LHR nostalgia
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Some more pics of 'JM at LHR taken on my trusty Ilford Sportsman 35mm camera can be viewed here.
Are some aircraft 'unlucky'? Logic says no, but BEA Trident Papa India suffered a similar fate - rebuilt after extensive damage caused by the LHR Ambassador crash (the subject of another PPRuNe thread) it came to grief in the Staines accident in 1972.
Are some aircraft 'unlucky'? Logic says no, but BEA Trident Papa India suffered a similar fate - rebuilt after extensive damage caused by the LHR Ambassador crash (the subject of another PPRuNe thread) it came to grief in the Staines accident in 1972.
Ah the legendary Deux Ponts, a wonderful site from my vantage point sitting on the small strip of land between the rivers on the SW corner of the airport opposite what I think used to be called block79 which was the original end of 28L/10R before it was extended westwards. Many a long sunny summer day spent there watch the amazing selection of aircraft that one got in those days (alright I agree every third plane was BEA Viscount) .
The Deux Pont had to be one at the top of the exotic list especially in the early jet era along with Yorks, CV990s and even an occasional 880, C46s , seemingly enormous Globemaster Mk1s plus some interesting Russian types. Flying may not have been safer then but it was lot more interesting to watch -happy days and lucky to have seen them, and thanks for a very nostalgic thread.
PB
The Deux Pont had to be one at the top of the exotic list especially in the early jet era along with Yorks, CV990s and even an occasional 880, C46s , seemingly enormous Globemaster Mk1s plus some interesting Russian types. Flying may not have been safer then but it was lot more interesting to watch -happy days and lucky to have seen them, and thanks for a very nostalgic thread.
PB
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LHR nostalgia
I well remember seeing the Breguet Deux Ponts land coming over the Gt.South West Road. At times Heathrow had some very interesting aircraft, such as this American Catalina owned by Mosanto Chemicals.
I lived at Heston so that much of my youth was spent cycling to LHR or making a circuit of the whole of the Airport's circumference via public roads.
Heston of course was an important Airport which during its time became second to Croydon for aircraft movements and nearly became the No.1 Airport for London, before Heathrow was finally decided as the final option.
I lived at Heston so that much of my youth was spent cycling to LHR or making a circuit of the whole of the Airport's circumference via public roads.
Heston of course was an important Airport which during its time became second to Croydon for aircraft movements and nearly became the No.1 Airport for London, before Heathrow was finally decided as the final option.
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Discorde...
What a pleasant surprise it was to see your shot of the DC8 in the cabbage patch, and the Deux-Ponts in profile. What memories! I had a close association with both of them. I was on duty that day when TCA decided to trim the cabbages and was detailed to get out there asap and secure the duty-free bar boxes from predation, which I did. I was in the Customs, you see, the oddly named (well, for an airport) 'Waterguard' service of HMC&E. So armed with the two gold rings which Her Majesty had graciously bestowed on me I leapt into an official car and roared off round the peri-track. I could not shake-off the stench of rotting cabbages for some time afterwards. Now for the Bregeut. Part of our duties involved the boarding and clearance of all incoming aircraft: of these, the Bregeut was particularly interesting. You climbed up into the little door at the back and undertook a sort of Gallic obstacle course, involving various steps and ladders and eventually arrived, breathless, up in the cockpit, much to the amusement of the flight crew. Another interesting two-decker aircraft was the BEA Argosy, but my favourite was the Seaboard & Western CL44 (Britannia) 'hinged-in-the-middle' freighter that used to whisper-in very early in the morning to the Shell hangers over near Hatton Cross. Happy, far-off days, now, but clearly not forgotten. Well done!
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One or two for the road...
Having discovered this mine of memories of old LHR and casting my mind back to the early sixties when I started working there I was trying to remember the names of some of the pubs and places of refreshment we used at or near the airport. There was, of course, the legendary Peggy Bedford at the top of the Colnbrook bypass, a veritable free-port for the exchange of goods for currency of all types, usually potable or smokable. And the Air Hostess, on the old A4 near the main entrance. Just inside that was a large Nissen hut, a greasy spoon cafe, referred to as the Green Goddess, I think, where deep-fried offerings of dubious provenance were always available. In the centre, where the new (now-ex) control tower was built, there was a big staff canteen and bar which had a mixed reputation, I seem to remember. But for those with a more flexible luncheon timetable there was an establishment on the very isolated south side, at Bedfont, which we used to go to, but the name escapes me, as does that of another pub we used to go to at Harmondsworth. I always looked forward to visiting the very grand staff canteen at BOAC, in the heart of the co-called Kremlin complex. Mind you, the facilities at the new BEA catering base on the North side were not to sneezed at. Very superior watering-holes indeed!
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In the summers of '66 to '68 my vacation job was as an Assistant at the Air Canada Commissary Department, housed in a tatty building next to the Eagle hangars. Some of the catering equipment was stored in old bar boxes rescued from TCA Connies. In '66 the communal AC singalong was 'We all live in an Air Canada DC8' sung to the tune of 'Yellow Submarine'.
