Northolt
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Northolt
Once again I would like to take advantage of the vast knowledge and experience that has helped in the past to establish airfield locations for our own website, Reel Streets - Reelstreets Films - Home Page
In the 1954 film The Teckman Mystery there is sufficient unbroken footage of the entrance to the airport to identify it as Northolt and a panning shot takes us to the arrivals hall where the character enters "No 2 Passenger Building" according to roofline board. Screen capture TM.jpg
Also in 1954 was the film The Six Men where the character is brought by car from very close to an aircraft, screen capture sm_1.jpg drawing up very shortly afterwards at an almost identical building but with "No 2 Passenger Building" over the doorway. sm_2.jpg. Whilst not apparent from the capture the plane, I believe a Dakota has the registration G-AGYX. Certainly the last three letters are readable and I am sure I can see the right hand leg of the "A". I believe that this was registered to BEA but no livery is visible. It is most unlikely that they would have bothered to hide it for the purposes of the film. Could it have anything to do with the fact that London Airport (Heathrow) was operational?
In the 1951 film Tiger by the Tail that I am currently working on an Pan American World Airlines plane is seen coming into land, tbt.jpg and just before touchdown has BEA hangars as a backdrop. Is this Northolt or a stock shot of another airport? After the landing we cut to the characters arrival at the terminal building that appears to be remarkably similar to that of sm_2 but difficult to know, from the angle, whether there is any lettering above the door. Would I be correct is saying that this Northolt?
As always, I would appreciate any help or information which would be fully acknowledged against the capture.
In the 1954 film The Teckman Mystery there is sufficient unbroken footage of the entrance to the airport to identify it as Northolt and a panning shot takes us to the arrivals hall where the character enters "No 2 Passenger Building" according to roofline board. Screen capture TM.jpg
Also in 1954 was the film The Six Men where the character is brought by car from very close to an aircraft, screen capture sm_1.jpg drawing up very shortly afterwards at an almost identical building but with "No 2 Passenger Building" over the doorway. sm_2.jpg. Whilst not apparent from the capture the plane, I believe a Dakota has the registration G-AGYX. Certainly the last three letters are readable and I am sure I can see the right hand leg of the "A". I believe that this was registered to BEA but no livery is visible. It is most unlikely that they would have bothered to hide it for the purposes of the film. Could it have anything to do with the fact that London Airport (Heathrow) was operational?
In the 1951 film Tiger by the Tail that I am currently working on an Pan American World Airlines plane is seen coming into land, tbt.jpg and just before touchdown has BEA hangars as a backdrop. Is this Northolt or a stock shot of another airport? After the landing we cut to the characters arrival at the terminal building that appears to be remarkably similar to that of sm_2 but difficult to know, from the angle, whether there is any lettering above the door. Would I be correct is saying that this Northolt?
As always, I would appreciate any help or information which would be fully acknowledged against the capture.
G-AGYX was one of the longest serving Dakotas with BEA, from being transferred over from BOAC when the airline was formed in 1946, it lasted to 1961 when it was sold to Autair. I think I can just make out the BEA "Key" logo of the era on the nose.
BEA ran quite extensively from Northolt into the 1950s, progressively making the transition to Heathrow, starting with building hangars there, as larger aircraft were delivered. The Dakota and Vickers Viking ran mainly from Northolt, and only as the Airspeed Ambassador and Vickers Viscount came along in the early 1950s were operations started from Heathrow.
Pan Am never operated from Northolt (well, once they did
); whether that is a stock shot I can't say. The BEA hangar at Heathrow was demolished in 2007, here it is being knocked down. The upper fascia where the initials were has gone but you can relate to the rest
https://forum.keypublishing.com/show...ase-demolished
The first picture has got, just peeking into the left hand side, the rear of one of the special BEA buses which ran from Central London to both Northolt and Heathrow, new in 1953
1953 AEC Regal IV - BEA Coach 4RF4 MLL740 - London Bus Museum
BEA ran quite extensively from Northolt into the 1950s, progressively making the transition to Heathrow, starting with building hangars there, as larger aircraft were delivered. The Dakota and Vickers Viking ran mainly from Northolt, and only as the Airspeed Ambassador and Vickers Viscount came along in the early 1950s were operations started from Heathrow.
