Bristol Type 170 Freighter
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Guys it was nearly half a century ago. Yes it may well have been Southend and judging by the curve in the apron it probably was. Very likely the same day as the previous picture of G-AICT.
I think that Sabena had two freighters registred OO-PAU and AV if my memory serves me correctly. EDIT: My memory has got it wrong again. G-APAV was painted in SABENA colours.
The Carvair in the middle of the line would also tend to suggest Southend.
I have a couple of 'off thread' photos of other aircraft taken at the same time and suffering the same degredation of picture quality that were definitely Southend.
Thinking about it Ferryfield also parked the freighters nose in to the terminal and the aircraft were pulled out tail first by a tractor. So Southend it must be.
I think that Sabena had two freighters registred OO-PAU and AV if my memory serves me correctly. EDIT: My memory has got it wrong again. G-APAV was painted in SABENA colours.
The Carvair in the middle of the line would also tend to suggest Southend.
I have a couple of 'off thread' photos of other aircraft taken at the same time and suffering the same degredation of picture quality that were definitely Southend.
Thinking about it Ferryfield also parked the freighters nose in to the terminal and the aircraft were pulled out tail first by a tractor. So Southend it must be.
Last edited by Vino Collapso; 2nd Feb 2011 at 07:03.
Undoubtedly the ramp scene is Southend. Because the aircraft are in BUA not Channel Air Bridge livery I would guess the date to be 1963 or just after.
Channel Air Bridge then later BUAF operated a joint venture service with SABENA for many years on SEN-OST with onward rail connections to Brussels. Two B170s were painted in SABENA colours but only one at a time carried that livery. They retained their British registrations and were flown by Channel Air Bridge crews and remained part of the CAB fleet.
The earlier shot of G-AICT must be Southend too, but not at the eastern end. The clue is the concrete slabs. In those days the only parking area at the south eastern corner was the old runway 33 which had a tarmac surface. My guess is we are looking at the BKS ramp and the pile of earth is on the north side of the main apron as a result of extension work. And in this location the cyclists would have been hidden from view of the tower by the ATL hangar, whereas in the south eastern corner they would have been in full view.
Well worth reading is "Air Ferry" by Douglas Whybrow who was GM of Channel Air Bridge in those days.
Channel Air Bridge then later BUAF operated a joint venture service with SABENA for many years on SEN-OST with onward rail connections to Brussels. Two B170s were painted in SABENA colours but only one at a time carried that livery. They retained their British registrations and were flown by Channel Air Bridge crews and remained part of the CAB fleet.
The earlier shot of G-AICT must be Southend too, but not at the eastern end. The clue is the concrete slabs. In those days the only parking area at the south eastern corner was the old runway 33 which had a tarmac surface. My guess is we are looking at the BKS ramp and the pile of earth is on the north side of the main apron as a result of extension work. And in this location the cyclists would have been hidden from view of the tower by the ATL hangar, whereas in the south eastern corner they would have been in full view.
Well worth reading is "Air Ferry" by Douglas Whybrow who was GM of Channel Air Bridge in those days.
Last edited by Tagron; 2nd Feb 2011 at 04:11. Reason: Minor
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: New Zealand
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There is a former RNZAF Bristol used somewhere in the upper North island of New Zealand as some sort of accommodation in a adventure camp/lodge.
I seem to recall there was one in a museum at Nelson and the other at Omaka aerodrome near Blenheim.
For a time one was a tea room at Wahi Beach, but have never found it in my own visits to that location.
There is a wingless (donor airframe?) fuselage on a hillside airstrip somewhere in PNG which I have seen from Photos. There is another intact aircraft at a museum in Argentina.
As I understand it they had to be retired because the source of available propellers dried up. Propellers had a finite life.
I seem to recall there was one in a museum at Nelson and the other at Omaka aerodrome near Blenheim.
For a time one was a tea room at Wahi Beach, but have never found it in my own visits to that location.
There is a wingless (donor airframe?) fuselage on a hillside airstrip somewhere in PNG which I have seen from Photos. There is another intact aircraft at a museum in Argentina.
As I understand it they had to be retired because the source of available propellers dried up. Propellers had a finite life.
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I was one of a party who chartered a Shorts 360 to fly from Norwich to the Fairford Airshow in 1996. On the return journey I managed to bag the jump seat (before such things were banned). We flew right over Enstone, and I was able to look down at the sorry remains of C-FDFC just off the side of the runway.
There was also a Bristol Freighter at Ardmore NZ, when I visited in 1997. It was beside the Southern perimeter road, and in a sorry state as I remember. I think I have a picture somewhere. It's still visible on Google Earth, although has moved behind some buildings between the 2005 imagery and now. It doesn't appear have a tailplane or engines, although Wiki reports it as "being restored".
TFP
There was also a Bristol Freighter at Ardmore NZ, when I visited in 1997. It was beside the Southern perimeter road, and in a sorry state as I remember. I think I have a picture somewhere. It's still visible on Google Earth, although has moved behind some buildings between the 2005 imagery and now. It doesn't appear have a tailplane or engines, although Wiki reports it as "being restored".
TFP
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As a 9 year-old RAF kid based in Singapore in the very early 1970s, we went on holiday to Penang.
RNZAF Freighters based out of Tengah would fly families up to Butterworth on the West coast of Malaysia.
As passengers boarded, we were handed a set of ear defenders and a cardboard box containing a sandwich.
I distinctly remember that, when using the very rudimentary loo, you could see your pee falling to the verdant jungles of the Camaron Highlands a few thousand (?) feet below!
Dean
RNZAF Freighters based out of Tengah would fly families up to Butterworth on the West coast of Malaysia.
As passengers boarded, we were handed a set of ear defenders and a cardboard box containing a sandwich.
I distinctly remember that, when using the very rudimentary loo, you could see your pee falling to the verdant jungles of the Camaron Highlands a few thousand (?) feet below!
Dean
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Bristol Freighter
I seem to recall a flying example of this aircraft arriving in the UK from New Zealand some years ago, does anyone know what happened to it on arrival UK?
Further, are there any examples still flying and if so, where please?
Lastly, if there's already a thread on this machine please point me in the right direction!
With fraternal greetings,
ambi
Further, are there any examples still flying and if so, where please?
Lastly, if there's already a thread on this machine please point me in the right direction!
With fraternal greetings,
ambi
Last edited by consub; 24th Jul 2021 at 15:03. Reason: error
I've never kept any form of logbook so I can't be absolutely sure but I'm pretty certain my first flight was Silver City from Lydd to Le Touquet. We (parents and I) used that service a couple of times in the 50s/60s. On one memorable occasion (at the age of ~10 I got my first cockpit jump seat ride.
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Stockport MAN/EGCC
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I understand that one of the ex RNZAF aircraft has been moved sea to the Bristol museum ?
confirmation much appreciated.
Be lucky
David
P.S. Found it now Bristol Freighter on 'finals' to Filton
confirmation much appreciated.
Be lucky
David
P.S. Found it now Bristol Freighter on 'finals' to Filton
Last edited by The AvgasDinosaur; 29th Jul 2021 at 19:17.
The only Biffo in Europe is the ex- RNZAF one that we shipped back from NZ a couple of years ago and is now in pieces ( as it was to ship it ) and stored in the conservation hangar at Aerospace Bristol. It is awaiting conservation after the conservation hangar opens in August 2021. The last flying model last flew in Canada just after I retired in 2000, and we withdrew In service support at that time.
I remember we'd had a ground loop on the runway and the big Bristol held overhead for some time before landing.
As an aside, I attended a school camp at St Marys Bay on Romney Marsh in mid 1958, there was always a 'stream' of Freighters and Superfreighters passing backwards and forwards to/from Le Touqet.
Gnome de PPRuNe
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The one at Cranfield in 1996 was one of the 1980s Instone Freighters which had been bought back to the UK from Canada earlier in 1996 by an airline pilot I think. It also appeared in the 50th anniversary flypast at Heathrow before unfortunately being written off in a ground looping accident at Enstone shortly after the Cranfield event. Such a shame.
