:

[DaveReidUK]

Surely not the old girls Western Belle and Eastern Belle! I thought we'd have been using them for razor blades and beer cans a long time ago.:confused:

No, Northern Belle (G-GFAL) and California Belle (G-GSKY). The former is still active with FedEx and the latter was until about 6 months ago (now at Victorville).

[Musket90]

Here's a diversion story from October 1987. Arrived on night shift about 9pm to help out with the runway works and found an Air Malta B737-200 parked on the ramp. It had diverted in from Luton due fog. Passengers were being bussed from Luton to Stansted and they arrived in good time, were processed through the terminal quickly and were on board the aircraft about 2215hrs. The runway works were due to start at 2230 hrs with 1500m reduced runway length.

We noticed that the aircraft's baggage hold doors were still open and discovered that the bags had not been loaded. The few ground handling staff were busy in the cargo area loading other aircraft. It was estimated that by the time the ground handlers finished their cargo loading and attended the Air Malta the flight wouldn't be ready to depart until around midnight.

We informed the crew that they would have 1500m runway length at that time. This was too short for the Malta flight so they decided to offload the passengers and position the aircraft empty to Gatwick off the 1500m length. The passengers were later bussed from Stansted to Gatwick.

[GAZIN]

Among the more unusual visitors: American Airlines MD-11s. I have a feeling these were flown from the factory to Marshalls at Cambridge for finishing off and avionics work which may have been cabin IFE. Whether their arrivals were too early for Cambridge to accept them, or whether they were clearing customs or whatever, they seemed to route via STN. I remember being parked on the ramp next to one early one morning. They had a short life with AA and I think got sold off to FedEx to become freighters. They're probably still landing at STN even now in 2020.
I believe that they were the aircraft originally destined for BCal. They are both still active, indeed one of them is due to land a STN in about 25 minutes time!

[Sotonsean]

I believe that they were the aircraft originally destined for BCal. They are both still active, indeed one of them is due to land a STN in about 25 minutes time!

Indeed British Caledonian Airways was to be the launch customer of the MD-11 in 1991 with 3 ordered plus 3 options. These were not to be after the takeover by British Airways in August 1988.

After the takeover, British Airways immediately cancelled the MD-11 order and the three aircraft were taken up by American Airlines.

The first MD-11 N1751A was delivered to American Airlines on the 01 February 1991.

[Sotonsean]

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x660/33301519028_48cf1f894a_b_29df524712f3cff94fb5abba1ed103092e6 54dbc.jpg
Trans International DC8-63 London Stansted Airport 1977
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x698/39429011854_28be74045c_b_f0b1e15f4aece43fa2e7572694248ed5d2f b6402.jpg
American Trans Air L1011 TriStar-50 N82AT London Stansted Airport 16 September 1985
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/272x186/images_5c0a8d49668c869da2ef239c1e46d4e8ae1dca1d.jpeg
American Trans Air L1011 TriStar-50 London Stansted Airport
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x681/11416450314_8f6d21eed7_b_be1f80228c43299a68a0113626c6003cb46 3f9d5.jpg
Lion Air/Orion Air Boeing 747-121 LX-GCV London Stansted Airport
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/599x450/1016139_medium_f4e15f5ff8f33d46cf2a1578598d6606dfe1dbb2.jpg
Lion Air (Caribbean Airways) Boeing 747-121 LX-FCV London Stansted Airport 18 September 1988
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x655/11416573693_4155bfa9eb_b_354739807b1cbfe62fcbce186cd51df5ff1 fc064.jpg
Lion Air (Caribbean Airways) Boeing 747-121 London Stansted Airport 18 September 1988
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/499x315/7039632985_fbba4de3a2_7748b4d82d48f4631c9eba8db4f91e7dfa88b6 8f.jpg
Wardair Boeing 747-211B C-GXRD London Stansted Airport 18 June 1987
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/563x387/imgexec_6183_b01db42868de27e64d4d792da9cf967269aadc63.jpg
London Stansted Airport postcard 1987

[GAZIN]

One of the MD-11’s mentioned by BSD in post 165. This was the first of two that I photographed, N510MD, now N583FE it is inbound to STN from IND as I write this. The second one that I photographed was N411MD which became N581FE and was written off in a non fatal accident 17Oct99.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/640x429/f2cad16f_f7dd_40d0_a8b2_43afb2794f34_5dc427d19097f39073f5b89 a5450f36124dd863e.jpeg

[GAZIN]

Some cargo flights from 1989. Sadly the Tigers 747 crashed 7 days later whilst on approach to KUL.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/640x428/84d61312_892c_4584_9bd8_b64816f6222d_e4ca4fef1ae8adca2c422ee ce988b0778fc57e8f.jpeg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/640x429/4952dc2b_c2cf_441c_b2e2_62188cb5b615_bcbb530d7089a0092b51e03 1926b44ae67bbcf55.jpeg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/640x429/cc31eab3_df17_4529_84ee_df21b2bb2e89_a336463998e572eb3650ad1 af29862d60b5d7c8b.jpeg

[SpringHeeledJack]

Why does the MD-11 two posts above look somewhat copper toned, rather than the normal buffed metal or light grey of American Airlines ?

[dixi188]

Why does the MD-11 two posts above look somewhat copper toned, rather than the normal buffed metal or light grey of American Airlines ?
It looks to me that the bare metal has been Alodine treated ready for painting.
(Alodine or Alochrome is an anti corrosion treatment for aluminium alloys.)

[SpringHeeledJack]

Thank you, that seems like a good explanation.

