Old British airline callsigns
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Spiney Norman
You've just reminded me of those bloody awful Courtline colour schemes! I recall it was also Company policy that the stewardesses had to have uniforms colour co-ordinated with the A/C.
Talkdownman
Was that Viscount the German one in early ''72?
You've just reminded me of those bloody awful Courtline colour schemes! I recall it was also Company policy that the stewardesses had to have uniforms colour co-ordinated with the A/C.
Talkdownman
Was that Viscount the German one in early ''72?
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Spiney Norman.
You'll find that Court Line used the same Halcyon name on several aircraft at the same time. I think there were at least 3 Halcyon Days and 2 Halcyon Suns, Clouds & Breeze.
Golf Bravo Zulu.
I'm told by my better half ( ex Court Line Trolly Dolly ) that she had all the different coloured uniforms to match the aircraft but when called out on stand-by was often in the wrong colour.
M.H.
You'll find that Court Line used the same Halcyon name on several aircraft at the same time. I think there were at least 3 Halcyon Days and 2 Halcyon Suns, Clouds & Breeze.
Golf Bravo Zulu.
I'm told by my better half ( ex Court Line Trolly Dolly ) that she had all the different coloured uniforms to match the aircraft but when called out on stand-by was often in the wrong colour.
M.H.
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One has a colour slide of three of 'em on an otherwise deserted Stansted airfield circa one cannot remember. If I can find it I will post it.
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What a fascinating thread.
Heathrow Director: The Northeast Trident doing a "split-arse circuit" at LHR could well have been flown by the late Capt. Arthur Whitlock. He mentions in his autobiographical book "Through the cockpit door" sitting in the right hand seat of a Trident at Hatfield flown by the late John Cunningham, who performed the same procedure, as part of his type conversion training on the Trident.
I can recollect BKS using the call sign "BKS" followed by the aircraft reg. in the 1960's. For example, "BKS lima lima" and "BKS bravo kilo" were very commonly heard callsigns on Amber 1 and Amber 2 airways in the mid to late 1960's, and belonged respectively to Britannias GAPLL and GANBK as they shuttle between LHR and Newcastle.
I can also recall that even some major airlines used the aircraft reg. in the 1960's as opposed to flight numbers. Sabena did for all flights, even transatlantic 707's, and Air France did for all European flights (but not long-haul, except for charters). BEA of course used the prefix "Bealine" followed by the aircraft reg. BOAC however always used "Speedbird" followed by the flight number.
Happy days!
Heathrow Director: The Northeast Trident doing a "split-arse circuit" at LHR could well have been flown by the late Capt. Arthur Whitlock. He mentions in his autobiographical book "Through the cockpit door" sitting in the right hand seat of a Trident at Hatfield flown by the late John Cunningham, who performed the same procedure, as part of his type conversion training on the Trident.
I can recollect BKS using the call sign "BKS" followed by the aircraft reg. in the 1960's. For example, "BKS lima lima" and "BKS bravo kilo" were very commonly heard callsigns on Amber 1 and Amber 2 airways in the mid to late 1960's, and belonged respectively to Britannias GAPLL and GANBK as they shuttle between LHR and Newcastle.
I can also recall that even some major airlines used the aircraft reg. in the 1960's as opposed to flight numbers. Sabena did for all flights, even transatlantic 707's, and Air France did for all European flights (but not long-haul, except for charters). BEA of course used the prefix "Bealine" followed by the aircraft reg. BOAC however always used "Speedbird" followed by the flight number.
Happy days!
For the Court Line old hands :
Pink
Turquoise
Yellow
And finally the two Tristars, Pink and Yellow together. There was never a green one.
There seem differences of opinion on what to call the colours; for example the one I call Pink sometimes is described as Purple.
Court had some other unusual traits. They would timetable for their charter clients from Luton to a Mediterranean destination maybe just once or twice a week, but would use anything up to four aircraft on the departure in high season, depending on the pax load.
Pink
Turquoise
Yellow
And finally the two Tristars, Pink and Yellow together. There was never a green one.
There seem differences of opinion on what to call the colours; for example the one I call Pink sometimes is described as Purple.
Court had some other unusual traits. They would timetable for their charter clients from Luton to a Mediterranean destination maybe just once or twice a week, but would use anything up to four aircraft on the departure in high season, depending on the pax load.
WHBM.
Yep. I always thought of the turquoise as 'green' but I think you're definately missing a purple one. I think the registration was GAZ** ? I'm now in search of a photo....... I'm pretty certain it was 'Halcyon nights' and that there may have been only one BAC1-11 500 in that scheme. However, I stand to be corrected on this.
I certainly remember the hosties wearing the 'matching' uniforms. I was once told that the original plan was for the pilots to be issued with the pastel uniforms too!!! If true I bet that went down like a lead balloon! It certainly didn't last into my period at Luton, if in fact it was ever introduced!