Pan Am never operated from Northolt (well, once they did
); whether that is a stock shot I can't say. The BEA hangar at Heathrow was demolished in 2007, here it is being knocked down. The upper fascia where the initials were has gone but you can relate to the resthttps://forum.keypublishing.com/show...ase-demolished
The first picture has got, just peeking into the left hand side, the rear of one of the special BEA buses which ran from Central London to both Northolt and Heathrow, new in 1953
1953 AEC Regal IV - BEA Coach 4RF4 MLL740 - London Bus Museum
Last edited by WHBM; 18th Sep 2017 at 11:37.
According to the book "Action Stations Revisited" vol. 2..........
On 1 February 1946 Dakotas of the European Division BOAC (alias BEA) started operating civilian passenger services from Northolt to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. Northolt was lent by the Air Ministry to the Ministry of Civil Aviation from 4 February 1946. Civilian flying increased as foreign airlines started services into Northolt. Among them were Alitalia, ABA Swedish airlines, Aer Lingus, Czech Airlines, Danish Airlines, LOT, DNL and Swissair mostly using DC-3/Dakotas, later C-54 Skymasters. Autumn 1946 saw the introduction of Vikings by BEA. RAF Dakotas had continued to operate services.
By 1952 most airlines were using Heathrow and, in October 1954, Northolt returned to RAF control.
On 1 February 1946 Dakotas of the European Division BOAC (alias BEA) started operating civilian passenger services from Northolt to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. Northolt was lent by the Air Ministry to the Ministry of Civil Aviation from 4 February 1946. Civilian flying increased as foreign airlines started services into Northolt. Among them were Alitalia, ABA Swedish airlines, Aer Lingus, Czech Airlines, Danish Airlines, LOT, DNL and Swissair mostly using DC-3/Dakotas, later C-54 Skymasters. Autumn 1946 saw the introduction of Vikings by BEA. RAF Dakotas had continued to operate services.
By 1952 most airlines were using Heathrow and, in October 1954, Northolt returned to RAF control.
The 2 photos of the Stratocruiser are defiitely Heathrow not Northolt; Northolt never had a hangar that size!
One of the instructors at the College of ATC, Hurn was an Air Traffic assistant called Doug Shoulder. He was an old stager who had actually worked at Northolt in his early days and told us tales about a BEA captain (Welford?).
One day he was manning the runway caravan and a BEA Dakota taxiied out and stopped to do pre takeoff checks. Cockpit window opened and an arm came out with the fingers in a V sign. Doug stuck his arm out of the caravan window and returned the salute; the Capt then called tower and said , 'Tower, your runway controller is making rude signs at my passengers'!
One of the instructors at the College of ATC, Hurn was an Air Traffic assistant called Doug Shoulder. He was an old stager who had actually worked at Northolt in his early days and told us tales about a BEA captain (Welford?).
One day he was manning the runway caravan and a BEA Dakota taxiied out and stopped to do pre takeoff checks. Cockpit window opened and an arm came out with the fingers in a V sign. Doug stuck his arm out of the caravan window and returned the salute; the Capt then called tower and said , 'Tower, your runway controller is making rude signs at my passengers'!
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G-AGYX was one of the longest serving Dakotas with BEA, from being transferred over from BOAC when the airline was formed in 1946, it lasted to 1961 when it was sold to Autair. I think I can just make out the BEA "Key" logo of the era on the nose.
BEA ran quite extensively from Northolt into the 1950s, progressively making the transition to Heathrow, starting with building hangars there, as larger aircraft were delivered. The Dakota and Vickers Viking ran mainly from Northolt, and only as the Airspeed Ambassador and Vickers Viscount came along in the early 1950s were operations started from Heathrow.
Pan Am never operated from Northolt (well, once they did ); whether that is a stock shot I can't say. The BEA hangar at Heathrow was demolished in 2007, here it is being knocked down. The upper fascia where the initials were has gone but you can relate to the rest
https://forum.keypublishing.com/show...ase-demolished
The first picture has got, just peeking into the left hand side, the rear of one of the special BEA buses which ran from Central London to both Northolt and Heathrow, new in 1953
1953 AEC Regal IV - BEA Coach 4RF4 MLL740 - London Bus Museum
BEA ran quite extensively from Northolt into the 1950s, progressively making the transition to Heathrow, starting with building hangars there, as larger aircraft were delivered. The Dakota and Vickers Viking ran mainly from Northolt, and only as the Airspeed Ambassador and Vickers Viscount came along in the early 1950s were operations started from Heathrow.