Occasionally I would take my Ilford to work to take piccies such as this:
Here's a '68 compilation of pics I snapped sitting by R23L during a lunch break (apologies to Ppruners who've seen it before). Damn! I've given the answers away! The Pan Am 707 is noticeably higher than the others - given that 23L was shorter than the other runways I wonder what the crew were thinking as the real estate flashed by below them.
Occasionally I would take my Ilford to work to take piccies such as this:
Here's a '68 compilation of pics I snapped sitting by R23L during a lunch break (apologies to Ppruners who've seen it before). Damn! I've given the answers away! The Pan Am 707 is noticeably higher than the others - given that 23L was shorter than the other runways I wonder what the crew were thinking as the real estate flashed by below them.
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Oleo Strut...The Northside Nissen hut greasy spoon was the Green Dragon...there was a smaller somewhat similar 'Pan Am Canteen' between the Pan Am hangar and the southern perimeter road near Bedfont but it seemed to be open to all Airport workers with money in their pockets
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I well remember the Green Dragon-you would get an enormous bag of chips for threepence there!!
My Dad was also customs on North side and those very nice waterguard chaps-maybe you Mr Oleo Strut-would often take me out with them if they were rummaging a Stratocruiser/Connie or DC-7 etc if I was hanging about at week ends -spotting-when Dad was on overtime.
They had usually only just arrived and we would have first pickings on some lovely food still in the galley. BOAC being the best-of course!!
My Dad was also customs on North side and those very nice waterguard chaps-maybe you Mr Oleo Strut-would often take me out with them if they were rummaging a Stratocruiser/Connie or DC-7 etc if I was hanging about at week ends -spotting-when Dad was on overtime.
They had usually only just arrived and we would have first pickings on some lovely food still in the galley. BOAC being the best-of course!!
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The first flights to and from Heathrow ("London Airport") that I remember were from 1964-8 to and from USA, perhaps 25 times. I loved going up on the roof terrace to see and hear all the planes and airport vehicles. A fascinating mix of piston, turbo-prop and jet planes, including Stratocruiser and Connies alongside VC10s, 707s, DC8s, Comets and Caravelles.
The best vehicles to me were BEA's AEC Regent 1 1/2 decker coaches, and the stylish fuel tankers with extra high windscreens for safety around planes. Walking up the rear steps into VC10s and looking at those engines was always a thrill; air bridges have certainly taken away much of the interest!
A couple of years ago I bought the DCD "Look At Life in the 60s" from Train videos, DVDs (I have no connection with the company!). This has
City of the Air
The Spirit of Brooklands
Controlled Landing
Air Hostess
Flying to Work
The Big Take Off
I was delighted to see footage of scenes once so familiar, "Oceanic Terminal" and its departures board, the BEA coaches and big windscreen tankers, planes and everything else. I cannot recommend it too highly!
The best vehicles to me were BEA's AEC Regent 1 1/2 decker coaches, and the stylish fuel tankers with extra high windscreens for safety around planes. Walking up the rear steps into VC10s and looking at those engines was always a thrill; air bridges have certainly taken away much of the interest!
A couple of years ago I bought the DCD "Look At Life in the 60s" from Train videos, DVDs (I have no connection with the company!). This has
City of the Air
The Spirit of Brooklands
Controlled Landing
Air Hostess
Flying to Work
The Big Take Off
I was delighted to see footage of scenes once so familiar, "Oceanic Terminal" and its departures board, the BEA coaches and big windscreen tankers, planes and everything else. I cannot recommend it too highly!
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Nice pic of the Eagle Brit Discorde. Have you any more Eagle shots??
Nobody has mentioned The Three Magpies pub by the police station at the main entrance off the A4 into LHR. Fabulous pub in the 60s !!
Nobody has mentioned The Three Magpies pub by the police station at the main entrance off the A4 into LHR. Fabulous pub in the 60s !!
Well JR you certainly picked outa few iconic symbols of LHR back in the day-yes those tankers with the windows in the roof looked very cool to a 13 year old . Among my favourite moments back then were seeing a Swissair Caravelle land on 28l and deploy the baking parachute . I was watching from the emergency services gate by the Stanwell Rivers and got a great view including the crew climbing down a rope from the cockpit to look it over. Another one was German Beech baron which caught fire on landing- on 10R by block 79 - no real harm done but one engine on fire was dramatic especially as it was followed by a succession of go-arounds-even then LHR had them pretty well stacked up one behind the other on finals. And something one would never see today but one quiet summers evening at the other end of the field at Cains Lane with a little spotter group someone peering down his telescope at the approach exclaimed God a spitfire and the airband radio one of the older guys had crackled into life with Spitfire G-XXXX requesting touch and go. Well not really a touch and go but a low beat up down the runway and then a dramatic pull up into a spiralling climb. Presumably on the way home from an airshow- quite a sight and vividly in my mind all these years on
