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LUTON History and Nostalgia

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LUTON History and Nostalgia

Old 20th May 2022, 09:39
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Originally Posted by LTNman
Another favoured parking area when the airport was filling up was the engine run up bay. I have seen a few aircraft crammed in there over the years.
hi
Do you recall seeing number of bea tridents parked on the taxiway possibly 1965 December?
thanks
Rob.
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Old 20th May 2022, 17:57
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Hullo Robert- If you have the time to start this wonderful Thread at the beginning I'm sure you will find references to, and perhaps some pictures of, BEA Tridents at Luton.

They usually arrived with a lot of other stuff as weather diversions from Heathrow . The aerodrome would then become very crowded indeed. I remember diversions parking up in the gap cum car park between the Autair Hangar and the old Britannia Hangar during the period you are referring to.
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Old 20th May 2022, 18:32
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Here's one for starters from earlier in the thread:

Originally Posted by cj241101
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Old 20th May 2022, 18:48
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Hi,can't seem to find any photos of diverted tridents,but thank you for help.

Originally Posted by OUAQUKGF Ops
Hullo Robert- If you have the time to start this wonderful Thread at the beginning I'm sure you will find references to, and perhaps some pictures of, BEA Tridents at Luton.

They usually arrived with a lot of other stuff as weather diversions from Heathrow . The aerodrome would then become very crowded indeed. I remember diversions parking up in the gap cum car park between the Autair Hangar and the old Britannia Hangar during the period you are referring to.
Hi,thank you for your reply but can't find any photos or references.
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Old 21st May 2022, 12:15
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Hi RH
Yes I remember the BAE Tridents.

The capt of one was a friend of mine, Capt Robert A and I popped out form my job at BY ops to say hello to him.

CC
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Old 21st May 2022, 15:01
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Originally Posted by Robert Haines
Hi,thank you for your reply but can't find any photos or references.
Were you searching forwards, or backwards, from the link in my post before yours?
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Old 21st May 2022, 16:55
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The above is a cracking image of Heathrow diversions on 4th January 1969. There is the old terminal with Autair's Movement Control Office overlooking the tarmac. At that time I spent many 12 hour shifts in there fretting about the weather (Luton was quite prone to fogging out for a day or two). Autair's old Commer Crew Bus is parked outside. What happened to that unfailingly cheerful Crew Bus Driver Fred Jenkins ?

Last edited by OUAQUKGF Ops; 22nd May 2022 at 22:34.
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Old 21st May 2022, 18:56
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Hi david,I looked backwards all the way through, I was looking for more photos taken

Originally Posted by DaveReidUK
Were you searching forwards, or backwards, from the link in my post before yours?
Hi david
I looked all through back and forwards there is one photo on there of a bea comet and a bks ambassador taken on 7th Feb 1966 and I am looking for more photos taken on this day.
thanks
Rob.
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Old 24th May 2022, 00:11
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Robert, have you also tried searching Google images as their are many to look at or even searching on Flickr. Various aviation website's online with a plethora of images. But as previously mentioned, there are a huge amount of images on this thread to search through.
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Old 5th Nov 2022, 23:35
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hi everyone, joined a company that works in hangar 7/8 at luton airport about 6 months ago, Recently found out that its one of the oldest building still intact at luton airport, being built in 1936 two years before the airport opened in 1938. apparently in around 1967 it was bought by monarch and then sold to ocean sky in around 2005? i think... Currently its owned by signature and is in the process of being sold to NetJets. Was the only person in the hangar tonight from 6pm-9pm in an office up at the back of the hangar and damn its a bit creepy up there. Was wondering if by chance anyone has worked in there before and has any stories, or even any old photo's of the hangar, just find it so interesting being in one of the original buildings that was built 100 years ago
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Old 1st Nov 2023, 22:44
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New member

