Leeds Bradford: Aviation Nostalgia Thread

[Seasider]

Eastcoaster was right, it was Air Anglia. If my memory serves me right they operated the southbound ABZ-EDI-LBA-NWI on a Saturday morning and the return on the Sunday evening. This was to enable the DC3's, doing charter work from ABZ, to return to NWI for maintenance.

 

[flyboy]

My first flight was in 1976 from LBA to DUB with Aer Lingus on a BAC 1-11. This was the only pure jet service at the time from LBA, operating from the (5400ft ?) runway before it was extended and the take-off weight restriction was such that all the passengers were weighed as well as the luggage!! My next flight from LBA was in 1978 to Ibiza on a Thomson B737-200 in what was, I think, the 2nd summer season of holiday charter flights from the airport.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Not sure the date, but sometime in the early 50's out of Hurn Airport. My uncle a test pilot for BEA and I was allowed aboard test flights of the Vickers Vicount that were made at Hurn in those days. Bet you would not be able to do this nowadays with all the health and safety regulations. Can remember flying back from places on the normal service aircraft in the front seats (non smoking area) it was impossible to talk due to the noise of the aircraft, they must have hated non smokers, my uncle and father as smokers sat at the back of the aircraft a lot quieter.
Spend all my summer holiday flying out of Hurn, thoughts thats what you did on school holidays, Uncle had a small plane as well, used to take us regularly to the family holiday home in la Touquet .
Think this early experience has stayed with me all my life, still love flying today, although the hassele of airport security can put a damper on proceedings.

 

[chrisd80]

I just thought I would share this with you all. Walking out on the apron to board my flight reminded me of way back in the early sixties when I was about nine or ten. Me and my mate (his dad was a pilot for Cambrian Airways) used to cycle over to the Speke Airport about 20 minutes ride from our homes to do some plane spotting. If we saw an aircraft that took our fancy we would rush downstairs into the arrivals area and wait for the flight crew to arrive. Spotting the captain we would politely ask if we could have a look around the aircraft and more often than not one of stewardesses, as they were called then would end up escorting us to and inside the aircraft. I remember going on a Dakota a Viscount and a visiting RAF Argosy. The musty smell of leather and sweat in the cockpit areas will always remain with me. Hard to believe these days, but how lucky we were.

 

[markietg]

My first LBA flight was in Aug 77 to Alicante with Britannia Airways. My first flight was a year before again to Alicante on a Dan-Air 727. Do you remember in those days you had your photo taken as you got off the aircraft in Spain. They were developed and were ready waiting for you to buy 1-2 weeks later on your flight home! That's the only reason I know my first flight was on a Dan-Air 727. My Dad told me years ago that we were delayed 24 hours on that flight due to some strike somewhere and we slept in the car at Birmingham Airport waiting for a new departure time.
I was on holiday last week and dreaming about my youth laid by the pool....and I remembered that white aircraft on the hill used for fire practice. This must have been early 80's. Does anyone have any info on that plane?

 

[oldendays]

July 1986. Leeds to Ljubljana on JAT Boeing 727 YU-AKG. Returned a fortnight later on YU-AKK, painted in Air Afrique colours. Happy days.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

1969 Vickers Viscount (BKS) LBA-LHR

 

[jason1-11]

First flight: BA VC10 Heathrow to Calcutta in 1976. First Leeds flight: Dan Air 146 to Jersey in 83.

 

[Seasider]

[I was on holiday last week and dreaming about my youth laid by the pool....and I remembered that white aircraft on the hill used for fire practice. This must have been early 80's. Does anyone have any info on that plane?[/quote]

I believe it was there when I first visited LBA in 1968. It was an ex RAF Vickers Varsity I believe, one of my fellow "older" members may know the exact details.

 

[White Heather]

Yes, it was a Vickers Varsity and I watched it make its final landing at LBA on what is now the North/South taxiway. Anything landing on that runway was unusual to say the least. A day or two after arriving it was on the fire dump as I recall. My first LBA flight was in 1980, on a Britannia Airways Boeing 737-200 to Ibiza. At that time the route operated 3 weekly with a mid week flight also 3 weekly, so everyone had a 10 days holiday instead of 2 weeks (unless they could afford 3 weeks in Ibiza!)

