BOAC across the Atlantic 1956

[albatross]

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1667/2085e175_e9e4_401e_b1bc_655b2351282c_dee8c93f7abaec35bf327f5 d7ad63b6c99b03cb5.jpeg
Notice weather ships.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1550/f0aacc94_54b4_4177_bd8e_5231e4440b47_bd3c67eb871af6899a85cd2 95e92ff07d6d3b946.jpeg
notice speeds
I found an interesting item in an antique store.
It is a chart of the North Atlantic used by BOAC in the 50s to show passengers the planned flight on one side and progress reports on the obverse.
It is filled out for a flight in 1956 from New York- Gander- Prestwick -Manchester-London.
Flight date is 13-14 Oct 1956. Flight BA 513-096 Capt F.E. Lovelace. Aircraft “Champion” which is, I believe a Boing 377 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_377_Stratocruiser.
https://www.airteamimages.com/boeing...on_114845.html (https://www.airteamimages.com/boeing-377-stratocruiser_G-ALSB_boac---british-overseas-airways-corporation_114845.html)

[DaveReidUK]

Fascinating, thanks for that !

[albatross]

Strangely enough 2 days later this happened to a Pan Am 337 Stratocruiser in the Pacific. https://youtu.be/WMk8z3h2QC8

[TURIN]

Wow, what a story. Thanks.

[ETOPS]

As a Junior co-pilot in the 80’s I sometimes did some of these for the passengers on longer European flights - sometimes I would “add” a couple of small sketches on the map - for amusement. Over the North Sea small oil rigs would appear and there might be a smiling whale near Lisbon….

Got into trouble for the sharks fins in the Med :rolleyes:

[albatross]

Some information about Weather Ships.
https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/ihr/article/download/24167/27952/36514

[Dave Gittins]

That’s absolutely fascinating and far predates my route tracking on Foreflight. Surprised the ET enroute didn’t vary over 11 hrs 50.

[brakedwell]

I remember talking to the British Weather Ship, which I believe was Lima, several times from a Hastings in 1957/58. Later, when on Britannias, we used to get the female loadmasters to chat to the weather ship because that is what they asked for!

[India Four Two]

Some information about Weather Ships.

Thanks for that great link, albatross.

Ocean Station Charlie has been immortalized:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie-Gibbs_Fracture_Zone (http://www.charlie-gibbs.org)


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/500x708/qf_cgfz_3d_307317377709fc58e895342683e1970e18b6a35a.jpg


Charlie-Gibbs Marine Protected Area (CG-MPA):
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/536x419/qf1_bd338fcf8af4ee64bae738cb3d1b48d84a7bd9e9.png
Mid Ocean Ridges across the planet | CHARLIE-GIBBS MARINE PROTECTED AREA (http://www.charlie-gibbs.org/charlie/node/14)


I was surprised to discover that the last weather ship, at Ocean Station Mike, was withdrawn in 2010:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Polarfront

[albatross]

I was very lucky to find the chart. Wandered into the shop completely by accident. Found the chart only because I noticed part of the word BOAC sticking out of the pile of stuff in a bookcase in a dark corner.
Fortunately it was sandwiched between 2 sheets of glass and is not faded so someone had taken good care of it.The shop manager could provide no further information.
It has been fun trying to find out more info.
Now how would a document, dealing with a flight to the UK from NY in 1956 end up in a shop located in Montreal in 2021?
I assume it was kept as a souvenir by a passenger, perhaps a child. Perhaps some well heeled family from Montreal who started their journey from here.
Such a routing was not uncommon even for folks travelling by sea. Travel by train or plane to NYC then onwards via air or ship to the UK.
FYI for those interested in sea travel I highly recommend the book “Captain of the Queens” by Captain Harry Grattidge who commanded both Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary during the time retiring in Dec 1953. He had a very interesting career. A very good read.

Oh well, it has a good home now, and will end up eventually, along with various books, paintings and other aviation stuff, in a local Air Museum of which I am a member.
https://www.ville.sainte-anne-de-bellevue.qc.ca/en/300/montreal-aviation-museum

Thanks to those contributing more information.