LUTON History and Nostalgia
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The commentator says "an old Provost aircraft". It's in fact a Jet Provost, but which one? In 1960 it was not so "old". Or was it some kind of mock-up? It looks a bit tattered, but maybe it was used regularly for bonfires like this. Any ideas?
Laurence
Laurence
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Great shots of Luton airport last night on true entertainment old avengers series showed John stead and party taking of in a remote control herald possible ex Bea /Autair also a very young Donald Sutherland and Brian BLessard in it
It was filmed just prior to the Heralds being painted in to Autair colours. I remember my Dad coming home to say they were filming, although the only thing he saw was Emma Peel's Lotus Elan!
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Recent posts a wonderful trip down memory lane for me. I was an HP Woodley apprentice and worked on those series 100s and some of the 200s, also G-ARTC and -AODF. One of them was specially fitted out and did a world tour with the Duke of Edinburgh. Woodley still reeked of Miles in those days and was a great place in which to be an apprentice - not too big. Old Sir Fred used to come down and see us and the place was run by his son-in-law. I remember loads. The spectacular Herald take-off on snow, the howl of the Darts, the smell of thinners and whiff of fumes from degreasing fluid, the rat-tat-tat of riveting guns, the whine of Desoutter air-drills, slurry splashing in the machine shop (site of Bader's serious crash). Snoozing in Victor long-range tanks, picking ****e out of Hastings main spars. The Falcon and the Bull at Sonning. Cycling back full of shandy ready for hours of hard graft then on to college in the evening. Cycling everywhere, fit as a flea and with a pound in my pocket. Happy days, and a great pity it all went belly-up. I'm so glad that WA has survived, but I'd prefer to see her under cover!
Last edited by Mr Oleo Strut; 20th Jan 2016 at 19:07. Reason: VF = a Britannia
Excuse slight thread drift. On the 'Classic Wings' DVD-'Handley Page Herald' there is some lovely footage of Heralds taking off in the snow from Woodley on their delivery flights. Most impressive performance! Incidentally G-ASKK is preserved today, intact, at the aviation museum Norwich.
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I have read that Handley Page at Radlett used to route Herald's through Luton to clear customs.
vintage ATCO
vintage ATCO
vintage ATCO
vintage ATCO
Last edited by LTNman; 23rd Jan 2016 at 05:15.
aceatco, retired
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Did anyone here work for Hunting Percivals in the 1950s or do you know someone who did, in particular on Chipmunk fuselages that were assembled at Luton? We are organising a Chipmunk 70th First Flight Anniversary at Old Warden on May 22 and one of the organisers would like from anyone that was involved at Luton. In the first instance please email me at [email protected]. Thanks.
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Anyone recall late 60s bomb hoax on Monarch Britannia at Luton?
As a lad who grew up in Luton in the late 60s, I used to love trips to the airport, and have really enjoyed browsing this thread over the last few days. I can remember the Autair Ambassadors, but don't remember seeing any Connies. We moved to Bedford in 1970, but still visited the airport every now and then (whenever I could persuade my Dad to drive us there). I loved the old visitors area with the (now demolished) cafe, watching the planes come past the low fence. I remember the colourful Court Line jets, the Autair 1-11s, Bristol Britannias from Monarch and Britannia, and later from Geminair and Redcoat and Katale. I remember the decrepit old AeroAmerica 707 that got scrapped, and seeing the wingless Britannia Proteus testbed. The airport seems to have a lot less character these days.
I was always fascinated by planes, and used to collect paper cuttings from the Luton Echo (or was it the Post?). I remember a cutting showing a KLM DC-8-63 visiting Luton carrying Ajax fans for a match with Arsenal. I also remember a photo of a Monarch Britannia when somebody had made a (hoax) bomb threat, with a headline something like "Airport waits as bomb search goes on...". That would probably have been 1969 or 1970 - I'd be fascinated to know if anyone recalls that incident in any detail?
I was always fascinated by planes, and used to collect paper cuttings from the Luton Echo (or was it the Post?). I remember a cutting showing a KLM DC-8-63 visiting Luton carrying Ajax fans for a match with Arsenal. I also remember a photo of a Monarch Britannia when somebody had made a (hoax) bomb threat, with a headline something like "Airport waits as bomb search goes on...". That would probably have been 1969 or 1970 - I'd be fascinated to know if anyone recalls that incident in any detail?
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Great memories from TrapperJ
Looks like your request has everyone stumped.
I was looking though my bookcase today and found squeezed between two books a 1994 timetable for Manx Airlines. In their summer timetable for that year they were operating routes to and from Luton to the Isle of Man, 2 flights a day to Belfast City Airport and a daily service to Kerry. All the Luton flights in that year were by ATP.
I had forgotten about the Kerry service but did Manx ever serve anywhere else from Luton?
Looks like your request has everyone stumped.
I was looking though my bookcase today and found squeezed between two books a 1994 timetable for Manx Airlines. In their summer timetable for that year they were operating routes to and from Luton to the Isle of Man, 2 flights a day to Belfast City Airport and a daily service to Kerry. All the Luton flights in that year were by ATP.
I had forgotten about the Kerry service but did Manx ever serve anywhere else from Luton?
Last edited by DaveReidUK; 1st Feb 2016 at 06:39. Reason: embedded image disappeared
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DC8
If it was the same one, it was operated by Charlotte Ranger of the US, IAS bought it for spares, it was stripped and then dragged over behind the fuel dump to be cut up, no brakes so it was towed, with another tug behind using chains to slow it down. Real shame, 25 years old, hardly any corrosion, not like a 25 year old Boeing.