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-   -   LUTON History and Nostalgia (https://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/527527-luton-history-nostalgia.html)

OUAQUKGF Ops 17th Jul 2019 18:06

I'm pretty sure it is LTN with the old terminal behind the tug and the tower out of view to the left.

cj241101 17th Jul 2019 19:09

Beaver G-ARTR was present on 8/7/64 which would have fitted the Euravia Connie time-wise.


LTNman 17th Jul 2019 20:20

Comparing the tree line and land height it looks Luton to me. Also it looks like that York is taking off from the old north south short grass runway and that guy in white is watching it. Runway 18-36 was 2,700 ft long. Was it any longer before the concrete runway was put in?
https://i.imgur.com/I3AuzHA.jpg

treadigraph 18th Jul 2019 08:18

Looks like a good call CJ, another candidate might have been de Havilland's Beaver based along the road at Hatfield but all pics I've seen show what may have been a quasi military colour scheme.

Thread drift, were Beavers flown across the Atlantic on delivery to Europe/Africa or shipped?

OUAQUKGF Ops 18th Jul 2019 08:19

The York looks to be in the colours of Freddy Laker's company Air Charter. That would date the photograph to between 1951-56.

As to the DC3 ??????

Jamie Glass in his book 'The Story of Luton International Airport' states that the three runway lengths in 1951 were (and I've converted them to Feet): 5400, 4950 and 4650. Unfortunately he is no more specific than this.

cj241101 18th Jul 2019 10:27

Google Earth is no help with regard to the runway lengths. Their "historical imagery" has nothing between 1945 and 2000. In the 1945 picture the runways aren't apparent. Quite how it shows the "tinminal" let alone an El Al 767 and an EZY 737 I'm not quite sure:-

https://i.imgur.com/xCqb22M.jpg

LTNman 18th Jul 2019 11:06

I guess in those days runways were maybe not marked out as they are today. Also what is on the nose of that Lincoln?
https://i.imgur.com/aV9Nqxn.jpg

treadigraph 18th Jul 2019 11:28

OS map circa 1957...

Lincoln could be the Napier Nomad test bed...

OUAQUKGF Ops 18th Jul 2019 13:47

Luton Airport 1946
 
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....cc37e2ffa6.jpg

vintage ATCO 18th Jul 2019 14:07

Both the Naiad and Nomad were tested on the front end of Lincolns. Here's another pic from obviously the same sortie.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....6be187d505.jpg

BTW the Connie definitely at Luton.

vintage ATCO 18th Jul 2019 14:15

How about this?

A Luftwaffe target photo from 1940 showing Percivals at Luton Airport and the Vauxhall works. Both were subsequently attacked.

The lines across the grass at the airport help disguise it, making it look like farmland. These were not apparent on earlier photos so must have been deliberate.

The road starting middle left and extending diagonally to the NE is Crawley Green Road where my parents lived throughout WWII, and so did I until 1972. I can just make out the house. My parents remember one raid on Vauxhall, one aircraft so low "we could see the pilot"!

An amazing picture.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....1a846c24e1.jpg

OUAQUKGF Ops 18th Jul 2019 15:01

Most impressive!

Haraka 18th Jul 2019 15:57

Vintage ATCO,
In the mid 50's (before my father bought his third hand 1936 motor bike) I occasionally went to work with him on Saturday mornings, From Stopsley war memorial we took the bus to the bottom of Ashcroft Road/ Crawley Green Road then walked across green fields to the Airport. I remember Jean Batten's Gull, the abortive P.74 helicopter and long legged J.Ps among a lot of other cherished memories,including having my first flight in a Luton Flying Club Auster and no other kids believing me! :)

LynxDriver 23rd Jul 2019 03:32

Apologies for the quality. I took this photo of the old Luton Flying Club building back in 1987 after returning from Corfu. I found it in a box in the loft, time sadly hadn't been kind to any of the photos contained within. It may still bring a pang of nostalgia, well I hope so!


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f76bf466f8.jpg

LTNman 23rd Jul 2019 05:50

In better days. The site is now an apron
https://i.imgur.com/qkrVUp9.jpg

Towards the end
https://i.imgur.com/lWYar6P.jpg

Just before the bulldozers went in
https://i.imgur.com/0TXxqrl.jpg

dc9-32 23rd Jul 2019 11:21

Crikey. Many a night I've staggered up that path after leaving the club on a Thursday night (or Friday morning) back in the glorious 80's. Happy days.....

LTNman 23rd Jul 2019 17:18

One of their aircraft
https://i.imgur.com/z9iK0Oc.jpg

Haraka 23rd Jul 2019 17:44

G- AIGT was another Auster owned by the flying club in the 50's . I last saw it in bits in a garage roof In Bury St. Edmunds being restored by a mate of mine in the 80's..

treadigraph 23rd Jul 2019 22:11

G-AIGT now owned by Mark Miller who operates Rapide G-AGJG at Duxford.

LTNman 24th Jul 2019 09:56

Unknown date

https://i.imgur.com/TgYexLh.jpg
Unknown photographer


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