Old British airline callsigns

[WHBM]

Well here, courtesy of Tony Merton-Jones' book mentioned above, is the Court Line fleet, with names and colours, for those old enough to remember a more colourful era. Court Line started in January 1970 and pretty much replaced the old Autair fleet on day one. They went out of business in August 1974.


Type____________Reg____Name___________In____Out_______Colour

One Eleven 400__G-AWBL Halcyon Dawn___Jan70 Jan71_____Turquoise
One Eleven 500__G-AXMF Halcyon Breeze Jan70 Aug74_____Pink
________________G-AXMG Halcyon Sky____Jan70 Aug74_____Turquoise
________________G-AXMH Halcyon Sun____Feb70 Aug74_____Orange
________________G-AXMI Halcyon Days___Mar70 Aug74_____Pink
________________G-AXMJ Halcyon Night__Mar70 Aug74_____Turquoise
________________G-AXMK Halcyon Star___Apr70 Aug74_____Turquoise later Orange
________________G-AXML Halcyon Cloud__Apr70 Aug74_____Pink
________________G-AYOP Halcyon Beach__Mar71 Feb73_____Orange
________________G-AYOR Halcyon Dawn___Mar71 Aug74_____Orange
________________G-AZEB Halcyon Bay____Sep71 Aug74_____Lilac
________________G-AZEC Halcyon Cove___Sep71 Aug74_____Lilac
________________G-BCCV Halcyon Beach__Apr74 Aug74_____Lilac
________________G-AYXB Halcyon Bay____71 lease from Austral
________________G-AXLN________________72-73 lease from BMA
________________G-AXLM________________73-74 lease from BMA
Tristar_________G-BAAA Halcyon Days___Mar73 Aug74_____Orange
________________G-BAAB Halcyon Breeze May73 Aug74_____Pink

HS125___________G-AVRG Halcyon Day____Nov71 Aug74_____Orange
Navajo__________G-AYEI________________Jun70 Nov72_____Orange
Jet Ranger______G-AXMM________________Jan70 Aug74_____Orange

[Lon More]

In the light of later events an unfortunate tale of AB on approach. Departing BEA flight cleared to line up after the landing Tristar. "Roger, line up after the landing Pink Elephant " Quick-witted reply, "Better than being a white one."

[GK430]

Bored C - when was the duo launch? I have some nice pics - if only I could find them
but in the meantime

[Spiney Norman]

WHBM.
Thanks for the list. Wouldn't it have been great to see the Beverley they bought in any of the pastel liveries? Or then again...perhaps not? Interesting to see that GAZEB is listed as 'lilac' but looked pink in the photo I discovered, could well have been the sun angle I suppose. I do remember the JetRanger but not that it flew very much! GAWBL went to Cambrian and was a regular at Liverpool operating the Heathrow service, (CS101 etc)? The 1-11's used to do engineering ground runs on the 'pans' on the Southern edge of the old main apron. Sometimes up to take-off power! So much for noise complaints!
Airline Engineering at Luton used to be fairly regularly visited by Donaldson 707's, (I believe they had two) and...getting slightly back on thread...they don't seem to have been mentioned yet?

Spiney
P.S. Vintage ATCO..I bet DC could have answered your question!

[vintage ATCO]

Well here, courtesy of Tony Merton-Jones' book mentioned above, is the Court Line fleet,

You've forgotten the Beverley . . .

[Lon More]

Vintage ATCO See you're returning to the scene of previous crimes on April 21










Badgers Hill

[WHBM]

Originally Posted by vintage ATCO

You've forgotten the Beverley

Did they ever fly it ?

[Spiney Norman]

No...And you're right to allude to this as to why it doesn't appear on the list. It was flown in then just stood whilst attempts were made to obtain a C of A of some sort. I do however remember there being engine runs. I can't say whether Courtline being liquidated, or the fact it couldn't be certified was the reason it was disposed of. The aircraft became the clubhouse at Hull Paull airfield and may have been flown out? Courtline did make fairly regular use of BAF Carvairs to ferry large parts out to aircraft that were u/s abroad. I do recall one taking an engine out to Tenerife!! Which must have been a pretty good haul at the time. The financial reasons for purchasing the Beverley must have looked pretty good, no doubt they got it for peanuts, but the fact the aircraft never had a civil certificate of airworthiness would have always been a major problem. For this reason it was never issued a civil registration.
Spiney.