Pan Am never operated from Northolt (well, once they did
); whether that is a stock shot I can't say. The BEA hangar at Heathrow was demolished in 2007, here it is being knocked down. The upper fascia where the initials were has gone but you can relate to the resthttps://forum.keypublishing.com/show...ase-demolished
The first picture has got, just peeking into the left hand side, the rear of one of the special BEA buses which ran from Central London to both Northolt and Heathrow, new in 1953
1953 AEC Regal IV - BEA Coach 4RF4 MLL740 - London Bus Museum
Yes, it was Technical Block D (TBD - Bays 11-20) that was demolished about 10 years ago, preceded by half of TBE (Bays 6-10) leaving only Bays 1-5 and the Cathedral (aka TriStar hangar, as was) as the only remaining bits of the old West Base.
I grew up in Eastcote, under the Northolt circuit. One Sunday School outing was to Northolt - I recall the play park had a stripped out and uncovered Rapide fuselage as a climbing frame. Mu st have been early 50s. Only 10 years previously my Dad had been a fireman at Pinner Road Fire Station, where they put the appliances on the forecourt all ready to be "scrambled" as soon as the Hurricanes took off overhead. had a reminder of those days today as a Dassault Flammant flew over, probably on its way back to its home at Pons-Avy
The 2 photos of the Stratocruiser are defiitely Heathrow not Northolt; Northolt never had a hangar that size!
One of the instructors at the College of ATC, Hurn was an Air Traffic assistant called Doug Shoulder. He was an old stager who had actually worked at Northolt in his early days and told us tales about a BEA captain (Welford?).
One day he was manning the runway caravan and a BEA Dakota taxiied out and stopped to do pre takeoff checks. Cockpit window opened and an arm came out with the fingers in a V sign. Doug stuck his arm out of the caravan window and returned the salute; the Capt then called tower and said , 'Tower, your runway controller is making rude signs at my passengers'!
One of the instructors at the College of ATC, Hurn was an Air Traffic assistant called Doug Shoulder. He was an old stager who had actually worked at Northolt in his early days and told us tales about a BEA captain (Welford?).
One day he was manning the runway caravan and a BEA Dakota taxiied out and stopped to do pre takeoff checks. Cockpit window opened and an arm came out with the fingers in a V sign. Doug stuck his arm out of the caravan window and returned the salute; the Capt then called tower and said , 'Tower, your runway controller is making rude signs at my passengers'!
Capt. Welford was also renowned for his flight to (Paris?), when he boarded a flight, dressed in a large overcoat whilst wearing dark glasses and carrying a white stick. Having been shown to his seat by the stewardess, he sat, somewhat impatiently, for the flight to take off. A few minutes later there was an announcement that the flight would be delayed as there was no pilot aboard.
Welford became even more impatient, stood up and tapped his way to the cockpit, loudly proclaiming that in the absence of a pilot he would have to fly the aircraft himself!
The aircraft duly took off, and shortly afterwards, Welford re-appeared in full uniform, and announced to the passengers "Only joking"...
I remember Capt. Welford in the summer of 1970, striding into AIS at Heathrow and requesting the Snowtam for Malaga.
He knew that we had a very new ATSA working there, and ranted for a good 10 minutes whilst the young lad searched without success to find the required paperwork!
Happy days!
Last edited by folkyphil; 18th Sep 2017 at 23:00.
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Folkyphil, that's an amalgamation of two stories I've heard, both to do with a character who flew BEA Rapides in the Scottish islands (I think).
One he would sat in the cabin with the other pax, deer stalker, plus fours and a monocle; after the non-arrival of the pilot, he'd declare he would fly the aircraft himself as he'd once read a book about flying, then took off in an eccentric matter all the while musing about what the book had said about landing.
The other, after the passengers were seated, he would board wearing dark glasses and carrying a white stick, tap his way up the aisle and into the cockpit. A hand would then grope its way through the doorway and hang a sign on the bulkhead: "Blind flying tonight".
