I remember an Aero Commander flying lighting checks.

Yep, BAA had a Shrike Commander from mid 70s - reg escapes me - let's try G-INFO.

Shrike was G-BCLK, replaced by Commander 685 G-BFGB. Anything earlier than 'CLK?

PanAm used to move their "Super stairs" from the central area to PanAm maintenance, giving rise to a chant of "Here he comes, Super stairs going to the hangar to collect his spares.."

In the 1980s BAA had Turbo Commander 690B, G-BXYZ.

IIRC it had three cameras looking forward, sideways and down.

It was also used for air taxi charters.

More video from the good old days:

My first flights as a kid were from 1964-1968 always on British Eagle or BEA from LAP to BCN VCE RMI AGP VLC and PMI

We always checked in usually at the London Air Terminals and took their coaches out to LAP, but a couple of times we checked in at the Europa Building (T2)
I recall European and Domestic flights operating from there and the Oceanic Terminal opened in 1962 handled BOAC etc...

Re the 1955 video above shows the new QB, the tower and the Europa Terminal, So my Q is before the Oceanic Terminal was completed were all the transcontinental and long hauls still handled over at North-side?

I wonder how many of those children in the 2nd video went on to have a career in aviation? It was certainly how I got into it!

AFAIK, the 1950 Northside terminal was used up to the date that the Oceanic Terminal (later T3) was opened:

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....7e4651bcb0.jpg

The first clip is dated 1961 but looks more like 1953 (Comet & Elizabethan together)?

Many thanks.

Here's a (4-runway) LHR in 1969:


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....afae65265a.jpg
Pub quiz question: what was LHR's telephone no. in 1969? What was the derivation of this no?

Tel: 01 759 4321 ?

Derived from SKYport exchange and the old rotary dial phones that had both letters and numbers. (S=7, K=5 and Y=9) ?

Our BMA Viscounts were often were parked out on a remote stand at LHR on the C's and or the D's
Anyone know the stand number - my memory is a bit short on that one lol

We always used A7 A9 B2 B4 B10 and B12 when it was created
B6 now and again.

plus often we got put on N49 N51 and rarely on the far and away stand 151 (yeah great for a 30 mins turnaround !)

my Duty Traffic office was first in the QB then by B2 jetty and then under gate A9

Well done, spekesoftly!

Here are the min noise routings:


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....ad2e3bd874.jpg


Couple of interesting points: there are no Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs) promulgated in the AIP, only 'Procedures for Outbound Aircraft', and no reference to this term in the Definitions section. So SIDs must have been introduced after mid-1969 but before early 1972, when they were definitely in effect at LHR. Also there are no departure (or arrival) procedures promulgated for runway 05L/23R. Was this runway already out of service?

This thread suggests that 05L/23R was closed "around 1970".

Those Minimum Noise Routeings are very similar to today's SIDs, which isn't altogether surprising as the early part of each SID is designated as a Noise Preferential Route and only the Government has the power to change those, but to date hasn't dared to.

Only once did I land on #23. It was in a Viscount from IOM. Given that:

1. I did not start going to the IOM until 1980 or 81.
2. The Viscounts were used by Manx (the original!) through most of the 1980s
3. The inagural trip of the Manx 146 G-MIMA was in Dec 1987 (I happened to be on it by chance!)
4. We can say that #23 was in operation until 'sometime' in the mid 1980s.

Ah thanks D56 rings a bell?

I was vectored to RW 23 after a missed approach 27L and lightning strike in 1991, seemed it was available but not in normal use.