Manchester Airport - Then & Now
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne
Posts: 96
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've just seen that there are books published on Manchester diversions etc.
I'm only interested in one so if anyone has the details of the aircraft involved I would be very grateful.
1983 - early hours of a Tuesday morning in August (16th, 23rd or 30th) a Britannia 737 diverted from Newcastle that originated in Corfu. I was only 9, can't remember the reg but do remember the attempt to land at NCL in zero visibility.
I'm only interested in one so if anyone has the details of the aircraft involved I would be very grateful.
1983 - early hours of a Tuesday morning in August (16th, 23rd or 30th) a Britannia 737 diverted from Newcastle that originated in Corfu. I was only 9, can't remember the reg but do remember the attempt to land at NCL in zero visibility.
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: The foot of Mt. Belzoni.
Posts: 2,001
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm fairly certain that the last arrival on R/W 28 was C172, G-AZTS. I was the air controller on the day it happened. W/V was about 330/25 gusting 35.
Horrendous X-winds.......Although 10/28 had been withdrawn years before, 'TS requested it due to the extreme Wx. MAPLC were happy to oblige. 'OPS3' agreed to it, and a 'Land At Your Discretion' was given, as it had not been swept etc for ages. G-AZTS landed safely, well short of the intersection with 06/24.
Sadly, I can't remember the date, but late 1980s, I think.
Horrendous X-winds.......Although 10/28 had been withdrawn years before, 'TS requested it due to the extreme Wx. MAPLC were happy to oblige. 'OPS3' agreed to it, and a 'Land At Your Discretion' was given, as it had not been swept etc for ages. G-AZTS landed safely, well short of the intersection with 06/24.
Sadly, I can't remember the date, but late 1980s, I think.
The thing that struck me about spectating at Manchester was the smell of kerosene all over the pier and terminal roofs. Nowadays, turbine engines burn much cleaner and the car park roof is as close as you can get to the action so the pier pong is long since gone. Shame.
Many years ago I was stationed at RAF Wattisham flying F-4s with 56(F) Sqn. One leave period, I booked a flight to the family home in Menorca...from Manchester.
Knowing that Manchester was somewhere oop Nawrth, I duly set off thinking that it wasn't far from Birmingham. Well it probably wasn't by F-4, but it certainly was in my (much-missed) VW Scirocco.
I made the car park with not long to go to gate closure, dashed through the terminal and made it...just. Friendly folks realised my predicament and waved me through!
When I got back, I discovered that I'd forgotten to lock the car. But everything was fine and I was soon on my way south.
I wonder how that trip would have gone these days some 37 years later?
Knowing that Manchester was somewhere oop Nawrth, I duly set off thinking that it wasn't far from Birmingham. Well it probably wasn't by F-4, but it certainly was in my (much-missed) VW Scirocco.
I made the car park with not long to go to gate closure, dashed through the terminal and made it...just. Friendly folks realised my predicament and waved me through!
When I got back, I discovered that I'd forgotten to lock the car. But everything was fine and I was soon on my way south.
I wonder how that trip would have gone these days some 37 years later?
The thing that struck me about spectating at Manchester was the smell of kerosene all over the pier and terminal roofs. Nowadays, turbine engines burn much cleaner and the car park roof is as close as you can get to the action so the pier pong is long since gone. Shame.
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 3,325
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Got a few hours in that in and out of Ringway! Used to go meat bombing in it at Burscough, flying out from Ringway early in the morning tanking fuel which was off loaded at Burscough for use during the day, back after the day of dropping.
In order to top up the tanks one morning I was taxying TS from the South side to the then freight apron (near where T3 is today) for fuel. As I approached 24 on the taxyway there was a BA 757 on final.
"Tango Sierra, hold at Foxtrot (or whatever it was back then)".
"Hold at Fox, Tango Sierra".
The 75 swept past and I was cleared to cross the main and continue to the Freight. The 75 vacated, turned onto the taxyway, and began taxying back towards the Domestic Terminal (now T3) at quite a rate. It became clear our paths would cross!
"Tower, Tango Sierra. Confirm we are cleared all the way to the Freight Apron?"
"Tango Sierra affirm. Break. Shuttle Two Sierra give way to the Cessna, right to left".
The 757's nose visibly dipped as the power came off and the brakes went on.
"Shuttle Two Sierra, Wilco. Sail before steam!"
And back in those more laid back days, when returning, a typical Air Traffic instruction might be "Tango Sierra your traffic's a Trident on a 3 mile final. When you see him, nip in behind".
Happy days!
In order to top up the tanks one morning I was taxying TS from the South side to the then freight apron (near where T3 is today) for fuel. As I approached 24 on the taxyway there was a BA 757 on final.
"Tango Sierra, hold at Foxtrot (or whatever it was back then)".
