Stansted Airport History and Nostalgia
Join Date: Oct 2002
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GAZIN/Sotonsean - Arrow Air Post #325:
I was flying for Arrow Air at the time the photograph of N917JW was taken. In fact, I was the outbound captain on 13 Jul 84! The flight number for all of my Stansted to JFK flights was JW821. I seem to remember that we were still waiting for LGW slots to become available and started at STN in the meantime.
I flew my first JW821 on 29 Jun 84 in N902JW then 13 Jul 84 and 20 Jul 84 in N917JW. My next JW821 flight was from LGW on 03 Aug 84 in N917JW so it looks like a LGW slot became available on or about 01 Aug 84.
I was flying for Arrow Air at the time the photograph of N917JW was taken. In fact, I was the outbound captain on 13 Jul 84! The flight number for all of my Stansted to JFK flights was JW821. I seem to remember that we were still waiting for LGW slots to become available and started at STN in the meantime.
I flew my first JW821 on 29 Jun 84 in N902JW then 13 Jul 84 and 20 Jul 84 in N917JW. My next JW821 flight was from LGW on 03 Aug 84 in N917JW so it looks like a LGW slot became available on or about 01 Aug 84.
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Braintree Essex England
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On Tuesday 5th May, the Stansted Branch of Air-Britain held a virtual meeting, it can be found here-:
https://www.facebook.com/AirBritainS...dmin_todo_tour
You do not need to be signed up to Face Book to see it. It will changed over to our web site in a few days time, that can be found here-:
https://airbritainstanstedbranch.wordpress.com/
We are hoping to do another meeting next month on Tuesday 6th June, commencing 20.00, anyone is welcome to join in or just watch.. There are two sections of photo`s taken at Stansted from the past and one up to date section , well worth a look, the quiz is just for fun you don`t have to enter but it would be nice if you did, there are no prizes.
Hope some of you take a look.
G-ANPK.
https://www.facebook.com/AirBritainS...dmin_todo_tour
You do not need to be signed up to Face Book to see it. It will changed over to our web site in a few days time, that can be found here-:
https://airbritainstanstedbranch.wordpress.com/
We are hoping to do another meeting next month on Tuesday 6th June, commencing 20.00, anyone is welcome to join in or just watch.. There are two sections of photo`s taken at Stansted from the past and one up to date section , well worth a look, the quiz is just for fun you don`t have to enter but it would be nice if you did, there are no prizes.
Hope some of you take a look.
G-ANPK.
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: 35,000ft
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I'd be really interested to know if anyone has any of the charter timetables for Dan-Air, Britannia, Air Europe or Air UK Leisure from the 80's through to the early 90's (old terminal)?
Did any other operators use the airport regularly on sun routes in the 80's and 90's?
I remember going on holiday August 1990 from Stansted to Corfu on a Monday night with Air UK Leisure on one of their shinny new 734's. We checked in next to a Dan-Air flight, I think operating for Thomson Holidays going to Heraklion on the island of Crete. I remember seeing the Dan-Air 727 parked up on the tarmac as you could sit outside on the wooden picnic benches, think it was part of a bar in the departure lounge? Ours was the last departure that evening.
I honestly surprise myself with my memory.
Also anyone got any old pics/maps of the old passenger terminal?
Such great memories of flying through Stansted as a youngster.
Did any other operators use the airport regularly on sun routes in the 80's and 90's?
I remember going on holiday August 1990 from Stansted to Corfu on a Monday night with Air UK Leisure on one of their shinny new 734's. We checked in next to a Dan-Air flight, I think operating for Thomson Holidays going to Heraklion on the island of Crete. I remember seeing the Dan-Air 727 parked up on the tarmac as you could sit outside on the wooden picnic benches, think it was part of a bar in the departure lounge? Ours was the last departure that evening.
I honestly surprise myself with my memory.
Also anyone got any old pics/maps of the old passenger terminal?
Such great memories of flying through Stansted as a youngster.
Other UK charter flights from STN in the 80's were with Orion 732, British Airtours Tristar,
There were Spanish ones - Caravelles of Transeuropa then Hispania - who also went into SEN.
Do not recall any series of Aviaco or Spantax charters coming in as they usually went to LTN LGW and BHX.
Yugoslavia charters were flown in and out by Inex Adria DC-9, and Aviogenex TU-134, 727
Pula, Split. Dubrovnik
Air UK Leisure based at STN was new to the IT market in 1988, first with leased 732's then new 734's,
replaced much later in 1996 by an Airbus fleet and the Company was bought by Unijet.
Never seen any Mayflys' for STN on here - Plenty of old LTN ones on their thread.
There were Spanish ones - Caravelles of Transeuropa then Hispania - who also went into SEN.
Do not recall any series of Aviaco or Spantax charters coming in as they usually went to LTN LGW and BHX.
Yugoslavia charters were flown in and out by Inex Adria DC-9, and Aviogenex TU-134, 727
Pula, Split. Dubrovnik
Air UK Leisure based at STN was new to the IT market in 1988, first with leased 732's then new 734's,
replaced much later in 1996 by an Airbus fleet and the Company was bought by Unijet.
Never seen any Mayflys' for STN on here - Plenty of old LTN ones on their thread.
Join Date: Feb 2005
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There’s definitely footage I think on YouTube of the old terminal early 80’s of an Aviaco DC9 departing to Tenerife.
As noted in a very early post, I flew Aviaco STN-PMI-STN, out on 02.09.84 and back 16.09.84. Both DC-9's, and sadly some of the few flights in my log where the registrations were not captured.
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Air-Britain Stansted Branch Virtual Meeting
Tonight at 20.00 local time is our second virtual meeting, it will take place on our noticeboard : https://www.facebook.com/AirBritainStanstedBranch/ .
No need to be a signed in member of Face Book, it`s open for everyone to view.
We have stepped beyond the very basic trial last month and this month's presentations, have audio narrations added to them to hopefully make them more interesting.
The meeting will have 6 items starting with an introduction and chairman's message followed by our main part of the evening, a narrated video talk entitled "The M.40 meander", a road trip along the M.40 corridor with photos and a guide to the airfields visited.
We will then continue with 4 slideshows also with some narration:
1: Stansted recent photos by Michael Jones
2: Latin American tour - photos from some of Brian Richards' visits to that region
3: RIAT 1993 and 1994 (for the military fans) - featuring photos and an introduction by Nick Challoner
4: D.Day Dakotas, June 2019. The congregation of Dakotas at Duxford last June, including the visit of some to Old Warden and the Duxford night shoot - with photos by Andrew Goldsmith & Michael Hibbins.
It will also be posted on our website at about the same time, link to web site below -:
https://airbritainstanstedbranch.wordpress.com/
Stay safe & cheerful.
I hope you will join us.
G-ANPK.
No need to be a signed in member of Face Book, it`s open for everyone to view.
We have stepped beyond the very basic trial last month and this month's presentations, have audio narrations added to them to hopefully make them more interesting.
The meeting will have 6 items starting with an introduction and chairman's message followed by our main part of the evening, a narrated video talk entitled "The M.40 meander", a road trip along the M.40 corridor with photos and a guide to the airfields visited.
We will then continue with 4 slideshows also with some narration:
1: Stansted recent photos by Michael Jones
2: Latin American tour - photos from some of Brian Richards' visits to that region
3: RIAT 1993 and 1994 (for the military fans) - featuring photos and an introduction by Nick Challoner
4: D.Day Dakotas, June 2019. The congregation of Dakotas at Duxford last June, including the visit of some to Old Warden and the Duxford night shoot - with photos by Andrew Goldsmith & Michael Hibbins.
It will also be posted on our website at about the same time, link to web site below -:
https://airbritainstanstedbranch.wordpress.com/
Stay safe & cheerful.
I hope you will join us.
G-ANPK.
Join Date: Jun 2020
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I first flew from Stansted to Girona on Channel Airways - a BAC 1-11 on 8 May 1971 - Flight No. LY 637 - Lyons Tours holiday booked through Tom Hill Travel of Romford - two week full board - at the Hotel Sol Mar, Calella de la costa - at an adult cost £37.50 - my parents and my three older sisters and I. It was the first flight out of the season and the stewardesess remarked that they would be able to relax on the flight back as there would be no passengers - though seats had been randomly allocated on our channel airways tickets, all over the aircraft, the stewardess said we could sit anywhere - we sat in row 5 and 6 A-C - there was no door on the cockpit and and thick curtain pulled across for take over.
