Bombay Santa Cruz India
 

I am researching the Aviation history of Western India and would love to have some memories,pics,maps and memorabilia.
Tks

Dropped in there in 63 or 64 via British Eagle Britannia at midnight en route for Singapore if memory serves. On leaving the aircraft it was like walking into an oven! Whilst refuelling took place we walked to the holding lounge. On the way one of the RAF firemen wanted to snap some Indian fighter aircraft parked nearby. Local airport plod with a big length of heavy bamboo wanted none of it and nearly clouted the lad. Air conditioning in the lounge was done by the kind efforts of some sleepy eyed local pulling a string attached to an overhead "wafter". There, now will you please remove the flaming tab saying I hav,nt posted for some time! Good man.

Back in 1962 I was part of the Valiant tanker force that refuelled Javelins from the UK to India. This is when the Chinese and Indians were discussing their borders in the Himalayas. We landed at Bombay, Santa Cruz and were there for a few days before taking the same Javelins to Singapore. We stayed at the 'Sun and Sand' hotel on Juhu beach and I remember a tour around Bombay including the Towers of Silence, a Pharsee funeral site. I have quite a few pictures but they are 35mm slides and when my daughter buys me the gizmo at Xmas I can forward some to you.

I rememember the Sun n Sand/s?? at Juhu Beach. My sister and I stayed there in December 1970 after landing at Santa Cruz and we were on our way to the Seychelles by sea as the airport there was still being built. I wonder if the hotel is still there?

Bom History
 

Am also looking further back to Imperial airways and BOAC days at BOM.
any news from Pan Am & TWA at BOM would be very welcome
rgrds
:)

The Sun n Sand at Juhu Beach is still my favourite
Hotel in India. There was a major remodeling in a
Spanish style in the early 2000's.

The hotel had a crew lounge which was popular.
Swissair used the Sun n Sand for crew layovers
for over 40 years before they collasped.

Dragged out a few slides taken during the Javelin reinforcement as I have now got a gizmo.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...2-2010_022.jpg
A Valiant taxiing to the Indian Air Force site, There was no room on the main pan and the aircraft had to return to refuel as the IAF pan couldn;t take the weight. BOAC Comet 4 on the right of it and a rare shot of a TU 104 in the same frame as a Valiant.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...2-2010_023.jpg

We had the Rolls Royce treatment by the IAF.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...2-2010_021.jpg

Either the Roller was pulling or the power unit was pushing.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e.../FrontDoor.jpg

The Front Door of the Sun N Sand. A '57 Packard shows the age.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...2-2010_024.jpg

The swimming pool at the Sun N Sand