British Air Ferries
 

Any British Air Ferries memories out there?

As a Police Officer at STN (72-74) I recall the aircraft coming in for service at TMAC, which I believe was the parent company. In fact was involved in an arrest related to 'Fat Louis'. Would my memory be correct ?

Was astonished to see (and hear) a BAF Carvair rumbling across Purley at about 1500 - 2000' about forty years ago, probably transiting around Heathrow and home to Southend. Wonderful sight and sound.


Names. "Plain Jane" was one I think.

Mrs Nightstop worked for BAF during the long hot summer of '76 while I was bashing the SEN circuit for the Clacks at SLAC. Fond memories of staff travel to Le Touquet and Ostend for duty free booze and ciggies. John LL-Beard was a Training Captain with BAF, I was most impressed when he came to do an Instuctors Rating on the PA 28 at Ted Clack's. John's son Paul (now retired) later became a senior trainer at AirUK and GO :).

Used to see Bristol Frighteners doing the Speke-IOM hop.

Always wondered who would fly their cars back and forth and at what cost at todays rates.

Joined BAF in 76. Having instructed for SLAC. By the end of 77 I had been through Bagdad twice. What a great grounding BAF was fantastic experience & great people. The places we took the HP7 & VC8 looking back is unbelievable. The nice thing thanks to the likes of John L-Beard nearly all who past through BAF had very successful careers.
Oh & I deny all the mischief we got up too.

Was it a BAF Carvair that was based in Abu Dhabi circa 1969/70 that was contracted to a construction company that was building a large military airfield somewhere out in the desert, I think Oman, or was that a Bristol Freighter? The grey cells aren't keeping up these days!

It was a Carvair (ATL98) think its reg was KN. but thought it was Muscat & circa 1972/3

They had a recruiting team come out to Australia in 1988, and with a brand new commercial pilot's licence I sent them, my CV. A lovely letter came back saying that I needed an IFR rating and a few more hours, and thanked me for my interest in BAF.
I sat next to a guy a few years later on a ground school, that had been accepted into BAF and had flown Viscounts, first as a F/O then a command slot. He had done the oil run out of Aberdeen for Shell and then the Parcel Force work.

Perhaps one of BAF's more unusual contracts - I took this photo in February 1980 at what used to be called Salisbury Airport in Rhodesia. I was out there flying a helicopter on a UK Government contract in connection with and immediately prior to the elections which saw Mugabe take power. I can't remember now but presumably the Herald was there for similar reasons?

I flew on Carvair G-ASDC LTN-NAP in the late 70's carrying a RR Spey to change on a Monarch BAC 1-11. I arrived at work in time to be advised that the rest of the engine change team had gone on the relief 1-11 and I had drawn the short straw to fly on the Carvair. I was more than happy with the arrangement and thoroughly enjoyed the flight.
Temps.

Occasional Herald and Carvair charters through LBA for years prior to 1982. Then they bought most of the BA Viscount fleet and did hundreds of Jersey rotations for the next decade or so. A similar situation for many British airports although LBA, unusually, didn't see much of their associate company, Guernsey Airlines. Some of those V806s must have passed through LBA wearing half a dozen liveries over the years!

As a young lad, I remember a BAF Herald (G-APWA) doing pleasure flights at an Airshow at Blackbushe in 1977.

My last flight in a Viscount was an ATCO Fam Flight with BAF on the Gatwick - Rotterdam run. I remember thinking 'what lovely big windows compared to jet airliners.'

You mean compared to other jet airliners. :O

http://www.bambootrading.com/1600/1615.jpg

Now you've done it; someone will now say 'but it's not purely a jet, it's a turboprop' then someone else will say 'but todays high bypass turbofans are really turboprops' etc etc.

Parabellum/Ice Pack

It was a Carvair, around 1974/76, based at Abu Dhabi and painted in the construction company "Paulings" livery. The company had a contract to build a new military airbase at Thumrait in the southern Omani region of Dhofar.

When I was flying the F27 (fine aeroplane) I always said the Dart was a "Very High-bypass, unducted turbofan"

My one and only flight with BAF was late 80's on an empty oily VC8 going back to Sumburgh, BA had dumped my wife and I on an ID90, I knew the crew and spent the whole flight standing on the flight deck whilst my wife gossiped with the girls down the back.
Also on a weekend morning the first VC8 used to go back empty to Aberdeen so after breakfast they would take a low level sight seeing trip up Island followed by a 'low approach and go-around' at Sumburgh to activate the Scottish Centre FPL!! Great days.....:)

Jenkins

...and the New World Air Charter Dc6s, N19CA, N122A and N91308. Very profitable operation until '122A flew into Jebel Akhdar minutes after a night departure from Seeb full of fuel on way back to Larnaca after a CY fresh fruit/veg charter. Unfortunately killing the chief pilot/owner, senior first officer and flight engineer. I believe '19CA rotted away at Sharjah or Dubai, never heard what happened to '91308.

Icepack

Just came to me, it was GAREK.

Just googled N91308, seems to have been scrapped at Dubai. :(

TCAS FAN.
Thanks for that. I was working for BAF as a cargo clerk whilst building hours 73/74 for instructors rating. I remember the Carvair going out to the OMAN & now you say it in paulings livery.
Funny old world, I took an A330 into Thumrait on a trouping flt a few years back.
On a different in put.
Anyone remember the Baltic viscount (BAF sold it to them) doing a fly past down Southends main Apron.

Was it SE-IVY?

That rings a bell. But can't remember for certain.

Interesting thread. I did my flying scholarship and PPL at SLAC in 73 and was a member there throughout the 70s. Great memories.

