British United Airways Britannia's
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: U.K.
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Parabellum
Amazing - I had another pprune name - but I can't access it since I left my last place of work. GK429/430 was a 707 c/s (Gatwick-Palma on a Saturday)
Last flight I did with my old man on a Laker j/s - his last with them too and just levelling at 350 headed for Reus we had a pressurisation failure. Harry Clark(e) was flying in the R/H seat. I kind of remember it!
I will have to get the logbook out again as I have noticed an LHR dvt. If my old man was flying, it's no surprise customs rummaged away - he always seemed to attract their attention during that era
VIC - Australia?
Amazing - I had another pprune name - but I can't access it since I left my last place of work. GK429/430 was a 707 c/s (Gatwick-Palma on a Saturday)
Last flight I did with my old man on a Laker j/s - his last with them too and just levelling at 350 headed for Reus we had a pressurisation failure. Harry Clark(e) was flying in the R/H seat. I kind of remember it!
I will have to get the logbook out again as I have noticed an LHR dvt. If my old man was flying, it's no surprise customs rummaged away - he always seemed to attract their attention during that era
VIC - Australia?
Reaward facing seats - RAF Brits
Here's what they looked like in RAF service (from a Bristol Aircraft brochure handed out at the 1961 Paris Air Show where I was with the RAF Brit on static display). And to think that way back in the early 1960's the standard seat-pitch in RAF Brits was 38-inches, reduced to 36-inches for max pax configuration.
Cabin looking aft.
Cabin looking forward
GK430
"On the 8th, it went LGW - Aden in 6hrs 55mins"
That's fast. My logbook shows we took an average of around 5½ hours from Lyneham - El Adem plus a further 6-hours or more from El Adem to Aden.
Here's what they looked like in RAF service (from a Bristol Aircraft brochure handed out at the 1961 Paris Air Show where I was with the RAF Brit on static display). And to think that way back in the early 1960's the standard seat-pitch in RAF Brits was 38-inches, reduced to 36-inches for max pax configuration.
Cabin looking aft.
Cabin looking forward
GK430
"On the 8th, it went LGW - Aden in 6hrs 55mins"
That's fast. My logbook shows we took an average of around 5½ hours from Lyneham - El Adem plus a further 6-hours or more from El Adem to Aden.
Join Date: Mar 2003
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WARMTOAST
Apologies - I had digressed on to the first VC.10 trooper op by BUA - hence the speed - not a tailwind!
I remember going to Entebbe twice in the Brit - nearly 12 hrs and then in the 10 in just over 7. What a difference
Old technolgy these days - but still fast!
Apologies - I had digressed on to the first VC.10 trooper op by BUA - hence the speed - not a tailwind!
I remember going to Entebbe twice in the Brit - nearly 12 hrs and then in the 10 in just over 7. What a difference
Old technolgy these days - but still fast!
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Whitstable
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BRits in '64
I have all of my fathers log books for 1941-1980, but he didnt operate that flight. G-ANCD was doing the Bombay run. He flew it two weeks later!
Regards.
Regards.
Join Date: Oct 2007
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Hi there
I was an AIr Hostess with BUA and kept a log book of my flights ask your father if he remembers me Una Tooth we use to fly Britannias out of Stanstead for trooping contracts. G-ANCE was one I remember thanks
I was an AIr Hostess with BUA and kept a log book of my flights ask your father if he remembers me Una Tooth we use to fly Britannias out of Stanstead for trooping contracts. G-ANCE was one I remember thanks
Join Date: Oct 2007
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Hi I remember your Dad Looking in my Log book I see it has 3.1.1965
Flight on Brittania with Capt Cooch F/0 D Atkins Gatwick Tenerife
Is he still around would love to know . unfortunately Doug Atkins has died.
Flight on Brittania with Capt Cooch F/0 D Atkins Gatwick Tenerife
Is he still around would love to know . unfortunately Doug Atkins has died.
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Hi I was an Air Hostess on the trooping flights in the Brit 1964 i flew in G-ANCE and G-ANCD G-APNB on these flights . If you need help go to www.britishcaledonian.com
A further article I recall (possibly another Propliner one) stated that British Eagle Britannias did get reconfigured to rearward-facing for trooping flights, and more than once when faced with an overnight unserviceability at Heathrow the morning Britannia schedule to Glasgow and back was operated by a rearward-configured aircraft, much to the bemusement of the passengers.
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Was Doylestown, PA, now Arnhem, NL
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Happy Ending
The intention of this message is to finally close the thread as my original question has finally been answered. I have been struggling for the best part of 50 years to try and identify the aircraft that I flew to Singapore in 1961 and that for the home journey in 1964. Well thanks to the very kind person known as Captain Speaking I have at last solved the riddle. It turns out that both trips were conducted in NCD, as confirmed by the Stansted ATC logs. I am extremely grateful bioth to Capt Speaking and to PPRuNe for enabling me get in touch with the right peoiple to help me with my quest.
Thanks again and I hope Capt Speaking has not gone too red.........
QP
Thanks again and I hope Capt Speaking has not gone too red.........
QP
Britannia pilots
Would your father remember Captain Chris Couch? He was my Dad!
I remember Chris Couch. I renewed his Britannia qualification on May 21st 1976 with a Base Check and Instrument Rating in an (ex RAF) Britannia 9G-ACE.
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Manchester, UK
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"Lastly, and slightl;y off topic, I watched the 1962 film "Flight from Singapore" last night. Very poor acting and dreary story line but many great scenes of Paya Lebar with Comets, DC3, etc and also many shots of RAF Changi with 205 Sqn Shackletons, N, L and E in particular. The RAF of course came to the rescue in the shape of Hastings TG561. Ah nostalgia....."
Following on from this, has anyone seen the classic 1955 British film "Out of the clouds?" Set in and around Heathrow, it features some superb propliner footage, but as a film is otherwise a complete dud-a typical 1950s British B movie. I recorded it from TV a few years ago, but as it's just become available on DVD on Amazon, I bought a copy last week.
Following on from this, has anyone seen the classic 1955 British film "Out of the clouds?" Set in and around Heathrow, it features some superb propliner footage, but as a film is otherwise a complete dud-a typical 1950s British B movie. I recorded it from TV a few years ago, but as it's just become available on DVD on Amazon, I bought a copy last week.
Warmtoast - we had those very same passenger seats in the early days of the VC10K2! And very comfy they were too - far nicer than the firmer 'Golf GTi' seats with which they were replaced.
Proplinerman - thanks for the heads up about 'Out of the Clouds'! I have a VHS copy-of-a-VHS copy from TV - complete with adverts - which I'd transferred to DVD. But that may now be retired as I've just ordered the DVD from A*a*on!
Proplinerman - thanks for the heads up about 'Out of the Clouds'! I have a VHS copy-of-a-VHS copy from TV - complete with adverts - which I'd transferred to DVD. But that may now be retired as I've just ordered the DVD from A*a*on!
BEagle
Probably standard issue for new transport aircraft coming into service in the late 1950's - early 1960's. Although I don't think the RAF Comets had them.
I had a pax trip in the tail-boom of a Beverley once and ISTR the Beverley's seats were relatively comfortable - were they perhaps the same?
Warmtoast - we had those very same passenger seats in the early days of the VC10K2!
I had a pax trip in the tail-boom of a Beverley once and ISTR the Beverley's seats were relatively comfortable - were they perhaps the same?