[WHBM]

It looks to me that the bare metal has been Alodine treated ready for painting.
(Alodine or Alochrome is an anti corrosion treatment for aluminium alloys.)
The American MD-11s, like most of their fleet at the time, were not painted; they retained a natural aluminium finish. The exceptions were their Airbus fleet, initially the A300, which had a surface finishing process which did not suit this, and thus were painted in a grey-lookalike colour. American had standardised on this unpainted (apart from decals and cheatlines etc) finish ever since metal aircraft came along in the 1930s, until finally changing over to paint about 7 years ago, possibly not quite fully achieved yet.

Having said that, the finish was not easily achieved, and at the start it required quite some treatment to achieve, which American normally did themselves at their central maintenance base in Tulsa OK where aircraft were delivered. These aircraft however were unfinished, and were sent to Marshalls in Cambridge for whatever remaining works could not be carried out at McDonnell Douglas in Long Beach. Don't know whether the protective coating was stripped and the metal finished by Marshalls, or if they were then taken back to the US for the final preparation.


The surface treatment took more work to prepare and to maintain (polishing), but gave a weight saving. Their accountants must have calculated it was worth it one way. Many other airlines of course thought the opposite, though there was a spate of "natural" finishes by other carriers in the US around the 1990s. It's particularly difficult to achieve on a secondhand aircraft that has been previously painted, and American abandoning it coincided with the merger with US Air which brought large numbers of painted aircraft into the fleet. Those from London may recall that on the Underground, all new trains were unpainted aluminium from the 1960s to about 2000, when a paint livery was applied to them all. This was principally driven by the paint graffiti vandals, it being extremely expensive and time-consuming to get back to a decent finish afterwards. The very first unpainted aluminium Underground train carriage was sent by the manufacturers to a trade exhibition, for which it was got to an attractive mirror finish which was still somewhat apparent compared to the rest of the fleet 15 years later. Apparently this had involved a huge effort, and wiped out the stores stock of fine-grained sandpapers !

[Sotonsean]

Although slightly off topic to the thread but whilst on the subject of polished bare metal finish.

As already mentioned by WHBM, several North American airlines had "polished bare metal finished" aircraft during the 1970/80/90's.

Other than American Airlines which had their aircraft delivered in this way from 1933 with the advent of the DC 3 there were several others including.

Air Canada
Eastern
Flying Tigers
Northwest Orient
Piedmont
Southwest
US Air
Western

Also CP Air with their part bare metal finished aircraft. (Which looked stunning)

Several European airlines also trialled polished bare metal finished aircraft during the same period including.

Aeroflot
Aeromexico
British Airways
Condor
JAT Yugoslav
Lufthansa
SAS Scandinavian

Although in many cases this was short lived and the aircraft were eventually fully painted.

In the case of British Airways I believe that they only had one Boeing 737-200ADV styled in this way.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/600x358/g_bkya_8f28a5bcd9c9e4ed47aaf2c9c6f4d9922c1b63c8.jpg
British Airways Boeing 737-200 ADV G-BKYA in the short lived "trial" bare polished metal finished livery although the underbelly still retained the dark midnight blue.

One of the best looking aircraft was the Condor DC10-30 which was delivered factory fresh in the bare metal finish.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1227x690/condor_8_5c19b1e8b87f988cf298eedeebf93036835f6332.jpg

[Phileas Fogg]

Painted aircraft burn more fuel than bare metal aircraft.

[Sotonsean]

With the added weight of paint I think that goes without saying 🤔

[Musket90]

Found a couple of photos taken at Gatwick.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1504/img_8469_5f3169cc032c69fac145e91390f241d2e7fa6863.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1504/img_8497_07fbfd024a30ee4355497587f2520a816fc5e896.jpg

[treadigraph]

Absolutely cracking scheme, really suited the DC-8, the 727 and the 747. Them was the days...

Is that a Seneca in the background of the 747, can't ever recall seeing light aircraft over on that side of the airfield.

[Herod]

Quite possible. The CAA instrument tests were conducted at Stansted. I did mine there in '76

[Sotonsean]

Absolutely cracking scheme, really suited the DC-8, the 727 and the 747. Them was the days...

Is that a Seneca in the background of the 747, can't ever recall seeing light aircraft over on that side of the airfield.

It wasn't too unusual to see light aircraft over at the maintenance area at LGW, I remember seeing a few over the years for whatever reason, although very rare to say the least.

Not sure if you would actually class these as "light aircraft" but they we're once regular visitors to the BCAL maintenance area. British Caledonian Airways Executive Charter had two Piper pa31 Navajo Chieftain aircraft

G-CLAN and G-SCOT.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x683/6929905441_9ca3dacb7a_b_d264b882acf28e70b2b8c15c7c69b8329e10 d1e8.jpg

[treadigraph]

Just a thought, wasn't the Flight International Seneca yellow and originally based at Gatwick? Can't find a colour pic of it online from those days...

[Phileas Fogg]

Absolutely cracking scheme, really suited the DC-8, the 727 and the 747. Them was the days...

Is that a Seneca in the background of the 747, can't ever recall seeing light aircraft over on that side of the airfield.

I recall that Winston Churchill (grandson of) would park his light a/c over at the Laker hangar

[treadigraph]

Ah yes, he had a Seneca in the 70s - think he moved on to a Cessna 425 later on. Thanks!

[Musket90]

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1504/img_8442_0bd47be81955d6a857cecc8c99087e33004d762d.jpg

[ATNotts]

Has Stansted moved "sarf of the river" and been renamed Gatwick??:rolleyes:

[treadigraph]

It was a weather diversion!

