LUTON History and Nostalgia

[HZ123]

I recall the one Med Express at LHR for a major service and putting on the UK register before positioning to LTN. I was told it had come from S America and was kitted out for rough strip landing, evident in the dents o the fuselage near the wheels. Any knowledge on this ?

Even then the company was short of funds as it was as I recall kitted out in surplus BA seats and not all the charges were paid. It was a great colour scheme and I recall when it eventually left how smart it looked.

At the time there was another Hangar Queen an HZ registered 1-11 which payment was slow and the undercarriage sent away for service got lost.

[LTNman]

In the above photos of the 1-11 in front of hangar 62 the hangar has gone from McAlpine signage to European Airline Engineering between October 87 and October 88.

I don't remember that company at Luton so what happened to them as they couldn't have been around that long?

Also wonder why there is a large section of paint missing by the wing? Would this have anything to do with why the aircraft was scrapped?

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by LTNman

Also wonder why there is a large section of paint missing by the wing? Would this have anything to do with why the aircraft was scrapped?

Looks like a section that's been reskinned, either due to corrosion or a damage repair. Unlikely to have had any bearing on the fate of the aircraft.

After leaving Luton, G-AYUW did soldier on for a few years at Hurn as a ground testbed for water mist fire suppression systems:

[oldandbald]

The 467FMs delivered to Faucett was designed to have an improved runway performance and able to operate from unprepared surfaces and had a revised undercarriage with low pressure tyres. I do remember GAZUK with a fair deal of dents etc to the skin when it arrived

[DaveReidUK]

The 111-475 Series was a hot ship (by One-Eleven standards, anyway), combining the wing and Spey 512s of the -500 with the short fuselage of earlier variants and featuring the aforementioned gravel field capability.

Here's G-AZUK in an earlier life, awaiting delivery to Faucett in 1974:

[David Haggerty]

My Dad too worked on the Dart Herald, he was at Handley Pages before he went to Autair then onto Court Line. BAC 1-11's, TriStar, HS 125. He worked a bit for Lauda Air, Cyprus Airways and finished up at Airline Engineering - Monarch. His best friend was Eric Gillespie who was tragically killed at Luton.

[Tempsford]

I worked with your dad for many years at Airline Engineering. A good guy.
Tempsford

[YVRLTN]

I have a log of an Alitalia 763 at LTN mid 90's G-OITB, any information on that?

Also the OCS EMB-110's - where did they fly? I also recall a SH3 prior to Streamline, G-IOCS maybe?

[Level bust]

I have a log of an Alitalia 763 at LTN mid 90's G-OITB, any information on that?

I seem to recallthe B767s were leased to Alitalia, (possibly from an Australian company) and I think Monarch had the contract for the maintenance. I remember a friend of mine spent time in Italy to cover the line maintenance.

[rog747]

Originally Posted by Level bust

I have a log of an Alitalia 763 at LTN mid 90's G-OITB, any information on that?

I seem to recallthe B767s were leased to Alitalia, (possibly from an Australian company) and I think Monarch had the contract for the maintenance. I remember a friend of mine spent time in Italy to cover the line maintenance.

IIRC MON/OM were poised to buy new (6?) Boeing 763's but changed their minds and AZ took them - MON retained the MAEL contract afaik

[cj241101]

Alitalia 767's

Originally Posted by YVRLTN

I have a log of an Alitalia 763 at LTN mid 90's G-OITB, any information on that?

There were 6 Alitalia 767-300's which were leased from Ansett Worldwide, G-OITA/B/C/F/G/L. They first appeared during 1995, with the first 2 originally Australian registered as VH-ITA/B. They were pretty regular on maintenance with MAEL, my last record was of G-OITG on 20/8/96. They were all transferred on to the Italian register late 1996-early 1997, by which time the maintenance at Luton had ceased.

G-OITF Luton 6/8/95.

[cj241101]

Originally Posted by YVRLTN

Also the OCS EMB-110's - where did they fly? I also recall a SH3 prior to Streamline, G-IOCS maybe?

Willow Air operated 3 Bandeirantes on behalf of Overseas Courier Services in 1995/6, G-OCSI/Z and G-OHIG, plus the SD3-30 G-IOCS, flying I think to Dublin and Brussels.

G-OCSI Luton 16/2/95

[LTNman]

That hangar in the background was built I think for London Aviation and was part of a much larger structure that had the framework built but was never finished. Think it was going to be a FBO.

Can't ever remember an aircraft using the hangar and the last time I looked, which was many years ago, it was full of airline seats.

[KeMac]

I was wondering if anyone on this thread could help me to pin down a very rough date please? I visited Luton in 68/69 and we were allowed to go around a couple of hangars were I logged a BN 2 (It had some kind of a code or CN maybe of 51-154) and a Jet Ranger with what looked like some code of CC7 and I had put in brackets beside it (G-AXXO). Much of what I logged that day seemed to be regular visitors or based (eg 1-11s G-AXMF, G-AXCP, G-AXMH B737 G-AVRN, G-AVRO etc but I did note Herald G-ABEBE and DC-6 LN-FOL – if anyone could even give me a month/year it would be helpful.
Many Thanks

[ifonly]

Islander 51-154 was registered as G-AYBL on 15/04/1970 before going to Germany in August that year, and Jet Ranger G-AXXO was registered on 16/02/1970, so your visit was probably early 1970.

[cj241101]

Further to the above, the Herald would have been D-BEBE (ex Bavaria) which was present from March-October 1970 (27/3/70 my first sighting, wasn't there on 22/3/70). Islander G-51-154 departed to Oxford on 3/4/70 along with G-AXXG, both had been parked outside the McAlpine hangar. Yellow Court Line 1-11 G-AXMH was delivered on 11/2/70.

D-BEBE 27/3/70

[LTNman]

(27/3/70 my first sighting, wasn't there on 22/3/70)

That doesn't read right, are you saying it arrived between 22nd March and the 27th or it arrived on the 27th but left later with an incorrect date given?

[cj241101]

D-BEBE

Originally Posted by LTNman

That doesn't read right, are you saying it arrived between 22nd March and the 27th or it arrived on the 27th but left later with an incorrect date given?

D-BEBE I first saw on 27/3/70. My previous visit to the airport was on 22/3/70 when it wasn't present, so yes, it must have arrived between these 2 dates. It was at Blackpool when I visited there on 26/10/70, and was registered to British Island as G-AYMG on 13/11/70.


Air Pictorial (May 1970) mentions the Islander G-51-154 as ferrying Bembridge-Luton for painting on 17/3/70. I can't find any reference in Air Pictorial to the Herald's arrival date.

[Luton Anorak]

D-BEBE arrived at Luton from Tel Aviv via Venice 26/3/70 where it had been on lease to Arkia since 16/11/67. The German registration was cancelled on 31/03/70 as sold abroad after a check 2 had just been carried out by Israel Aircraft Industries, and was allowed a ferry flight only as a complete overhaul was required. It departed to Blackpool for British Island Airways 23/10/70 still registered as D-BEBE (without a new permit to fly as such???)

[hatters united]

LTNMAN; you are correct about the hangar, it was built for London Aviation Centre and the company was owned by a couple of brothers, can't remember their names at the mo, but they were going to " take over aviation " as we know it !!


As far as I recollect, it was built to that size and not with a view to enlarge it. There have been a couple of companies in the offices down either side, one I seem to recall brought over used Mooneys from the states and then sold them on. Also there were times the odd aircraft was hangered there and of coarse it did have aircraft in it when London Aviation Centre organised the aircraft auction at the premises.


I am fairly sure I have also seen helicopters in the hangar at some point ( besides the police one that is ).