[GK430]

Euravia did someone say?
(And only becuase of the wx today)

and then those brilliant marketing yuppies took over the world again

and now even that last sign of posterity has gawn

[vintage ATCO]

Originally Posted by vintage ATCO
You've forgotten the Beverley

Did they ever fly it ?

Well, I saw it arrive, and I saw it leave (after one circuit)

Vintage ATCO See you're returning to the scene of previous crimes on April 21

Sadly I don't think I'll be making that now.

[Talkdownman]

You not feeling too good, Steve?

[Mooncrest]

I'm rather glad I started this thread although it seems recently to have morphed into a Court Line discussion forum ! This is something I can't join in on I'm afraid as this airline never visited Leeds in my memory. Mind you we didn't get regular jet charters from this gaff till Britannia came along in 76. Short runways and all that. Still I'd like to have seen and heard the pastel set.

Still can't swallow Northeast using "Norjet" for their Viscount flights. Somehow it doesn't sound right..

[WHBM]

Originally Posted by Mooncrest

I'm rather glad I started this thread although it seems recently to have morphed into a Court Line discussion forum ! This is something I can't join in on I'm afraid as this airline never visited Leeds in my memory. Mind you we didn't get regular jet charters from this gaff till Britannia came along in 76. Short runways and all that. Still I'd like to have seen and heard the pastel set.

Yes I'm sorry to have been among those guilty of turning this into something from the Aviation History & Nostalgia forum. But I'll try a link with your background. One of those One-Elevens that Court leased from BMA performed the first ever jet departure from Leeds when it was new, in 1970, on the BMA schedule to Glasgow. Apparently it woke up the whole of Yorkshire ..... But yes, Court Line was mainly a southern England-based operator. Clarksons, their associated tour operator and main client, preferred to charter Dan-Air Comets from northern departure points. They built up quite a substantial business out of Teesside, which never seems to have recovered its position after 1974.

[Mooncrest]

WHBM

At the risk of being guilty of "creeping" my own thread, I thought it was an Aer Lingus 1-11 that did the first jet job from LBA ? I wasn't born but I'm sure I heard my mum's neighbour from their old house years ago (gasp) say something along those lines. Evidently it was the noise that informed everyone. I'd forgotten BMA operated from LBA back then. They got properly established in 1980.

Aer Lingus, of course, used the highly original "Aer Lingus" c/s until about 1986. Then came "Shamrock". Beats me why they didn't think of that before.

Unfortunately, I've now got Court Line on the brain. Even had a dream about one of their TriStars last night. Dear oh dear.

[Skipness One Echo]

Every publication I've ever come across on the subject lists British Airtours as using "Beatours" as the company callsign, derived from "Bealine" no doubt. However, I always remember their TriStars in the 1980s using "Airtours"! Anyone comment?

[WHBM]

Originally Posted by Mooncrest

I thought it was an Aer Lingus 1-11 that did the first jet job from LBA ?

Aer Lingus only had four One Elevens, built in 1966 (which they used for decades and certainly got their money's worth out of them). They were not used on UK routes for a long time, but on Continental European routes. They had licences on many of these to stop at Manchester to help build up the loads to Frankfurt, Amsterdam, etc, one result of this being that Manchester saw Aer Lingus jets well before Heathrow did.

The main likelihood of them coming through Leeds in the 1960s therefore would be a Manchester diversion. Although I don't have the schedules for the period, even if they did one or two fill-in timetabled tasks Leeds would have been one of the least likely points on their network. The British Midland One Eleven I referred to at Leeds was however on a regular schedule.

Sorry for this thread creep on the ATC forum, so while I am here thanks to all you guys and girls at weekends for help from a very part-time flyer.

[The SSK]

I just happen to have a Summer 1969 ABC to hand. All services at LBA were operated by Viscounts (BKS, Channel and Aer Lingus) except for BUA Heralds to IOM.
Sorry, that's not an answer to the question that wasn't asked in the first place.
Just to get back to One-Elevens, I saw BUA's first one, brand-spanking new with the paint still wet, at Heathrow of all places.

Edit: oops, this isn't the 1-11 thread. Never mind

[Buster the Bear]

The airline that never flew, Chiltern Airways! Proposed services from Luton to major European destinations in the 1980's with a fleet of F27's. Their callsign would have been quite apt, Cavalier, as they were still building them down the road at the time. Their HQ was an office in Halcyon House!

[Bern Oulli]

Court Line. Taken from the Tower EGSS c.1970

[Musket90]

Bern Oulli

Great photo bringing back fond memories - weather obviously not good at LTN.