LUTON History and Nostalgia

[compton3bravo]

Maybe I can jog your memory vintage ATCO, Monarch commenced commercial operations on 5 April 1958 with a flight from Luton to Madrid using Britannia G-AOVI. The other Brit in the fleet was registered G-AOVH both ex Caledonian. As most people know the airline was set up by two ex-British Eagle directors Messrs Hodgson and Peacock with the backing of the Globus (Cosmos) Group.
The Britannia you are quering could have been a British Eagle machine but my money for what it is worth is on Britannia Airways. Cheers.

[Offchocks]

Sorry compton but perhaps a slight typo, I'm sure you meant 5 April 1968.

[22/04]

That's cleared that up then- don't remember the event as '68 was the first year I was "allowed" to cycle to the airport- well went and told the parents I had afterwards.

[compton3bravo]

Yes, of course it was 1968, many thanks for that, should have known better!

[Proplinerman]

"It's OK, I was at Arnhem."


Again, priceless!

[22/04]

While we have lots of people's attention does anyone remember the folded cards the airport made up each weekend for enthusiasts around 1968, with the full list of flights and sometimes even pax number. I am sure I had some of these until I didn't get hold of them when I spit up with ex Mrs. 22/04, but am beginning to wonder if my memory is playing tricks.

Does Vintage ATCO remember who made them up? Does anyone still have any of them? I don't remember them after '68, when we all moved from the grass car park where hangar #89 stands now to the new spectators area.

[vintage ATCO]

I don't remember them at all

[LTNman]

That's too long ago for me but in the 80's if you knew where to look you could steal the weekly lists that were left on the agent desks.

[dc9-32]

ahhh the OM500 was a regular bus ride for me to TFS for my 4 days off

[compton3bravo]

PRINTED CARDS

Yes, I remember the cards that were printed in 1968ish, I think I have a few somewhere stacked away. Yes you are right, they sometimes included the number of pax carried. Also the printed sheets - I have them from the late 1960s to the mid-1990s. I would send stamped addressed envelopes to the airport and they posted them back usually on a Thursday for the following weeks movements. More often or not the Dan-Air movements and aircraft being handled by them were printed on a separate sheet. Makes interesting reading looking back on them now and again although my partner says I must get out more!

[wallp]

I remember Luton in the 80's very well. So interesting to see those flight lists. I know here ones are for winter dates so there's fewer flights operating but I'd forgotten how quiet the airport could be at times during the day.

Interesting that even in winter, Britannia had a 767 at Luton.

I'd love to see some similar lists but for summer dates

[Level bust]

On certain midweek winter days in the late 70s/early 80s, there were only 4 pax flights a day. All done by the same a/c. Britannia B737 went to Belfast early morning, followed by 2 trooping flights, finishing up with the evening Belfast.

They weren't the most exciting days to work!

[LTNman]

Wasn't that service to Belfast a scheduled service and maybe Britannia's first and only?

[wallp]

Yes, it was a scheduled service - twice daily, morning and evening with a B732.

When they left the fleet, route wheat to Manx who switched it to BHD as I recall

[LTNman]

Then it went to Leeds Bradford based Capital which I think used BAE 146's??? Seem to remember they also used Short 360's but maybe not on that route.

[almost professional]

Don't remember Britania running the route, but Capital started with 360 and went on to 146, was a big deal because it was a scheduled service, something very unusual for Luton in those days, in fact I can't think of another except the east mids - Luton - Brussels a few years earlier, but then it was a long time ago!

[Level bust]

There were a few other schedules around the Capital era, (late 80s) including Virgin with a 727 to Dublin and a Viscount to Maarstricht.

[almost professional]

Ah now I remember the Maastricht, sat on stand 9, not the Dublin, but I moved on in 89 as things started moving on that front

[wallp]

Capital didn't just fly to BHD. Am pretty sure they also flew to LBA for a while too with a Shorts 360.

I think it was mid to late 80's too that IOM flights first started with a Manx Viscount.

Am I dreaming it or did KLM City Hopper fly to Amsterdam for a while?

[LTNman]

Seems that Capital also did 4 x daily to Dublin at one time Capital Airlines (UK) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia