Charter airline visits to Leeds Bradford, 1960s and 1970s
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Charter airline visits to Leeds Bradford, 1960s and 1970s
Britannia Airways began using LBA in 1976 but does anybody know which airlines visited prior to this time and what their likely destinations were ? Passenger or cargo. The only one I can think of is the Transavia Caravelle doing trips to the Dutch bulb fields.
I do remember the likes of BIA, Dan-Air, Aer Lingus and Northeast on the scheduled front but not the charter scene.
Thankyou.
I do remember the likes of BIA, Dan-Air, Aer Lingus and Northeast on the scheduled front but not the charter scene.
Thankyou.
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Leeds?Bradford charters
Martinair Rotterdam DC4/7
Air Links - Argonaut - Lourdes
Dan Air - Ostend - DC3
British Eagle - Viscount - Palma
Autair International - Ambassador - Palma
Treffield - Viscount - Palma
All in the mid 60s
Air Links - Argonaut - Lourdes
Dan Air - Ostend - DC3
British Eagle - Viscount - Palma
Autair International - Ambassador - Palma
Treffield - Viscount - Palma
All in the mid 60s
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Leds/Bradford charters
Martinair operated Bulb field flights i think for Clarksons
Dan Air operated so called Champagne flights to Paris for short series with the Ambassador.
Dan Air operated so called Champagne flights to Paris for short series with the Ambassador.
Thread Starter
I've seen a picture of an Ambassador taking off from RW33 at LBA. I can't tell if it's Dan-Air or BKS though. At least it wasn't going to the Netherlands. 'On your left, tulips. On your right, daffodils etc.' I can't imagine anything more dull.
wardair 747's and DC-10's were regular summer visitors to Canada
I seem to recall Yugotours Holidays did use LBA for their charters which would be aviogenex TU-134's and inex adria dc9's - can anyone confirm that?
again not sure if aviaco spantax or transeuropa ever came in? (caravelles or DC9)
BKS/Northeast Tridents never came in afaicr - they did charters from NCL LHR MME
I seem to recall Yugotours Holidays did use LBA for their charters which would be aviogenex TU-134's and inex adria dc9's - can anyone confirm that?
again not sure if aviaco spantax or transeuropa ever came in? (caravelles or DC9)
BKS/Northeast Tridents never came in afaicr - they did charters from NCL LHR MME
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Wardair and Yugotours did use LBA rog, but not in the 1960s and 1970s which is the era I'm talking about. Perhaps Pan Adria turned up occasionally before getting in with Inex Adria.
first widebody into LBA was in the 80's with wardair and BA 747's although both WD and CP got their 747's very early on and were regulars at LGW and MAN mid 70's
Transavia Caravelles......bulbfields.......football???
Not sure about Autair Ambassadors to Palma??? BKS to Paris yes and Dan-Air to Beauvais yes! [day trips]
I'm sure there were others, will try and return to the question. I can usually remember fifty years ago with ease!!
Not sure about Autair Ambassadors to Palma??? BKS to Paris yes and Dan-Air to Beauvais yes! [day trips]
I'm sure there were others, will try and return to the question. I can usually remember fifty years ago with ease!!
Thread Starter
Just what was the big deal with b****y bulbfields fifty-odd years ago ? Must have been a flower power thing; I haven't known such a charter in my twenty-plus years at LBA. A longer runway and more capable jets may be significant here !
In answer to your question, I suggest that the world was a very different place back in the 1960s and 1970s, and these destinations were pretty "exotic" for many of the customers, for whom they were probably their first excursion away from good old Blighty. Out of interest I googled bulb field holidays and cannot find a company offering packages by air on the lines of those that Clarksons used to offer - though the famous Keukenhof bulb fields that were a principal stop are still very much alive and kicking, with the likes of Shearings offering packages by coach.
concur fully with ATNotts
dutch bulb fields tours by air for either a day or short trips were huge business back then in the quiet shoulder period before the summer season kicked off
look at some old photos of RTM and you will see maybe a 10 or more UK charter a/c on the deck
clarksons were one of the biggies but many companies enjoyed the work (same with JER and GCI holidays by air - nowadays the popularity has long waned)
nowadays most bigger and local coach holiday companies (we have 4 down here in west dorset) all offer trips to the bulb fields by coach/ferry from your local town and are usually a sell out
dutch bulb fields tours by air for either a day or short trips were huge business back then in the quiet shoulder period before the summer season kicked off
look at some old photos of RTM and you will see maybe a 10 or more UK charter a/c on the deck
clarksons were one of the biggies but many companies enjoyed the work (same with JER and GCI holidays by air - nowadays the popularity has long waned)
nowadays most bigger and local coach holiday companies (we have 4 down here in west dorset) all offer trips to the bulb fields by coach/ferry from your local town and are usually a sell out
Sorry for the thread drift - any of the LBA regulars remember the Aer Turas DC-4 that spent quite some time parked up over on 'the pan' after a landing incident. Think it burst some tyres. Mid to late 70's sometime?
Normal operation was with propeller aircraft, Viscounts, Ambassadors, etc, early departure to Rotterdam, only about an hour flying, sit there all day, back in the evening, then position on to the following morning's departure point. Clarksons were the leader, they started using Autair's Vikings from Luton which introduced the two to each other, and the rest was history. Some operators also offered overnight trips, which used the aircraft standing at Rotterdam to make a second round trip during the day.
Beauvais was another Clarksons point, being bussed from there to Paris, and there were other combinations and operators. The loss of the Invicta Vanguard approaching Basel from Bristol in 1973 was just such a day trip, it wiped out a number of women's social groups from North Somerset.