I think you could be right. Thanks! :ok:

EDIT: Just had a quick look Here and it gives "TIBBET" for Hatfield. Ah well, pretty close, either way.

IIRC 'Tibbet 22' was John Cunningham in the mid sixties.

Merlin is the C/S now used by the RR Spitfire (despite being Griffon powered!)

Apologies for thread drift but I recollect we used "Hanair" at Radlett on test flying.

Eeeeek!!! - 40 years ago!

FW

Newpin is definitely still in use by Raytheon at Hawarden. I believe Tarnish is still used at Warton? Yeovil's callsign Judwin Tower (still in use?) is not geographical but is Westland's prefix dating back to WW2. (Source: Air-Britain)

No longer in use - it's now Westland Tower, Approach etc

The other callsign to be heard for Warton-based BAE a/c is "FELIX".
The 146's of BAE's Corporate Air Travel (CAT) Dept. use it, what humourous chaps :ok:

Trident Northeast
 

That's right, they did use the callsign 'Norjet'.

Old British airline callsigns
 

Mooncrest, as a more "senior member", I have just come across my original issue UK Air Pilot, which I am ashamed to say has remained unamended since about 1969!

However, within the COM Section at Appendix 9 is a list of "Telegraphy and Radiotelephony Abbreviations (for) Aircraft Operating Agencies". The page is dated 26.1.68.

Here is the gist of it - it may be of interest ...

Airborne Aviation Services (Gatwick) Ltd / YI / -
Air Couriers Ltd / QU / MESSENGER
Air Ferry, Ltd / LK / AIR FERRY
Air Links Ltd / IK / -
Air London / MI / -
Airwork Services Training / - / AIRWORK
Atlas Air Express / LS / -
Autair International Airways Ltd / OU / AUTAIR
Automobile Association / - / FANUM
Aviation Charter Enterprises Ltd / FC / -
B.A.C. (Filton Division) / OF / -
Bedfordshire Air Centre Ltd / - / BEDSAIR
Bees Flight,Ltd, / BF / BUMBLE
B.K.S. Air Transport, Ltd / BK / BEEKAYESS
Bristol Siddeley Engines Ltd / BT / -
Britannia Airways Ltd / BY / BRITANNIA
British Eagle International Airlines Ltd / EG / EAGLE
British European Airways Corporation / BE / BEALINE
British Insulated Callenders Cables Ltd / BC / BICAL
British Midland Airways Ltd / BD / BRITISH MIDLAND
British Overseas Airways Corporation / BA / SPEEDBIRD
British United Airways / BR / BRITISH UNITED
British United Air Ferries Ltd / VF / BRITISH UNITED
British United (C.I.), Ltd / JY / BRITISH UNITED
Bristow Helicopters, Ltd / - / BRISTOW
British United (Manx) Airways / NX / -
Business Aircraft Users Association, Ltd / - / BIZAIR
Caledonian AIrways Ltd / CA / CALEDONIAN
Cambrian Airways, Ltd / CS / CAMBRIAN
Cardinal Air Taxis Ltd / KG / CARDINAL
Channel Airways Ltd / CW / CHANNEL AIR
Civil Aviation Flying Unit / MC / MINAIR
Club Aviation (Cheltenham), Ltd / - / CHELTHAM
Chartair Ltd / - / CHARTAIR
Dan-Air Services, Ltd / DA / DANAIR
Don Everall (Aviation), Ltd / ER / EVERALL
Duncan Logan (Contractors), Ltd / DU / LOGANAIR
Dunlop Rubber Co., Ltd (Aviation Division) / DP / DUNLOP
Emerald Airways Ltd / EF / -
E. Raffles and Co. Ltd / - / RAFFLES
E.S. and A. Robinson / RL / -
Executive Air Transport Ltd / EZ / EXECUTIVE
Executive (Handling) Services Ltd Gatwick / YE / -
Fairey Air Surveys Ltd / FY / -
Ferranti Ltd / FB / -
Field Aircraft Services Ltd / FS / -
Flight Refuelling Ltd / FR / TANKAIR
Granada TV Network Ltd / GD / GRANADA
Gregory Air Services Ltd / GZ / GREGAIR
Herts. and Essex Aero Club, Ltd / HZ / HARTEX
Hunting Surveys Ltd / HG / -
International Helicopters Ltd / - / SKYCRANE
Invicta Airways Ltd / IM / -
Iraq Petroleum Co. Ltd / - / IPC
King Aviation Ltd / - / KINGAVIA
Laker Airways Ltd / GK / LAKER
Lloyd International Airways Ltd / LW / -
Manchester Airport Agencies / MJ / -
Manx Airlines, Ltd / - / MANXMAN
Marshalls' Flying Services, Ltd / MF / MARSHALL
McVitie & Price. Ltd / - / MCVITIE
Morton Air Services, Ltd / MT / MORTON
Northern Air Taxis Ltd / NT / NORTHAIR
North Sea Air Transport, Ltd / NS / NORSEA
Nuclear Power Group / NP / NUPOWER
Plymouth Aero Club, Ltd / PL / PLYFLY
Pressed Steel Co., Ltd (Aviation Division) / PX / PRESTAIR
Royal Air Force / - / RAFAIR
Royal Navy / - / NAVAIR
Sir Alfred McA1pine & Sons Ltd / - / MCALPINE
Skycabs / - / SKYCABS
Sky Charters Ltd / JE / -
Skyfame Ltd / - / SKYFAME
Skyways, Ltd / SY / SKYWAY
Skywork Ltd / - / AIRMOVE
Southend Municipal Flying School / SM / SCOFLY
Starways. Ltd / WY / STARWAYS
Surrey and Kent Flying Club Ltd / - / KENTAIR
Swift Travel Services Ltd / SS / -
The Air Taxi Operators Association Ltd / - / TAXAIR
The Rank Organisation Ltd / - / RANKJET
Tradair / TQ / TRADAIR
Trans Meridian Flying Services Ltd / TO / TRANS MERIDIAN
Treffield International Airways Ltd
(Formerly Treffield Aviation Ltd) / TJ / (1) TREFFIELD (2) SKYFRATE
United Biscuit Co Ltd / - / YOOBEE
United Steel Companies Ltd / UZ / UNISTEEL
Universal F1ying Services, Ltd / UF / UNIFLY
Westair Flying Services Ltd / - / CESSNAIR
Western Airways, Ltd / WN / WESTWAY
Wiltshire School of Flying. Ltd / WS / AEROWILT
Yorkshire Flying Services Ltd / - / YORKAIR