"Hold at Fox, Tango Sierra".
The 75 swept past and I was cleared to cross the main and continue to the Freight. The 75 vacated, turned onto the taxyway, and began taxying back towards the Domestic Terminal (now T3) at quite a rate. It became clear our paths would cross!
"Tower, Tango Sierra. Confirm we are cleared all the way to the Freight Apron?"
"Tango Sierra affirm. Break. Shuttle Two Sierra give way to the Cessna, right to left".
The 757's nose visibly dipped as the power came off and the brakes went on.
"Shuttle Two Sierra, Wilco. Sail before steam!"
And back in those more laid back days, when returning, a typical Air Traffic instruction might be "Tango Sierra your traffic's a Trident on a 3 mile final. When you see him, nip in behind".
Happy days!
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 113
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
- for the youngsters amongst us who can only remember the Number 44 bus to the airport from Manchester Piccadilly, it should be pointed out this bus route in the late-1950s and onwards was originally the Number 64, using red double deckers with open rear boarding platform. The route was later renumbered to the 44. The airport terminus in those days was the main entrance to the former RAF Ringway camp with the old Astra cinema block on the corner.
- Ref post 222 - last aircraft to land on RWY 28 was based Rockwell AC112A, G-LITE, on 8th January 1995 at time 1615,
with a dodgy u/c, which only locked down in the flare (!) stopping well short of the main 06/24.
- Ref post 222 - last aircraft to land on RWY 28 was based Rockwell AC112A, G-LITE, on 8th January 1995 at time 1615,
with a dodgy u/c, which only locked down in the flare (!) stopping well short of the main 06/24.
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: cheshire
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: cheshire
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
sorry to tag on after so long
Hi
Re your post
I Think there must have been 2 Geoff Balls beacuase the 1 i know had his retirment party at the ship Inn in Styal las Year (Looked pretty alive to me)
You must have been there in the days of MAD HARRY/BURMA BESS
I Cant think of any more names but there are still a few of them around
I Thing the Kirbys are still around but into Hot Air Balloning now
Do you remember Brian(Gammy)Lewis ? I know he died some time ago.
If you think of any more let me know
Regards
Re your post
I Think there must have been 2 Geoff Balls beacuase the 1 i know had his retirment party at the ship Inn in Styal las Year (Looked pretty alive to me)
You must have been there in the days of MAD HARRY/BURMA BESS
I Cant think of any more names but there are still a few of them around
I Thing the Kirbys are still around but into Hot Air Balloning now
Do you remember Brian(Gammy)Lewis ? I know he died some time ago.
If you think of any more let me know
Regards
Last edited by spargazer; 20th Aug 2017 at 13:13. Reason: ommissions
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: UK
Age: 56
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
1981
I was fortunate as a young lad in the 70s to fly on lots of holidays. My parents were publicans and pretty flexible about letting me roam where I liked. They had a pub just outside Doncaster when I was 13 in '81 I lied and told them I was going spotting at Doncaster airfield. Instead, with a picked bag of sarnies, binoculars, civil aircraft markings book, camera and air band radio, I caught the 0610 bus to Doncaster, then the 0711 train to Manchester (On my own!!) The day return was £3:10. Then at Picadilly I caught the express bus to the airport. I think it was a quid each way. I could be on the terrace before 10am. I did this a few Saturdays before telling my Grandmother, who promptly grassed me up. My Father said I could continue goinng if I stuck to some rules - phone as soon as you are in the terminal blah blah blah.
So by 10am on Saturdays I would be able to see to Avigenex Tu134s, Tidents on pier A - which I was never fond of because I never really liked BA. Plenty of Dan-Air 727s and 1-11 (I still run a Dan-Air website to this day) Plenty of the older spotters chatted to me. If you are one of them and I annoyed you getting under your feet - Sorry. Did you sometimes get a wave from the flight deck? Especially if you were there with only about 6 people on the pier because it was lashing it down - but would rather be up close than in the slightly pissy smelling undercover area with the rancid cafe....I didn't mind one bit getting soaked to my pants. I met a Dan-Air girl who I nagged to sell me her pen! Her fella worked for Dan-Air Engineering. The following week it was arranged for me to have a bit of a tour around their hangar. They perhaps thought I was a desperate case being thirteen and on my own - I did have mates - but they were interested in football and girls - both I still habe no interest in!!
