Luton was a well known last resting place for Britannia's with several Monarch, Britannia Airways the odd ex RAF airframe meeting their end at the hands of the scrap man's torch.OVS will be the last. She has served the Fire service longer than her previous operators who were BOAC, Lloyd, British Eagle(on lease), IAS, Invicta(On lease) and finally Redcoat.
At least sistership G-AOVT is well looked after at Duxford.

That piece of music is excellent! Mind you I've been a collector of library music such as this for over 40 years so I'm biased!

With so many photos appearing on this thread over the years I am assuming this has appeared before but I really don't know
https://i.imgur.com/MiaSGKb.jpg

The flying club hangar in the background I assume

Yes. I don't remember Luton Airways on it, it was 'McAlpines' in my early days (very early 60s I think). When the McAlpine hangar on the west side of the main apron appeared (allegedly it came from Blackbushe) Luton Flying Club moved from the back of hangar 9 to there.

Luton Airways operated between December 1957 and December 1959, operating a small (3) fleet of Dragon Rapides.

So what is the airline?
https://i.imgur.com/e35q4XK.jpg

Looks like G-AHOY. At any rate, that's the only Viking I can find photos of on the Net with that winged horse crest.

From the registration record:

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....999a2694c3.jpg

Does anyone know who Cyril Claydon was ?

My first flight, at the age of 11, was Bovingdon to Malta, stopping at Nice, in G-AHOY in August 1954. My father ( Royal Navy ) was appointed to Malta, so presumably it was a trooping flight. Hunting Clan was the operater

I have been sent a message so was wondering if anyone can help. Has anyone got any photos / film footage or history of the Boeing 720 Starship N7201U at Luton as it spent its final days at Luton Airport before it was scrapped for parts in 1982. Apparently Led Zeppelin used it for their 70's touring days. Also the aircraft was the first built Boeing 720.

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

At their peak, Pegasus operated a fleet of three Vikings. This is an excerpt from an Article about Blackpool airport in 1959, published in Propliner magazine:Although charter flights at the beginning of the year were scarce, February ended with an apron full of charter aircraft when the entire Pegasus Airlines Viking fleet, comprising G-AHOY, G-AHPL and G-AJBT, were joined by Derby Airways DC-3 G-AOGZ operating a round trip passenger charter from Luton on February 28

Cyril Claydon was a Luton Builder. When Pegasus went into receivership in October 1961 the three Vikings were stored in a hangar at Blackpool where Pegasus had their main operating base and my erstwhile colleague Pete Hart (Autair and Gulfair) was employed by Claydon to mothball the aircraft. One day Bill Buxton, Autair's engineering director, turned up at Blackpool, inspected the Vikings and purchased them. Pete was asked to prepare the aircraft for ferry to Luton and took the opportunity to ask Buxton for a job, a request which was granted.


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....d0bcbbb881.jpg

G-AHOY at Blackpool. Destinations on steps reflect Pegasus' operating bases. Photocredit Dave Welch with thanks.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....2e3df21ddd.jpg
G-AJBT at Luton with Autair and about to be 'reduced to spares'. Photocredit Dave Welch with thanks.

That story is in Colours in the Sky.

It's Cyril Claydon BTW ;) I remember Claydon's the builders in and around Luton in my yoof.

Blackpool
 

I am not sure which hanger they were in at Blackpool.
When we started the Blackpool services we has the use of a hanger at Blackpool. The first time we put a Viking in everyone was carefully watching the wing tips ( With thumbs Up !) when there was a bang followed by falling bit of aircraft fin !!
The wingspan was fine but not enough height !!
We made a heavy duty "skate" they went under the tail jack point. Then we put downlocks on the main landing gears and selected gear up, hand pumped the gear up but only the tail wheel retracted and was then lowered onto the skate !!! The aircraft was towed into the hanger and everyone went to the bar !!

Autair Stewardess's Logbook
 

Currently offered on an internet auction site. Extracts from the log books of Valerie Fisher ex British Eagle and Autair. I thought Luton Old Hands might recognize a few names and at the same time younger Ppruners could appreciate the long hours sometimes worked when Sixteen Hour Duty periods were still legal. Autair entries date from 1962 until shortly after the HS 748s were introduced in 1966.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....e42c114f9c.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....2afbd3e3ef.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....db43d4c925.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....59b205cc12.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f331ddb6e1.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....5dcee53cb1.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....c131710b87.jpg

Amazing - she flew on Viking from LTN-Lyons-PGP and back (a night flight 4 sectors)

The first page of that log book has Captain Daniels. Dave Daniels like many of that era were real characters!
The Viking windshields were always a problem with leaking and his log book entry was "Windscreen leaks so badly altimeter reads in fathoms" !
The Viking pitot tubes were on the right wing outboard lower surface on a mast that was quite long to keep the tubes out of wing effect. Dave was coming back into Luton and the mount top flange of the mast cracked allowing the tubes to flex back out of the direct airflow. Of course the first signs were decaying airspeed which was countered with more power. They came across the airfield at high speed and landed OK !
He went to an Italian operator with turbine twins and was a training captain.He had the classic accident when they were doing an engine failure on takeoff the copilot feathered the wrong engine.(Shades of Autair 125!)
They survived but Dave stopped flying and retired in Sardinia,

There are photographs here of Pegasus Vikings in a Blackpool Hangar taken by Paul Tomlin after the demise of the airline.
AVIATION GOLDEN OLDIES - BLACKPOOL