I think N19CA is the DC-6 that rotted away at Larnaca, wreck later moved to a small airfield near Nicosia. Have some piccies from 2011 but the upload doesn't seem to be working.

I used to hang around the start of 06 at Southend and watch the BAF Carvairs and Heralds as they came and went back in the 70s.Coming home one night on a winters evening my mothers car was suddenly engulfed in a Carvairs landing lights and the noise as it overflew us was scarey to a young child, the road was literally on the threshold for 06. There was I believe a number 9 bus which took a hit from a Carvair, but it may have been a playground tale that I heard. A friends father once had a wheels up landing in a Carvair at Manston. They were told Southend was fog bound. He could however see his house, so he knew something was up. A white foam carpet at Manston was laid out for the landing.

Urban Myth maybe, but one morning as a Cherokee PA28 was following a Carver ATL98 out to the holding point for rwy 24. PA28 Tx G??? holding IMC no 2. (ATL 98 engines were cold & puffing a bit) ATL98 Tx in reply before twr could answer. "Listen sonny when you are a big boy you can smoke too" !

One of my better landings at Sumburgh about 1985 in G-APIM I think, on runway 35.

For those unaware, you have to do a curved approach to this runway due to Sumburgh Head to the south (Psst it's runway 33 not 35), the approach lighting being offset as a guide to ensure you pass between Sumburgh Head (left of photo) and the Sumburgh Hotel (right of photo)

Ahhh the 185 radial visual break for 33 or downwind for 15.... In my time their saw a few aircraft come 'over' the hill straight-in for 33 mainly RAF C130's cos they could and I am sure a Mearsk B732 did on a diversion from Faroe??
The noise abatement left turns departing 33 were good as well with at least two BA 748's making it inside the VCR!!

Thank you everyone for this thread I have enjoyed it so far. I had a friend who Flew for BAF in the 70's his name was John Jackson does anybody remember him, I always wanted to fly the Herald and the Viscount but sadly it never happened I ended up with Dan-Air at the end of the 70's in Aberdeen. Ah Sumburgh Very fond Memory's, we had some old Captains ex Tridents one of them when i first Flew with this character he said he was going to the G E way some of you will know him. He may have past on by now over the hill lined up for 33, The departure of 33 was great if i remember rightly the Turn just after rotate was an emergency Turn ( correct me if i am wrong ). The Correct approach according to Captain John Smith was 550ft level on the inside of lighthouse then full flap then descending turn Great fun it was. The Poor farmer near the Threshold. Those were the Days T211

Approaching 33 Sumburgh G-BDZV 29 Sep 1977
 

From my photo album:

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...dia/img373.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...dia/img374.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...dia/img375.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...dia/img376.jpg

On a fairly benign Sumburgh afternoon.

G-BEYD 08 October 1977 Kuala Lumpur International
 

A quick relocation from Aberdeen, and courtesy of QF2, here we are in Kuala Lumpur (old) ready to ferry G-BEYD (ex RMAF FM1020) back to the UK. Things got off to a great start at RMAF Sempang when our travelling engineer undid an underwing inspection panel and a small but rather upset python slithered out and landed on his head. However we airtested it, found it satisfactory, no further local fauna presented itself, so we positioned it across to KUL and a four day fight with overflight and dip clearance paperwork then ensued before we could finally set off. As Icepack says, you had to stay flexible with Mike Keegan as a boss.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...dia/img218.jpg

I always remember seeing my first carvair BAF in jersey Channel Islands around 72 my family and I was watching aircraft arrive on the other side of the terminal on a country lane when this strange aircraft arrived I knew this well when suddenly we was moved of by a member of the jersey police on a motor bike? Second time saw a carvair flying over Margate beach everyone looking up at this strange plane on its way to manston around76 on charter to invicta later on I was involved in aircraft charter operations got some very interesting material from BAF there Vip herald which you could charter good shots of Mike Keegan sitting down smiling also some interesting directors names one L PIggot OBE also the story of the CL44 WHich they leased from Transmerdrian for the short hop from Southend to Ostend which load factors failed then the gambling rumours of converting the CL44 in to flying casino and flying around the Caribbean ?

My first flight was on a Bristol Freighter of Chanel Air Bridge from Southend to Hook of Holland in about 1960. It was with my mother, father and brother with the old man's Jaguar in the nose. I particularly remember feeling into the seat pocket and finding a sick bag which had been used! Yuk. If I remember correctly rain came through the windows during the flight.

Next year we went on a Carvair, much better.

Sumburgh
 

I've just remembered, the pic of IM landing on 33 was taken by one of our LSI staff, Danny Lesley. Danny is a true Shetlander, he was also "Chief Guiser" at Up Helly Aye one year.Our LSI staff were all hard working, often in the worst of weather. Danny would stand behind the engines of our 700 series Viscount (pre baf) and hold the props stationary until we hit the starter button!

Ref the picture of BEYD. Were the long range tanks just to get home or a standard fit for RMAF?

The tanks were ferry only, and only 'YD had them. Why this came about, I can't remember. The capacity was 330 imp gal each - they were gravity filled - and they increased the range by around 600 n.m. This allowed us to make giant strides for a Dart Herald: Kuala Lumpur - Bangkok - Calcutta - Karachi - Bahrain - Larnaca - Belgrade. Then one of the ferry tank pumps failed, so we became a normal version, requiring a stop in Nurnberg, then home to Southend.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...dia/img219.jpg

Gravity fuelling the ferry tanks at Bahrain 15 October 1977. What our engineer Bernie Riley is doing crawling around up there goodness knows. Perhaps after the python on his head at Sempang he felt it was safer on top!