LUTON History and Nostalgia
Britannia operated many flights to Ciampino (and Naples?) for Italian travel companies. Some of us took the trouble to do our PAs in the language to make our passengers feel more at home:
Signore e signori, sono lieto di dar vi il benvenuto a bordo. Stiamo volando ad una quota di
FL 290 nove mila metri
FL 310 nove mila e c(h)inque c(h)ento metri
FL 330 diec(h)i mila metri
FL 350 diec(h)i mila e sette c(h)ento metri
e la nostra veloc(h)ita e di otto c(h)ento chilometri l'ora. Arrivaremo a ...... alle ore ...... ora locale. La temperatura a terra e di ...... gradi c(h)entigradi. Auguro a tutti un piac(h)evole volo.
The bracketed 'h' was to remind me of the correct pronunciation. The '800 kph' was a slight exaggeration for the 737-200 cruising at M0.72 (420 kts).
Signore e signori, sono lieto di dar vi il benvenuto a bordo. Stiamo volando ad una quota di
FL 290 nove mila metri
FL 310 nove mila e c(h)inque c(h)ento metri
FL 330 diec(h)i mila metri
FL 350 diec(h)i mila e sette c(h)ento metri
e la nostra veloc(h)ita e di otto c(h)ento chilometri l'ora. Arrivaremo a ...... alle ore ...... ora locale. La temperatura a terra e di ...... gradi c(h)entigradi. Auguro a tutti un piac(h)evole volo.
The bracketed 'h' was to remind me of the correct pronunciation. The '800 kph' was a slight exaggeration for the 737-200 cruising at M0.72 (420 kts).
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Newcastle
Posts: 1,060
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Good stuff. I was on a flight from LGW to NAP, with a mainly Italian load, and as far as I could tell not a single CC member had a clue about even basic Italian. And this was on BA.
OT a bit, but I was a passenger on a flight from Pisa to Stansted where the safety briefing was only conducted in heavily Irish-accented English by a member of the CC. Not surprisingly about half the PAX seemed to be Italian and wore a bewildered look.
This being safety-related, as a former aviation person who'd flown with a few dozen airlines over 40 years, I took it on myself to write to the airline concerned pointing out that the rest of the airline world used pre-recorded tapes in the languages judged appropriate and asking what stopped 'em doing that.
It was brushed aside of course - I suppose they would now feel they could charge extra for an intelligible briefing.
This being safety-related, as a former aviation person who'd flown with a few dozen airlines over 40 years, I took it on myself to write to the airline concerned pointing out that the rest of the airline world used pre-recorded tapes in the languages judged appropriate and asking what stopped 'em doing that.
It was brushed aside of course - I suppose they would now feel they could charge extra for an intelligible briefing.
aceatco, retired
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: one airshow or another
Posts: 1,431
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
My parents lived in Crawley Green Road during the war (and so did I from 1949 onwards!). They said that the Italian PoWs walked the streets looking for work and were well liked in the community. At night they returned to the camp.
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Great Southern Land
Age: 72
Posts: 511
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Back in the late 70s and early 80s, Monarch use to have an Italian speaker on their Italian flights. I remember being introduced by one Italian speaker to her uncle at 1:00am on a extended transit at Palermo, he and his two companions looked straight out of the Godfather, perhaps that is how he got the airport cafe opened for us!
Pal of mine was a steward back in the BEA Trident days and after a heavy night in Paris, the French speaking stewardess went AWOL. Dave (not his real name) thought quickly and as he didn't speak French, read out the French bit on the HP Sauce bottle to the great delight of Economy but somebody up front took offence and he was "demoted" to domestic flights for a bit as punishment.
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Luton
Posts: 548
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bit of a long shot but I'm after info about Luton Flying Club Cessna paint schemes. Specifically their original straight-tail Cessna 150's G-ARZF, G-ASSO, G-ASUE, G-ASTV, G-ASVF after they were repainted with larger registrations sometime in the late 60's (more accurate dates would be even better!). Abpic has a photo of G-ASUE in a light brown scheme and the others were painted the same scheme; just looking for what colour. I think G-ARZF was maroon-red and G-ASVF - which languished somewhere behind the Shell depot in the late 70's - was a brighter red. G-ASSO possibly was the same colour. G-ASTV may have been dark blue. If anyone can confirm any of this it would be very helpful. Photographs on line - especially colour - are elusive. The price of colour film 50 years ago meant that photographs were restricted to the interesting stuff rather than the mundane - IIRC a 20 exposure film for my Kodak Instamatic was around £2.50 in the late 60's - more than a month's pocket money!
