BIA Blackpool Engineering Base.
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BIA Blackpool Engineering Base.
Hi,
Any memories of BIA’s engineering base at Blackpool. Particularly interested in HP Heralds and howl long the base ran for.
Thank you.
Any memories of BIA’s engineering base at Blackpool. Particularly interested in HP Heralds and howl long the base ran for.
Thank you.
Others will soon be along to reply.
Slight thread drift, but when scouting for locations for the 1982 TV series 'Airline' with Roy Marsden and his Daks, they needed an airfield with a late '40`s feel to it... so they modernised Blackpool.
Slight thread drift, but when scouting for locations for the 1982 TV series 'Airline' with Roy Marsden and his Daks, they needed an airfield with a late '40`s feel to it... so they modernised Blackpool.
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The maintenance facility at Blackpool closed down towards the end of 1980, Some of the high hours Heralds were withdrawn from service and the remainder were incorporated into the Air UK fleet, engineering was relocated to the former Air Anglia maintenance Base at Norwich. Most of the engineering staff were made redundant at Blackpool, about twenty five engineering staff relocated down to Norwich.
Some of the scenes in Airline were shot in the hangar at Blackpool, following the demise of BIA.
Some of the staff that were made redundant had worked there for many years, in one case an engine fitter had started there with Lancashire Aircraft Corporation as an air engineer on HP Haltons in about 1948 or so, at that time maintenance was carried out on Percival Proctors, Avro Yorks, DH86B, C-47, Airspeed Consuls, Bristol 170 and DH 89A.
The last Herald that had a major service was G-AVPN, this was completed just before closure of the base, the aircraft operated with Air UK, went on to carry out passenger work with Euroair and was converted by JEA to operate as a freighter with Channel Express, eventually in 1997 making its last flight to Elvington to be displayed in the museum.
A further snippet of information on the theme of tv series, some of the scenes of the series "Family at War" were shot in what was the old BIA NDT section due to the 1940 air of authenticity.
Some of the scenes in Airline were shot in the hangar at Blackpool, following the demise of BIA.
Some of the staff that were made redundant had worked there for many years, in one case an engine fitter had started there with Lancashire Aircraft Corporation as an air engineer on HP Haltons in about 1948 or so, at that time maintenance was carried out on Percival Proctors, Avro Yorks, DH86B, C-47, Airspeed Consuls, Bristol 170 and DH 89A.
The last Herald that had a major service was G-AVPN, this was completed just before closure of the base, the aircraft operated with Air UK, went on to carry out passenger work with Euroair and was converted by JEA to operate as a freighter with Channel Express, eventually in 1997 making its last flight to Elvington to be displayed in the museum.
A further snippet of information on the theme of tv series, some of the scenes of the series "Family at War" were shot in what was the old BIA NDT section due to the 1940 air of authenticity.
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The maintenance facility at Blackpool closed down towards the end of 1980, Some of the high hours Heralds were withdrawn from service and the remainder were incorporated into the Air UK fleet, engineering was relocated to the former Air Anglia maintenance Base at Norwich. Most of the engineering staff were made redundant at Blackpool, about twenty five engineering staff relocated down to Norwich.
Some of the scenes in Airline were shot in the hangar at Blackpool, following the demise of BIA.
Some of the staff that were made redundant had worked there for many years, in one case an engine fitter had started there with Lancashire Aircraft Corporation as an air engineer on HP Haltons in about 1948 or so, at that time maintenance was carried out on Percival Proctors, Avro Yorks, DH86B, C-47, Airspeed Consuls, Bristol 170 and DH 89A.
The last Herald that had a major service was G-AVPN, this was completed just before closure of the base, the aircraft operated with Air UK, went on to carry out passenger work with Euroair and was converted by JEA to operate as a freighter with Channel Express, eventually in 1997 making its last flight to Elvington to be displayed in the museum.
A further snippet of information on the theme of tv series, some of the scenes of the series "Family at War" were shot in what was the old BIA NDT section due to the 1940 air of authenticity.
Some of the scenes in Airline were shot in the hangar at Blackpool, following the demise of BIA.
Some of the staff that were made redundant had worked there for many years, in one case an engine fitter had started there with Lancashire Aircraft Corporation as an air engineer on HP Haltons in about 1948 or so, at that time maintenance was carried out on Percival Proctors, Avro Yorks, DH86B, C-47, Airspeed Consuls, Bristol 170 and DH 89A.
The last Herald that had a major service was G-AVPN, this was completed just before closure of the base, the aircraft operated with Air UK, went on to carry out passenger work with Euroair and was converted by JEA to operate as a freighter with Channel Express, eventually in 1997 making its last flight to Elvington to be displayed in the museum.
A further snippet of information on the theme of tv series, some of the scenes of the series "Family at War" were shot in what was the old BIA NDT section due to the 1940 air of authenticity.
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The main hangar could house two Heralds with space for a third to be nosed in for say an engine change. There was a separate support workshop in the next hangar (Westair Cessna maintenance) used as an airframe component bay, spray booth, machine shop and technical library.
The main hangar also contained a stores, crewroom, Inspectors office and electrical bay, it was all rather run down with a leaking roof and inadequate heating.
A hardstanding outside the hangar could be used for minor defect rectification, engine runs and so, there was also a compass base and a designated area for high power ground runs.
I didn't work there for very long, June 1979 until the end in late 1980 when I moved down to Norwich to work for Air UK, it was a cheerful place to work with many characters, many of whom had been there for quite some time.
The main hangar also contained a stores, crewroom, Inspectors office and electrical bay, it was all rather run down with a leaking roof and inadequate heating.
A hardstanding outside the hangar could be used for minor defect rectification, engine runs and so, there was also a compass base and a designated area for high power ground runs.
I didn't work there for very long, June 1979 until the end in late 1980 when I moved down to Norwich to work for Air UK, it was a cheerful place to work with many characters, many of whom had been there for quite some time.
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The main hangar could house two Heralds with space for a third to be nosed in for say an engine change. There was a separate support workshop in the next hangar (Westair Cessna maintenance) used as an airframe component bay, spray booth, machine shop and technical library.
The main hangar also contained a stores, crewroom, Inspectors office and electrical bay, it was all rather run down with a leaking roof and inadequate heating.
A hardstanding outside the hangar could be used for minor defect rectification, engine runs and so, there was also a compass base and a designated area for high power ground runs.
I didn't work there for very long, June 1979 until the end in late 1980 when I moved down to Norwich to work for Air UK, it was a cheerful place to work with many characters, many of whom had been there for quite some time.
The main hangar also contained a stores, crewroom, Inspectors office and electrical bay, it was all rather run down with a leaking roof and inadequate heating.
A hardstanding outside the hangar could be used for minor defect rectification, engine runs and so, there was also a compass base and a designated area for high power ground runs.
I didn't work there for very long, June 1979 until the end in late 1980 when I moved down to Norwich to work for Air UK, it was a cheerful place to work with many characters, many of whom had been there for quite some time.
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Hard question that, Norwich was a far better facility, more modern and spacious with better support shops, also the interest of F27 and F28 maintenance, however a large part of the maintenance at Norwich was for third party customers, Busy Bee, Aviaco and others, therefore the costings and down times put pressures on the work.
I enjoyed Blackpool, also Norwich which had the additional benefits of really good pubs, I would say 50/50.
I enjoyed Blackpool, also Norwich which had the additional benefits of really good pubs, I would say 50/50.
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The maintenance facility at Blackpool closed down towards the end of 1980, Some of the high hours Heralds were withdrawn from service and the remainder were incorporated into the Air UK fleet, engineering was relocated to the former Air Anglia maintenance Base at Norwich. Most of the engineering staff were made redundant at Blackpool, about twenty five engineering staff relocated down to Norwich.
Some of the scenes in Airline were shot in the hangar at Blackpool, following the demise of BIA.
Some of the staff that were made redundant had worked there for many years, in one case an engine fitter had started there with Lancashire Aircraft Corporation as an air engineer on HP Haltons in about 1948 or so, at that time maintenance was carried out on Percival Proctors, Avro Yorks, DH86B, C-47, Airspeed Consuls, Bristol 170 and DH 89A.
The last Herald that had a major service was G-AVPN, this was completed just before closure of the base, the aircraft operated with Air UK, went on to carry out passenger work with Euroair and was converted by JEA to operate as a freighter with Channel Express, eventually in 1997 making its last flight to Elvington to be displayed in the museum.
A further snippet of information on the theme of tv series, some of the scenes of the series "Family at War" were shot in what was the old BIA NDT section due to the 1940 air of authenticity.
Some of the scenes in Airline were shot in the hangar at Blackpool, following the demise of BIA.
Some of the staff that were made redundant had worked there for many years, in one case an engine fitter had started there with Lancashire Aircraft Corporation as an air engineer on HP Haltons in about 1948 or so, at that time maintenance was carried out on Percival Proctors, Avro Yorks, DH86B, C-47, Airspeed Consuls, Bristol 170 and DH 89A.
The last Herald that had a major service was G-AVPN, this was completed just before closure of the base, the aircraft operated with Air UK, went on to carry out passenger work with Euroair and was converted by JEA to operate as a freighter with Channel Express, eventually in 1997 making its last flight to Elvington to be displayed in the museum.
A further snippet of information on the theme of tv series, some of the scenes of the series "Family at War" were shot in what was the old BIA NDT section due to the 1940 air of authenticity.
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Blackpool base did not service the BAC 1-11, only the Heralds.
There was an avionics bay and clean room, however generally all avionic components were sent away to be overhauled or repaired by the manufacturer or service centres.
There was an avionics bay and clean room, however generally all avionic components were sent away to be overhauled or repaired by the manufacturer or service centres.
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Thanks, Arthur. I presume Air UK overhauled their own Avionics components at Norwich.
I'm not sure about the avionics side of things but there was a huge amount of NDT on the Heralds, like many British Aircraft of the era most of it was radiography (x-ray) inspections.
These included the forward pressure bulkhead, most of the wings, the engine support tubes and several more I can't quite remember, it was pretty hard work !
We inspected the last flying Herald in JEA Exeter (G-BEYF ?) not long before it was scrapped.
I did this one with an ex-BIA NDT guy Tony Downie, anyone remember him ?
These included the forward pressure bulkhead, most of the wings, the engine support tubes and several more I can't quite remember, it was pretty hard work !
We inspected the last flying Herald in JEA Exeter (G-BEYF ?) not long before it was scrapped.
I did this one with an ex-BIA NDT guy Tony Downie, anyone remember him ?
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Yes I remember Tony Downie at Blackpool and met him again at Exeter.
I flew in YF about a week before it was withdrawn from service, it was one of the ex Malaysian 400 series that was brought back by BAF in the late seventies, very heavy aircraft, we carried out a weight reduction programme at JEA when it was converted to a freighter, we found a 2 inch loom running along the leading edge, couldn't work out what it was, it transpired that it ran to loudspeakers that were once fitted on the wingtips. The RMAF used to fly over the forests broadcasting propaganda.
Useless information snippet for today.
I flew in YF about a week before it was withdrawn from service, it was one of the ex Malaysian 400 series that was brought back by BAF in the late seventies, very heavy aircraft, we carried out a weight reduction programme at JEA when it was converted to a freighter, we found a 2 inch loom running along the leading edge, couldn't work out what it was, it transpired that it ran to loudspeakers that were once fitted on the wingtips. The RMAF used to fly over the forests broadcasting propaganda.
Useless information snippet for today.
Yes I remember Tony Downie at Blackpool and met him again at Exeter.
I flew in YF about a week before it was withdrawn from service, it was one of the ex Malaysian 400 series that was brought back by BAF in the late seventies, very heavy aircraft, we carried out a weight reduction programme at JEA when it was converted to a freighter, we found a 2 inch loom running along the leading edge, couldn't work out what it was, it transpired that it ran to loudspeakers that were once fitted on the wingtips. The RMAF used to fly over the forests broadcasting propaganda.
Useless information snippet for today.
I flew in YF about a week before it was withdrawn from service, it was one of the ex Malaysian 400 series that was brought back by BAF in the late seventies, very heavy aircraft, we carried out a weight reduction programme at JEA when it was converted to a freighter, we found a 2 inch loom running along the leading edge, couldn't work out what it was, it transpired that it ran to loudspeakers that were once fitted on the wingtips. The RMAF used to fly over the forests broadcasting propaganda.
Useless information snippet for today.