Hello, just subscribed after stumbling across the thread and what a fascinating and interesting trip to years past it is. I first visited LUTON on 24/10/1984 and up until recently was a fairly regular visitor. I even had two short spells working there, 1988/89 for Royal Mail on the mail flights and 1998/99 as a ramp agent for Reed Aviation.
I still have over 140 pages to read but I have already been reminded of the weekly flight sheets picked up at the office, Dave Gearings photos, the visits to both the Britannia and Monarch hangars and even a ramp tour back in the 1980's and I'm hoping to find some reference to the spotters magazine "EGGWords", some of which i still have, never did get a complete collection and can't find any either nowadays.
A fantastic thread and one which has reminded me of the airport of old and how old I actually am now. Thank you everyone for the memories.
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Old 6th Nov 2023, 15:01
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I've just been reviewing this thread, and notice that a lot of the early photos have disappeared, whilst others are covered with a "Photobucket" message.
Also, there are lots of references to various hangars that incorporate the word "medivac". Can anyone enlighten me as to its meaning?
Thanks
LGS
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Old 6th Nov 2023, 15:59
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Originally Posted by LGS6753
I've just been reviewing this thread, and notice that a lot of the early photos have disappeared, whilst others are covered with a "Photobucket" message.
Also, there are lots of references to various hangars that incorporate the word "medevac". Can anyone enlighten me as to its meaning?
Thanks
LGS
If you are asking the meaning of the term "medevac" have you not tried searching Google or the equivalent of, it takes seconds honestly 🤔

The term Medevac involves an emergency situation, a troop flight from a combat zone or a medical emergency flight for example. Luton does or ar least used to handle these in the past. A very quick search online will explain the term in more detail.

Or are you asking why various hangars incorporate the the term "medivac"?

The answer to the above is probably down to the fact that many of the hangars were also used, including those medical evacuation emergency flights, etc, which would have also included helicopters along with fixed winged aircraft.

For example hospital helipads also use the term "medevac".

Last edited by Senior Pilot; 6th Nov 2023 at 21:09. Reason: Medical Evacuation=MedEvac. Not Medivac
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Old 6th Nov 2023, 16:08
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More commonly rendered as "medevac" (for MEDical EVACuation.
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Old 7th Nov 2023, 14:58
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Thanks for the explanations, but I know what Medevac means. However, the word that seems to have inveigled its way into this thread is medivac, and always to describe hangars, hence my question.
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Old 8th Nov 2023, 07:34
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I think I've got the answer.

Here's a post of mine from a few years ago:

Originally Posted by DaveReidUK
Yes, it's on the North Circular - strictly speaking, it's not hangar Lane at that point, though we all know what the OP meant (Hanger Lane is the part of the A406 south of the gyratory/Tube station).

Here's where it can be seen (the orange dot):



Head Office easyBus
And here's a screenshot that I've just taken of it:


Spot the difference ....

In other words, it's one of those daft automatic substitutions that PPRuNe makes, for reasons best known to the mods. "Hangar" (but not "hanger") gets "medivac" appended to it. Go figure.

So find any post containing "hangar medivac", then when you quote it, all will be revealed.

It's obviously not being done any more, though: hangar hangar hangar - see ?

Easy Jet tail fin by Hangar lane - PPRuNe Forums
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Old 10th Nov 2023, 16:52
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Dave,
Brilliant deduction. Thanks for clearing that up - I was wondering whether advancing years were taking their toll.
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Old 14th Nov 2023, 14:47
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Anyone remember the fireman's strike at Heathrow circa 1970? They lasted for a number of hours each day. BEA, Aer Lingus,, KLM etc so would arrive at Luton drop passengers off and position to Heathrow ready when fire cover was back up to full complement. There was a dispute at Gatwick in the early 1970s and remember Dan-Air Comets parked on the taxiway adjacent to the fire station!
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Old 20th Nov 2023, 21:43
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Originally Posted by compton3bravo
Anyone remember the fireman's strike at Heathrow circa 1970? They lasted for a number of hours each day. BEA, Aer Lingus,, KLM etc so would arrive at Luton drop passengers off and position to Heathrow ready when fire cover was back up to full complement. There was a dispute at Gatwick in the early 1970s and remember Dan-Air Comets parked on the taxiway adjacent to the fire station!
IIRC the diverted flights were in the evenings, with senior fire officers providing fire cover at LHR during the day, probably 0700-1900. 27th Feb to 20th March 1970, although not every day. Add Swissair, Sabena, SAS to the list. Plus the first 707 I saw there, albeit a smaller -138B, Laker/Caribbean Airways G-AVZZ on 3rd March.
I think the LGW diversion day sounds like 23rd Dec 1974, IIRC a fuel strike. Yes, there were 4 Dan Air Comets parked on the western taxiway that day. Loads of other Dan Airs, a few Laker, an Aeropa 707 and 3 SATA Caravelles as well.
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