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

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."

Bored C - when was the duo launch? I have some nice pics - if only I could find them:ugh:
but in the meantime
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...tes/G-AWBL.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...tes/LG0453.jpg

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!

You've forgotten the Beverley . . . :)

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










Badgers Hill

Did they ever fly it ?

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.

Euravia did someone say?
(And only becuase of the wx today)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/Emirates/EVS.jpg
and then those brilliant marketing yuppies took over the world again:{
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../Britannia.jpg
and now even that last sign of posterity has gawn

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

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

You not feeling too good, Steve?

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..

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.

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.:(

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?

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.

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

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!

Court Line. Taken from the Tower EGSS c.1970http://www.meddemmen.co.uk/oddphotos/A124.jpg

Bern Oulli
 

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

Chiltern Airways
 

Met the guy supposedly setting it up in the 80s through a mutual friend.Never sounded a goer to me then,but what the hell ,I was only a humble ATCO2 working DTY,CLN,TMA N then.Come to think of it,still a humble ATCO2 but working the vastly improved TC South(not)!:uhoh:

Just came upon this thread by chance and what a very pleasant 20 minutes I've had reading it and reminiscing!

Re 'Beatours' (Britsh Airtours) I had the misfortune to join the other 'Airtours' (from oop North) when they formed in 1991 and was sent (with others) to Long Beach to do our MD83 (what a dreadful a/c) conversion course, and, being the cheapskates they were (and I guess still are as MyTravel) sent us on a BA flight (economy class) to LAX.

Being an experienced staff traveller, I tried all the [then] usual tricks to get us (12 of us) an upgrade and had in the end to resort to the backstop (the purser) who upgraded us all to J class but only because he couldn't understand why his parent company (as he thought) had put aircrew of a sister company (British Airours) into cattle class. Most enjoyable - so whoever you were - thank you!

I Remember "norjet" and "albion" fondly - but who remembers "Northair" (that rogue Crabtree's MAN-Dounreay operation)? Ah - "I learnt about flying from that!"

God yes I remember the Northair Ops ex Manchester along with E Raffles
who used to commute between MAN and LHR daily in his Baron callsign
Raffles 1 if I remember correctly

Ian

So to add a few

Was BAC Hurn "llama"? or am I dreaming?

Doves used by HS were in additon to AREA at least G-ARBE and for a while Heron G-AVTU.

No menton of RAF Royal/VIP flights which used/use Rainbow and Kitty or something similar

Cout line had a short flirtation with flight numbers in 1970 ish; I distinctly remember Court line 373 in 1970 ( G-AWBL). but went back to reggies- any one know why.

And Airtours went Kestel, then Tourjet and back to Kestrel- again anyone know why?

And presumably some airlines just thought there names were unpronoucable. Invicta used India Mike for years and Aviogenex were Julite Juliet, TMA were Tango Lima

Incidently Aer Lingus Longhaul (I think they were called something like Irish international Airlines) always used "Shamrock" (remember those 720s at LHR on summer Saturdays) but Aer Lingus adopted it at some stage.

And am I really dreaming or does anyone remember Air Florida ( "Palm")

But I'm getting old.

22/04

BAC Hurn was "Limar" - I think that is the correct spelling - either way, pronounced Lye-mar.

2 s

I seem to recall the "Tourjet" was considered too similar to the callsign used by a Russian charter operator also flying to the med.

Olney 1 B....I remember being told exactly the same reason at the time, (Kestrel/Tourjet)...Currently there's an issue being raised regarding the new Brussels Airlines use of the callsign 'Beeline'. Some clashing issue with tug callsigns at Heathrow apparently....Posibly another change? Would be some sort of record considering the time the airline has existed!
Spiney

Yes, all through the 707 era the transatlantic operations of the Irish main carrier were under a different name of "Irish International" (in Irish "Aerlinte Eireann"). Their IATA flight designator was IN, as opposed to EI for Aer Lingus. I don't know if they had a separate AOC but judging by the way Dublin-Shannon sectors had to be shown with EI/IN joint flight numbers I suspect there was some such legal distinction.

Regarding BEA Airtours, I accept what all you pros above write but I had always had the impression they used to use the callsign "Tango". Anyone know how this belief might have arisen ?

Just based on their IATA flight designators. Several airlines chose to do this.

Kestrel/Tourjet
 

Thought the Kestrel/tourjet thing occurred as a result of the IEA ("Aspro") integration. Before the AOCs were merged some flights had the AIH designator - "Kestrel" and some had the TIH designator "Tourjet". This was early 90s.

Airline Callsigns
 

From the distant past I seem to remember Handley Page used the callsign "Choc Ice" ..........pretty cool what?

"Regarding BEA Airtours, I accept what all you pros above write but I had always had the impression they used to use the callsign "Tango". Anyone know how this belief might have arisen ?"

I seem to recall that BEA Airtours referred to their flights as "Tango" for passenger use. I can certainly remember hearing departure announcements for Tango + numbers on the PA at Gatwick. I assume that somebody in marketing thought that it would give the SLF the impression of something more inviting than a ride in a hand-me-down 707 or Comet. For ATC use it was always "Beetours".

NN

BEA Airtours - radiotelephony callsign was "Beetours", ICAO AO designator was KT (before the introduction of 3-letter designators).

2 s

Perhaps the memory's playing tricks - I had the impression BIA used the 'UK' flight prefix and "UK xxx" callsign in the era immediately before the merger with Air Anglia and others to form Air UK - Air UK then kept these ?

BIA's RT Callsign was indeed "Britisland" with UK as the airline designator. When Air UK was formed, UK was still the airline designator and the RT callsign was "Ukay".
When BIA was resurrected after Air UK's failed attempt at the charter market as a separate charter outfit with BAC 1-11s and later MD83s it also used "Britisland"
Re Kestrel - this was dreamed up by a founder member Tom Beck (it was either going to be Kestrel or Nomad) - I was never sure if it was because of his love of ornithology or the fact that he had a Riley Kestrel car! Never liked it myself - the Spanish thought it was "Castrol". We had a bit of a reprieve when we went longhaul and "Tourjet" came along, but, as someone has already said, we had to revert to Kestrel as some minor Russian freight outfit had a similar sounding callsign and they had it first!

Sorry for thread drift...

22/04

The other Dove used by HSA was G-ASMG based at Dunsfold.. Still flying in Australia!

M5DND

On the smaller side

Midas
Direct Flight
National Airways
Hubbadair
Iceni
Eastern

All in East Anglia

I wonder, the guys working back and maybe still today did you prefer the callsign to be the a/c reg, or even maybe just the likes of say Cambrian whiskey foxtrot, as opposed to the long winded callsigns we have today.

Nick.

A few distant memories

British Airtours prefix was KT and when Caledonian took over the new 3 letter was CKT to preserve the memory.

When Orion started up their prefix was the same as the tehn defunct Modern Air (ah Coronados!) so got called "Modern" by some of the older ATCO's for a while.

I also remember "Redwing" as a callsign used by BEA on charter flights - or is that false memory syndrome again.

For the military buff the USAF used to run shuttles to Mildenhall with callsigns like Green Express and Blue Canoe

Finally, CAFU when ILS checking were "Calibrator"

I'll take some more memory medicine this evening (it's distilled from grapes you know) and post anything the synapses retrieve.

Sir George Cayley

Back in the days when BEA used Beeline it always amused me that Aurigny Air Services used Ayline. Never knew if it was a case of beautifully executed one-upmanship....

BEA Airtours
 

We were (I was in at the start in late'69 for ops '70. We were Beatours Flt # designation was KiloTango. That is apart from when we were operating for SyrianAir, Air Sychelles, DETA Mozambique et al.