I consider myself lucky that I got to see Spantax Coronados, noisy old Tupolev 154s from Balkan and Tarom, 727s by the shed load owned by Air France and Lufthansa, KLM, SAS, Aviaco and Adria DC9s, CP Air's DC8 and Wardair 747s. People on the terraces practically ran when something rare came in - The odd Tarom Il18 was a joy. I always preferred the old stuff like a grubby Malev 154 to a gleaming Qantas 747. Oh to have one more day in the company of Dan, Air Europe, Orion, Britannia, Monarch, Sabena and LOT and wasn't it a ball ache when the EL Al 707 came in and we couldn't go on the terrace for, I think, an hour before it came, whilst it was there and shortly after it left? It was the happiest of times. When I sit in the terminal now with a G&T in my hand I still recognise all the airlines and types and it is still special, but it will never give me a sense of amazement that it did - and yes I used to sneak in through the turnstyles near pier A. My favourite place to stand was on Pier B. I think being such a young lad on my own did help when I went on the scrounge as well. I often went to the airline office to cadge a pen or a poster or a model if I was lucky. People used to spoil me rotten. I've taken up too much of your time.....
I'm glazing over now.
So by 10am on Saturdays I would be able to see to Avigenex Tu134s, Tidents on pier A - which I was never fond of because I never really liked BA. Plenty of Dan-Air 727s and 1-11 (I still run a Dan-Air website to this day) Plenty of the older spotters chatted to me. If you are one of them and I annoyed you getting under your feet - Sorry. Did you sometimes get a wave from the flight deck? Especially if you were there with only about 6 people on the pier because it was lashing it down - but would rather be up close than in the slightly pissy smelling undercover area with the rancid cafe....I didn't mind one bit getting soaked to my pants. I met a Dan-Air girl who I nagged to sell me her pen! Her fella worked for Dan-Air Engineering. The following week it was arranged for me to have a bit of a tour around their hangar. They perhaps thought I was a desperate case being thirteen and on my own - I did have mates - but they were interested in football and girls - both I still habe no interest in!!
I consider myself lucky that I got to see Spantax Coronados, noisy old Tupolev 154s from Balkan and Tarom, 727s by the shed load owned by Air France and Lufthansa, KLM, SAS, Aviaco and Adria DC9s, CP Air's DC8 and Wardair 747s. People on the terraces practically ran when something rare came in - The odd Tarom Il18 was a joy. I always preferred the old stuff like a grubby Malev 154 to a gleaming Qantas 747. Oh to have one more day in the company of Dan, Air Europe, Orion, Britannia, Monarch, Sabena and LOT and wasn't it a ball ache when the EL Al 707 came in and we couldn't go on the terrace for, I think, an hour before it came, whilst it was there and shortly after it left? It was the happiest of times. When I sit in the terminal now with a G&T in my hand I still recognise all the airlines and types and it is still special, but it will never give me a sense of amazement that it did - and yes I used to sneak in through the turnstyles near pier A. My favourite place to stand was on Pier B. I think being such a young lad on my own did help when I went on the scrounge as well. I often went to the airline office to cadge a pen or a poster or a model if I was lucky. People used to spoil me rotten. I've taken up too much of your time.....
I'm glazing over now.
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: UK
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yep..remember the revolving light very well..and the DC7cs..Super Connies..Britts DC6s and the 17.5 hours run to NYC!!! and as part of the MTCA (Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation) tower staff my checking the runway for debris before running the runway caravan onto the 24 hard standing for the night watch! Oh and the hilarious time the BEA apron vehile (a funny Heinkel three wheeler) was blow over complete with driver and rolled into the passenger exit from the booking hall (in the hangar) by a Supe Connie taxiing out... Happy 1959
Last edited by BRIEFING OFFICER; 9th Apr 2020 at 11:15.
I was fortunate as a young lad in the 70s to fly on lots of holidays. My parents were publicans and pretty flexible about letting me roam where I liked. They had a pub just outside Doncaster when I was 13 in '81 I lied and told them I was going spotting at Doncaster airfield. Instead, with a picked bag of sarnies, binoculars, civil aircraft markings book, camera and air band radio, I caught the 0610 bus to Doncaster, then the 0711 train to Manchester (On my own!!) The day return was £3:10. Then at Picadilly I caught the express bus to the airport. I think it was a quid each way. I could be on the terrace before 10am. I did this a few Saturdays before telling my Grandmother, who promptly grassed me up. My Father said I could continue goinng if I stuck to some rules - phone as soon as you are in the terminal blah blah blah.
So by 10am on Saturdays I would be able to see to Avigenex Tu134s, Tidents on pier A - which I was never fond of because I never really liked BA. Plenty of Dan-Air 727s and 1-11 (I still run a Dan-Air website to this day) Plenty of the older spotters chatted to me. If you are one of them and I annoyed you getting under your feet - Sorry. Did you sometimes get a wave from the flight deck? Especially if you were there with only about 6 people on the pier because it was lashing it down - but would rather be up close than in the slightly pissy smelling undercover area with the rancid cafe....I didn't mind one bit getting soaked to my pants. I met a Dan-Air girl who I nagged to sell me her pen! Her fella worked for Dan-Air Engineering. The following week it was arranged for me to have a bit of a tour around their hangar. They perhaps thought I was a desperate case being thirteen and on my own - I did have mates - but they were interested in football and girls - both I still habe no interest in!!