Spiney
Yep. I always thought of the turquoise as 'green' but I think you're definately missing a purple one. I think the registration was GAZ** ? I'm now in search of a photo....... I'm pretty certain it was 'Halcyon nights' and that there may have been only one BAC1-11 500 in that scheme. However, I stand to be corrected on this.
I certainly remember the hosties wearing the 'matching' uniforms. I was once told that the original plan was for the pilots to be issued with the pastel uniforms too!!! If true I bet that went down like a lead balloon! It certainly didn't last into my period at Luton, if in fact it was ever introduced!
Spiney
If anyone has Tony Merton-Jones' "History of British Independent Airlines" to hand (mine is at home and I am not) he lists all the Court Line aircraft names (including the changes) and colours.
Pastel uniforms for the flight deck would indeed have caused a stir, but they could probably have just about got away with ties. It was the 1970s !
Pastel uniforms for the flight deck would indeed have caused a stir, but they could probably have just about got away with ties. It was the 1970s !
Thanks WHBM.
I've just been searching through the net to see if I could find the 'purple' one and found G-AZEB which is in fact....pink....Ah well! Memory is a funny thing!!! Sounds like a good book to have in the 'reference library'.
Spiney.
I've just been searching through the net to see if I could find the 'purple' one and found G-AZEB which is in fact....pink....Ah well! Memory is a funny thing!!! Sounds like a good book to have in the 'reference library'.
Spiney.
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GK430
You are quite correct. I joined Air Two Bob on day 1 and I recollect spitting out crew food, and our elongated callsign, simultaneously in the early days.
A competition was held to come up with a company c/s and it was won by the secretary(CQ) of one of the bosses(AK).
I know we cringed for ages until we got used to it. Other airlines certainly took the 'you know what'!!
You are quite correct. I joined Air Two Bob on day 1 and I recollect spitting out crew food, and our elongated callsign, simultaneously in the early days.
A competition was held to come up with a company c/s and it was won by the secretary(CQ) of one of the bosses(AK).
I know we cringed for ages until we got used to it. Other airlines certainly took the 'you know what'!!
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Fokkerwokker
But Jetset will survive, despite the naff First Choice livery just to make the punters associate will the travel company - If only the cabin crew wore that original black/white uniform, better still
COURT LINE - weren't they born out of Autair....fuzzy memory
But Jetset will survive, despite the naff First Choice livery just to make the punters associate will the travel company - If only the cabin crew wore that original black/white uniform, better still
COURT LINE - weren't they born out of Autair....fuzzy memory
Last edited by GK430; 7th Feb 2007 at 17:55.
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This is a really nice thread and I well recall my flights with Dan Air to Abz and Zrh on business and I loved the 1-11's. Sometimes on a Sunday night the DA 188 to Abz went up via NCL which was a nice change. I also remember the B Cal 1-11's too and also took their DC10's to Hong Kong. Did they use B Cal as their call sign or was it Caledonian?
I know its not related to this thread but for a further memory jogger can anyone remember the words to the B cal tv ad sung to the tune of California Girls as Caledonia Girls!!!
I know its not related to this thread but for a further memory jogger can anyone remember the words to the B cal tv ad sung to the tune of California Girls as Caledonia Girls!!!
aceatco, retired
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.......which was born out of Euravia.....
Euravia became Britannia Airways.
Court Line was indeed born out of Autair.
Spent many a night in the Flying Club bar trying discover if the girls wore matching underw . . . . .
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Re Court Line
Just checked my few slides re the 1-11's and I have
G-AXMH Yellow
G-AXMJ Green
G_AXML Pink
G-AZEC Purple
G-AXLM White with a two tone green cheat line
The Pink and Purple were taken from the same spot on the same day and clearly different.
I can't remember why G-AXLM was different, in the background of that picture you can see MJ in full green behind. However I think it was a British Midland a/c leased to Court Line so all they did was paint over the cheat line.
Did fly on both the Tristars, locally nicknamed "Pink Panther" and "Banana Split" accordingly IIRC.
G-AXMH Yellow
G-AXMJ Green
G_AXML Pink
G-AZEC Purple
G-AXLM White with a two tone green cheat line
The Pink and Purple were taken from the same spot on the same day and clearly different.
I can't remember why G-AXLM was different, in the background of that picture you can see MJ in full green behind. However I think it was a British Midland a/c leased to Court Line so all they did was paint over the cheat line.
Did fly on both the Tristars, locally nicknamed "Pink Panther" and "Banana Split" accordingly IIRC.
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Further on Court Line, yes they used registrations as a callsign. Court Line Echo Bravo etc.
Seem to recall that after the collapse operators that brought the aircraft had to change the registrations as they keep getting problems abroad, people said they owed monies and wanted their cash and all based on the registration it carried over.
Seem to recall that after the collapse operators that brought the aircraft had to change the registrations as they keep getting problems abroad, people said they owed monies and wanted their cash and all based on the registration it carried over.