Back to Stansted, more pictures please!

[ATNotts]

It was a weather diversion!

Back to Stansted, more pictures please!

I'll second that. It's an airport I rarely ventured to in my youth, only really started frequenting the place when Air Berlin operated daily services to Nürnberg and suited my needs for my fortnightly commute to Franconia, so missed the "interesting" era.

[treadigraph]

I first went there in 1975, taken by a kind family friend we were visiting in Bishop's Stortford. I think we only looked round the NW side near the old terminal, all I recall are the two THY 707s mentioned earlier, also Sheila Scott's Comanche taking off - owner was Max Coote by then. I wish I'd known about the fire dump with its several interesting carcasses, long gone by the time I had a proper visit, probably in the early 1980s!

[Musket90]

Looking through my Kodachrome photo slides another operator in the early to mid-80's was Denver Ports of Call with B707's. The one I have is N702PC.

[SpringHeeledJack]

I remember those! Didn't they have a 727 as well ? I'm sure I saw that either at Stansted or Gatwick. A private travel club of sorts wasn't it ?

[Sotonsean]

Looking through my Kodachrome photo slides another operator in the early to mid-80's was Denver Ports of Call with B707's. The one I have is N702PC.

Denver Ports of Call was a United States private airline which operated flights for the Denver-based Ports of Call Travel Club from 1967 to 1992. In it's heyday, Ports of Call was the largest travel club in the USA, with at one time over 66,000 members.

Ports of Call was established in 1966 as a travel club in Denver, Colorado. They initially used Douglas DC-7 and Lockheed L-188 Electra. Ports of Call grew to more modern aircraft such as the Convair 990, Boeing 707 and Boeing 727. By 1986 Ports of Call operated 11 Boeing 707-320, 1 Boeing 720 and a single Boeing 727-100.

In 1986 Ports of Call was rebranded as Skyworld Airlines.

In 1992 Skyworld Airlines ceased operations.

1994 Denver Ports of Call Travel Club closed down.

Denver Ports of Call operated to several airport's in the United Kingdom including Manchester, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Prestwick.

A few photos of Denver Ports of Call Boeing 707-320's at London Stansted Airport. Their aircraft were also serviced by ATEL at London Stansted Airport.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x683/30945204970_a519b6a31e_b_804270575ac28cc2178c0163222611ad6ac 77398.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x681/5730580500_2e8774edeb_b_ac19a355ab567280222a9c27b1ed18e77e39 5a95.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x683/30526580933_1a97d0cc9d_b_e44530533ddd387dcc9dc65b840349c6142 3485c.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x641/boeing_707_321b_skyworld_airlines_an0199403_1bde5f5f04a9932d c6925d03153a8282abe36a86.jpg

Denver Ports of Call rebranded into Skyworld Airlines.

The tail of an Air Mali Boeing 727-173C is visible. This particular aircraft TZ-ADR was once a regular visitor for maintenance with ATEL at London Stansted Airport.

The other aircraft that's just visible is the forward part of former Spantax DC8-61 TF-IHU at London Stansted Airport for storage after it's lease expired with the Spanish airline.

[Sotonsean]

I first went there in 1975, taken by a kind family friend we were visiting in Bishop's Stortford. I think we only looked round the NW side near the old terminal, all I recall are the two THY 707s mentioned earlier, also Sheila Scott's Comanche taking off - owner was Max Coote by then. I wish I'd known about the fire dump with its several interesting carcasses, long gone by the time I had a proper visit, probably in the early 1980s!

The "old fire dump" at London Stansted Airport was very much in existence during the 1980's and it was always worth the trip round to the other side of the airport as there was always a selection of aircraft to be seen.

On my first visit to the fire dump in 1980 there was a few a Boeing 707's amongst other aircraft.

Here are a few photos of the former Italian company Aeropa Boeing 707's at the old fire dump at London Stansted Airport. These older Boeing 707's had the Pratt & Whitney JT3C turbojet (drain pipe style) engine's.

During the early to mid 1980's several former Turkish THY Airlines Boeing 707-320's we're stored at London Stansted Airport, some by the ATEL hangars and a couple over at the old fire dump. These aircraft were later sold to the USAF and flown to the USA where they were stripped for spare parts.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1200x851/boeing_707_321_aeropa_an0926325_16adb7c07a729215c02d5b4935dc 6ce6fc92a6e4.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x649/48544964311_d2f5d57b49_b_270176d9fb2afc5df8981db199955568287 8605a.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x698/42717842060_477c8973d7_b_175aca06c1d76c2105343ec0f1c377f3668 18ac3.jpg

The final photo also show's one of the Turkish THY Airlines stored Boeing 707's and in the distance the remains of a former Channel Airways Viscount-800.

[Sotonsean]

So far on the Stansted Airport History and Nostalgia thread we have discussed,

Canadian charters
Channel Airways operations
Charter flights during the eighties
Former Scheduled cargo airline's
Scandinavian visitors
US affinity charters

And various other topics.

I thought that I would make a list of all of the international flag carriers that have previously operated full scheduled passenger service's from London Stansted Airport over the years right up until the present day.

Adria.. Ljubljana
Aer Lingus.. Dublin
Aeroflot..St Petersburg
Air France.. Paris CDG
Air Lituanica.. Vilnius
Air Malta..Malta
Albanian Airlines.. Tirana
Alitalia.. Milan MXP
Atlantic Airways..Vagar
Croatian Airlines.. Dubrovnik
CSA Czech Airlines.. Prague
Cubana.. Havana
Cyprus Airways..Larnaca/Paphos
EL AL..Tel Aviv..
KLM.. Amsterdam..(as KLM uk).. Eindhoven/Maastricht (as KLM Excel)
​​​​​Lufthansa.. Frankfurt/Munich
Luxair.. Luxembourg
Montenegro Airlines.. Podgorica
Malev.. Budapest
PIA Pakistan International Airlines.. Islamabad
Royal Air Maroc.. Marrakesh
SAS Scandinavian Airlines.. Gothenburg/Stockholm ARN..(Copenhagen/Oslo both current)
Swiss.. Zurich
TACV Cabo Verde Airlines..Sal
Tarom.. Bucharest
Turkish Airlines.. Istanbul Ataturk

EL AL previously operated from London Stansted and were set to return in June 2020, due to the current situation I don't envisage this happening so I have added the airline to the list.

[dc9-32]

Ports of Call 707's used to also frequent MAEL at LTN for checks.

[Sotonsean]

Ports of Call 707's used to also frequent MAEL at LTN for checks.

I personally didn't feel the need to add that information to the Stansted Airport History and Nostalgia thread considering that the discussion was referring to Denver Ports of Call and their visits to London Stansted Airport 🤔

[treadigraph]

In the 70s the fire dump had several propliners, a DC-7 amongst other things.

[SpringHeeledJack]

In the 70s the fire dump had several propliners, a DC-7 amongst other things.


Can anyone who has photos of this time period of the fire dump/storage/Mx areas post them please ? My photos are long gone sadly, but memories are being triggered by this thread. The Aeropa 707 tail motif really jogged the grey matter :-)

[Sotonsean]

In the 70s the fire dump had several propliners, a DC-7 amongst other things.

That would have been the former Martinair Holland DC-7 PH-DSO that was at the old fire dump for many years during the early to mid seventies.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x670/3297279533_68afb80117_b_ed39380cd7557ce759996555815660a26fb3 2e37.jpg



​​https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/674x450/1384983_medium_8410851854468f144c4b5e891925dcda1e8d0196.jpg

[Wyvernfan]

Great information and photos as ever guys. Was the old fire dump over by where the Tristar is / was stored?


Rob

[caiman27]

Great information and photos as ever guys. Was the old fire dump over by where the Tristar is / was stored?


Rob
The TriStar was scrapped a couple of years ago.

[ATNotts]

I personally didn't feel the need to add that information to the Stansted Airport History and Nostalgia thread considering that the discussion was referring to Denver Ports of Call and their visits to London Stansted Airport 🤔

Yes, but you have to recognise that threads evolve and occasionally go off piste, in my view the they best not "moderated" (with a small "m"!). As someone who, as I mentioned above rarely visited Stansted during it's "interesting" period (pre EZY and RYR) I find it very interesting; one of the go-to threads in PPRune.

[Sotonsean]

Great information and photos as ever guys. Was the old fire dump over by where the Tristar is / was stored?


Rob

The old fire dump was situated on the southside of the airport approximately where the current cargo area is now.

As already stated the former Classic Airways L1011 TriStar G-IOIT was scrapped about three years ago.

It was used for tug towage training for several year's, it moved location on many occasions within the northside area and was eventually abandoned before being finally scrapped.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1200x800/32222902572_9255904600_o_861d5e07cf3fcc6c7d58895bcc0e77b9f7e facbd.jpg

[Sotonsean]

Yes, but you have to recognise that threads evolve and occasionally go off piste, in my view the they best not "moderated" (with a small "m"!). As someone who, as I mentioned above rarely visited Stansted during it's "interesting" period (pre EZY and RYR) I find it very interesting; one of the go-to threads in PPRune.

If I can quote you from your post's 190 and 192.... just in case you had forgotten!

It could easily have carried on in the same way!

[TCU]

Great fire dump/ATEL ramp shots. Remember cycling around to the fire dump from the terminal as part of a days spotting. Past the end of 05 threshold, left at the Kearsley hangar then left again at Four Ashes.. I have a picture somewhere of a Falcon 10 or 20 that languished on the dump for many years, plus a few of the Aeroamerica 707's that would frequent ATEL before ending their days in a dismantled state.

I thought that I would make a list of all of the international flag carriers/airline's that have previously operated full scheduled passenger service's from London Stansted Airport over the years right up until the present day.

Air Asia X - Kuala Lumpur
American Airlines - O'Hare
Continental - Newark
EOS - JFK
MaxJet - LA, Las Vegas, JFK, Dulles
Sun Country - Minneapolis
Emirates - Dubai

and Ryanair! My first flight with them was way back in November 1993, STN-DUB, out in BAC 1-11 - 523FJ EI-CCX and back in BAC 1-11 - 501EX EI-CIB

[Sotonsean]

Great fire dump/ATEL ramp shots. Remember cycling around to the fire dump from the terminal as part of a days spotting. Past the end of 05 threshold, left at the Kearsley hangar then left again at Four Ashes.. I have a picture somewhere of a Falcon 10 or 20 that languished on the dump for many years, plus a few of the Aeroamerica 707's that would frequent ATEL before ending their days in a dismantled state.



Air Asia X - Kuala Lumpur
American Airlines - O'Hare
Continental - Newark
EOS - JFK
MaxJet - LA, Las Vegas, JFK, Dulles
Sun Country - Minneapolis
Emirates - Dubai

and Ryanair! My first flight with them was way back in November 1993, STN-DUB, out in BAC 1-11 - 523FJ EI-CCX and back in BAC 1-11 - 501EX EI-CIB

My list was referring to "all international flag carriers/airline's that have previously" operated full scheduled passenger services from London Stansted Airport over the years right up until the present day.