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Luton
Posts: 548
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Have since found this taken on 30th April 1971 which I think shows G-ARZF (red) and G-ASTV (dark blue) behind the Aztec.
https://imgur.com/a/Eimd3LH
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Luton
Posts: 548
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks vintage ATCO. It helped when I did the original G-ASUE a couple of years ago. The aircraft C of A expired in 1990 and it doesn't seem to have flown since 1986, hence the lack of online photos. It is, however still registered to the same owner in Ware who bought it from the flying club on 1/7/76. It was in fact restored YESTERDAY (17th Sep) after the CAA cancelled it last week (11th).
Origin of photo below, dated 23/5/76, unknown:-
The other Club straight tailed Cessnas were painted the same scheme as referred to earlier but photos of them as such are elusive.
Origin of photo below, dated 23/5/76, unknown:-
The other Club straight tailed Cessnas were painted the same scheme as referred to earlier but photos of them as such are elusive.
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Luton
Posts: 548
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The following week was similar apart from Tuesday, with more Scandinavian flights, which seemed to follow a 3 week cycle.
The OM150/151 flight (and the OM200/1 on Sundays) was to Tel Aviv - there was much paranoia about displaying the destination anywhere, so all the check in signage and flight information boards only showed the flight number. Staff were under strict orders not to say "Tel Aviv" in front of the public or - even worse - over the hand held radios. Same applied to aircrew communicating on the company ops frequency. Not sure about ATC - possibly it was "Monarch 150 cleared to destination as filed".
The OM150/151 flight (and the OM200/1 on Sundays) was to Tel Aviv - there was much paranoia about displaying the destination anywhere, so all the check in signage and flight information boards only showed the flight number. Staff were under strict orders not to say "Tel Aviv" in front of the public or - even worse - over the hand held radios. Same applied to aircrew communicating on the company ops frequency. Not sure about ATC - possibly it was "Monarch 150 cleared to destination as filed".
We did indeed have to clear it to destination! The funny thing was, I think it may have been 1982, but Maof, with their 720s and Middle East Airlines (MEA) with their 707s were operating at the same time it wasn't unusual to see them parked next to each other!
Interesting seeing the old mayflys. Two things stick out. One was the 1-11 departure most mornings at 2 am, bet the locals loved that! Also 1980 was the start of Corfu becoming very popular, on some days there were 4 flights. I went in the August of 1980 with Monarch on a 720 and the crew were saying they spent half there time going there!
Interesting seeing the old mayflys. Two things stick out. One was the 1-11 departure most mornings at 2 am, bet the locals loved that! Also 1980 was the start of Corfu becoming very popular, on some days there were 4 flights. I went in the August of 1980 with Monarch on a 720 and the crew were saying they spent half there time going there!
DIRECTOR
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: U.K.
Posts: 664
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ah yes Corfu. Downwind left hand avoiding Albanian airspace on the Southerly runway and taking off from it usually at night full power on the brakes and off we go down a bumpy runway with an emergency turn if an engine goes. Road behind closed hopefully as blast would knock anybody stupid enough to ignore the stop signs. Those were the days.
Awful smell when aircraft doors opened.
Awful smell when aircraft doors opened.
aceatco, retired
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: one airshow or another
Posts: 1,431
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
You could always tell the Tel Aviv flight as it was the one that had the security Land Rover in front of it leading it to the runway . . . . . 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: London
Posts: 837
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Milton Keynes
Posts: 1,070
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Does anyone remember when those insane hours departures died out i.e. 00.20, 01.00 etc. I can remember hearing One-elevens rumbling off in the 70s just as I was settling down to sleep and arrivals around 08.00 as I was cycling up to the airport.