Heathrow 1957 - Colour Photos

[PeteP]

Pics of the G-ANH* Viscount 701C are rare as well as along with some of th G-AMO* series were sold to VASP in 1962 before mass photography came about.

Just out of interest, Garry, the various 700s in the collection are:

BEA - G-ALWF, G-ANHF, GAMNZ, GAOFX, G-ARBW
BOAC - G-AMOG
BKS & CAMBRIAN - G-AMON & GAPNF
AER LINGUS - EI-AFY (1959)
AIR FRANCE - F-BGNL, F-BGNN, F-BGNP, F-BGNS, F-BGNV
AIR INTER - F-BGNO
TRANSAIR - G-AODG, G-AODH
ICELANDAIR - TF-ISN
OLSEN - LN-FOM
FALCON AIR - SE-CNL

Most of them were taken between the late 50s and the late 60s.
Pete

[Garry Russell]

Hi Pete

I have never seen a pic of G-ARBW........that was one of the Viscounts leased by BEA I think it was due to the Vanguards problems and it missing it's 'in service' date.

It was short term leased June 1960-Feb 1961 form Fred Olsen....so not around that long

G-AOFX was the first Viscount I saw

Garry

[PeteP]

I have never seen a pic of G-ARBW........

Here you are, Garry, 2 photos of BW taken at Heathrow on what looks like a rather stormy day in 1960. To be honest, I found the activities going on around the aircraft and the aircraft in the background just as fascinating as the subject itself.





Pete

[Garry Russell]

Thanks Pete

As I suspected 'RBW was painted in that livery despite the fact that the Red Square had been introduced a year earlier.

The same thing happened later

A Viscount was returned from Cyprus lease and a Comet form Olympic. Both retained the previous operators livery with red squares added. This was 1970. The Flying Jack livery was introduced in September 1968

Garry

[PeteP]

A Viscount was returned from Cyprus lease and a Comet form Olympic. Both retained the previous operators livery with red squares added. This was 1970. The Flying Jack livery was introduced in September 1968

Would this be the Comet? Exactly as you described Garry - G-ARJL photgraphed at Orly in April 1969 with the red square on the old Olympic livery and, in the background, PJ wearing the current Flying Jack livery.





Pete

[Garry Russell]

Exactly.........if they had put the flying Jack logo on and the BEA title over the Olympic livery it would be a close match to the new livery.



Garry

[DispatchDragon]

The Connie's lined up on the other side of the field dont appear to have the duckegg outer fins so guess's are they were
probably the remains of the BOAC fleet getting ready to be sold off - However in the same photo to the Right there
is a Skyways Connie - As to the Dan Air York - very likely - Dan Air made its living in the early days (53-60) hauling ships crews
for replacement and cargo -The York was popular for hauling aero engines because of its low door sills and the fact that it
was as those of you who have downloaded Paule's York 500 fairly quick for a large four engine piston airliner.


Leif

[Garry Russell]

Some of the BOAC Yorks were modified to have a large double door which meant they could take just about anything a stranded aircraft could need.

As a whole the type did an amazing job but like so many British types did so without the acknowledgemnt to history they justly deserve.

Garry

[Techy111]

I did a 5 year tour of RAF Gatow in West Berlin whilst in the RAF and i had the great fortune of meeting a party of old pilots who flew in the Berlin airlift and the stories of their experiences of flying the Daks and Yorks and othermakes could make a great book and i have all their signatures on a letter that i hold dear to my heart......I have so much respect for "old Bold pilots" i will scan it in soon and show you all.....You might recognise a few names

For you Garry the refurbished Vickers Viscount at Duxford....Don't she look pretty and flyable?


Techy

[Garry Russell]

Cheers mate

She certainly looks pretty but not flyable.

When she was moved from Liverpool to Duxford she was incomplete and so badly corroded they wondered it she could be saved.

Cambrian had donated her to Liverpool but then increased security meant she could no longer be on show.

She was dragged outside and Cambrian took both outer wings and a few other bits for G-AMOG and G-AMON still at that time in service. It was the placing outside in an unprotected condition that caused a lot of damage.

Later they got wings from Alidair..I think it was G-ARIR and that Alidair aircraft had the wings from G-BDIK that had been withdrawn for spares recovery. Early Viscount had only 17,500 hours on the spars, possibly why they were swapped arround

So there she is and looking good but thirty years ago it was a close run thing.

Garry