British Caledonian - What if ??
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Stockport MAN/EGCC
Age: 70
Posts: 991
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
British Caledonian - What if ??
What if British Caledonian had stayed independent?
Given that they had Airbus A-310s in service and had ordered A-320s and had a mix of DC-10 and Boeing 747s for long haul would they have gone Boeing 747-400 and or MD-11 or would they have gone to Airbus 330/340? Any comments or speculation welcome.
I understand that at least one A-320 was flown in full colours on a French test reg but have been unable to trace a photograph any clues appreciated. It would have become G-BRSA I think.
Thanks in anticipation,
Be lucky
David
Given that they had Airbus A-310s in service and had ordered A-320s and had a mix of DC-10 and Boeing 747s for long haul would they have gone Boeing 747-400 and or MD-11 or would they have gone to Airbus 330/340? Any comments or speculation welcome.
I understand that at least one A-320 was flown in full colours on a French test reg but have been unable to trace a photograph any clues appreciated. It would have become G-BRSA I think.
Thanks in anticipation,
Be lucky
David
Gnome de PPRuNe
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,654
Received 314 Likes
on
174 Posts
First A320 was G-BUSB, delivered in Spring 1988. Accroding to Wiki twas in BA livery, funny 'cos I'm sure I remember seeing one at Gatwick in BR colours, but I guess it was nearly 20 yearsa go... Maybe I'm thinking of the A310s...
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 155
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
BCals two aircraft were to be,
MSN6 ex F-WWDD > G-BRSA (G-BUSB)
MSN8 ex F-WWDE > G-BRSB (G-BUSC)
The aircraft pictured however is F-WWDA (MSN2) which was never destined for
BCal, it was wetleased from Airbus temporarily to take part in a marketing effort.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Stockport MAN/EGCC
Age: 70
Posts: 991
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Never underestimate the talent and depth of knowledge on here.
Amazing response thank you. bjones4
Just been doing some more research BCAL had ordered 3 MD-11s c/n 48419, 48420 and 48421, which nominally passed to BA before being taken up by American Airlines. Somewhat surprisingly BCAL also ordered but did not take delivery of two Boeing 737-299s c/n 20090 and 20091 which were not built.
I wish I knew a photoshop artisan
How do they do it ??
Be lucky
David
Amazing response thank you. bjones4
Just been doing some more research BCAL had ordered 3 MD-11s c/n 48419, 48420 and 48421, which nominally passed to BA before being taken up by American Airlines. Somewhat surprisingly BCAL also ordered but did not take delivery of two Boeing 737-299s c/n 20090 and 20091 which were not built.
I wish I knew a photoshop artisan
How do they do it ??Be lucky
David
Last edited by The AvgasDinosaur; 25th Oct 2007 at 14:01.
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: West Yorkshire Zone
Posts: 976
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I loved that colour scheme, The Aircraft detail looked spot -on!!
Just a shame they went like DA AE etc.
A B Cal 777 would look lovely in that colour scheme
I keep looking on E-Bay for B Cal items.
I never saw the 747's, But remember the 10's.
Cheers Avgas for the research.
Just a shame they went like DA AE etc.
A B Cal 777 would look lovely in that colour scheme
I keep looking on E-Bay for B Cal items.
I never saw the 747's, But remember the 10's.
Cheers Avgas for the research.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Stockport MAN/EGCC
Age: 70
Posts: 991
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Quote by ByAlphaIndia
Not my research bjones4 found the airbus 320, thank you once again
Heres a reminder of the B.747s
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1135718/L/ with 1-11 bonus
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1057264/L/ with DC-10 bonus
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0270082/L/ with B.747 and DC-10 bonus
No apologies for this one the creme del la creme http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0351519/L/
and a glimpse of what might have been http://www.jersey-airport.fotopic.net/p43120981.html the first of how many ?
Be lucky
David
I never saw the 747's, But remember the 10's.
Cheers Avgas for the research.
Cheers Avgas for the research.
Heres a reminder of the B.747s
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1135718/L/ with 1-11 bonus
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1057264/L/ with DC-10 bonus
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0270082/L/ with B.747 and DC-10 bonus
No apologies for this one the creme del la creme http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0351519/L/
and a glimpse of what might have been http://www.jersey-airport.fotopic.net/p43120981.html the first of how many ?
Be lucky
David
Last edited by The AvgasDinosaur; 25th Oct 2007 at 20:16. Reason: Spelling and syntax
A Runyonesque Character
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: The South of France ... Not
Age: 74
Posts: 1,209
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
BYALPHAINDIA - I've got a BCal tie and cufflinks which I've been meaning to put on ebay, watch this space.
My last flight on BCal was on the curious 747 operation Brussels-Gatwick-transatlantic, with half BCal and half Sabena cabin crew. Anybody remember that?
And before BCal - as a sprog spotter in 1964 I spent a week lodging with the BUA Personnel Director, a friend of an uncle of mine. He had a house in Lowfield Heath, with the LGW runway at the bottom of the garden. Thanks to him I was able to watch the first-ever touchdown at LGW of a BUA VC10 (G-ASIW?) at a distance of about 100 metres from the point of contact. Apart from a Lockheed Jetstar, it was the only jet I saw there all week.