Jumbo Driver

:)

Thanks, Jumbo Driver, certainly is of interest! Quite a memory-jerker, not least of which brings back memories of lugging around that Jan 68 big red Air Pilot during my Primary Course at Hurn.....and the memory of the consecutive sections of it: AGA/COM/MET/RAC/FAL/SAR/MAP/GEN. Sad.....or what......and used to fly in 'Minair Fox Tango' during the lunchbreaks.....

Talkdownman

...and I've just found the Radio Facilities Chart (11.1.68) ...

There are NDB's at Hurn and Fawley, a VDF at Southampton and Hamble (sigh), and a VOR at Ibsley ...

Oh, and I see Heathrow has 5 operational runways ... 05L/23R, 05R/23L, 10L/28R, 10R/28L and 15R/33L ...

... not many airways - but fan markers simply everywhere ...



Jumbo Driver

:)

Don't bin it!
Fans? Compton, Haslemere, Beacon Hill, Chertsey, Matching, Woburn, Outers, Middles, Inners, fahsands of 'em....
Airways? Red 1, Green 1, Amber 1, Amber 2, Blue 1 (Used to be Green 2), White 39, et ceteraaa, a lot easier to remember than Upper Lima 866 and so on.
The old props, Connies, and Seven Seas etc, used to whizz past the Southern ATCC (in Block 1) when landing 15R. I remember the approach lights were on telegraph poles.....not exactly 'frangible'........
The old sawn-off Runway 16 stopped in the Mikes, known as 'Waites Alley' after a certain Viscount's very abbreviated take-off run in fog one day.....

I'll get my 1972 Half mil chart out - controlled airspace - what's that!

Air 2000 (First Choice AMM/DP) started with Air2000 as the c/s. I recall
Air2000 262 which UK ATCO's just about coped with....not sure about the Europeans down Amber 34 though. Jetset soon followed.

Maersk Air was not Birmex, but Blue Star - even though it was a white star on blue background.

Not British, but I think CP Air had the best - "Empress":ok:

Aberdeen Airways callsign was 'Grampian'

GK430
 

Maersk Air (UK) Ltd did for a while operate as 'Birmex' prior to the change to 'Bluestar'. 'Whitestar' belonging to Star Air, now the only Maersk (AP Moller) airline, I believe.
Bored

Bored Counter

Wondered where you got to. Hope you found a hangar where they keep the doors firmly closed over the next few days:cool: 'Cause the temp is dropping.
Used to communicate with you from across 15/33 but with a different handle or whatever they're called.
Did you go at same time as duo?

BHX ain't going nowhere - I gather Macquarie wanted to take the Council's 49% but it's back to the middle ages instead:ugh:

Court Line used to use the 'Halcyon' call-sign.

Did they? I worked at Luton at the time and don't remember that. Mind you, brain's not what it use to be. I thought they used registrations mainly.

CourtLine used "CourtLine", Halcyon xxxxx was the a/c name
watp,iktch

I'm with Va on the 'Halcyon' subject. It was used as an aircraft naming prefix. I can't honestly remember the matching colours but there were...'Halcyon nights'(I think purple). 'Halcyon breeze', (I think green), etc etc. It certainly was never used as an RTF callsign during my time at Luton. Courtline were unusual in that they didn't use trip numbers on the RTF, they filed them in item 18 of the flightplan but actually operated under individual aircraft registrations. I was at Luton from 74-89 but Va beats me by miles and probably has a much better memory! :)

Spiney

GK
 

cough, corrected your post as one that was there, nough said.
bored

"Bealine" is still in use by the BA tugs at LHR.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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 !

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.

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'!!:O

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:confused:

........which was born out of Euravia.....

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!!!

Tut tut, call yourself a spotter . . . .
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 . . . . . :E

Oh yeah sorry.
You young blokes bound to have good memories.
Brian.

Well go on then. Did they ..... ??? :)

Some did ....

but not for long

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.

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.