One he would sat in the cabin with the other pax, deer stalker, plus fours and a monocle; after the non-arrival of the pilot, he'd declare he would fly the aircraft himself as he'd once read a book about flying, then took off in an eccentric matter all the while musing about what the book had said about landing.
The other, after the passengers were seated, he would board wearing dark glasses and carrying a white stick, tap his way up the aisle and into the cockpit. A hand would then grope its way through the doorway and hang a sign on the bulkhead: "Blind flying tonight".
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Northolt was used only for short haul flights. All long haul services used Heathrow (or rather London Airport as it was known) from its opening, using the temporary "facilities" on the North Side adjacent to the A4. When the new buildings in the central area at Heathrow opened in 1955 (the control tower, Queens Building and Europa building, which later became Terminal 2), short haul services transferred from Northolt. There was an Ealing Studios film made just after this called Out of the Clouds, which featured the new terminal (the interior was the largest set ever built at Ealing, I believe), but they had both long haul and short haul operating from it which was incorrect as long haul continued to use the North Side until the Oceanic building (now Terminal 3) opened in 1961.
The Ambassadors were none too reliable at the start, and it was not uncommon for passengers to report to Heathrow, only to be told the flight was being covered by two Vikings from Northolt, whereupon they were loaded into coaches to be transferred across. Apparently, however, from an airside gate at Heathrow direct to the aircraft steps at Northolt only lost about 20 minutes - it seemed to take a coach almost as long a few months ago when my BA flight from Heathrow T5 was operating from a remote stand.
Folkyphil, that's an amalgamation of two stories I've heard, both to do with a character who flew BEA Rapides in the Scottish islands (I think).
One he would sat in the cabin with the other pax, deer stalker, plus fours and a monocle; after the non-arrival of the pilot, he'd declare he would fly the aircraft himself as he'd once read a book about flying, then took off in an eccentric matter all the while musing about what the book had said about landing.
The other, after the passengers were seated, he would board wearing dark glasses and carrying a white stick, tap his way up the aisle and into the cockpit. A hand would then grope its way through the doorway and hang a sign on the bulkhead: "Blind flying tonight".
One he would sat in the cabin with the other pax, deer stalker, plus fours and a monocle; after the non-arrival of the pilot, he'd declare he would fly the aircraft himself as he'd once read a book about flying, then took off in an eccentric matter all the while musing about what the book had said about landing.
The other, after the passengers were seated, he would board wearing dark glasses and carrying a white stick, tap his way up the aisle and into the cockpit. A hand would then grope its way through the doorway and hang a sign on the bulkhead: "Blind flying tonight".
Last edited by chevvron; 26th Sep 2017 at 13:37.
OK, who remembers Children's Hour on the BBC Home Service? There was a programme called "I'm Proud of My Father". One child's Dad was Coxswain of Campbeltown Lifeboat. I have been hooked on the RNLI ever since. The other father who was the subject of a programme was a Scottish Air Ambulance pilot on Rapides. Would that have been Capt Barclay?
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OK, who remembers Children's Hour on the BBC Home Service? There was a programme called "I'm Proud of My Father". One child's Dad was Coxswain of Campbeltown Lifeboat. I have been hooked on the RNLI ever since. The other father who was the subject of a programme was a Scottish Air Ambulance pilot on Rapides. Would that have been Capt Barclay?
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Northolt was used only for short haul flights. All long haul services used Heathrow (or rather London Airport as it was known) from its opening, using the temporary "facilities" on the North Side adjacent to the A4. When the new buildings in the central area at Heathrow opened in 1955 (the control tower, Queens Building and Europa building, which later became Terminal 2), short haul services transferred from Northolt. There was an Ealing Studios film made just after this called Out of the Clouds, which featured the new terminal (the interior was the largest set ever built at Ealing, I believe), but they had both long haul and short haul operating from it which was incorrect as long haul continued to use the North Side until the Oceanic building (now Terminal 3) opened in 1961.
An article in, I think, Propliner magazine, by someone who was staff there in this era, described the operation. BEA used the buses they owned for Central London transfers to operate out to the aircraft. Unlike BOAC or other carriers, these were provided and crewed by London Transport under contract, using their more senior and therefore elderly drivers. They were somewhat lost working in an airside environment, and there were more than a few near misses, especially in the dark and/or rain.
