Aviation Nostalgia Thread

[wawkrk]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

The Wardair photo reminds me about the big adverts in the YEP at the time with a big headline,
"FLY THE BIG JETS" It showed the Wardair 747, BA Airtours Tristar and the Iberia A300 airbus.
I wonder if anyone else remembers this.

 

[White Heather]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

I do! (No surprise there then!) and I still have that advert in a box in the loft, but there'w no way I am going back up there again to scan it - not yet anyway. Next time I have to go up for something I will see what is in that box and whether it is scannable - could bring back some memories for a few of us anyway! You may also remember the large banner that adorned the tunnel railings advertising the wardair service - it is visible in one of the photos I will be posting soon with the Wardair DC10 directly above it.

I have posted another 10 'down memory lane' photos just now, so hope you enjoy. I particularly like the one of the Airtours A320 landing. Now that WAS a nice colour scheme - such a pity when they dumped it for the My Travel livery which I hated.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

Great pictures, White Heather.

Lots of memories in them. Regional airports like LBA might be a lot busier these days in terms of passenger traffic but there was far more of interest for spotters, and for those who like to see aircraft in their natural environment, 20 or 30 years ago in terms of variety of aircraft.

Many thanks.

 

[bobleeds]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

Lovely photos White Heather,
They bring back memories of times spent wading up the "Birdcage Walk" snapping the aeroplanes and chatting to the other snappers and spotters who gathered where the footpath turned to go around the pan. I believe a teenaged Jonathan Hinkles was one of the regulars in those days! I haven't tried to negotiate that footpath in years - is it still walkable?

You have inspired me to try and scan a few of my own shots and post them on the forum.

Regards

Bob

 

[Aviador]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

"birdcage walk" Never knew it as that but I understand where you mean. I spent many hours down there in my teens. You could always count on Jonathan for up to date movements.

 

[White Heather]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

Thanks Guys, more tomorrow - and the next day......................and the next................. :whiteflag:

 

[Aviador]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

You're doing a great job Heather it's greatly appreciated.

I wish I had a scanner so I could do the same. Out of interest what size originals are you scanning?

 

[White Heather]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

I think they are just 4 x 6 photo prints from a certain photo shop down Horsforth Town Street.

I will be posting the latest offering in a moment

 

[ex_crew]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

White Heather never fails to amaze me with her knowledge of LBA.

 

[White Heather]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

LOL, thanks, but it comes from virtually living at the place in the 60's and 70's and then from forming the Airport Support Group, which enabled me to get to know the various Directors over the years and be on the Consultative Committee. Its a good place to find out what is really going on, although sometimes answers are hard to come by these days!

I am just a frustrated person who always wanted an airport career and never got one.

Todays batch of photos are on now in the photography forum

 

[Aviador]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

Thanks once again for uploading some super pictures.

Picture of Inter European 737-300 by White Heather, hosted here at Forums4airports

Picture of Inter European 757-200 by White Heather, hosted here at Forums4airports

I particularly like these ones of Inter European Airways. Inter European Airways seemed to show some real enthusiasm for LBA at the time before the takeover of the airline by Airtours International. If you remember Airtours were expanding rapidly with their MD83 operating to around 20 destinations from Humberside airport and Teesside airports. Aspro were the saving grace of LBA at the time and thankfully Airtours continued the flights after the takeover.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

Heather

You're probably aware that Aspro and Inter European Airways were owned by the Asprou family, a Cardiff-based travel group.

The airline operated for six years from 1987 until absorbed into the Airtours Group along with Aspro Travel.

The airline began by operating from CWL and BRS, sometimes flying a double drop at the UK end - for example CWL-BRS-CFU-BRS-CWL. They then began to spread their wings (literally) to other UK airports of which LBA was one.

I assume that the Asprous were a Greek-Cypriot family as they had a sort of operational base at Larnaca. Crews would fly a UK-LCA leg then rest, with a different crew bringing the aircraft back to the UK. We flew to Larnaca with IEA for a holiday at the end of the 1980s.

