LUTON History and Nostalgia
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: southern spain
Posts: 1,986
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re Invicta, they usually had three based Vanguards during the summer mainly parked on the pond (stand 16). As mentioned they did pilgrim charters to Lourdes and also did a series of flights to Dusseldorf for the families of servicemen stationed in Germany plus late night flights to Basle for a tour company maybe Blue Cars?.
I remember one summer Sunday evening - I think 1972 - with the cloud on the deck and raining hard watching an Invicta Vanguard do an overshoot from less than 100 ft and left of the centreline and then flew staight down the runway at the same height with the co-pilot (presumably) saying ´Invicta 191 didn´t quite make it' (191 was used as a positioning call-sign) and round for another go and landed safely at the second attempt. Just before this an Il-18 of Tarom had made a perfect approach and landing!
I remember one summer Sunday evening - I think 1972 - with the cloud on the deck and raining hard watching an Invicta Vanguard do an overshoot from less than 100 ft and left of the centreline and then flew staight down the runway at the same height with the co-pilot (presumably) saying ´Invicta 191 didn´t quite make it' (191 was used as a positioning call-sign) and round for another go and landed safely at the second attempt. Just before this an Il-18 of Tarom had made a perfect approach and landing!
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Milton Keynes
Posts: 1,070
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
O8 Compton three bravo?
Ahh those surveillance radar approaches! .........."range five and a half miles check your downlocks are dangled". Sterling Caravelles would appear just before touchdown- wonder if they were pushing their minima a bit!
Ahh those surveillance radar approaches! .........."range five and a half miles check your downlocks are dangled". Sterling Caravelles would appear just before touchdown- wonder if they were pushing their minima a bit!
Saturday, July 16th, 1938.
Luton Airport is officially opened. Here is a fascinating home-movie of the event.
Question;- Have any stills survived of the event, especially of Edgar Percival and his machines. The separation of the Shorts Composite is a rarity, though not unique, However, this must be one of very few clips of a Q6 in flight (Certainly the only one that I've ever seen...) - and jolly pretty it looks too...!
Are there any other pre-war films of Luton and Percival Aircraft...?
Were all of the pre-war Percival offices in the old farmhouse, or just the Drawing-Office...?
East Anglian Film Archive: Luton Airport, 1938
This second film is longer and not all so interesting, but there is a fascinating short section on Percivals and Napiers at Luton.
East Anglian Film Archive: Civil Defence of Luton, c.1945
Enjoy...!
GQ2.
Question;- Have any stills survived of the event, especially of Edgar Percival and his machines. The separation of the Shorts Composite is a rarity, though not unique, However, this must be one of very few clips of a Q6 in flight (Certainly the only one that I've ever seen...) - and jolly pretty it looks too...!
Are there any other pre-war films of Luton and Percival Aircraft...?
Were all of the pre-war Percival offices in the old farmhouse, or just the Drawing-Office...?
East Anglian Film Archive: Luton Airport, 1938
This second film is longer and not all so interesting, but there is a fascinating short section on Percivals and Napiers at Luton.
East Anglian Film Archive: Civil Defence of Luton, c.1945
Enjoy...!
GQ2.
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Various at the moment
Posts: 1,171
Likes: 0
Received 7 Likes
on
1 Post
Ahh those surveillance radar approaches! .........."range five and a half miles check your downlocks are dangled". Sterling Caravelles would appear just before touchdown- wonder if they were pushing their minima a bit!
I remember sitting on the ramp one Saturday morning, airport covered in thick fog, listening to the talk down for a Balkan TU154 to then hear the roar of the engines as it broke off the approach but turned right and headed over Wigmore !!
Landed 2nd time round though but I wonder if the cloud cover/vis had increased !!
I remember sitting on the ramp one Saturday morning, airport covered in thick fog, listening to the talk down for a Balkan TU154 to then hear the roar of the engines as it broke off the approach but turned right and headed over Wigmore !!
Landed 2nd time round though but I wonder if the cloud cover/vis had increased !!
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Dorset
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Did a lot of half mile SRAs a Luton on 424 and 430. The ILS was fitted on 26 quite early but the 08 approach remained an SRA into the 80s. Not always easy as at one and a half miles out co-incident with ground clutter from the "M1" ridge drift effect changed markedly and you needed to be ready for it!
Talking of Sterling Caravelles , one winters night shift snow forecast, radar very cluttered, trying all the devices to reduce it just commencing the approach with a Sterling Caravelle, Tower advise its started snowing. Aircraft lands and reports " I don't think anything else will land tonight, right on minimums" Tell the Tower to listen out and decide to go upstairs for a cup of tea. Radar was then in the old wooden buildings tried the door to the outside passageway couldn't get out, snow was blocking the door - some good memories of very different times
Talking of Sterling Caravelles , one winters night shift snow forecast, radar very cluttered, trying all the devices to reduce it just commencing the approach with a Sterling Caravelle, Tower advise its started snowing. Aircraft lands and reports " I don't think anything else will land tonight, right on minimums" Tell the Tower to listen out and decide to go upstairs for a cup of tea. Radar was then in the old wooden buildings tried the door to the outside passageway couldn't get out, snow was blocking the door - some good memories of very different times
aceatco, retired
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: one airshow or another
Posts: 1,431
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
I did just over 500 SRAs between 2 Nov 1971 and 21 Feb 1986, I was sad enough to record them all. Some memorable occasions, like when I instructed an Aztec to go around as he was well off track and the pilot replied he couldn't as he didn't have enough fuel!! He landed. 
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: In the sticks
Posts: 9,847
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Dave Welch/www.abpic.co.uk
Looks like the two Yorks were being scrapped here at Luton at the rear of the Britannia hangar. In the foreground is G-AHEY of Skyways of London. Skyways of London was taken over by Luton based Euravia in 1962. Euravia became Britannia in 1964.
Thanks to Dave Welch for permission to use his photos here
Last edited by LTNman; 24th Nov 2014 at 05:25.
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: southern spain
Posts: 1,986
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
MAGEC/McAlpine Aviation
Just come across a number of clips of McAlpine Aviation at Luton Airport on You Tube. Only looked at a couple so far but wonderful memories of their HS125s and Short Skyvan. Hope this is of interest.
Type in Magec and/or McAlpine Aviation for the link.
Type in Magec and/or McAlpine Aviation for the link.
Join Date: May 2007
Location: hertfordshire
Age: 49
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for the tip.
Using the above I stumbled across Concorde taking off from Luton
It could be the angle but it didn't look like there was much room for an aborted take off !
http://youtu.be/urqC8AZBt94
Using the above I stumbled across Concorde taking off from Luton
It could be the angle but it didn't look like there was much room for an aborted take off !
http://youtu.be/urqC8AZBt94
They certainly used Romanian crews, they only had 2 throttle positions, open and closed! I remember following a 1-11 crewed by Romanians down the runway as it backtracked, I couldn't keep up with it!
In the video of Concorde, there is a derelict construction laying on it's side, the base made me think of a VOR, but the rest looks like a water tower seen atop many a New York building, and yet again it looks like a refugee of a Soyuz space program. Put me out of my misery please ? 
SHJ
SHJ
It could be the angle but it didn't look like there was much room for an aborted take off !
You couldn't have seen a Caledonian Tristar to Cyprus or a Britannia B737-200 to Antalya taking off, they were practically in the turning circle when they took off!
The derelict construction lying in the field was the old storage tank for the runway de-icing agent, if my memory serves me right it was something called 'Urea' which was made from pigs s**t. I beleive it is still there after all these years.
You couldn't have seen a Caledonian Tristar to Cyprus or a Britannia B737-200 to Antalya taking off, they were practically in the turning circle when they took off!
The derelict construction lying in the field was the old storage tank for the runway de-icing agent, if my memory serves me right it was something called 'Urea' which was made from pigs s**t. I beleive it is still there after all these years.
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Dorset
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yes, the contraption was the hopper for "urea" pellets which did stand behind the fire station and used for de-icing/anti-icing for a number of years.( No need for any detail of what they contained ) Also purchased was a spreader much like grit spreader for roads. However they were not environmentally friendly as the stuff found its way into the local water table and we were forced to discontinue its use. Replaced by rather more expensive liquid agents.
Plenty of room for Concorde on a number of visits. however my scariest departure was a Court Line Tristar direct Gander with 350+ pax wind calm at night, runway 26 and it went out of sight for what seemed ages before reappearing well north of the required NPR.
Plenty of room for Concorde on a number of visits. however my scariest departure was a Court Line Tristar direct Gander with 350+ pax wind calm at night, runway 26 and it went out of sight for what seemed ages before reappearing well north of the required NPR.