My last flight on BCal was on the curious 747 operation Brussels-Gatwick-transatlantic, with half BCal and half Sabena cabin crew. Anybody remember that?
And before BCal - as a sprog spotter in 1964 I spent a week lodging with the BUA Personnel Director, a friend of an uncle of mine. He had a house in Lowfield Heath, with the LGW runway at the bottom of the garden. Thanks to him I was able to watch the first-ever touchdown at LGW of a BUA VC10 (G-ASIW?) at a distance of about 100 metres from the point of contact. Apart from a Lockheed Jetstar, it was the only jet I saw there all week.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Stockport MAN/EGCC
Age: 70
Posts: 991
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Quote The SSK
I might just have to have a nibble myself, at least for the tie.
Quote The SSK
We couldn't possibly be lucky enough to have a sprog spotter (1964 vintage) with a camera in our midst ? 
What joy if it were true.
Be lucky
David
- I've got a BCal tie and cufflinks which I've been meaning to put on ebay, watch this space.
Quote The SSK
as a sprog spotter in 1964 I spent a week lodging with the BUA Personnel Director, a friend of an uncle of mine. He had a house in Lowfield Heath, with the LGW runway at the bottom of the garden. Thanks to him I was able to watch the first-ever touchdown at LGW of a BUA VC10 (G-ASIW?) at a distance of about 100 metres from the point of contact. Apart from a Lockheed Jetstar, it was the only jet I saw there all week.
What joy if it were true.
Be lucky
David
At the time of the B.Cal takeover there was a spat between BA and Airbus over who would bear the cost of repainting the aircraft built and painted but not delivered.
If B.Cal had survived it would have beaten all the other Gatwick-based scheduled service attempters (from Laker to GB). Simplistically, the airport doesn't work for such operations without the market being skewed (as it was for much of B.Cal's era).
At least they escaped losing more money on the MD-11s.
If B.Cal had survived it would have beaten all the other Gatwick-based scheduled service attempters (from Laker to GB). Simplistically, the airport doesn't work for such operations without the market being skewed (as it was for much of B.Cal's era).
At least they escaped losing more money on the MD-11s.
A Runyonesque Character
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: The South of France ... Not
Age: 74
Posts: 1,209
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
The AvgasDinosaur: We couldn't possibly be lucky enough to have a sprog spotter (1964 vintage) with a camera in our midst ?
What joy if it were true.
What joy if it were true.
Apart from the ubiquitous BUA Viscounts, the airport was DC6 city with a dozen or so European charter operators plying their trade, their US counterparts (Saturn, etc) were more into DC7s.
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Berkshire, UK
Age: 79
Posts: 8,268
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
<<My last flight on BCal was on the curious 747 operation Brussels-Gatwick-transatlantic, with half BCal and half Sabena cabin crew. Anybody remember that?>>
Oh yes... I travelled with my family from Gatwick to Atlanta and it remains the most utterly, appallingly dreadful flight we have ever been on - thanks wholly to the miserable cabin crew and the awful food. On arrival in Atlanta we changed to a DC8 of a US airline for the 45 minute ride to Miami during which they served a full steak dinner, etc. The difference between the two was amazing and we vowed never to fly BCAL again.
Oh yes... I travelled with my family from Gatwick to Atlanta and it remains the most utterly, appallingly dreadful flight we have ever been on - thanks wholly to the miserable cabin crew and the awful food. On arrival in Atlanta we changed to a DC8 of a US airline for the 45 minute ride to Miami during which they served a full steak dinner, etc. The difference between the two was amazing and we vowed never to fly BCAL again.
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Home
Posts: 1,948
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Back in the mid eighties I travelled from Gatwick to Houston once a month for almost two years on a BCal DC10. It was nearly always the same aircraft ....... how did I know? ......... it had a only registration I ever remembered ..... G-DCIO.
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Gatwick
Posts: 117
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
B-Cal
As a young engineering apprentice with BCal at the time of the BA takeover (they called it a merger), I can confirm we did have at least one A320 in the fleet. MD-11's were on order, I had actually ben over to Longbeach to see the production line not long before the BA deal was struck.
If BCal had managed to stay afloat by themselves, remember we were in talks with SAS just before as well, chances are they would have gone with the MD11 and 744 but knowing them, would have had their name down as a launch customer for the A380 as well.
If BCal had managed to stay afloat by themselves, remember we were in talks with SAS just before as well, chances are they would have gone with the MD11 and 744 but knowing them, would have had their name down as a launch customer for the A380 as well.
bbrown1664, which years apprentice intake were you? PM me if you like.
To those of you talking about BCal memorabalia, items do appear from time to time on E-bay and the "Caledonian Girls" TV ad is on You Tube somewhere.
To those of you talking about BCal memorabalia, items do appear from time to time on E-bay and the "Caledonian Girls" TV ad is on You Tube somewhere.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: sussex,england
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I won £25 in the Company suggestion scheme for Suggesting the registration G-DCIO............Twas along time ago , can't remember what I spent it on ............... !