Correct Autair ops! Dan Air started their own handling in the spring of 1970.I worked in Traffic then,Stuart Harbottle was the base manager,I think it was John Fox running the engineering at the time.In traffic we had one mini van(green).

Many thanks for putting me right gentlemen.

keepers one,
Tried to send you a private message but was advised it is not available to you. I was with Monarch in late 70s-80s but returned to Australia in 1990. Have been trying to contact 2 of the ground staff at Dan Air in those days, a DO Julie B and a Gina D. Paul

Our Courtline 1-11 flight was changed to a Dan-Air Comet just before our Pontinental Holiday was due to start when Court went bust. As a teenager my main memory was of the shaking and noise of the Comet when it landed back at Luton.

So how did a Comet reverse thrust its enclosed engines that were buried in its wings:confused:

The Comet's thrust reversers (outboard engines only) exhausted through the top of the nacelle, about two-thirds of the way back:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8358/8...d7e1e736_c.jpg

Was this for crew transport? Court also had a HS125 which I assume was for the directors.

http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/...psjobyqe6h.jpg

According to Graham Simons 'Colours in the Sky' Navajo G-AYEI was part of the Court Line Executive Fleet - obtained June 1970 disposed of November 1972.
Used for crew positioning and available for charter. Also available for charter HS125 G-AVRG (obtained November 1971) and Bell Jet Ranger G-AXMM (obtained August 1969).

I went for an interview for the Court Line HS125 as I was rated on it. I am sure Peter Hogg was one of the interviewing Captains, he of the Lake District!!

Is that a certain incident involving, amongst other things, a nocturnal rowing trip, various books including a copy of James Gilbert's "A Fliers World", and the shallowest part of the deepest lake in England?

Yes quite right - just above the 1-11 nose is Hangar 22 and it's white workshops. Still can't work out what the odd building to the left is though. I photographed Dan-Air 1-11's down the side of Hangar 61 during diversion days - but can't find the pic yet!
(Sorry should have linked to the Dan-Air photo.)

The building looks like a London Underground train carriage with a shed attached.

http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/...psnjqj93w5.jpg

This is the closest view I can find but this was taken in 1960

http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/...psfqmfppmy.jpg
That hangar and white building can be see in the above photo

Your red line is slightly off LTNman - the hangar and white workshops are on the end of the line of three - ie the road junction of Provost Way and Percival Way. These are Hangars 22, 24, and 26. The odd building may be in the area of the helicopter test pit and may have disappeared when the flight catering building was built

I wasn't being clear. The red line was pointing at where I thought the unidentifiable building was located. Those telegraph poles are another mystery as the don't appear in any other photo I have.

I've found a photo online but as it's for sale I've not reproduced it here. If you Google 4X-ANU a Navajo - it's parked outside Hangar 62 in 1970 and down the side can be seen the telegraph wires and the odd building again!

This one then

https://www.airphotographicinternati...vajoluton-1970

All very strange, it seems quite tall but whatever the building was it had a short life.

This was at a time when the road at the back of the hangars was not public. Prior to gainful employment I use to cycle along there to go round to McAlpines. Sometimes you were tolerated, other times you were told to sling your hook!

Are we talking about what looks like a railway goods wagon? I assume the telegraph lines follow the road so wouldn't the building be the other side of it?

Interesting to see the 1960 aerial shot. When was Autair's Hangar (was it 62) built? Noticeably absent in this photograph.

Would think that Halcyon House now stands in that background area that has been the subject of much debate re Dan Air 111s.

Here is a nice set of photos showing Eagle Aviation Yorks. The good thing about them is the amount of detail written on the back by the photographer, a Mr J H Lewis. Taken on 10th March 1951 with a Kodak Brownie camera they show G-AMGK with wingtips removed to facilitate the move in to the hangar. The final shot is from Percival Way of G-AGNY and just behind is a Proctor G-AHEShttp://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/...pszljki6hy.jpg


http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/...psvy9allai.jpg


http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/...psayeenwem.jpg


http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1b889ldh.jpg

Anyone know why or how the Pondarosa (spelling?) came to be so named?

