Holiday Props
That must have been (in retrospect) a special time flying the Argosy, no doubt a bit noisy.
Did BEA only use the Argosy on cargo flights ? Did they ever sub for Vanguards that went tech, with some kind of quick fit seating, or just strictly cargo ?
Did BEA only use the Argosy on cargo flights ? Did they ever sub for Vanguards that went tech, with some kind of quick fit seating, or just strictly cargo ?
The BEA (Civil Argosy) was purely a freighter. A good friend of mine went from 105 Argosies in Aden to BEA Argosies and eventually ended up as a BEA Viscount Captain.
I think I am correct in recalling that for at least one season Janus acquired some former Alidair Viscount 700s.
Soviet holiday props
In the mid 1960's both Bulgaria and Rumania's holiday beaches were being sold to the Brits as new sun spots, cheap, and exotic (lol)
Some Tour operators like Clarksons and Skytours used Dan Air Comets or Bristol Britannia's to fly to Bourgas, Varna or Constanta, but Balkan Holidays and Sunquest used 'local' airlines and pax were treated to long turbo prop flights on Russian built IL-18's of Bulair/Tabso/Bulgarian Air Transport, or Tarom.
Great, 2 weeks in the sun for £39.
Large Hotels popular with Communist party leaders had sprung up along the Black Sea coastline in the 1950s – today’s Sunny Beach and Golden Sands resorts – and the Bulgarian government saw an opportunity to promote them in the UK.
Also the USSR incoming tour company Intourist offered package holidays from the UK by Aeroflot charter flights often then on TU-104's but IL-18's were used too.
The London-based operator, Balkan Holidays which remained state-owned until 1998 and ran agency Conduit Travel until 1991, brought out its first brochure in 1966 and started its own large proper charter programme with Bulgarian Airlines from London and many UK regional airports, plus DUB.
Still going strong today, the Company established Balkan Holidays Airline (BHAir) in 2001, and at its peak in 2005-06, Balkan carried 135,000 passengers out of 21 UK airports.
When the euro was introduced in 2002, the cost of living in Spain and Portugal went through the roof, and people wanted better value. Bulgaria again ticked the boxes.
Some Tour operators like Clarksons and Skytours used Dan Air Comets or Bristol Britannia's to fly to Bourgas, Varna or Constanta, but Balkan Holidays and Sunquest used 'local' airlines and pax were treated to long turbo prop flights on Russian built IL-18's of Bulair/Tabso/Bulgarian Air Transport, or Tarom.
Great, 2 weeks in the sun for £39.
Large Hotels popular with Communist party leaders had sprung up along the Black Sea coastline in the 1950s – today’s Sunny Beach and Golden Sands resorts – and the Bulgarian government saw an opportunity to promote them in the UK.
Also the USSR incoming tour company Intourist offered package holidays from the UK by Aeroflot charter flights often then on TU-104's but IL-18's were used too.
The London-based operator, Balkan Holidays which remained state-owned until 1998 and ran agency Conduit Travel until 1991, brought out its first brochure in 1966 and started its own large proper charter programme with Bulgarian Airlines from London and many UK regional airports, plus DUB.
Still going strong today, the Company established Balkan Holidays Airline (BHAir) in 2001, and at its peak in 2005-06, Balkan carried 135,000 passengers out of 21 UK airports.
When the euro was introduced in 2002, the cost of living in Spain and Portugal went through the roof, and people wanted better value. Bulgaria again ticked the boxes.
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When Channel Airways bought a fleet of Comets they seemed to be permanently AOG. I recall that at Glasgow (and presumably elsewhere) they subbed a lot of flights to a DC6 operator but I can’t for the life of me remember who that operator was. Any ideas?
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Delta Air Transport had several DC-6s available for charter, or what about British Eagle?
In the late spring and summer of 1982, Nor-fly Charter of Norway operated a series of Saturday flights to and from Leeds Bradford with their Convair 580s, usually LN-BWN, as I recall. I don't know the purpose of these flights, where they came from and went to nor whom was the client. Perhaps the passengers were meeting cruise ships somewhere in Norway or were maybe complete ship's crews ? There may have been a football connection but the World Cup was in Mexico that year so it's doubtful.
In the late spring and summer of 1982, Nor-fly Charter of Norway operated a series of Saturday flights to and from Leeds Bradford with their Convair 580s, usually LN-BWN, as I recall. I don't know the purpose of these flights, where they came from and went to nor whom was the client. Perhaps the passengers were meeting cruise ships somewhere in Norway or were maybe complete ship's crews ? There may have been a football connection but the World Cup was in Mexico that year so it's doubtful.
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At Glasgow in the late 60s early 70s , I recall TransEuropa , Spantax , Sterling , Sobelair and Martins Air Charter doing ITs .
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I don’t think it was any of these who subbed for Channel. At Glasgow in the latter part of the 60s there were also SAM and Inex Adria DC6s. No one seems to have mentioned the ACE Constellation.
ACE
ACE Scotland's only aircraft Lockheed L-749A Constellation G-ASYF
In December 1965 a subsidiary company to ACE Freighters, ACE Scotland was formed.
Operations commenced in July 1966 with an inclusive tour holiday flight from Abbotsinch Glasgow to Barcelona and Palma.
The airline was equipped with one ex-SAA Constellation.
Regular flights were made from Glasgow to other holiday destinations including Rimini and Rome, IT flights were also flown from Gatwick.
Ad hoc charter flights took the Constellation to Athens, Jeddah and for Air Cruise Tours.
The airline ceased operations on 23 September 1966 on the liquidation of the parent company. The last commercial passenger service was flown on 10 September 1966 from Palma to Abbotsinch.
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I was definitely born a decade or two too late - both for aircraft and music...
I'd give almost anything to hear the rumble of heavy radials passing overhead now, such an evocative sound.
I'd give almost anything to hear the rumble of heavy radials passing overhead now, such an evocative sound.
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Yes, nothing is perfect!
I never went on a Prop Holiday Flight LOL
But I did do some prop flights (mostly work related)
1974 - in a 115 Sqn Argosy which took us on a Canberra Detachment to St Mawgan - almost faster than by train
1983 - Air Zimbabwe Vickers Viscount after I quit working after 12 months at Thornhill AFB - I ended up travelling with 2 Airwork senior managers trying to convince me to come back
1993 - 2000 Jetstream 31/ATP and ATR whilst working for wastospace - the J31 on trips from Dunsfold to Wet Through and later in my last year with the company it was ATP/ATR from Farnboro to Wart On.
I usually tried hard to sit at the rear to be well away from the prop racket
But I did do some prop flights (mostly work related)
1974 - in a 115 Sqn Argosy which took us on a Canberra Detachment to St Mawgan - almost faster than by train
1983 - Air Zimbabwe Vickers Viscount after I quit working after 12 months at Thornhill AFB - I ended up travelling with 2 Airwork senior managers trying to convince me to come back
1993 - 2000 Jetstream 31/ATP and ATR whilst working for wastospace - the J31 on trips from Dunsfold to Wet Through and later in my last year with the company it was ATP/ATR from Farnboro to Wart On.
I usually tried hard to sit at the rear to be well away from the prop racket
Thread Starter
I saw the remnants of the Lufthansa Viscount crash at Hurn with bits of prop blade in the seats.
Never sat near the props on any flights I went on.
Never sat near the props on any flights I went on.