 

[ex_crew]

Mine was on Capital airways flight 1989
It was not a nice experience due to heavy winds.
It was like flying in a wheel-barrow.

 

[ChurchFenton]

Think my first flight was LBA-PMI on a Britannia B737-200 around 1978, though I'm going off what I remember my parents telling me. I recall them telling me of the very steep climb immediately after take-off, which seems likely when we only had a 5400ft runway at LBA!

I remember visiting LBA one summer Thursday evening around 1985, stood at the windows in the terminal (when we used to have great apron views, near the wall mural created by Philippa Threlfall). I remember it feeling quite an event when a Britannia B737-200 arrived and was being readied for its return to Corfu. The novelty of jet flights from LBA had only just begun to gather pace that year after the opening of the runway extension.

 

[Aviador]

I don't know if this has ever been posted before, it's a picture of the tunnel being constructed back in the mid 80's. How times have changed. These days virtually everything seems impossible to achieve for whatever reason.

Airport runway extension tunnel, by the Aireborough Historical Society.

 

[Aviador]

You are absolutely right and I've amended my post accordingly. Baring in mind at the same time as the tunnel construction, the 600m runway extension was being constructed, surrounding roads were being re-routed and the terminal and apron was being extended. It was a huge construction project even by today's standards and it was probably the largest construction site in the region since the construction of the M62 back in 1957.

 

[flyboy]

Bearing in mind that there are members on this forum who are very quick to criticise the councils for lack of investment when they owned the airport, it is worth remembering that this expansion was carried out under council ownership. Contrast that to the lack of investment and apparent lack of ambition for the airport by the current owners!
Incidentally, for the record the M62 was constructed during the 1970's.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Albert Picardie Airport

As this is the year to remember the First World War I seem to recall that some years ago Jet2 was going to operate a route from LBA to Albert Picardie to provide a service for the Somme battlefield visitors.

I think the route was withdrawn before it commenced.

 

[White Heather]

LBA might be busier now, but it is certainly a lot more boring than back then. Not only did we have the expansion of the airport, we had all types of different aircraft types and airlines back then, so far more interesting to see. Boeing 707, 727, 737, 747, the first 757's appearing, 767's of El Al using LBA as a MAN diversionary airport, Tristars, DC8's, DC9's, DC10's, 1-11's, BAe146's, ATP's, F27's, F50's, Coronado's........the list goes on and numerous airlines from around Europe - particularly Spain and Yugoslavia. I really miss those days.

Mode 1 - you may remember if you were there on 4th November 1984 that we also had a Braathens SAFE 737-200 at LBA the same day, which in itself was an interesting movement. I will certainly never forget the sight of the first 747 coming down the 32 flightpath on that day and then doing a flypast down the runway. Sad to say that aircraft (G-AWND) came to a sticky end, being destroyed on the ground at a middle eastern airport after being trapped there during a military attack. Wrong place at the wrong time.

 

[Aviador]

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zE1aJC6tRs[/video]

This is the only video of a Tristar at LBA that I can find. It was one of my favourite aircraft when it was flying. Over the years I seem to remember numerous L1011 visits by Air Ops, The Royal Air Force and British Airtours.
In this video the Air Ops Tristar touchdown late, probably almost at the midpoint of the runway.

The Royal Air Force Tristar by bobleeds, hosted on Forums4airports

British Airtours Tristar G-BBAI Molly McCreedy Rose Finals 14 LBA by bobleeds, hosted on Forums4airports

Air Transat Tristar at LBA by White Heather, hosted on Forums4airports

I don't actually ever recall seeing the Air Transat Tristar at LBA. I think there might have been one or two others that visited LBA over the years. Does anybody recall seeing any other airlines using the Tristar into LBA?

 

[48vanman]

Didn't Worldways Canada also operate the Tristar into LBA?.

What Canadian airlines have operated into LBA?Wardair,Air Transat,Worldways,Odysssey International.

Did Nationair,Quebecair ever fly regularly into LBA?.

 

[lbaspotter]

I seem to remember Classic Airways L1011 Tristar G-IOII paid a visit into Leeds in the late 90's operating the annuel Lourdes charter