We departed at 8.30am - the check in seemingly chaotic in a rather modern but quite small check in area at the far left of the terminal - I was sharply told to wait with my sisters while my dad and mum checked us in - to an 8 year old it was awesome and exceedingly exciting - the extended departure area was made up of a large prefab hut with wooden floors and also a seating area outside. I remember the flight being called and we walked out to the waiting aircraft and boarded - i had the window seat. We departed at 8.30am and went across to the west then over east central London and then turned again across southern England - going out across the Needles of the Isle of White and I then later recall seeing Paris on the left in broken cloud far below and then an hour or more later the snow of the Pyrenees and the turbulence - we were served breakfast and my parents were given a small bottle of cava champagne with theirs - it was complimentary as a 'champagne flight'.
the arrival into Girona was exciting and we landed in brilliant sunshine - i don't recall the airport but were then on a coach which must have taken an hour to the hotel.
It was an amazing two weeks holiday - too many things to recall here - we flew home on 22 May at about 1pm on a Comet 4b of Channel Airways - former BEA aircraft as you could see BEA under the coverings of the fuselage - we boarded at the back and all sat at the front in a two facing set and on the other side - cloud all the way back and rain at Stansted - we were home !
.
We departed at 8.30am - the check in seemingly chaotic in a rather modern but quite small check in area at the far left of the terminal - I was sharply told to wait with my sisters while my dad and mum checked us in - to an 8 year old it was awesome and exceedingly exciting - the extended departure area was made up of a large prefab hut with wooden floors and also a seating area outside. I remember the flight being called and we walked out to the waiting aircraft and boarded - i had the window seat. We departed at 8.30am and went across to the west then over east central London and then turned again across southern England - going out across the Needles of the Isle of White and I then later recall seeing Paris on the left in broken cloud far below and then an hour or more later the snow of the Pyrenees and the turbulence - we were served breakfast and my parents were given a small bottle of cava champagne with theirs - it was complimentary as a 'champagne flight'.
the arrival into Girona was exciting and we landed in brilliant sunshine - i don't recall the airport but were then on a coach which must have taken an hour to the hotel.
It was an amazing two weeks holiday - too many things to recall here - we flew home on 22 May at about 1pm on a Comet 4b of Channel Airways - former BEA aircraft as you could see BEA under the coverings of the fuselage - we boarded at the back and all sat at the front in a two facing set and on the other side - cloud all the way back and rain at Stansted - we were home !
.
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Memories of STN late sixties base training in British Eagle 1-11 and Britannia’s. Icing on the cake BOAC super VC10 performing touch and go’s. All we had to do was report at crew briefing ask the Training Capt permission to ride along, no problem.Had many enjoyable weekends doing this.
This picture taken from the road by the old fire dump near Takeley, when you could lean your bike up against the fence.
This Falcon 20C wore the reg N50CA between 1977 and 1981. I'm guessing I took the picture between 79 and 80.
Looks like it had a racoon style glare shield paint job.....now very much back in fashion with Airbus
This Falcon 20C wore the reg N50CA between 1977 and 1981. I'm guessing I took the picture between 79 and 80.
Looks like it had a racoon style glare shield paint job.....now very much back in fashion with Airbus
we flew home on 22 May at about 1pm on a Comet 4b of Channel Airways - former BEA aircraft as you could see BEA under the coverings of the fuselage - we boarded at the back and all sat at the front in a two facing set and on the other side - cloud all the way back and rain at Stansted - we were home !.
Lyons were a mainstream tour operator of the era, who had previously used British United One-Elevens, but Channel took the contract without really having the capital for a substantial addition to their fleet; the former Olympic Comets were the best they could get. They took all five, operated one aircraft each at Stansted, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow, in usual IT style of the times normally operating to the same Mediterranean destination together on the different days of the week. Crewing all that from their Southend base must have been a challenge as well. The operation was plagued with mechanical difficulties, which got into the national press on multiple occasions. Their other jet fleet had worse issues - of the two Tridents in 1971 one was sat at Stansted donating engines etc to the other operating out of West Berlin, as they were out of credit with either Hawker Siddeley or Rolls for overhauls.
Some notes here
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...201971&f=false
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Braintree Essex England
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As 'live' meetings are currently impossible due to restrictions we at Air-Britain Stansted branch are hosting monthly virtual meetings which appear live on our website and Facebook page at 8pm on the first Tuesday of the month. The July meeting will start at 8pm on Tuesday 7th July
This month's programme.....
8:00pm Intro and Meeting agenda
8:04pm Canary Country Circular Tour – A 25min illustrated tour and guide to airfields in East Norfolk prepared and narrated by Andrew Goldsmith
8:30pm Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation, Flixton – a 4min slideshow of the museum by Michael Jones
8:35PM RIAT 2019 – An 11min narrated pictorial story of the 2019 Royal International Air Tattoo featuring photos from Nick Challoner and Michael Hibbins
8:50PM Stansted June 2020 – A 4min slideshow of June’s Stansted movements by Michael Jones
8:55PM North American Floatplanes – An narrated 11min portfolio of photos by Brian Richards
9:10pm Memories of Stansted Part 3 – 4mins of historic Stansted photos from Phil Kemp and the collection of his late father and branch founder Derek Kemp.
9:15PM China Aviation Museum – an 11min photographic story with commentary by Nick Challoner of a visit to one of the most amazing aircraft museums in the world
9:30PM Links and Meeting Close.
The meeting will be hosted on our Facebook noticeboard:https://www.facebook.com/AirBritainStanstedBranch/
(by using the noticeboard you do not need to be a Facebook member)
and a complete ready to view version of the meeting will also be available at 8pm on the branch website at https://airbritainstanstedbranch.wordpress.com/
We have an amazing selection of photos from all over the world so why not join us for the evening.
G-ANPK.
This month's programme.....
8:00pm Intro and Meeting agenda
8:04pm Canary Country Circular Tour – A 25min illustrated tour and guide to airfields in East Norfolk prepared and narrated by Andrew Goldsmith
8:30pm Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation, Flixton – a 4min slideshow of the museum by Michael Jones
8:35PM RIAT 2019 – An 11min narrated pictorial story of the 2019 Royal International Air Tattoo featuring photos from Nick Challoner and Michael Hibbins
8:50PM Stansted June 2020 – A 4min slideshow of June’s Stansted movements by Michael Jones
8:55PM North American Floatplanes – An narrated 11min portfolio of photos by Brian Richards
9:10pm Memories of Stansted Part 3 – 4mins of historic Stansted photos from Phil Kemp and the collection of his late father and branch founder Derek Kemp.
9:15PM China Aviation Museum – an 11min photographic story with commentary by Nick Challoner of a visit to one of the most amazing aircraft museums in the world
9:30PM Links and Meeting Close.
The meeting will be hosted on our Facebook noticeboard:https://www.facebook.com/AirBritainStanstedBranch/
(by using the noticeboard you do not need to be a Facebook member)
and a complete ready to view version of the meeting will also be available at 8pm on the branch website at https://airbritainstanstedbranch.wordpress.com/
We have an amazing selection of photos from all over the world so why not join us for the evening.
G-ANPK.
Thread Starter
Sotonsean
Are you still running this thread ?
You start a very interesting thread to which many have made contributions then, silence. I hope you just got bored of it and didn't fall foul of CV19.
Are you still running this thread ?
You start a very interesting thread to which many have made contributions then, silence. I hope you just got bored of it and didn't fall foul of CV19.
Yes I am still around after a break of 12 months. I can't really answer as to why but I just got instantly bored and one day decided that I wasn't interested in participating on pprune anymore. I've only just started reading the thread's again but tbh I don't think that I have any interest in participating.
But in saying that, now that I have been looking at pprune again after a years abstance you may well find me adding the odd post or two.
Hope your well and that goes for everyone else who has participated in this thread.
Best regards
Sean