If you look at the list it only list's scheduled "flag carriers" that previously flew from London Stansted Airport.

None of the airline's that you have listed are international flag carrier's.

Other than the airline's that you have listed there are many many more, a topic I shall pick up on later.

I am going to do a post regarding the US flights from London Stansted Airport during the 1990's and 2000's shortly where I will mention the other airlines.

FYI American Airlines also briefly flew to New York JFK in 2007/2008, flight AA124/AA125.

[BSD]

When Transmeridian introduced the DC-8 Mike Keegan bought an ex Aliatalia DC-8 (RR Conway powered) which only had 200 hours left on it. Bought very cheaply, it was used for crew training and then stripped of serviceable components and left by the fire station. Not before however a “company jolly” outing took place - a day trip to Ostend. TFK took the left hand seat himself IIRC.
The TMAC engineers reckoned it was in tremendous nick and had high praise for Alitalia engineering.

[Sotonsean]

BSD

Do you have a photo of that particular aircraft. I think that I'm aware of the actual aircraft in question, was it actually painted in the full TRANSMERIDIAN livery?

[treadigraph]

I think the crew training DC-8 was a -33, G-BETJ, ex KLM and African Safari. All the others on the UK register (TAC and IAS) were -54Fs.

[BSD]

Treaders is correct: it was in ASA livery.
Sadly I have no photos of the ‘8s but I’ll look into some old stuff - I’ve got quite a few of the ‘44s. Mostly down route though and not at STN.

ps I think the 2 TMAC DC-8s (G-BFHW and G-BTAC?) were ex KLM (-54 series, definitely P&W powered) but I’d always thought the ASA liveried one was ex Alitalia.

[WHBM]

I recall that about 6 months after the American flight to Chicago started, they had a competition to guess which destination was flown on to from the Stansted flight through Chicago more than any other. This was done with leaflets on the AA ticket desk, one of which I picked up when passing (from AirUK or Ryanair !), as the desk was unstaffed then, filled in Los Angeles, and put it in the box provided alongside. Prize was, of course, two tickets on AA to anywhere in the US.

Sure I was right, and encouraged by the box appearing virtually empty, I kept looking at the AA website until an answer was finally posted there - Minneapolis. I really found this a little unlikely.

Anybody else go in for it ?

[Sotonsean]

I recall that about 6 months after the American flight to Chicago started, they had a competition to guess which destination was flown on to from the Stansted flight through Chicago more than any other. This was done with leaflets on the AA ticket desk, one of which I picked up when passing (from AirUK or Ryanair !), as the desk was unstaffed then, filled in Los Angeles, and put it in the box provided alongside. Prize was, of course, two tickets on AA to anywhere in the US.

Sure I was right, and encouraged by the box appearing virtually empty, I kept looking at the AA website until an answer was finally posted there - Minneapolis. I really found this a little unlikely.

Anybody else go in for it ?

My first visit to the "new" Stansted was in 1992 a few weeks before the first American Airlines flight from Chicago to London Stansted started. I traveled up from Southampton for the day to have a look at the new terminal and saw the unmanned check in desks all set up with the American Airlines name and logos. They really stood out as the airport and terminal was still fairly quiet in 1992.

I wasn't aware of the competition that your referring to at the time of the visit to the terminal in 1992 and I only became aware of it many years later.

When American Airlines announced that they were to fly from Chicago O'Hare to London Stansted Airport on the 15 October 1991 it was a huge deal for the airport and it more or less came of age especially as it was the airport's first and only scheduled transatlantic flight at the time.

At the time of it's announcement American Airlines did a lot of advertising especially in the London area and in particular on the underground claiming that they now flew daily to the USA from all of the three London airport's.

American Airlines commenced direct daily flights between London Stansted Airport and Chicago O'Hare Airport on the 16 June 1992 with a Boeing 767-200 registration N328AA. Over 20,000 passengers were carried in the first three months of operations, but the average yield per passenger was low and losses of some $10 million had been accrued by the time the service was suspended on the 31 May 1992.

American Airlines returned to London Stansted Airport again in 2007 with a New York JFK flight. The flight commenced in October 2007 with a daily Boeing 767-300. The flight didn't last long even though American Airlines had announced that the flight would go double daily for summer 2008 shortly before they announced that it was being axed. The last American Airlines flight between New York JFK and London Stansted Airport was in April 2008. Flight numbers were AA124/AA125.

​​​​​​I was actually going to do a post about the former scheduled trans-Atlantic flights between London Stansted Airport and the USA over the next day or so with reference to American Airlines, EOS, MaxJet, Primea with the addition of some photos. I still intend on doing so and might well duplicate the post with the content I've already provided in this post regarding the history of American Airlines at London Stansted Airport.

[TCU]

None of the airline's that you have listed are international flag carrier's

I suspect Emirates probably are....

[Sotonsean]

I suspect Emirates probably are....

Emirates is based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

Etihad is based in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates and is the "official" flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates even though Emirates is the oldest, largest and more well known of the two.

[Duchess_Driver]

My first visit to Stansted was in the early ‘80s. At the time I collected tails and recall the ASA DC-8s. Seem to remember a CAA Dove around somewhere on the fire ground amid numerous 707s (Air Berlin?). Best bit was the Young Cargo Britannias.