Discussed earlier in this thread.

With 108 pages it would be hard to find. Also I have forgotten as well:O

See Page 79 Post 1573-76

The page number depends on your "Posts per Page" setting.

Here's a direct link to the discussion: http://www.pprune.org/aviation-histo...ml#post9430614

Oops wasn't aware of that DaveReid - sorry
Thought it was a standard setting!

We were always told it was called the Ponderosa because it was where all the cowboy operators were parked. It was amusing at the time!

As I have posted before . . .

"There was a western television series called Bonanza which ran from 1959-1973 (in the US I guess, prob a year or two later here) where the Cartwright family lived on a ranch called Ponderosa. The land attached to this (mythical) ranch was enormous and when someone saw stand 16/17 after it had been first laid associated it with that. Bloody stupid name that I always refused to use."

I have no idea if this was a regular event but I assume this a Vauxhall from the Luton plant going for export. I have no idea of the year either.

http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/...pswvhk4y7g.jpg

a daily schedule with vegetables from Eire to UK

LTNman,

You inspired a nostalgia trip. I learned to drive on a Vauxhall Victor (359 RPF - sad, I know!). However, it didn't look quite like the one in your picture.

A bit of research determined that my Dad had a Series II Victor, which was introduced in 1959. The Series I was introduced in 1957, but the Estate in your picture didn't come along until 1958, so I think that narrows down the date. :)

It never occurred to me that cars would be backed into the Freighter. Did Silver City load the same way at Lydd and Le Touquet?

PS How did we survive back in those days? No seat belts, no air bags, no crumple zones, steering columns like a spear aimed at your chest and, as Road and Track put it, dashboards "with safety by Gillette"!

The Bristol Frightener crawls into the sky off Luton's NW runway (31?), 1950s.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...050s%20lcm.jpg

It is said it got airborne one day with the Airport Commandant's (Eric Rushton) scottie dog on board and had to return . . . . . Maybe ;-)

Silver City loaded cars driving forwards and backed out when I used 'em.
As this shows, their ramp was rather smaller:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._-_1279923.jpg

I have seen photos of backing in as well.

Unlikely that Victor was for export unless the Freighter was heading for Sweden, the only other RHD country in Europe at the time.

Who drove the cars into the aircraft, owner or staff?

One of the early 007 films has Bonds' DB5 being loaded at SEN, though the a/c was I believe a Carvair? What suprises me is that the operation was presumable profitable. The Carvair boasted a ladder up to the flight deck and if my memory serves me well there was no safety rail preventing you from falling onto the car deck. Lastly as a PC one dark and misty night at STN I arrested 2 males syphoning fuel from a Carvair. Apologies for going off piste. A ground handler drove the car on.

there was a Vauxhall contract with BKS to deliver cars to Ireland/ vegetables for the London market came on the return.
I suspect the picture seen is a Vauxhall advertising example.

Car Ferry !
 

Great Site !!

I can tell you that the Bristol Freighters at Lydd were loaded by the airline crew!.
You arrived at Lydd and parked in the car park. Then you waited in a lounge that viewed the apron and watched them load your car. Then they loaded passengers in the upper deck and the procedure was repeated in Le Touquet !
Came to Luton in 61 with Autair’s only aircraft a DC3 G-AJIC
Lived in the flying club and rate included full Engish cooked by Ma Battle complete with headscarf and Cigarette !!
Autair had the contract to maintain and operate the King of Libya’s royal flight in Benghazi with 2 Lear Jets.
I ran the maintenance side there and the Bristol Freighter trip was when I bought a new Ford Cortina Estate and drove from Luton to Behghazi !!:O

GotTheTshirt

The only upper deck on the Bristol Freighter was the cockpit. The PAX sat in a cabin behind the cars.

Did the Carvair have an upper deck for passengers?

Well, at Ferryfield it was Silver City staff. I remember my father reluctantly handing over the key to his precious Standard Vanguard.

Yes, staff as the clearances could be a bit tight and it was a job for the trained professional. They did like the sporty exhaust note of my Lea-Francis even for the few score yards to the ramp!