where are we?

[rog747]

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1000x620/oz_connie_d031d76c4c06ab8fc19e72d125e14084b2102b76.jpg
Location please?

Art Deco control towers were built at various Ozzie airfields
Qantas Empire ground steps etc

Photo I think from ex BOAC Connie pilot, Nigel Harrison - who is writing a new book called 'Some Pilot'

Nigel was trained in South Africa and later became a flying instructor on Harvards, first in the RAF and later for the civilian operator Airwork. In the 1950s he joined BOAC as a Second Officer on Constellations, later flying Britannia's and Comets, before gaining his command on the VC10. Upon retirement from BA, he flew for the royal family of Abu Dhabi.

[renfrew]

Apparently that aircraft was leased to QEA 1948-50.

[chevvron]

Heathrow northside before they built the central area?

[renfrew]

No--they would have used BOAC steps at LHR.
Presumably somewhere in Australia such as Darwin or Perth.

[Max Tow]

The photo is on Pinterest tagged as Sydney Aug 1948, so do you think that might be incorrect?

[renfrew]

I found it on another site also so Sydney it is.
An interesting and historic photo.

[DaveReidUK]

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/861x681/g_alan_e641987dfa5497ee58b654d9871117f88eed4a46.jpg

G-ALAN Lockheed 749 Constellation (http://www.aussieairliners.org/l-1049os/g-alan.html)

[DaveReidUK]

On second thoughts, and despite the caption, I think it might actually be Adelaide.

[DaveReidUK]

On second thoughts, and despite the caption, I think it might actually be Adelaide.

Cancel that - in my defence, the terminals at Parafield, Archerfield and Mascot were all built to the same design. :O

Definitely Mascot, with thanks to Geoff Goodall:


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/749x536/img17_f3c3b2d60d3031b985eb073e2620b9cef3f0fc9b.jpeg

GEOFF GOODALL'S AVIATION HISTORY SITE (http://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/drover/drover.htm)

[Max Tow]

I was also a bit doubtful as this looks nothing like what is usually described as the "old tower" at today's SYD and is very similar to Parafield as Dave suggested.Perhaps there was an even older old tower at SYD? Anyway, here's the first of the Qantas 749s arriving at Sydney in Oct 1947.
Sad to read that G-ALAN ended its days on an Alaskan mountain side in 1960. Looks beautiful in the OP's photo.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/464x445/aa4be649_d7e3_4fb1_aa13_8bf168bfdb5a_1_201_a_423ccc362097db8 f993169ff70c8b125397746b1.jpeg

[Fareastdriver]

There's G ALAN's history: G-ALAN Lockheed 749 Constellation (http://www.aussieairliners.org/l-1049/g-alan/g-alan.html)

[walschaert valve]

I'm fairly sure parts of the old tower at Sydney Airport are still there, hard to see among the newer buildings built around it, but once you know it's there it's fairly obvious when taxying past.

[Max Tow]

I'm fairly sure parts of the old tower at Sydney Airport are still there, hard to see among the newer buildings built around it, but once you know it's there it's fairly obvious when taxying past.

Please feel free to correct, but I think you may be referring to the existing building known as the "old control tower", by the mouth of the Cooks River, but it is obviously not the one in the photo, hence earlier doubts. It seems that this was version 3, now replaced by the tall new tower to the east. The one is the photo was version 2, which I don't think exists today. As Dave Reid mentioned, it was of an almost identical design to Adelaide/Parafield & Brisbane/Archerfield - presumably a bulk purchase!
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/616x358/6f4c8422_104e_4f3f_b273_bcfd60ffb3d7_4_5005_c_4ad85d57ba8eb2 4a1cba30c306b9d8b7a1ff4863.jpeg
Old old tower v.2 (as in OP photo) camouflaged during WW2

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/737x433/26c506de_7d58_40df_96e9_199baabbaf08_1_201_a_7c8f59f77a34f2b 7429440951367bd765b945882.jpeg
Old tower v.3, still there

[On Track]

Max Tow, you've left out the tower that came after your version 2 and before your version 3. It was located between the Ansett terminal (the area now occupied by T2) and north of 07/25.

[Max Tow]

Thanks, On Track, that's interesting. Apparently this was the first tower from 1937 (I'm intrigued as to what the chap on the roof is doing).
Do you have any photos of the one at T2, which was presumably in the 50s after OP's photo?

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/617x482/5c90d4de_7d3d_41e6_b60f_b1fd9aca6bfe_1_201_a_d6fa8ab1e9a2ef6 84b139a4b6fa1a163a018afb8.jpeg
Sydney Tower v.1

[walschaert valve]

I think it's V2 because the semi circular part of the building is quite distinctive. It's near where Qantaslink Dash 8s depart, from memory.

[walschaert valve]

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1299x922/sydney_airport_qantas_1_419daa0b50783bd35c0fe227bea75cd51667 df79.jpg
The old tower is at the bottom right corner of this photo, airside at the end of the road loop.

[DaveReidUK]

The old tower is at the bottom right corner of this photo, airside at the end of the road loop.


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/747x503/old_mascot_terminal_9da9fc91bfa3fada84b3d1272778c92b16e1421e .jpg

[Max Tow]

Well done all. So I think On Track, wv and Dave Reid all have in mind the same tower as in OP's photo (i.e. v.2 as above)?
Your posts together with these aerial views seem to confirm that it's still very much there. I had no idea, even after countless trips through the airport! I'll pay attention next time I'm passing (covid permitting...)

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/502x325/a8f9bf0f_9235_480e_b830_fa79c8e14b20_4_5005_c_3bd9d48792511f 4f2f1248ba0ded115b6007f9d7.jpeg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/896x644/f6d40d67_d115_40ff_8fe2_ff2d0388a407_1_201_a_8260f8d12fb4add a644cda0acefcffffdbb3582b.jpeg

July 1948 - tower to right of r/way intersection?

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/820x314/2141444b_608e_4a17_a8f5_ceacef816796_4_5005_c_2fe6c2c8adbeff f303c2c3a94346c392634260ad.jpeg

[Terry Dactil]

Max Tow, you've left out the tower that came after your version 2 and before your version 3. It was located between the Ansett terminal (the area now occupied by T2) and north of 07/25.

Found some of my old slides taken in the 1960s that may be helpful in locating the towers. Here is 2.5 :)
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1504/old_tower_07dca408a55e6a58c305c25dccf168d4433e22a0.jpg
Looking South from Ansett terminal area


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1504/site_of_new_tower_890b4bcc0dce98b5dc881ac573947eb5c8d1fdc5.j pg
Looking South-West across rwy 07-25 to aircraft departing from rwy 16. The new tower was built on the other side of rwy 16 in this direction.

[Max Tow]

Thanks for the great photos TD!
So this seems to be the tower On Track mentions, between my v2 and v3. Looking at an aerial of 1969, is that it to rght of centre abeam threshold of 16?
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/940x727/8f10dd23_0ec0_479c_9246_5987e3f3a2f4_1_201_a_a74805c9293d22a f64f32a25929c56c9851e731a.jpeg

[Terry Dactil]

Looking at an aerial of 1969, is that it to rght of centre abeam threshold of 16?

Yes. That is it.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/639x589/towers_at_mascot_2fd46f18c7bc67e4f8ed48edf79d55194344812f.jp g
Tower locations

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x866/ansett_terminal_39aa7093749ca925b9d98940404736dbe31454ef.jpg

Looking back to the terminal from the base of the tower
This was back in the good old turbo-prop days when you walked out in the rain to board the aircraft. :ok:

Nostalgia alert:
(I haven't looked at these photos for decades).

The three buildings in the photo (L to R) are Ansett Air Cargo, the Passenger Terminal and a Maintenance Hangar.

I had a successful pilot job interview in the offices on the left side of the hangar. I was a Qantas LAME at the time, so I happily changed over from fixing airliners to breaking them. :)

[On Track]

Thanks for the photos, TD. It seems my memory is more reliable than I sometimes give it credit for.

[Terry Dactil]

Yes indeed.
We are going back 50 to 60 years.
Makes one feel a bit old !

[Terry Dactil]

Some more memories of Sydney airport in the 1960s

Going around the road on the other side of the Ansett terminal was the Qantas international terminal before international operations moved to the other side of the airfield.
Also around there are the Qantas heavy maintenance hangars

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1504/pict0021_1_05503572f9c7eb0af4ba295dd49a36eb98aef79c.jpg
The L1049 Constellations were being replaced by 707s

\
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1504/pict0005_1797ff38e8ae89f5a9d7e9ec9e592396041aff34.jpg
Up here was a good vantage point for taking photos.


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1504/pict0007_708c2962438a85e9acbe7f364d6a8e9d2b189552.jpg
B707 going out for engine runs

Why "V-jet"?
High bypass engines were just coming into fashion. Some PR/marketing guru with tortured logic decided that the greek word "Vannus" which translates literally as "winnowing basket" or more loosely, "a device for blowing the grain" was therefore "a fan". Hence V-Jet denotes Fan Jet.
We had a more realistic view that the "V" was for "Virginal" and Qantas was about to f*** them.


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1002x753/pict0004_7c74c2ef91a8ebe4bf51bc6c02bc749c4f1812f6.jpg
Getting in close to a running engine to adjust the fuel control unit. Fan airflow in reverse; hot end normal.


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1504/pict0004_001_c58fbf829f7e374b2a1846b4c9f726efe01c44c8.jpg
The 'Blinkenlights'
Much fun to be had synchronizing generators before connecting.
(Yes - I know. It is only ground power right now.) :E


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1504/sunset_e84bdf49ecca4507be74df03e8e8ed8fd9dc857e.jpg
No wimpy health and safety harnesses in those days!
Note that in the tail dock photo there are several ropes hanging down. These ran along cables in the roof, so if you had to walk along the top of the fuselage or tailplane you could hold onto one of the ropes and feel safe. :)

[treadigraph]

Some PR/marketing guru with tortured logic decided that the greek word "Vannus" which translates literally as "winnowing basket" or more loosely, "a device for blowing the grain" was therefore "a fan". Hence V-Jet denotes Fan Jet.

Cor, a bit of culture with my mid-morning coffee!

Lovely pics, them was the days; would we could go back...

[Max Tow]

Brilliant & evocative photos, thanks. My first trip to Oz was on the V-Jet FiestaRoute.... LHR/NAS/MEX/ACA/PPT/NAD/SYD...could never understand that one!

[ExSp33db1rd]

[QUOTE. My first trip to Oz was on the V-Jet FiestaRoute.... LHR/NAS/MEX/ACA/PPT/NAD/SYD...could never understand that one![/QUOTE]

BOAC had a LHR / IDL / SFO / HNL / NAD / Brisbane route in early '60s