This was before the expansion and new terminal. Seems the place has lost a lot of its character.

[Musket90]

Don't know if it's true but I heard at the time that the AA JFK schedule introduced in 2007 was mainly aimed at taking market share from Maxjet and EOS who both went out of business soon after so maybe AA's plan worked helping towards their quick demise. AA then pulled the route.

[OwnNav]

Kondair operated G-AVKZ PA23 Aztec for some years late '70s to the '80s. They lost a Trislander which crashed on approach to Schipol and nearly lost another when en-route EGSS over the North Sea, the pilot fell asleep and to quote the report " He was awoken by a bump, caused by the undercarriage that had struck the sea. He climbed back to 1000 feet and made a check for external damage. The right landing gear was missing. The aircraft landed at Stansted with little damage".

[dixi188]

Kondair operated G-AVKZ PA23 Aztec for some years late '70s to the '80s. They lost a Trislander which crashed on approach to Schipol and nearly lost another when en-route EGSS over the North Sea, the pilot fell asleep and to quote the report " He was awoken by a bump, caused by the undercarriage that had struck the sea. He climbed back to 1000 feet and made a check for external damage. The right landing gear was missing. The aircraft landed at Stansted with little damage".

I used to know the pilot that did that. I thought it was Southend where he landed. The only Trislander to do a wheels up landing.

[treadigraph]

My first visit to Stansted was in the early ‘80s. At the time I collected tails and recall the ASA DC-8s. Seem to remember a CAA Dove around somewhere on the fire ground amid numerous 707s (Air Berlin?). Best bit was the Young Cargo Britannias.

This was before the expansion and new terminal. Seems the place has lost a lot of its character.

Dove was probably G-ALVS, the Prince visible in the second pic of PH-DSO is G-AMKY.

[OwnNav]

dixi188
https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19860902-0
The report says Stansted.
I flew with a couple of Kondair pilots, characters both.

[GAZIN]

Treaders is correct: it was in ASA livery.
Sadly I have no photos of the ‘8s but I’ll look into some old stuff - I’ve got quite a few of the ‘44s. Mostly down route though and not at STN.

ps I think the 2 TMAC DC-8s (G-BFHW and G-BTAC?) were ex KLM (-54 series, definitely P&W powered) but I’d always thought the ASA liveried one was ex Alitalia.
The DC-8’s were ex VIASA, YV-C-VIC and VID, probably there was. KLM connection, I think the two airlines had close ties.

[Musket90]

Don't think it's been mentioned but Rich International operated DC8's in mid 80's. I think one of my previous DC8-50 photos was this operator. Mostly silver with blue and red cheat lines but no titles. I have slide of DC8-62 from summer 1984 with similar livery but with "RI" on tail fin which confirms it.

[Sotonsean]

Don't know if it's true but I heard at the time that the AA JFK schedule introduced in 2007 was mainly aimed at taking market share from Maxjet and EOS who both went out of business soon after so maybe AA's plan worked helping towards their quick demise. AA then pulled the route.

This is a well documented story regarding American Airlines starting New York JFK to London Stansted Airport in 2007 as a spoiler to both EOS and Maxjet.

American Airlines we're offering some decent fares on New York JFK to London Stansted Airport and the business cabin did well as the airline was targeting the financial sector in the City of London and Canary Wharf.

Immediately after EOS and Maxjet went under American Airlines discontinued New York JFK to London Stansted Airport.

If you search online there are several articles from the time explaining the reasons behind American Airlines starting New York JFK to London Stansted Airport in June 2007 and why it ceased less than a year later in April 2008.

[STN Ramp Rat]

This is a well documented story regarding American Airlines starting New York JFK to London Stansted Airport in 2007 as a spoiler to both EOS and Maxjet.

American Airlines we're offering some decent fares on New York JFK to London Stansted Airport and the business cabin did well as the airline was targeting the financial sector in the City of London and Canary Wharf.

Immediately after EOS and Maxjet went under American Airlines discontinued New York JFK to London Stansted Airport.

If you search online there are several articles from the time explaining the reasons behind American Airlines starting New York JFK to London Stansted Airport in June 2007 and why it ceased less than a year later in April 2008.

to be fair, the financial crisis of 2007/8 had a big hand in it whatever other issues might have been in the background.

[Sotonsean]

My first visit to Stansted was in the early ‘80s. At the time I collected tails and recall the ASA DC-8s. Seem to remember a CAA Dove around somewhere on the fire ground amid numerous 707s (Air Berlin?). Best bit was the Young Cargo Britannias.

This was before the expansion and new terminal. Seems the place has lost a lot of its character.

I don't have a photo of the CAA Dove at the fire dump although I can remember seeing it along with the former CAA Percival Prince G-AMKY.

Two Air Berlin Boeing 707's at fire dump in the early eighties along with an Aeropa Boeing 707 and Young Cargo Britannia.

There were five Air Berlin Boeing 707's stored at London Stansted Airport in the early eighties with these two eventually scrapped at the old fire dump.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x683/29781623757_8a544eb8ec_b_5a249e349feebb2e825c87865c8ca788b8f 8d6bd.jpg

African Safari Airlines DC8-63 HB-IBF at London Stansted Airport during July 1989. African Safari Airlines were using the airport at the time for their charter flights to Mombasa, Kenya via Zurich.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1023x692/37431842805_3ee42ea3ce_b_ee8604d676c6147a2244573216c0ecfc1f0 badf9.jpg

TransMeridian DC-8-33 G-BETJ, purchased from African Safari Airlines as 5Y-ASA on the 09 May 1977. This aircraft was bought as spares as mentioned up thread and she was eventually broken up in July 1985.

​​​​​https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x592/6432776107_48dca0173e_b_d66caad4e66d189b2f733ed89bc19c68fc38 9649.jpg

Young Cargo Britannia OO-YCG at London Stansted Airport on the 05 June 1977. It was XM498 in RAF service. After OO-YCG it became EL-LWG then 9Q-DCT before being broken up in Kinshasa, Zaire.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x677/5089986712_3585203caf_b_175fafbb75cde528a15e4f2d42ac9bf827fc 4a4d.jpg

[Lokwyr]

Am I the oldest Stanstead user on the forum?
Departed there in Feb 1954 for Cyprus. Was scheduled for a York but we were told it had an engine fire. The eventual replacement was a brand new Hermes. With Nose Landing Gear!!
The "terminal" was a shed, with duckboards laid across the mud to the hard standing where the aircraft awaited. In the rain. And dark.
I don't remember the airline; it was a trooping flight. The only things I recall- jumping in the aisle to see if the aircraft would overtake me before I landed and the absolutely worst breakfast ever at RAF Luqa. Vile doesn't come near. :eek:

[Sotonsean]

Don't think it's been mentioned but Rich International operated DC8's in mid 80's. I think one of my previous DC8-50 photos was this operator. Mostly silver with blue and red cheat lines but no titles. I have slide of DC8-62 from summer 1984 with similar livery but with "RI" on tail fin which confirms it.

I don't have a photo at hand of a Rich International DC8 at London Stansted Airport wearing their full colour scheme but I've attached a photo of a former Braniff International DC8-62 N810BN still wearing it's original owner's colours with the addition of the Rich International titles.

Capitol Airlines we're still frequent visitor's to London Stansted Airport in the early to mid eighties with this example taken in 1985.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/405x270/0006137_48da45d4e00bde0fab691ba5cb7480ba5f145f66.jpg

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x652/5730041103_4b2f5181f1_b_815177b39367e453bf813e2460cdfae35f74 5e21.jpg

[Sotonsean]

When Transmeridian introduced the DC-8 Mike Keegan bought an ex Aliatalia DC-8 (RR Conway powered) which only had 200 hours left on it. Bought very cheaply, it was used for crew training and then stripped of serviceable components and left by the fire station. Not before however a “company jolly” outing took place - a day trip to Ostend. TFK took the left hand seat himself IIRC.
The TMAC engineers reckoned it was in tremendous nick and had high praise for Alitalia engineering.

I've just uploaded a photo of the former African Safari Airlines DC8-33 G-BETJ (ex PH-DCD, 5Y-ASA).

But considering that there are not many photos of the Transmeridian Air Cargo (TMAC) aircraft at London Stansted Airport here on the Stansted Airport History and Nostalgia thread here is a fine example

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/412x232/688885as_57144301f1c84b40f18a0f9d23ffaeabeff4dcf6.jpg

And a few other examples.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x665/3297085850_a3e6fba413_b_19a0fa85edc2b4f46e7c5ad25edd1ad61499 8f40.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x683/8397203765_6e5d908e5c_b_42aafb3933925367d08212f8ad7527f30e70 92d4.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x671/26724425168_099480801e_b_1da75d0a78bb0d31300df007756b31c13ac 0a22b.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/800x511/800px_transmeridian_air_cargo_short_belfast_at_stansted_1979 _c79023dd9d3be270b4b4ab659f8679ea0d3ed893.jpg

[Canadair4]

I have photos from Stansted in the 1960s which I will post when allowed to post, as I am a new member I understand I need to wait to post any photos.

[Sotonsean]

to be fair, the financial crisis of 2007/8 had a big hand in it whatever other issues might have been in the background.

Sure the financial crisis of 2007/08 had a big hand in it whatever other issues might have been in the background but Maxjet declared bankruptcy on the 24 December 2007 with EOS Airlines declaring bankruptcy on the 26 April 2008.

American Airlines announced at the end of April 2008 that New York JFK to London Stansted Airport would cease.

The financial crisis had a huge impact on EOS Airlines and Maxjet with both declaring bankruptcy. With the lack of demand and the fact that two airline's serving the market from London Stansted Airport had completely disappeared there was no need for American Airlines to continue serving the airport.

Job done to a certain extent as the far stronger, far bigger, far richer airline won at the end of the day and did what it intended to do in the first place. There was a certain degree of dirty tricks in play but I wouldn't claim that it was totally down to that but it was due to the fact that American Airlines probably didn't see London Stansted Airport as part of their bigger plans at the time regardless of what they may have said publicly.

Hopefully once the world's economies pick up again we might even see American Airlines eventually return to London Stansted Airport at some point, a case of being third time lucky next time I guess 😉

[Sotonsean]

Am I the oldest Stanstead user on the forum?
Departed there in Feb 1954 for Cyprus. Was scheduled for a York but we were told it had an engine fire. The eventual replacement was a brand new Hermes. With Nose Landing Gear!!
The "terminal" was a shed, with duckboards laid across the mud to the hard standing where the aircraft awaited. In the rain. And dark.
I don't remember the airline; it was a trooping flight. The only things I recall- jumping in the aisle to see if the aircraft would overtake me before I landed and the absolutely worst breakfast ever at RAF Luqa. Vile doesn't come near. :eek:

Airwork London and Hunting Clan we're both using Hermes on trooping flights during the fifties so the aircraft could have belonged to either.