I consider myself lucky that I got to see Spantax Coronados, noisy old Tupolev 154s from Balkan and Tarom, 727s by the shed load owned by Air France and Lufthansa, KLM, SAS, Aviaco and Adria DC9s, CP Air's DC8 and Wardair 747s. People on the terraces practically ran when something rare came in - The odd Tarom Il18 was a joy. I always preferred the old stuff like a grubby Malev 154 to a gleaming Qantas 747. Oh to have one more day in the company of Dan, Air Europe, Orion, Britannia, Monarch, Sabena and LOT and wasn't it a ball ache when the EL Al 707 came in and we couldn't go on the terrace for, I think, an hour before it came, whilst it was there and shortly after it left? It was the happiest of times. When I sit in the terminal now with a G&T in my hand I still recognise all the airlines and types and it is still special, but it will never give me a sense of amazement that it did - and yes I used to sneak in through the turnstyles near pier A. My favourite place to stand was on Pier B. I think being such a young lad on my own did help when I went on the scrounge as well. I often went to the airline office to cadge a pen or a poster or a model if I was lucky. People used to spoil me rotten. I've taken up too much of your time.....
I'm glazing over now.
So by 10am on Saturdays I would be able to see to Avigenex Tu134s, Tidents on pier A - which I was never fond of because I never really liked BA. Plenty of Dan-Air 727s and 1-11 (I still run a Dan-Air website to this day) Plenty of the older spotters chatted to me. If you are one of them and I annoyed you getting under your feet - Sorry. Did you sometimes get a wave from the flight deck? Especially if you were there with only about 6 people on the pier because it was lashing it down - but would rather be up close than in the slightly pissy smelling undercover area with the rancid cafe....I didn't mind one bit getting soaked to my pants. I met a Dan-Air girl who I nagged to sell me her pen! Her fella worked for Dan-Air Engineering. The following week it was arranged for me to have a bit of a tour around their hangar. They perhaps thought I was a desperate case being thirteen and on my own - I did have mates - but they were interested in football and girls - both I still habe no interest in!!
I consider myself lucky that I got to see Spantax Coronados, noisy old Tupolev 154s from Balkan and Tarom, 727s by the shed load owned by Air France and Lufthansa, KLM, SAS, Aviaco and Adria DC9s, CP Air's DC8 and Wardair 747s. People on the terraces practically ran when something rare came in - The odd Tarom Il18 was a joy. I always preferred the old stuff like a grubby Malev 154 to a gleaming Qantas 747. Oh to have one more day in the company of Dan, Air Europe, Orion, Britannia, Monarch, Sabena and LOT and wasn't it a ball ache when the EL Al 707 came in and we couldn't go on the terrace for, I think, an hour before it came, whilst it was there and shortly after it left? It was the happiest of times. When I sit in the terminal now with a G&T in my hand I still recognise all the airlines and types and it is still special, but it will never give me a sense of amazement that it did - and yes I used to sneak in through the turnstyles near pier A. My favourite place to stand was on Pier B. I think being such a young lad on my own did help when I went on the scrounge as well. I often went to the airline office to cadge a pen or a poster or a model if I was lucky. People used to spoil me rotten. I've taken up too much of your time.....
I'm glazing over now.
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Tracy Island
Age: 61
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great memories of Manchester Airport aka Ringway in the 1970’s. Snorkel coats, large radio sets with long aerials frequency 118 decimal 7. Binoculars 8x40 10x50 12x50 . Plastic coin operated portable TV,s in the domestic departure halls. Airline offices at the back of the terminal where you would scrounge timetables and memorabilia. Anyone remember the ABC timetables? A monthly schedules booklet sold at the pier entrance. Skilton postcards sold at the terminal newsagents. Airfrance Caravelles on pier 3 the aerial wires attached from the fuselage to the tail. Boarding from the rear tail stairs for BAC1-11, B727, DC9, Caravelles. The Kar Air DC6 on a Saturday mornings. Frequent ever so noisy Guppy visits, Oman 1-11’s, Saudi Hercs, the whining of the Dart engines for Viscounts and HS748’s. John Denver arriving on his Lockheed Electra, Div days (did anyone attend school on these days?). Aviation trips by a club called Starliner. Brilliant day’s and Brilliant memories!! LAKER, AVIACO, SPANTAX, STERLING, WARDAIR, DAN AIR, CP AIR, AVIOGENEX, ORION, AIR EUROPE, BEA and many more all sadly missed from our skies!
http://www.timetableimages.com/ttima...57/ba57-03.jpg
