Birmingham Airport - Picture Thread

[snagsanger]

Hi Butty,

I agree, my mate and I used to rush down there after our tea most evenings. Mainly 1-11's, Viscounts, 727, 737, the odd Comet or Caravelle, and the highlight of the week was Friday 7pm when the Air India 707 landed.

Seems a bit lame compared to what flies in now lol

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Wonderful photos Snagsanger. They bring back a lot of memories - got any more?
I agree with Wolfheze about the hush kits spoiling the look of the One-Eleven. It didn't seem to make a blind bit (or should that be deaf bit?) of difference to the racket that it made. Lovely old aeroplane though - I flew on several.

Kevin

 

[Ray Finkle]

Welcome to the forum snagsanger.

I love those pictures, they bring back many very happy memories of standing on the grass hill as a kid.

I look forward to hopefully seeing some more?

 

[ronnoc1k8]

These photos really make me wish I was born much earlier.

 

[Brummiegem]

Talking of hush kits,does anyone remember when similar type hush kits to the 1-11s,were put on to B737-200s.Now they looked odd!!!
Did hush kits actually make the aircraft quieter?I remember seeing a B727 freighter take off from EMA some years ago.It was a UPS aircraft with the super Q kits fitted,I think that was what they were called.Anyway it did seem to be quieter,but it was one of the few kits that did seem to make a difference.

 

[wolfheze]

Thanks guys for commenting, that means a lot to me.

Brummiegem, those 1-11's used to scare the bejesus out of me as a kid. My junior school was probably 2 miles or less as the crow flies from the old Elmdon, the teacher had to stop lessons when they were running an engine at full power after maintenance, it was too loud for her to be heard.

Wolfheze, they were still ear splitting even after being modified. Smokey too if memory serves me. Is that an old school CB750 in your avatar? My favourite bike of all time, still turns heads today.

The bike is a 1975 CB550. 750s are waaay too much money these days.

 

[wolfheze]

These photos really make me wish I was born much earlier.

It's nice to be able to reminice about all the old stuff but even i would exchange that to be 20 years younger!

 

[TheLocalYokel]

It's nice to be able to reminice about all the old stuff but even i would exchange that to be 20 years younger!

It would be fun to be 20 again with an accumulated lifetime's knowledge. I don't say wisdom because long life doesn't always make a person wise.

 

[wolfheze]

It would be fun to be 20 again with an accumulated lifetime's knowledge. I don't say wisdom because long life doesn't always make a person wise.

I'd settle for 30!

 

[Butty]

I'll settle for 40!

 

[snagsanger]

Wonderful photos Snagsanger. They bring back a lot of memories - got any more?
Kevin

Hi Kevin,

I'm positive I have more film shots in the attic, I will have to try and hunt them down. There are lots of digital shots of a multitude of aircraft on my website, wayyyy too many to post here! Feel free to mooch.
www.pbase.com/andydunn

 

[snagsanger]

The bike is a 1975 CB550. 750s are waaay too much money these days.

It's a thing of beauty, most 70's bikes were. Give me a CB750 or a T120 Bonneville and I would die a happy man.

 

[snagsanger]

Welcome to the forum snagsanger.

I love those pictures, they bring back many very happy memories of standing on the grass hill as a kid.

I look forward to hopefully seeing some more?

Thanks for the welcome Ray. I am hoping to visit the airport more and take more pictures, I'm in the process of building up my lens collection again after selling it all a few years back. I don't have a decent long zoom at the moment, I ordered a cheap Sigma 70-300mm DG from Ebay last night to tide me over until I can afford something with more reach. A lesson learned there!

 

[Ray Finkle]

Hi Kevin,

I'm positive I have more film shots in the attic, I will have to try and hunt them down. There are lots of digital shots of a multitude of aircraft on my website, wayyyy too many to post here! Feel free to mooch.
www.pbase.com/andydunn

There's some great pictures on there, I enjoyed them a lot.

Many of us on here a suckers for some good photographs so don't ever feel that there are too many

 

[wolfheze]

It's a thing of beauty, most 70's bikes were. Give me a CB750 or a T120 Bonneville and I would die a happy man.

I lived in Meriden from the age of 4 until 21 and I have to say as youngsters we hated Triumph motorcycles and loved the Japanese bikes. However now if I had the money I would have a Bonneville or a Trident . Funny how things change over time. The Triumph factory was only just up the road and is now a housing estate. Ironically the mate I used to go to the airport with and also disliked Triumphs bought a house in Bonneville Close. We certainly used to see some bizarre stuff drive through the village back then, Daimler bus chassis with no bodies and the drivers sat out in the open wearing flying helmets and goggles. Also Scorpion tanks from the alvis factory in Coventry would come through on test.

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Hi Kevin,

I'm positive I have more film shots in the attic, I will have to try and hunt them down. There are lots of digital shots of a multitude of aircraft on my website, wayyyy too many to post here! Feel free to mooch.
www.pbase.com/andydunn

Thanks Snagsanger.

I also have loads of photos squirrelled away. Now that I have my Nikon slide/negative scanner working again, I'll have to dig them out.
Great website by the way.
Also, I note that you use a Nikon D200 for some of your shots. That's the same as my current camera, but I'm hoping to get the New D500 soon (that will give me 4K video as well).

Regards

Kevin

 

[snagsanger]

Thanks Snagsanger.
Also, I note that you use a Nikon D200 for some of your shots. That's the same as my current camera, but I'm hoping to get the New D500 soon (that will give me 4K video as well).

D500 is the perfect choice for aviation, that autofocus is fast and accurate and that buffer keeps chomping if you shoot RAW. Looking forward to seeing your first shots from the new camera.

Best wishes.

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Thanks.

I still have to buy it yet and it ain't cheap.
I always shoot RAW files as it gives much greater scope to work on the photos later.

Regards

Kevin

 

[snagsanger]

Hi everyone,

Well I kept my promise to myself and went to the airport this lunchtime to grab a few shots.

These were taken at the end of Clock Lane, not a bad spot but you only get a side on wheels up view, so it gets a little repetitive after a while.

I want to try somewhere else next time, probably Marston Green or car park 5, choices choices.

Cheers

 

[Butty]

Great photos Snagsanger.

Just looking on Wikipedia and the BHX entry and there is a long shot of the airport from Yardley in 2008. Does anyone know of a more recent photo from the same location? It is a cracking shot giving a great overview of the airport. I have been trying work out where in Yardleg it was taken from. Maybe the tall block of flat at the Swan shopping centre.

I suppose with the Monarch facility it is difficult to get a good oblique overview of the airport without hiring a helicopter and doing a long low sweep down the runway whilst snapping away clinging on for dear life.