In 1960, Hunting Clan Air Transport merged with the Airwork group to form British United Airways (BUA).

​​​​​​Just to add and hoping that it's a typo but it's STANSTED never Stanstead 😉.

Here is a photo of an Airwork Airways Hermes G-ALDO at Blackbushe Airport in 1952.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/800x540/05_11a343dfe1011cc4def95cf53847680c6ff346aa.jpg

[SpringHeeledJack]

American Airlines we're offering some decent fares on New York JFK to London Stansted Airport and the business cabin did well as the airline was targeting the financial sector in the City of London and Canary Wharf.

I used this service during it's existence mainly due to the cheaper price (than LHR) and despite the faff of getting to STN on the then less than stellar train service, it was worth it. As I was already a member of AA's frequent flyer program, it made sense. The Maxjet and EOS seemed to be only for the 'City Boys' to flit between London and Wall Street, especially with their pricing structure.

Those photos from the fire dump etc bringing back memories strongly, thanks!

[BSD]

I used this service during it's existence mainly due to the cheaper price (than LHR) and despite the faff of getting to STN on the then less than stellar train service, it was worth it. As I was already a member of AA's frequent flyer program, it made sense. The Maxjet and EOS seemed to be only for the 'City Boys' to flit between London and Wall Street, especially with their pricing structure.

Those photos from the fire dump etc bringing back memories strongly, thanks!
Sotonsean,

Love the TMAC photos. Never saw that many -44s together on the ramp, but seeing the IAS sticker on the fuselage of the nearest one, I suspect this must have been taken when the company went bust. G-AZIN looking particularly grubby!

[treadigraph]

Only saw Skymonster the once at Gatwick. TMAC had a great scheme...

[dixi188]

The CL44 Guppy is still parked at Bournemouth.

[22/04]

Sure this may have been mentioned before but G-AZIN is in a basic BAF colour scheme. I remember it operating from Stansted on a BAF flight probably in 1972. I think flights from there (IIRC the one I saw depart was to Ostend) only lasted a season.

There is BAF vehicle in the background together with what looks like a DC4 or DC6 forward section.

[treadigraph]

but G-AZIN is in a basic BAF colour scheme

I thought that when I looked at the pic, but I actually read your comment as "a basic RAF colour scheme"!

A CL-44 (or a Britannia?) does make an appearance as an RAF aircraft in Lindsay Anderson's film "O Lucky Man", the scene could well have been filmed at Stansted. Might watch it again later on...

[Mooncrest]

I understand BAF was a wholly-owned subsidiary of TAC at the time, so that particular aircraft was probably between the two operators then.

[GAZIN]

Two TMAC CL44’s were transferred to BAF passenger operations in the early 70’s G-ATZI and G-AZIN. A third,all cargo, CL44 also wore the blue colour scheme, although I don’t think it was ever operated by BAF. That aircraft was G-AWWB operated with Transmeridian Hong Kong titles as VR-HHC.

[Lokwyr]

My typo, only one a in Stansted :uhoh:

[Sotonsean]

I understand BAF was a wholly-owned subsidiary of TAC at the time, so that particular aircraft was probably between the two operators then.

That's absolutely correct.

In October 1972, BAF's ownership passed from Air Holding's to the Keegan family.

In 1973, BAF became a wholly owned subsidiary of Transmeridian Air Cargo (TMAC), the Stansted based all cargo airline controlled by the Keegan family.

In 1977 the Keegan family sold 90% of Transmeridian Air Cargo (TMAC) to the Trafalgar House Group. On the 15 August 1979 Transmeridian Air Cargo (TMAC) merged with IAS Cargo to form British Cargo Airlines.

[The AvgasDinosaur]

In my dusty and somewhat intermittent memory of the fire dump I think I recall a Mexican Comet, a former Belgian Air Force C-54 and two British Civil DC-4/C-54 of uncertain ownership G-BANO, G-BANP.
Any confirmation or further details appreciated.
David

[treadigraph]

G-BANO/P were also on the dump - registered to BAF, they were ex Iberia/Spantax - wonder if they were bought for spares for BAF's Carvair fleet?

[SpringHeeledJack]

Mexican Comet, that rings a bell. When did it leave so to say ? Was it also at Lasham ?

[DaveReidUK]

Mexican Comet, that rings a bell. When did it leave so to say ? Was it also at Lasham ?

The Mexicana Comet that the firemen at Stansted had to play with was a former BOAC example (G-APDR). The Comets broken up at Lasham were former Sudan/Dan-Air examples.

[The AvgasDinosaur]

G-BANO/P were also on the dump - registered to BAF, they were ex Iberia/Spantax - wonder if they were bought for spares for BAF's Carvair fleet?
Many thanks.
Did either or both the would be ‘Son of British Eagle DC-4/C-54s end up on Stansted Fire School playground ? One may have been G-BCDT I can’t recall the other one, sorry.

There were some fairly exotic pieces of kit moved by Heavylift and probably by TMAC before them. I saw a Qatar Sea King in the hangar used by Instone being prepped for loading into a Belfast for delivery after flying in from Westlands.
It was interesting to note that the Instone Bristol G-BISU had colour coded prop and engine controls. Red and Green obviously. Can anyone confirm if the white one G-AMLK was similarly equipped?

Did TMAC and Heavylift Captain Peter Sissons ever bring his warbirds into Stansted?

Am I correct in thinking that Stansted was the chosen point for loading and dispatch of Oxfam etc aid flights?
Sorry it’s all questions, thanks for a wonderful thread and some amazing photos.
David