Aviation Nostalgia Thread

[bobleeds]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

Thanks White Heather - Inter European of course, I seem to remember they had a call sign with "sun" in it? Bob

 

[Aviador]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

Good to see you back on the forum ex_crew it's been a while! The DC10 during Euro96 was the only one of it's type I ever saw at LBA. The viewing was always much better in those days too, that damn hanger. :s_omg

 

[ls27]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

There was also a one off DC10 from Wardair and British Caledonian did a season to Canada on Saturday mornings with a 757.

 

[ex_crew]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

I think that may of been a Caledonian Airways Charter 757.
B-Cal and Caledonian were not connected.

 

[ex_crew]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

Thanks Aviador, Ive been spending a lot of time on B-Cal Reunited, a site for for ex Cally staff.
Would you know if British Caledoian ever went into LBA ? Maybe a MAN 1-11 divert ?

 

[eastcoaster]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

Yes, there were a couple of British Caledonian BAC 1-11/500s diverted into LBA from MAN when they did the Gatwick schedule. Either late 80s or very early 90s.

 

[White Heather]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

Bob, I am not sure that Inter European had 'sun' in their call sign, but we did have that airline using 737-300's in basic BA colours, that operated to the Greek Islands in the 90's, and I am fairly sure their call sign was Sun Jet. Might be wrong though.

 

[eastcoaster]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

Bob, I am not sure that Inter European had 'sun' in their call sign, but we did have that airline using 737-300's in basic BA colours, that operated to the Greek Islands in the 90's, and I am fairly sure their call sign was Sun Jet. Might be wrong though.

You are right Heather, it did not have sun in the call sign, it 's callsign was "ASPRO"

 

[Aviador]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

Thanks Aviador, Ive been spending a lot of time on B-Cal Reunited, a site for for ex Cally staff.
Would you know if British Caledoian ever went into LBA ? Maybe a MAN 1-11 divert ?

I'm not sure. I don't recall ever seeing them at LBA but I might be wrong. In the 'big' diversions days of the past I'll have been a young teenager so it's difficult to remember.

 

[bobleeds]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

Thanks White Heather, that's it.

Whilst on the nostalgia thread, was there also the occasional charter with a Tristar belonging to Classic Airways (or something similar?)

Bob

 

[oldendays]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

The 737 that operated concurrently with Inter European in 1993 was something of a hybrid. It was an ex Dan Air aircraft (reg G-BNNJ) but painted in British Airways colours following the recent takeover and crewed mainly by ex Dan Air pilots. It flew on the Air Foyle AOC and used the "Foyle" callsign. It mainly operated out of LBA but was also to be seen at Manchester. Sunseeker Leisure chartered it.

The following season's flights were operated by TransLift A320s. Then Sunseeker Leisure ceased trading and that was that.

 

[lbaspotter]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

Thanks White Heather, that's it.

Whilst on the nostalgia thread, was there also the occasional charter with a Tristar belonging to Classic Airways (or something similar?)

Bob

Yes Bob the the Classic Airways L1011 Tri-star, G-IOII did operate into Leeds once operating the annual Lourdes charter back in 1997 or it could have been 1998 if i remember correctly.

 

[White Heather]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

I have just been looking through my old photos and found photos of the Tristar operated by Air Transat, which used to do flights to Toronto at one time. Worldways Canada did likewise also with a Tristar. It is hard to believe that way back in 1985, we actually had two flights per week to Toronto with Wardair and Worldways.

Some of the other interesting photos was a Novair 737-400 (another defunct airline?), Interflug Ilyushin IL18 and TU134, and a British Midland BAC1-11 400 (G-WLAD). That aircraft was leased from Airways Cymru and operated in lieu of the usual DC9-10 throughout1986. I recall very well the fact it upset all the locals, being a noisy beast and operating 4 times a day on the LHR route.

Other interesting visitors in my photo album are:

United Arab Emirates VC10 (A4-ABA) - operated an ambulance flight in 1985 and by then was the only remaining civil registered VC10.
Britannia Boeing 767-200 (G-BLKV) - May 1985
Finnair DC9-30- charter bringing Finnish farmers to a tractor factory at Doncaster
Orion Boeing 737- (G-BKHO) -LBA -FAO, July 1985
Boeing DC9-30 (LBA - Ljublana) and Boeing 707-320 (YU-AGI), (LBA to Pula)
El Al Boeing 767-200, LBA to Tel Aviv - a Radio Leeds pilgrimage flight
British Airtours Boeing 737-200, LBA - AGP, Intasun IT charter, G-BGJK
British Airtours Tristar, G-BBAI 27/5/85, (and we all know what happened to that!)
United Arab Emirates Boeing 747SP, A6-SMR, training flight, Prestwick - LBA - LGW
JAT Boeing 727-200, LBA - Dubrovnik, YU-AKJ
Iberia Airbus A300, EC-DLE, LBA - PMI, operating for Thomson Holidays
Wardair, Boeing 747-200, LBA- YYX, C-GXRA, doing a low fly past down runway 32
Air UK BAC1-11, LBA - AMS G-AXMU
Air Holland Boeing 727-200, AMS-LBA charter
Trans Mediterranean Boeing 707, cargo flight carrying oranges and a Lamborghini (1987)
British Island Airways MD80 and BAC1-11 500, LBA - MAH
Air France Concorde - F-BTSD, 2/8/86 1st Concorde visit
Dan Air Boeing 727-100, G-BAEF, 1st visit of type to LBA
Aviaco DC9-30 TFS - LBA
Wardair DC-10, 1987 - 1st visit of type to LBA - direct LBA - YYX
Monarch Boeing 737-200, LBA - ALC,
British Midland BAe ATP, LBA - LHR weekend service only
British Midland Viscount 800, DC9 -10, DC9 -30 and Boeing 737-200, all LBA - LHR
Virgin Boeing 747-200, G-VIRG, LBA - LGW charter, 11/6/87
Adria Airways, Airbus A320, and DC9-80 LBA - Pula, Yugotours charter
Aviogenex Boeing 737-200, LBA - Dubrovnik Yugotours charter
Air Atlantique Dakota
British Air Ferries Viscount 800, LBA - JER
Novair Boeing 737-400
Air Holland Boeing 757-200
RAF VC10
Aer Lingus Shorts 360 - LBA - DUB
Capital Airlines Shorts 360 and BAe146-300 (G-OSKI and G-OSUN)
Air 2000, Boeing 757-200, G-OOOA -LBA - FAO, 1986

All of which goes to show how diverse the range of airlines and aircraft was in the 1980's. There were so many others too. Those were the days!!

 

[tleeds]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

Novair are actually still functional, only just I believe. They are extremely similar to the Spanish airline LTE; both were relatively large airlines in their boom years, but now both only operate a small Airbus fleet of 3 or 4 aircraft operating various charters.

Is there a possibility some of these photo's could be put onto the forum Heather, I and a few others would love to see some of these aircraft at LBA!

 

[LUFC Jonno]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

Same here, the 1980's were a good decade for Leeds as there was always a first in terms of new aircraft and various airlines visiting the airport. Would be nice to see Air Transat return.

 

[White Heather]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

I wish I knew how to put photos on the forum, but so far I have failed miserably every time I have tried. Basically I am a technophobe, although in my defence I have managed to post photos on other web sites - just not this one. Unfortunately, the photos are not of the highest quality - my camera in those days left much to be desired - and all would need scanning first on to my PC. I have a couple of hundred photos though, taken over the years, and would love to be able to share them eventually. Right now, I have just moved and I am up to my neck in boxes, and soon, paint brushes and paint tins.

If someone can send me an Idiots guide for beginners in posting photos, I will certainly try again when I get the chance.

 

[tleeds]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

That's not a problem Heather, I don't know how to post photo's onto here either and I know only too well as well the stresses and strains of moving house, just make sure you get settled into your new home first!

 

[Aviador]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

That's not a problem Heather, I don't know how to post photo's onto here either and I know only too well as well the stresses and strains of moving house, just make sure you get settled into your new home first!

Try this thread...

topic159.html

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

It's fascinating to read the reminiscences of those with memories of LBA in the past.

It might interest some to put LBA into the context of the UK aviation scene nearly a quarter of a century ago.

Acknowledging CAA stats I've taken the annual passenger throughout for 1990 in millions of passengers per annum (or part thereof) and it will be seen that LBA was the 13th busiest UK airport then.

Looking at the list may surprise some people how small some airports were then compared to now. The only current top 20 UK airport missing is Prestwick which handled just 95,000 passengers in 1990 and was in 34th place.

1. Heathrow 42.635

2. Gatwick 21.042

3. Manchester 10.146

4. Glasgow 4.286

5. Birmingham 3.492

6. Luton 2.679

7. Edinburgh 2.492

8. Belfast Int 2.294

9. Aberdeen 1.947

10. Newcastle 1.525

11. East Midlands 1.278

12. Stansted 1.155

13. Leeds-Bradford 0.834

14. Bristol 0.774

15. Cardiff 0.593

16. Belfast City 0.548

17. Isle of Man 0.532

18. Southampton 0.488

19. Liverpool 0.474

20. Sumburgh 0.432

21. Teesside 0.342

22. London City 0.230

23. Exeter 0.217

24. Inverness 0.216

25. Norwich 0.206

26. Blackpool 0.137

27.Bournemouth 0.137

28. Humberside 0.135

29. Plymouth 0.123

30. Southend 0.119

 

[tleeds]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

Liverpool, Bristol and London City are now all above Leeds, but weren't in the figures you've shown LocalYokel.

I think this puts into context the problem LBA had, with other airports developing and finding 'their markets' for their passengers and therefore being left behind.

I think LBA's problem were it's previous owners.

Thanks for that LocalYokel, it's an interesting read!