Leeds Bradford: Aviation Nostalgia Thread

[LBAYORKIE]

Think LCY was actually BMI with an ATR42 but didn’t last long. Oh how times have changed!


That’s very interesting because it was always considered that Brown Group brought a profitable airline down. Maybe that was not the case then. Either way BZ are consigned to the history books

I went on the innaugral BMI flight to LCY.
If I remember correctly the ATR was painted flamboyantly to advertise flights from Manchester to the Caribbean. I heard that it was intended to use an EMB 135/145 as soon as it was certified to fly into LCY (my innaugral flight certificate shows an EMB) I also believe First Direct bank had committed to use the service as soon as the jets were employed. Not sure what happened but the service was axed before the jets were introduced.

 

[Seasider]

Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Norwich were also operated by Air Anglia using F27/DC3/EMB110/F28;

 

[White Heather]

Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Norwich were also operated by Air Anglia using F27/DC3/EMB110/F28;

And Genair operated to somewhere. Can't remember where though. In the end they flew in British Caledonian livery.

 

[jason1-11]

And Genair operated to somewhere. Can't remember where though. In the end they flew in British Caledonian livery.

99% sure it was LGW.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

99% sure it was LGW.

It was.

 

[White Heather]

99% sure it was LGW.

That was in my head too.

 

[jason1-11]

Or did they replace

That was in my head too.

I had to have a good think because it was around the same time that Metropolitan Airways took over the Dan-Air routes to Glasgow, Bristol and Cardiff. I saw it as a downgrade at the time going from a HS748 to a Shorts 330.

When I have time, I'll pull-out my old timetables from that era and post the schedule.

 

[Starflyer]

Going back that far, yes - Genair operated MME/LBA/LGW with a Shorts 330 and then a 360 (they had two before they went bust) as British Caledonian Commuter. Air Ecosse had a short-lived attempt at the same route after Genair ceased as well - probably 1984-1986 in all. I hadn't gone back into the early 80s with my listing!

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Saw this today, regarding an incident with a BMA Viscount excursion at Leeds on a wet and windy night. Very interesting.

What Happened to G-AZLT at Leeds? [Archive] - PPRuNe Forums

[Archive] What Happened to G-AZLT at Leeds? Aviation History and Nostalgia

www.pprune.org

 

[White Heather]

Saw this today, regarding an incident with a BMA Viscount excursion at Leeds on a wet and windy night. Very interesting.

What Happened to G-AZLT at Leeds? [Archive] - PPRuNe Forums

[Archive] What Happened to G-AZLT at Leeds? Aviation History and Nostalgia

www.pprune.org

Just been reading they myself. Some interesting reading also within the dried fruit forum from people 'in the know' about the 1985 Tristar incident and others.

I'm not a member otherwise I would confirm the Herald engine failure on take off in the late early 70s (definitely no later than 1973). It was a BUIA aircraft and on its return to LBA it passed overhead me on Iveson Approach, Ireland Wood, ridiculously low. So low it didn't look as though it would make the airport . One prop was motionless. It joined the glideslope very late too, near Horsforth Station but landed ok.

Back then , flying was nowhere near as safe as it is today. If you want to be shocked, look up the history of Viscounts built and see how many were written off in accidents, yet they are regarded as one of the UKs best and iconic aircraft.

 

[oldendays]

BMA gave us two runway excursions with the Viscount within a year of assuming the Heathrow route from British Airways. In November 1978, BA themselves came within 8 feet of totalling a Fire Tender during a Viscount's takeoff roll off RW15. ATC had failed to ensure the FT had vacated the runway before issuing takeoff clearance to the BA. A big oops but disaster averted. Needless to say, it was a foggy morning. More than 45 years later, where is our ground radar system...?

BTW, the BA Viscount's registration was G-AOJF. I believe the AAIB report is still online somewhere.

 

[rollo]

Saw this today, regarding an incident with a BMA Viscount excursion at Leeds on a wet and windy night. Very interesting.

What Happened to G-AZLT at Leeds? [Archive] - PPRuNe Forums

[Archive] What Happened to G-AZLT at Leeds? Aviation History and Nostalgia

www.pprune.org

Don't worry British Midland Viscounts didn't just pick on LBA, G-ALZR went walkabouts at BHX in January 1973 when the main undercarriage collapsed on landing and it slewed off the runway, no serious injuries.

Naturally the aircraft was on a positioning flight from LBA 😀

Details are "from logs to blogs" Elmdon over the years. I'm not sure of the author(s) but Ian Farqhuarson is credited, more details are on Ian's BHXmovemntsblog.

 

[Starflyer]

I'm not sure how accurate some of the stuff on that dried fruit forum is! The British Airtours TriStar Captain on that particular day was a BA chap on secondment, and definitely not Mexican.

Interestingly of the crew who came to pick it up when BBAI had been repaired and was ready to go, two of the three crew members (the Captain and the F/E) were both ex-VC10 pilots who had separately been involved in 1970s VC10 hijacking incidents.

 

[paully]

I'm not sure how accurate some of the stuff on that dried fruit forum is! The British Airtours TriStar Captain on that particular day was a BA chap on secondment, and definitely not Mexican.

I believe he was called Captain Ian Waterfall.....

 

[Starflyer]

Just in case anyone is looking, the AAIB report for the G-AOJF low-vis take-off incident in 1978 is indeed still on line:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f87e40f0b6134600073f/2-1979_G-AOJF.pdf

 

[BCFC]

Does anyone ever remember seeing this aircraft at LBA.View attachment 30552

 

[BCFC]

Did we ever have Orion at LBA, I once flew with them to FAO from MAN.


View attachment 30991

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Did we ever have Orion at LBA, I once flew with them to FAO from MAN.


View attachment 30991

Long time ago but Im pretty sure we did prob late seventies or early eighties May have a photo somewhere.

 

[ChrisBBB]

Did we ever have Orion at LBA, I once flew with them to FAO from MAN.


View attachment 30991

Definitely in the mid to later 80s, I remember sitting on the hill watching (one particular memory) one land in the heavy rain on a Saturday evening.
I think it was more of a brown and yellow scheme though?

 

[White Heather]

Definitely yes. I flew with Orion from LBA to Faro and back in 1985. That's not their livery though in the photo. It was brown, yellow and orange. Pretty good livery really.