LUTON History and Nostalgia
The day I flew in, G-AOGS was there: red and titled "Miss 'Obbs". Who was Miss Obbs?
aceatco, retired
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Stunning colour image of Luton Airport from 1959, from the David Gearing Collection but credited to Jim Hanna. Jim was a Borough Civil Engineer whose remit included Luton Airport and he was often there, fortunately with his camera. Lovely bloke.
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Line of Provost T.53s awaiting delivery to the Burma Air Force in 1956. The were delivered ex Croydon 12 Oct 1956. Photo Credit: BAE Systems Heritage Centre Warton.
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Great pair of photos with the quite rare sight of McAlpine's original hangar, which has only recently been knocked down.
Looking at the Luton Corporation hangar I know it was extended at its rear, which can be seen in the second photo, as the roof is a different colour but was this hangar knocked down and rebuilt for Monarch when they moved in or was the hangar again modified as the present hangar, which Monarch eventually vacated has a much higher roof?
Looking at the Luton Corporation hangar I know it was extended at its rear, which can be seen in the second photo, as the roof is a different colour but was this hangar knocked down and rebuilt for Monarch when they moved in or was the hangar again modified as the present hangar, which Monarch eventually vacated has a much higher roof?
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Well Monarch would not have got the tail of a Britannia in that Corporation hangar. At some point the height seems to have doubled. Might be the case of stripping the roof off and adding to the framework.
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Another look at that hangar in the photos would suggest that there would have been supports running down the middle to support the 2 V shape roofs. Now it is one open area so it must have been an almost total rebuild unless I have got it all wrong?
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Monarch hangar
This is ALMOST 
before my time but were the old Corporation hangars originally numbered 7 and 8, becoming hangar 7/8 winter 1967/8 when they were amalgamated into one hangar for Monarch/Airline Engineering? I think the basic structures were retained.
before my time but were the old Corporation hangars originally numbered 7 and 8, becoming hangar 7/8 winter 1967/8 when they were amalgamated into one hangar for Monarch/Airline Engineering? I think the basic structures were retained.
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Been looking at some modern aeriel shots. Looks like the hangar structure apart from the cladding is still original with a new late 1960's frontage added as the V shape roofs are retained further back. The 45 degree support beam coming out of the roof edge half way along it would support my view, which can just be seen in one of the photos from vintage ATCO
Even this recent photo has seen changes with the removal of the Britannia ops building and the original wooden terminal on the extreme middle right of the photo.
origin of photo unknown
Even this recent photo has seen changes with the removal of the Britannia ops building and the original wooden terminal on the extreme middle right of the photo.
origin of photo unknown
Last edited by LTNman; 7th Jul 2015 at 12:07.
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some photos by request
RA-76755 20/7/95
G-OITF 6/8/95. Leased to Alitalia by Ansett World Wide, became I-DEIF 20/11/96, sold to Omni Air in the USA as N351AX 11/8/09.
F-GHXK 11/8/95 Leased from Europe Aero Service but only operated one flight for Emerald. Last heard of (2008) stored engineless at Lagos.
G-SRJG 5/12/94. Parked after the airline had ceased ops on 29/11/94
SE-DPX 1/5/94
and this for anyone wishing to have a personalised registration on their Gulfstream 3:-
XA-TCO 15/8/94
Last edited by cj241101; 7th Jul 2015 at 15:06. Reason: date correction
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more photos
D-AMUT 20/2/87. LTS (LTU-Sud) operated 3 flights from/to Munich on 20/27 Feb and 6th Mar 1987.
No.71 24/1/89. The French Navy used to like Luton, sending a variety of aircraft over the years including the Nord 262 (above), DC-3, EMB-121 Xingu, PA-31 Navajo and the MS760 Paris.
PH-KJK 31/7/90. Netherlines began operating AMS-LTN-AMS in November 1985 using Jetstream 31 aircraft. They introduced the SAAB 340 on the service at the end of March 1990. PH-KJK above was ex G-HOPP of Manx. They officially merged with N.L.M. to become K.L.M. CityHopper on 1/4/91, although had been operating as such since late 1990. Their last LTN-AMS service operated on 30/3/91.
PH-KSH 16/2/91
OO-DHD 9/7/91
D-ADEP 20/5/92
Last edited by cj241101; 9th Jul 2015 at 16:56. Reason: correction
Great photos! Lot's of nostalgia for nearly everyone. I loved the ex-Hawaiian Airlines L1011 for some reason. Out of interest, why did the French Navy seem to come to Luton so often ? Was there a joint facility in the area perhaps ?
SHJ
SHJ
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Who did that 727 belong to seen on the background of RA-76755 20/7/95?
Might have nothing to do with it but the US military had a large warehouse in Dunstable.
why did the French Navy seem to come to Luton so often ? Was there a joint facility in the area perhaps ?
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French Navy
The French Navy movements were training flights AFAIK. The crew of some had a quaint (French?) custom once they disembarked, and headed straight for the nearest bit of grass....
Great colour pic from 1959......The houses in the Lalleford Rd area look newly completed! (no further properties were built off Eaton Green Rd heading East until the 1980's) I can recall as a kid riding down the road towards Breachwood Green in the 1970's and it became a pretty rough single track just past Lalleford with rows of Bedford trucks parked-up within the airport boundary...