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As a teenager I flew several times on school holidays 1952-54 between Northolt and Jersey - also once from Eastleigh (I remember the return flight was diverted to Hurn because of fog). DC3s of course. I used to check in at BEA Dorland House and take their 1 and 1/2 deckers (good view) out to Northolt.
In the summer of 1953 I flew by Comet to Singapore (my father was in the Army in Malaya). The terminal was still London Airport North, WW11 huts, which at the time I felt was incongruous as the Tannoy summoned us to board as 'the passengers for the Comet Jetliner' - an experience not replicated for me till the boarding call for Concorde.
My mother had earned my fare by working as Senior Ground Hostess at Singapore Kallang but of course the Comets went into RAF Changi, so she used to go there to meet them. She claimed she announced the arrival of my flight with the additional information 'and my son's on it!'
Interestingly I made all my air bookings myself as a15-16 year old and travelled independently. I wonder if that is possible now.
In the summer of 1953 I flew by Comet to Singapore (my father was in the Army in Malaya). The terminal was still London Airport North, WW11 huts, which at the time I felt was incongruous as the Tannoy summoned us to board as 'the passengers for the Comet Jetliner' - an experience not replicated for me till the boarding call for Concorde.
My mother had earned my fare by working as Senior Ground Hostess at Singapore Kallang but of course the Comets went into RAF Changi, so she used to go there to meet them. She claimed she announced the arrival of my flight with the additional information 'and my son's on it!'
Interestingly I made all my air bookings myself as a15-16 year old and travelled independently. I wonder if that is possible now.
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Thank you Four Wings for your comments. For the purposes of my original enquiry are you referring to the buildings in my pictures as the "WWll" huts?
The whole of the bus WHBM mentions is seen in earlier frames of that film.
As always, I have to say a big "thank you" to you all for not only answering my questions but providing such an interesting and enjoyable read. The fund of background information never cease to amaze me. Due credit will, as always, be given when I complete the captions for our website.
The whole of the bus WHBM mentions is seen in earlier frames of that film.
As always, I have to say a big "thank you" to you all for not only answering my questions but providing such an interesting and enjoyable read. The fund of background information never cease to amaze me. Due credit will, as always, be given when I complete the captions for our website.
Thank you Four Wings for your comments. For the purposes of my original enquiry are you referring to the buildings in my pictures as the "WWll" huts?
The whole of the bus WHBM mentions is seen in earlier frames of that film.
As always, I have to say a big "thank you" to you all for not only answering my questions but providing such an interesting and enjoyable read. The fund of background information never cease to amaze me. Due credit will, as always, be given when I complete the captions for our website.
The whole of the bus WHBM mentions is seen in earlier frames of that film.
As always, I have to say a big "thank you" to you all for not only answering my questions but providing such an interesting and enjoyable read. The fund of background information never cease to amaze me. Due credit will, as always, be given when I complete the captions for our website.
There were some of these at Heathrow used for Southern ATCC from when it transfered from Uxbridge until London ATCC radar unit moved to West Drayton in Feb 1971 and presumably originally built for the RAF radar unit which was co-located. They were situated west of the tunnel entrance where Compass Centre now stands, the other side of the tunnel from where the airline terminal buildings were.
I visited 'London Airport' with my parents several times in the early '50s and remember having to walk from the bus stop on the Bath Road (we used to get the Greenline from Chesham to Uxbridge then changed to a red LT double decker) through or past wooden huts, (presumably the terminal buildings mentioned above) not Seco type, situated east of the tunnel entrance, to access the public viewing areas which gradually moved south until they were in the Central Area.
On one visit, we had to walk across an active taxiway to access the public viewing area, the crossing being guarded by what I believe may have been airline personnel. I remember seeing my brother and sister walking across and I ran to follow, only to be snatched back by a man in a dark airline style uniform as something large with 4 engines was fast approaching (DC4 or 6 type).
Of course as I was only about 4 years old and this occured well over 60 years ago, some of the details of my recollection may be inaccurate, but the incident certainly happened!
Last edited by chevvron; 26th Sep 2017 at 18:18.
