G-AHPB at Panshanger in 1962 having been purchased by Autair. Photocredit the late Peter Fitzmaurice
https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/a...8949-large.jpghttps://abpic.co.uk/pictures/full_si...8949-large.jpg

G-AHPB Avio Resto Soesterberg Holland 1968. Photocredit J.Zwart.https://www.sberg-movements.nl/afbee.../1968/2897.jpg

G-AGRW at LTN circa 1965. Note replacement rudder probably the result of a pilotless light aircraft writing itself off against RW at Blackpool in July of that year. Photo-credit the late Gerald Lawrance Tony Clarke Collection.https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5254/...fc358b07_b.jpg

Found this on the Flickr link from the previous page that is clearly Luton. Copying the URL link is producing the photo for some reason.

G-AGRW also went to Soesterberg, later to Vienna Airport Terminal Roof then a spell outside a McDonalds at Schwechat before ending up very very tired at the Austrian Aviation Museum at Bad Voslau where photographed by Stu Carr April 2 2017.https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2935/3...6a905808_b.jpg

So what is the story here then?

https://i.imgur.com/uDnz8Wd.jpg
Published previously by Steve J Roberts but taken by David Gearing

https://www.pprune.org/9541226-post1748.html


F-BPFN BE.55 Baron being transported to Luton Flying Club for possible repair - Dave Gearing Collection - Slide [94]

Laurence

Known affectionately by us as 'Mad Alphonse' it flew computer tapes for Barclays Bank (I think) twice a day to and from Toussous Le Noble. Called 'mad' because he flew everywhere very fast, often leaving it to the last minute before dropping the gear on short final.

I was in the tower seat at the time of the accident. A BAL B737 at hold A (now C1) said "That aeroplane has crashed!" "So he has" I said as I pressed the crash alarm. He had the gear down but the left main gear collapsed on landing (as he went abeam the B737) and the aircraft ended up on the grass south of the runway. Unfortunately during 'recovery' the right main gear was collapsed and other damage was done which I think totalled the airframe although I understand subsequently it was taken by road to Leavesden so it might have been repaired.

He took off one day, in a hurry as ever. Some while later, he called back on tower, crossing the channel, "Please check with Shell, it says Avtur on the fuel invoice!!" A phone call later we could definitely say it had been fuelled with Avgas! https://www.facebook.com/images/emoj...1/16/1f642.png

The pic is from the David Gearing Collection BTW.

The Tale told by Spiney is he was found next to the Baron shouting 'I need my fags, I need my money'! forever cancelling IFR on the taxi out and requesting VFR

"Fox Fox Novembeur" was repaired and reappeared on 22nd Oct 1979, only being cancelled from the French register as "reforme" on 22/8/94. I remember seeing it south of the runway on 2nd Feb 1979. By 4th Feb it was somewhere by stand 8 - possibly on a flatbed truck in the baggage loading bay - and was moved into hangar 9, but had gone from there by the afternoon of 6th Feb, which is the date of the Dave Gearing photo. Aztec F-BRSP took over most of the flights, which were indeed twice daily on most weekdays; lunchtime and early evening.

https://i.imgur.com/dOSqShN.jpg
F-BPFN 22/7/80, slightly different colour scheme so must have had a respray after the repair

https://i.imgur.com/R4dyN6R.jpg
F-BRSP 10/2/78

Great photo! If anyone's interested, I've got some more information about this cafe and its three Vikings on my site, see here: The Vikings of Soesterberg

Over the years I keep hearing about the David Gearing collection whose great historical photos appear here on occasions. So who is or was David Gearing?

Also thank Jhieminga for the great link.

David Gearing was an ATCO at Luton Airport for many years and he and I were on the same watch. He took early retirement and moved back to his native Eastbourne, I think, and died a few years ago.

I know who has his extensive photographic collection.

Vikings were know to be a bit nose heavy and at Autair empty Vikings were taxied and flown with 300Kg ballast bags at the back of the rear hold. There was a Baggage trolley permanently based on the ramp with the ballast bags.
of course in @pre Computer@!! days it did sometimes happen that aircraft arrived with a full load plus ballast !!!
One of the Vikings was sold to a Southend operator whose crew came to pick up the empty aircraft. We asked if they he would ensure that the ballast was returned to Luton. Not wanting the hassle they said take it off now which we did. We later got a phone call saying guess what happened in Southend !!
Yep on the nosed up !!

Good old Dave Gearing...always wondering around airside with his camera...

Before the days of the multiple Ops vehicles that now constantly roam airside , Dave would regularly shout and gesticulate at any vehicles he considered were driving too fast airside! We usually just waved back at him....;)

What's the DC4? behind the Viking in the picture
of RW

It actually looks like an Argonaut.

Judging from the livery possibly C54 Skymaster G-ASZT ? Obtained by Autair January 1965 to Air Trans-Africa as VP-YYR August 1965. Photo-credit airphotographicinternational, photographer unknown.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/03...g?v=1392060606

Photo Credit Dave Welch.http://www.dc-4.co.za/10640%209J-RBL...ve%20Welch.jpg

Photo must date from early 1966. Restored to Autair as G-ASZT on 8/3/66 and spent most of its time on lease to Invicta. The previous photo I believe dates from 1967 and looks to have been taken behind hangar 62. The Invicta stripes are still present on the tail. I remember seeing the aircraft in this scheme - minus the black circle where the Invicta horse used to be (still visible in the Saint episode referred to in https://www.pprune.org/10083385-post3029.html), sometime late '67 or early '68.
https://get.google.com/albumarchive/...GZtO6C_U25rmBW
Only picture (origin unknown) I have is this one:-
https://i.imgur.com/1BaI2VS.jpg

Here's a link to a better one:-
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...N_20.08.66.jpg


Aircraft sold as TN-ABC 15/5/68, surviving until 7/1/87 when it was damaged beyond repair by an engine fire in Zaire.