Avro Lancastrian Tales

[AirportsEd]

If only you could still get milk delivered by Lancastrian...I'd be willing to pay an extra bob or two!

[AirportsEd]

G-AHCA

Saw this picture (on another forum) of G-AHCA at Geneva.
I presume this was taken during her time with Skyways.
Did Skyways operate to Geneva on a regular basis, or was its whole operation based on ad-hoc work?

[PDT1952]

Hi, I too have wondered about STENDEC, I found this plausible explanation The North Texas Skeptic, what do you think?

[AirportsEd]

Well, there are less-likely theories I suppose!
However, if the radio operator was really trying to put across an emergency message, surely he wouldn't have just repeated the identity of a potential alternate arrival airport...?
Ed

[WHBM]

He's 95 now, and still doing fine.

Well done sir

Just before they folded he was working on a ultra long range Douglas DC-4 for the Argentine Government.
He doesn't know what happened to it.

This is just a "best guess", but if it was the 1950s folding of Skyways (they had multiple financial mishaps !) then it could well be DC-4 frame 7454, which was delivered in early 1951 to the Argie Air Force as 4T-1, transport number 1 in the AF transport fleet so likely to be the VIP aircraft. It had been used a bit by the USAF at the end of WW2 but then went back to Douglas for several years, presumably unused, so had pretty low hours by 1950. Also later used by the Argentine Navy, it was withdrawn in the early 1960s, then sat at an air base for 20 years before being broken up in the 1980s.

[AirportsEd]

Excellent post Push Button...and well done to your dad.
Any chance of seeing that Skyways Lancastrian photo?
Ed

[Daughter59]

To button push ignored:
My Dad, who was a similar age to your father, also worked at Skyways and BEA in the 1950's and I love hearing such stories. I thoroughly enjoyed reading John Newby's book on Skyways too.

[RichardRS]

I can only elongate this thread still further

This Forum has been faultless in helping me establish airport locations used in commercially distributed films. (Reel Streets - Reelstreets Films - Home Page) In recent days another question has been answered with more detail than I could ever have wished. As a result of using this particular Forum I came across this thread which is not only very interesting for a complete "outsider" but covers an aeroplane that just happens to feature in another film that I am currently establishing locations for. Booby Trap (1957) The main character ostensibly flies to America from, to me, an unknown airport for which I attach a screen capture. There is then what must be stock footage of Lancastrian AGMM taking off, about 5-6 seconds. If I read CAA result correctly this plane crashed in 1949, not uncommon according to your thread, and was "withdrawn from service". The character returns from America on AGMA for which there is about 8-9 seconds of the landing. That plane was apparently withdrawn in 1951, so all stock footage from somewhere. I thought that you chaps would be interested to know that this footage is available on film and might appreciate the attached stills. For my part I would welcome any information as to the airport used in the shots. I thought that it might be Hurn as it is recorded as their "usual station" but I see that there were flight from Poole. Am I correct in believing that these planes did not fly to America?

[RichardRS]

Just a quick correction to my above post, the film should be quoted as Four Days (1951). Apologies, clearly too much on my Desktop!

[WHBM]

Am I correct in believing that these planes did not fly to America?

The BOAC ones (featured here) did not. However both British South American Airways and Trans-Canada used theirs across the Atlantic.

The first picture is of a Douglas DC-3, while the fourth has a DC-6 in the background.

[A30yoyo]

The final 3/4 rear shot of Lancastrian G-AGMA is I think landing on 28R at London Airport (I.e. Heathrow) ....the chimney visible on left is at Technicolor's plant and based on the runway width the other 2 Lancastrian shots are there , too. The Dak might be at Northolt?

[RichardRS]

Thank You

Thank you both for your help and information. I have now uploaded the film captures to our Website and used your detail with full credit to each of you. Your assistance is much appreciated.

[AirportsEd]

VIP Lancastrians?

I see that over on the KEY Publishing historic aviation forum there is a thread running about "Churchill's Lancaster" which, apparently, was actually a York.
It made me wonder if any Lancastrians ever had a VVIP cabin fit.
Does anyone know of one?
Ed

[Dave Hadfield]

It was a lousy airliner. George Lothian, one of the first TCA pilots, mentions it in his book "Flight Deck" -- which is a very good one, BTW. He was a Ferry Command pilot, with many Atlantic crossings, and he didn't like the aeroplane. Too many engine shutdowns, and without the 2-stage blower it was not able to get above the icing in the winter ocean weather fronts. Each trip was a bit of a victory, especially coming back to Canada against the wind.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bayliss_Lothian

[Cartabianca]

Just discovered this quite old thread, so I'd like to share what I have discovered about the Lancastrians used by Alitalia (Google translation available on site):

My website is called "AZ Fleet" - I'm not allowed (yet) to post URLs here, but you can easily find on search engines.

BTW; does anybody have any picture or scan of the Lancastrian's cockpit / main instrument panel to share?

Thanks!

[AirportsEd]

AZ Lancastrians

Hello Cartabianca
Many thanks for the note about the AZ Lancastrians.
Despite my interest in the type I had only seen one of those AZ Lancastrian photos before. Didn't know that AZ had an Anson either...

https://www.azfleet.info/modelli/avr...flotta=storica

Sorry, cant help with an instrument panel shot.
Ed

[Davef68]

Thread resurrection again! Does the Air Britain book cover the RAF operation of the Lancastrian? I'm especially interested in the use by the Empire Air Navigation School. Marion Derry's book doesn't cover the Lancastrian at all.

[jindabyne]

Does anybody know of the exact date that the Lancastrian entered RAF Service?