20 Jun 1977 G-BAKD PA-34 on a local flight from Elstree unable to lower the nosewheel. After burning off fuel it diverted to Luton to land on the grass. 4 PoB, no injuries, little damage to the aircraft. The photo is from the David Gearing Collection.

There have been many aircraft over the years landing on the grass with the gear up. I remember an Arrow which, I think, had one main wheel stuck up. It eventually landed all up on the grass.

I can remember the former tip in the background. As can be seen no fence in those days. I took a walk from the tip and got too close to the airport as I was asked what was I doing.

Good spot, N111AC was often parked there. Here's a pic I took on an early summer's morning in 1968

https://i.imgur.com/3VCCy8V.jpg

and a DC-3 where I think the C-54 is

https://i.imgur.com/AHSxgIN.jpg

Kodachrome 25.

A Radlett based Handley Page DC3 no doubt calling in at Luton for Customs clearance. Think they had more than one if my memory serves me right. They went bust in 1969 or 1970 as my father was working there.

They all went to work on that fateful day and were told to go home. For many of them they would come to work in company provided buses which did not take them home. My dad was allowed to take home anything he could carry.

Later as a youth I went there with my father and picked up some documents scattered on the floor as a souvenir.

No lighting towers in the above photo unlike the previous page but it is clearly the same location.

Yes that area in front of Macs was all grass and the edge of the grass was the concrete Taxiway. Where the DC3 is was the side of the taxiway that was extended into parking

I don't remember an Arrow doing a wheels-up, but there was a Gardan Horizon in, I think,1972 but on the main runway, which remained closed for a while.

Laurence

Has anyone got any photos of the Aeroamerica B707 that was languishing away at Luton during the early 1980's, if I remember correctly wasn't it parked up to where the grass runway was situated?

great old shots of Luton airport in the Saint Monday evening, Plenty of Brittania airways Brittanias Autair ambassador and a shot of a Invicta Dc4 but the invicta horse was missing.The Saint arrived on a Dove Luton airport was classed as Zurich in the show?

This one? Actually a B720-022 i.e. no aerial on the fin.
https://i.imgur.com/bFWnrCw.jpg
N7201U 20/7/79

Think it was left in the engine run bay before being broken up in July 1982.


or do you mean N751TA? which was a 707-123B, broken up March 1982 (no photo but here's a link):-

Watched it a few months ago, dated 1966 I think. Colour photos of G-ASUW are elusive, so it was a bonus when it appeared on TV. Registered to McAlpine at the time.
https://i.imgur.com/yW8vqmN.jpg

The DC-4 was G-ASZT which was Autair's but spent most of its life on lease, including Invicta who used it in the summers of 1966 and 1967. Sold in the Republic of Congo as TN-ABC 15/5/68.

Without doubt the most interesting thread on Pprune. Thanks to all the contributors, keep up the good work with information and picrures. Cheers.

Do you know, I'd never noticed that some 720s lacked the HF antenna!

There was another 707/720 parked in the engine test Bay Area around85/86. Local press said a night club owner was going to buy it and turn in to a bar /club. He ran out off funds and aircraft was broken up.

That was N7201U, which was the prototype B720, aka Starship, been on this thread a few times :ok:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Starship

Yes this is the thread that keeps on giving with over 3000 replies and almost three quarters of a million views.

Anyway back to the Aero America.

Competition time. What does the blue tail in the bottom picture belong to?

https://i.imgur.com/d7XLjCD.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/n3r3wSt.jpg

Many thanks for the quick response and the link and photos, it was the Boeing 707-123B seen in the second photo I was referring to in my previous post as I remember seeing it over by the engine run bay around 1980/81 and I notice from your comments that it was broken up in March 1982, I wasn't aware of the Aeroamerica B720.

Blue Tail in post 3036...could it be Air Foyle Piper Aztec?

I was told the B720 B’s, as used by Monarch, HF aerial was ‘IN the fin” but wondered if anyone can confirm ?

Competition time. What does the blue tail in the bottom picture belong to?
- Air Foyle Aztec ??

G-FOYL. Air Foyle's other Aztec G-AWDI had the registration on the fuselage.

Monarch's 720Bs had the HF fin probe: https://www.planespotters.net/photos/reg/G-AZFB

:ok: