Nostalgia at BHX

[Ianbutty]

I had forgotten how much variety there was. Please bring them back!

 

[finchy168]

Loving all these old photo's thank you

 

[wolfheze]

How nice it was to have an all weather viewing facility with such great views.

 

[Barry Beeth]

You know what?
After (I kid you not) a sleepless night, trying to get my head around why I was convinced BA went to EWR (when, for the record, you lot are obviously right and of course it was JFK), I finally realised what it was; there was something in my mind that just wouldn't go away about an article I'd read in the local rag - I remember the sentence almost verbatim, "surprisingly, the flights will operate to Newark airport in New Jersey, rather than JFK".

I didn't dream it or make it up, this lukewarm gutter reporting, was, of course, referring to CONTINENTAL.

I'm going senile, but not that senile!

Anyway, sorry for spouting cack and drifting the thread. Miss that 763 though, she was a looker in her day. Mind you, so was I...

 

[rollo]

Fantastic photos Kevin. I've been searching high and low for mine going back through the 1960s and 1970s I know I've got or had loads of photos of the like of Bavarian 1-11s, Air Spain Britannia's and DC8s, no end of BEA Viscounts, Derby Airways DC3s (forunner of Brittish Midland ) British Eagle 1-11s which operated a weekend service to Newquay, BUA and Court Line etc. and loads more just can't find them I'm beginning to think they dissapered in house moving.

Plea keep posting as many as you can.

 

[rollo]

You know what?
After (I kid you not) a sleepless night, trying to get my head around why I was convinced BA went to EWR (when, for the record, you lot are obviously right and of course it was JFK), I finally realised what it was; there was something in my mind that just wouldn't go away about an article I'd read in the local rag - I remember the sentence almost verbatim, "surprisingly, the flights will operate to Newark airport in New Jersey, rather than JFK".

I didn't dream it or make it up, this lukewarm gutter reporting, was, of course, referring to CONTINENTAL.

I'm going senile, but not that senile!

Anyway, sorry for spouting cack and drifting the thread. Miss that 763 though, she was a looker in her day. Mind you, so was I...

I wouldn't loose sleep over it Barry I've lost count of the times I'm obviously right about things but usually my wife of over 40 year's will have a discussion with me and shortly afterwards we both agree she is correct?

 

[Silvercity]

Excellent photos, the variety of aircraft seemed so much more interesting then.

 

[Seasider]

In those days you had a lot of "small" airlines unlike today when it is easyJet/Ryanair etc.
Having said that, there are far more flights nowadays.

 

[Silvercity]

I liked the CP Air DC8s and the Bcal aircraft. Does anyone recall British Midlands BHX to LHR route ? Viscounts I think ?

 

[flymetothemoon]

I liked the CP Air DC8s and the Bcal aircraft. Does anyone recall British Midlands BHX to LHR route ? Viscounts I think ?

Mostly Shorts 360's if I remember correctly, flew EMA-LHR as well

 

[Silvercity]

Mostly Shorts 360's if I remember correctly, flew EMA-LHR as well

An era when you UK region's were much better connected to LHR than today. Yes your right they did EMA.

 

[Creguk]

Brilliant photos guys. I'l try to get mine out soon and upload. I know I have some of an Olympic 747 in a box somewhere.

 

[Creguk]

I remember flying on this Monarch DC10 to Orlando Sandford as a kid. We had a massive delay going out and I can remember the whole plane smelling of a toilet! Monarch really will be missed... And also, what a beast the DC10 was!

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Have you any from the summer of 88 please.

E.

I probably have somewhere, but my record keeping wasn't that great so pining a photo down to a year isn't easy.
If there is anything in particular that you are interested, I'll have a look through what I've got - may take a while though as I'm sure I've got more photos stashed away somewhere.

Kevin

 

[thunderchild]

Happy days. Love the Balkan TU-154 shot.

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Does anyone recall British Midlands BHX to LHR route ? Viscounts I think ?

Recall it? I flew on it!
My Dad was giving a friend a lift to LHR, so I was dropped off at BHX and bought a standby ticket with BMA to LHR. I then met my Dad on top of the multi storey at LHR had a day watching the planes and a lift home.
In my case, the flight was due to be operated by a Viscount, but this went 'tech'. It was substituted with a DC9-14.
There were two unusual things with this flight. First, just after we'd levelled out after the climb the engines went to full power and the aircraft climbed steeply. I looked out of the window to see a Britannia B737-200 pass directly beneath us and not much lower than us - I never found out whether the incident was reported.
The second was that I noticed a lad of a similar age to myself (I was about 18) sitting on his own a couple of rows forward from me. When I met my Dad on the car park, I saw the same lad with someone I assumed was his Dad. I went over and said hello, explaining that I'd seen him on the flight from BHX. It turned out he was doing the same as me. Buying a cheap ticket, flying to LHR for a days spotting, meeting his Dad and driving home. Strange co-incidence!
I also remember Herald G-ATIG shuttling back and forth between BHX and LHR. Later, I think the service was operated by a Dash-8 (Eurocity Express?)

Kevin

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Happy days. Love the Balkan TU-154 shot.

I preferred their previous colour scheme. That one reminds me of a training shoe.

Kevin

 

[elmdon74]

Hi All,I was at BHX on many of the same days as Kevin by the looks of it! Just found my only pretty crummy pic of the AF Concorde on 16/9/80 first visit of type bringing in pax from CDG for the huge IPEX show at the NEC.Tha ACI Caravelle and Transavia 737 were in for the same reason.Incidentally the Concorde F-BTSC was the one that crashed in 2000.My log for the day,
F-BJTJ SE210 ACI
F-GAPC FALCON 20
G-GKNB BE 2OO GKN
G-BFVA 737 BY
G-BGTW 737 ORION
PH-CHB F28 NLM
G-BHGE 720 MONARCH
G-BGMC/BGMD TWIN OTTER BRYMON
G-BGYU BANDEIRANTE AIR UK
PH-TVI 737 HV
G-ASPL 748 DA
F-BTSC CONCORDE AF
G-BAPF/AZLR VISCOUNT BMA
9H-AAL/AAN 720 KM
G-BMAA DC9 BMA
SE-IEH BE200
G-AWWX 1-11 DA
G-AXNB 737 BY
G-BEYG HERALD BAF
G-BBME/BBMG/AVMV/AVMZ/BGKE/BGKF 1-11 BA
EI-BIP BE200
OO-REV AZTEC
OY-BRV NAVAJO
OO-TNT SENECA
PH-HAM SENECA
OO-AFK CHEROKEE
D-EGPK CESSNA 182
D-EHMR RC114

Also found 1 of the Olympic 747

SX-OAB 26/8/96.
I also remember the BMA Viscount flights to LHR.They flew several times as day and I started work in a Travel Agency in 1978 and got standby fares for about 25% of the normal fare so used the several times in 1979/80 to go for a day return spotting at LHR,took about 30-40 mins.BA also flew one flight a day for a time.
Regards,Simon.

 

[elmdon74]

Have you any from the summer of 88 please.

E.

My BHX pictures from 1980-1089 https://flic.kr/s/aHsk6stRhX
Hope you like them,Thanks,Simon.

 

[thunderchild]

With the old terminal and Olympic 747 in the background the Lufthansa A321 looks like it’s travelled back in time.

The A321 was itself probably quite a catch back in those days as I don’t think any airline was operating them out of BHX in 1996.