Baf did lease a couple of MD88 also a YAk 42 BUt there was a problem with the Licences due to the Balken wars At the time this was around 94 /95 I Remember visiting manston in kent when suddenly a Lat charter tu134 turned up also Concorde was there on a goodwood charter and you could not guess which one was making the most noise again the134 was on a charter licence which I beleive was under BAf and they got there knuckles bashed by the CAA that was the days

Luton Airport late-ish 1950s. No hard runway yet. Is that an Avro Manchester I see before me?
(photo from the David Gearing Collection)

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...t%2050-60s.jpg

I would put the photo at around 1953-4 with the Nomad Shackleton (VW131- the second prototype) at the far right.

Yep, good spot

Luton Airport 20 Nov 1951
(David Gearing Collection - Credit:Luton News)
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...Nov%201951.jpg

Avro York just visible out of the extant Hangar 9.

I wonder when and why the fuel pumps between the Corporation hangars were removed?

They were there early 60s but gone by 1966-67.

The York in #928 - Was that Eagle ??
despite being an antique - I am only guessing psentku


maybe G-AMGL ex argentina

That line of markers alongside the bowser is where we used to stand as kids to look on to the pan. Autair Vikings and Euravia Connies come to mind........

Interesting photo. The nose on the Prince is longer than the standard model. Was this just to accommodate an observer? I assume he would have to lie on his stomach and would be somewhat uncomfortable after a while.

Looks like one of the two P54 Survey Prince aircraft (VR-TBC/TBD) that went to the Tanganyika Government:

http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac...ica/VR-TBC.jpg

The former Easyjet HQ is being knocked down at Luton to make way for a multistory car park. This great photo was taken in the early days of the airline when the spectators building was still open on the right hand side.

The photo shows that the spectators car park had been closed which would not have helped visitors to the cafe and bar. I would guess the photo was taken around 1995 and looks like the easyjet HQ was yet to open.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...psrejnf26r.jpg
Peter Ryan

For those that visited Luton's spectators building up until the mid 90's when it was closed and incorporated into easyjet's HQ I have to report that it is no more. I spent many happy hours in there from the 70's onwards.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...psyoakyuvx.jpg


http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...ps5ksbbgbf.jpg

Wow, what a brilliant Concorde photo :)

I too spent many happy days and evenings in and around the old spectators building in the 70's, 80's and 90's.

Shame such facilities have pretty much become a thing of the past at most airports.

In the UK they have become a thing of the past; but not Germany, Switzerland, Japan and the Netherlands.

A lot of time spent in and around that building too - remember those strange metal benches?

And runway 18/36 there too. Can't imagine even a 3 million pax pa airport operating with GA aeroplanes landing at right angles to the main runway- like Luton did in 1973. Not in the UK anyway.

18/36 wasn't a problem, being at right angles. 06/24 was more interesting with 'parallel approaches'! ;)

Ah shame, I spent many a day in that building in the 70's and 80s. Happy days.

SyB :zzz:

Happy days indeed. Used to get fish and chips from the shop in Lyneham Road, then back to spend a few hours watching the aeroplanes. Even my wife enjoyed herself!

Vintage ATCO - had almost forgotten 06/24, though I don't remember it being used that often in my days (post 1968). Certainly use of 06 was very rare as I remember it.

Was it implicit that 24 traffic would remain north of 26 if there was a possibility of a go around. - or did you just "not go there" i.e. de-conflict.

It is amazing though how many airports running at not much more if anything than Luton's 3 million pax in 1973 shun or almost shun GA these days - Bournemouth for example.