They seemed a decent airline though my favourite charter airline at that time was Paramount Airways. It operated mainly MD 83s (had four of them at one point), was the first British operator with this type - just ahead of British Island Airways - and the first UK airline to have a complete no-smoking policy even to the extent that it would not sell tobacco products in its duty-free sales.

Its main operational base was BRS though it also featured at the likes of CWL, EXT and BHX. I'm not sure whether it ever found its way to LBA.

Paramount commenced operations in spring 1987 but lasted just three years and ceased flying in autumn 1989 amidst serious financial concerns that eventually led to long drawn-out court cases.

I've still got one of Paramount's inflight magazines. We used them about six times during their short lifetime and found them superior to Britannia (now Thomson of course) that we had mainly used before for charter holidays and continued to use after Paramount's demise.

One of the people who was involved in setting up Paramount posts to the DP and he occasionally corresponds with my alter ego there by PM.

More great pics from you by the way and I enjoy the commentary about each one.

Your pic of the Airworld A320 brought back a memory or two. We used this charter airline to fly to Salzburg in the 1990s. They were associated with Thomas Cook (may even have been owned by them) and were incorporated into the Flying Colours airline when Cooks bought that company. Eventually of course Thomas Cook and My Travel ( previously Airtours) did merge so Airworld did join Airtours in a circuitous and late way.

Please forgive me for straying a bit from the subject of LBA nostalgia.

 

[wawkrk]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

More from the past.






wawkrk

 

[Aviador]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

TheLocalYokel, I am pretty sure Aspro actually had some kind on administrative base at Leeds Bradford airport as well as Cardiff. I think they used to have the offices that web development company Infoserve now use around at Multiflight.

This AOM DC10 was the only DC10 I ever saw at LBA but I was told Wardair had used the type but I never got chance to see it.

Picture by White Heather, hosted here on Forums4airports.com

wawkrk

I have that edition LBA handbook somewhere and the copy that shows the runway extension on the front. Was there ever any other editions released do you know?

 

[wawkrk]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

Aviador, I thought I had 3 handbooks but can only find two.
You asked if there was any information about the runway. There is an article by the Operations Director at the time, Rob Lund. He does not add anything that we don't already know. He mentioned the Chevin as the main restriction even though it is 2 miles distance. I once stood with him on the 14 threshhold looking at the Chevin which did not appear as a significant obstacle but It is considered as being too high.
I think the obstacle clearance limits were set many years ago. Todays twin jets can climb faster on one engine than 2 or 4 engines in the old days.

 

[lbaspotter]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

Aviador i guess you mean these pictures.

Apron & Runway 15/33 before extension

Apron & Runway 14/32 after extension

 

[White Heather]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

I have two of those LBA Handbooks and one has the runway on, the other has Concorde on the cover I think.

Aviador, Airtours International also used DC10's at LBA as cover for their regular MD80's when they were poorly. I was fortunate to see quite a few over a couple of summers when out playing golf on the Horsforth Golf Course as when they did operate they tended to do a full days flying.

I have just posted another batch of photos including the Wardair DC10 that you missed.

 

[White Heather]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

I have just posted the latest LBA Nostalgia photos in the Photo Gallery.

 

[Aviador]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

I see you've been busy uploading more photos Heather!

Picture by White Heather, hosted here on Forums4airports.com

I was sat on Plane Tree hill with my dad when that took off and banked sharply to the right over Horsforth. It was an amazing manoeuvre that shocked me at first because it was so unexpected. I don't recall seeing many people there at the time so we were amongst the lucky few to see it.

 

[masere]

Re: Nostalgia Thread

Just spent what seems like an eternity looking at all those old pics of aircraft at LBA! Well done White Heather and Aviador for taking the time to scan and post them. :hatsoff: