Spotting at Heathrow in the 80's

[Elmdon80slad]

Have been doing alot of memory searching back to some excellent days at LHR in the 80s, I worked out in one particular year 1982 I visited over ten times by Flights Coaches from the Midlands, was a great experience up arounf 3am met with friends - got a lift to catch our coach at 5.30am, then about a 2hr trip down, got off at Terminal 3 and we did the lift ride upto the top floor then we were placed till the Queens opened. We then did a quick sprint over to the queens where after paying our addmission we went and found our spot for the day on the raised up viewing gallery overlooking the termional 2 apron.
We would normaly leave about 5pm to arrave home about 8pm after having a great day.

I worked out I was there on 18/8/82 - 28/8/82 - 16-10/82 - 26-10/82 just those that have stuck with me.

Happy days.

E.

 

[Silvercity]

I remember the Queens Building very well, my nan took me there as a kid to watch the planes. There was also a playground too, so entertained for hours !

 

[Elmdon80slad]

I am supprised to see so little interest on this subject - its aimed at anyone who used to spend time in the caentral area at LHR, either on the Queens or on the Carparks spotting, it would be great to hear off more people or even to share any photos thye may have, alas all my LHR pictures were destroyed years and years ago.
Looking forward to more convo's folks.

E.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I am supprised to see so little interest on this subject - its aimed at anyone who used to spend time in the caentral area at LHR, either on the Queens or on the Carparks spotting, it would be great to hear off more people or even to share any photos thye may have, alas all my LHR pictures were destroyed years and years ago.
Looking forward to more convo's folks.

E.

I've never been a spotter - I came to be interested in civil aviation in adulthood, especially the commercial and economic aspects, although I've never worked in the industry.

In the 1970s and 1980s I did 8mm cine filming as a hobby, mainly to record our children growing up, holidays and other family events. During the 70s I did take some scenes* at Heathrow from the top of a multi-storey car park on a couple of occasions when family members flew out on VFR trips but at that point in my life aviation was not a particular interest.

In the early 90s I moved into video and transferred all my cine films onto video tape. Although I no longer do video filming I still have the analogue tapes with around 90s hours worth dated and catalogued. About four to five hours in total involves aviation, and most features Bristol Airport - my local airfield - and other UK and overseas airports to/from which we flew.

* one of the shots shows a Concorde landing which was pure luck as I wasn't expecting it

 

[Silvercity]

I am supprised to see so little interest on this subject - its aimed at anyone who used to spend time in the caentral area at LHR, either on the Queens or on the Carparks spotting, it would be great to hear off more people or even to share any photos thye may have, alas all my LHR pictures were destroyed years and years ago.
Looking forward to more convo's folks.

E.

What I remember was seeing lines of BA tridents , and the different varients . I used to like seeing the Gulf Air Tristars, I think they had ' Golden Falcon ' wrote on the side. I also remember the occasional prop aircraft ..BMA Viscounts and Brymon H P Herolds.

 

[rollo]

Not so much 1980s (married by then?) but spent many happy hours on the roof of the Queens building in the 1960s and early 70s firstly on school trips and well remember the likes of PanAm, TWA, Air Canada etc 707s and DC8s arriving. I especially recall the Qantas 707 'V' jets arriving and departing from and to the other side of the world. It fired my imagination and we have been lucky enough to visit all those countries and others from LHR and BHX over the years that followed. The Queens building was a fabulous viewing place, happy days indeed.

My first proper flight was to Heathrow around 1966 as a unaccompanied 15year old on a BEA Viscount from Elmdon for a day's spotting and a couple of years later on a Vickers Vanguard both as birthday presents from my parents.

Long ago I lost my interest in spotting as incollecting registration numbers etc but have never lost interest in all things aviation.

 

[Elmdon80slad]

I remember arriving at the top level of the MCP at Terminal 3 early and asking the resident spotters if the had the reg of planes like the Pan Am "Lump" that just took off or the Saudia Tristar that just landed - it was a manic first few moments - and always difficult tying to read off the registrations of planes departing - but mixed with so much excitement, all this while at the same time trying to take some photographs.
It went from a frenzy to calm as soon as my friend and myself got settled at the Queens building - then we could spot and take photos at our leisure.

E.