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Post by rugbyref on Apr 7, 2020 8:17:23 GMT
Have we done a thread on the ‘best’ surprise you have logged in the days before internet? My most memorable was being at the Queens Building at Heathrow and seeing land on 10L (now 09L) on delivery the Nepalese Army Shorts Skyvan RA-N14. My second best was landing at RAF Luqa with the Air Cadets in April 1971 and seeing the Constellation wearing 5T-TAF (which turned out to be a false reg used whilst smuggling.)
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Post by davebasing on Apr 7, 2020 10:47:24 GMT
Have we done a thread on the ‘best’ surprise you have logged in the days before internet? My most memorable was being at the Queens Building at Heathrow and seeing land on 10L (now 09L) on delivery the Nepalese Army Shorts Skyvan RA-N14. My second best was landing at RAF Luqa with the Air Cadets in April 1971 and seeing the Constellation wearing 5T-TAF (which turned out to be a false reg used whilst smuggling.) Great idea. I've often wondered whether the hobby was a bit more exciting pre internet when you never really knew what you would see when you went somewhere. There was a sense of anticipation. Must admit there was also often a sense of sheer boredom, like when sitting on a 1960s winters day at Gatwick where you could often count the movements without using another hand or if you were a Heathrow regular in those days sitting all day on the Queens Building and needing one if you were lucky. Or the US bases where anything could turn up but often didn't. These days we often go to see things that have been reported, if we see it/them then its what we expected and if they've gone we are disappointed. I'll have a scratch of the head for my own surprises but for starters here is your Connie "5T-TAF" (legally un-registered as you say, but ex CS-TLC) after it had been impounded in Malta in February 1968 when it was operating for the 'rebels/freedom fighters' in and out of Biafra (usually using the dirt road at Uli as a runway) during that civil war in Nigeria. When I graphed her in 1979 she was in use as a restaurant in Kirkop, Malta. After the restaurant closed in 1988 she lingered until destroyed when burnt by vandals on 30 January 1997. Her engines are preserved in the museum at Ta'Qali in Malta.  79-ip by dave tompkins, on Flickr  79-io by dave tompkins, on Flickr |
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Post by dave on Apr 7, 2020 12:49:24 GMT
hi, at Gatwick, 70's I think, being brought up on Heathrows Pan Am and TWA, seeing my first United DC.8, Capitol's DC.8's 2 in one afternoon, RCAF C.47, and a Israeli AF C97 do a touch and go...admittedly not all the same day except the 2 Capitol's, but I did some bragging when I got home. Also for Gatwick it was a case of "its a box of chocolate, you don't know what your going to get" with credit to Forrests mum... happy days.
stay safe, regards, dave...
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Post by cornwall01 on Apr 7, 2020 16:17:41 GMT
Can I throw in four from Gatwick in the 1970’s. XT-AAH Piper PA-22 in October 1970 which was airfreighted in and was then registered G-AZRS. 6O-SAE Cessna 180 in April 1972 was also airfreighted in and also went British I think. XB-NOB Bellanca Viking in July 1974 and JA5171 Beech Duke in May 1975. As already mentioned you just never knew what might turn up at Gatwick.
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Post by christoff on Apr 7, 2020 18:03:21 GMT
4 Nigerian 737-200's turning up late one summers evening on delivery at Heathrow in the early eighties, my friend hammering on the front door and us rushing back into the centre, went to the top of the car park 2 to see them all lined up over at BA Cargo. Again, logs have long disappeared.
Chris
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Post by keithh on Apr 7, 2020 20:56:13 GMT
Can I throw in four from Gatwick in the 1970’s. XT-AAH Piper PA-22 in October 1970 which was airfreighted in and was then registered G-AZRS. 6O-SAE Cessna 180 in April 1972 was also airfreighted in and also went British I think. XB-NOB Bellanca Viking in July 1974 and JA5171 Beech Duke in May 1975. As already mentioned you just never knew what might turn up at Gatwick. I saw the first two as well! |
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Post by keithh on Apr 7, 2020 20:59:47 GMT
I think probably the biggest surprise was when I was working on refurbishing the tower at LHR. Luckily I’d sneaked my camera in to work and I was having a break on the roof terrace below the control room when a Mongolian Airlines Tu 154 landed. I blew the original print up and I have it in my study.
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Post by graham on Apr 8, 2020 7:52:47 GMT
Growing up in Reading meant Heathrow and Gatwick were regular ports of call, Heathrow via the double decker bus and Gatwick on the train that took about three hours to get there. It was usually Gatwick that provided most of the surprises as you could see anything there from visiting GA to unusual airlines.
This was the potted list from 30 May 1972 as Dave Allum, Keith H and I prepared to fly out to Washington Dulles for Transpo, my first flight on an airliner (a BCAL B707)
Tue 30 May 1972 London Gatwick
5Y-AAU Piper PA-23 Aztec 250C 27-2647 Private
9J-ADF Lear Jet Industries Learjet 24 D 24D-249 Corporate
CF-GXK Vickers Viscount 737 70 Canadian Department of Transportation
D-IFSB de Havilland DH.104 Dove Srs.6 04379 Private
EC-BZJ Piper PA-31 Navajo B 31-751 Private
F-BTML Dassault Falcon 20 C 67 Corporate
G-AZJZ Piper PA-23 Aztec 250E 27-4744 Private
G-AZRG Piper PA-23 Aztec 250D 27-4386 Private
We returned to Gatwick absolutely shattered after five days in Washington and Baltimore to this potted list
Sun 04 Jun 1972 London Gatwick
D-ALFA British Aircraft Corp One-Eleven 528FL 234 Bavaria Flug
D-ECJC Reims/Cessna F172H 0734 Private
D-EOFG Cessna 210D Centurion 21058225 Private
EC-CAD Douglas DC-8 21 45423 Air Spain
G-AYTP Piper PA-23 Aztec 250E 27-4585 Private
I-ALKI Cessna 210H Centurion 21058985 Private
I-BEST Cessna 320B Skyknight 320B0006 Private
LZ-BEA Ilyushin IL-18 D 188010802 Balkan Bulgarian Airlines
N803WA Douglas DC-8 73CF 46149 World Airlines
OE-FPW Piper PA-31 Navajo 31-122 Private
YU-AJD Tupolev Tu-134 A-3 2351508 Aviogenex
On both occasions way more GA/Biz than airliners although it has to be said that by mid 72, I had pretty much cleared all the based Gatwick stuff.
One pot that will no doubt be remembered by those guys will be one evening as were more or less getting ready to get the train back to Reading when Trans International B727 N1727T rolled in, unfortunately a long time before funds allowed for even a cheap camera.
I remember the Seaboard World DC-8s causing a stir at Heathrow, not sure if they were scheduled services but they always whipped up the crowd atop the QB and if I recall, they usually arrived late afternoon.
Other great memories were seeing my first Iranian AF C-130 at Lyneham after the family moved from Reading to Wiltshire although those logs are long gone and I can't remember the reg.
I'll add to this as the grey matter hopefully frees up a little and more great moments come to light
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Post by davidallum on Apr 8, 2020 10:07:39 GMT
Those were the days Graham,always preferred Gatwick to Heathrow.
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Post by keithh on Apr 8, 2020 11:14:50 GMT
I think probably the biggest surprise was when I was working on refurbishing the tower at LHR. Luckily I’d sneaked my camera in to work and I was having a break on the roof terrace below the control room when a Mongolian Airlines Tu 154 landed. I blew the original print up and I have it in my study. I managed to find the pics I took with the Mongolian and I obviously didn't remember correctly as they are clearly taken on the Queens Building. I think I was thinking of a Syrian IL76 when I was working in the tower. I took shots of the prints with my phone.  [url=h  IMG_3075 by keith harbor, on Flickrttps://flic.kr/  IMG_3076 by keith harbor, on Flickrp/2iNaTNb]IMG_3074[/url] by keith harbor, on Flickr  IMG_3077 by keith harbor, on Flickr  IMG_3078 by keith harbor, on Flickr  IMG_3081 by keith harbor, on Flickr  IMG_3079 by keith harbor, on Flickr |
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Post by davebasing on Apr 8, 2020 14:00:41 GMT
Thinking back over the years, I’ve decided (at least so far) that the best surprise was probably at Luton in June 1968 where I stumbled on this Ethiopian Air Force C54. And just perhaps this Twin Otter at Gatwick the very next day on delivery to Nepal where it lasted less than two years before being written off in a fatal accident there. Poor quality shots but a couple of my last with an old Ilford Sportsman camera and my local chemist in Chiswick who was hopefully a better chemist than a film developer (but he was cheap). Though I didn’t then do civil light aircraft anymore, it was a surprise to find and graph this Nicaraguan registered Cessna 303 parked at Khartoum when I was seconded to Sudan in 1986 to advise on setting up a CAA there. Did see some interesting stuff during my month there, but just what a Nicaraguan 303 was doing there is probably best left to the imagination. No idea what eventually happened to it  IMG_9991 by dave tompkins, on Flickr  IMG_9993 by dave tompkins, on Flickr  86-ey by dave tompkins, on Flickr |
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Post by monarch01 on Apr 8, 2020 14:28:09 GMT
Sorry Dave, your photo of YN-CAX shows a Cessna 303 !!
Cheers
Adrian
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Post by davebasing on Apr 8, 2020 15:21:22 GMT
Sorry Dave, your photo of YN-CAX shows a Cessna 303 !! Cheers Adrian Oops, thanks. Shows that I had given up on light civil aircraft! |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2020 6:03:44 GMT
Can I throw in four from Gatwick in the 1970’s. XT-AAH Piper PA-22 in October 1970 which was airfreighted in and was then registered G-AZRS. 6O-SAE Cessna 180 in April 1972 was also airfreighted in and also went British I think. XB-NOB Bellanca Viking in July 1974 and JA5171 Beech Duke in May 1975. As already mentioned you just never knew what might turn up at Gatwick. I think I saw 60-SAE at Redhill could be wrong though!!!! AM |
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Post by keefyboy on Apr 9, 2020 10:49:01 GMT
My old logs are in deep storage somewhere up in the loft but here are a few surprises that I recall with rough dates:
My first visit to Radlett in Nov 69 when I thought I might see just a couple of early Jetstreams - the big surprise was seeing some 20+ Victors all neatly lined up pending conversion to tankers. Now that was an unexpected surprise.
A couple of Lockheed Jetstars on the pan at Gatwick 69/70. I thought Jetstars were so cool and agree with everyone else that Gatwick was always more interesting than Heathrow.
I remember seeing XT-AAH a couple of times at Biggin Hill in 70 or 71 and thinking where the bloody hell's that from.
An Indian air force Constellation at Northolt 70/71 - Northolt had many interesting visitors back in the day.
The numerous wrecks and relics in the Staravia yard at Lasham circa 1972.
The sight of all those piston props in crocks corner Miami 1988.
Walking under the AN225 at Farnborough 1990.
18 stored ex Kuwaiti Mirage F1's at Ali Al Saleem in May 2001.
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Post by rh226 on Apr 9, 2020 21:53:40 GMT
Used to see quite a few Jetstars at Heathrow back in the days - for example FAA N1 (c/n 5001) and Johnson & Johnson's N600J (with two different c/ns 5039 and 5086) that I can recall offhand.
Biggest surprise?
4x Indian AF Caribous at Northolt on delivery in July 1964.
OTT - First time type into Europe?
"MAC80214" C-5A 68-0214 25/07/1970 at about 06.30BST on its way to Rhein-Main (Frankfurt). It turned up at Lakenheath the next day.
"TV728" Trans International B727 N1728T at 04.45BST one summer's morning (can't recall when) inbound Germany. It (and its trail) looked beautiful glowing pink in the just-below-the-horizon rising sun. It turned up at Gatwick in the afternoon of the same day (or was it the next?) doing the 1st of that summer's Sunday trooping flights. Guess who was at Gatwick that day?
- Incidentally, Trans International used to operate the prototype DC8 N8008D at one stage of its life (along with N8008F and N3325T). |
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Post by tj on Apr 11, 2020 9:21:21 GMT
During the 1988 Fboro airshow, I was cycling home past the airfield when CCCP-09329 AN22 trundled in. That was one hell of a surprise!!!
Subsequently found out it had brought a spare engine in for an An124, but a very welcome pot for me. Only one of the type I've ever seen.
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Post by rugbyref on Apr 11, 2020 10:21:13 GMT
Was that the one that landed on the grass?
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Post by howardlgw on Apr 11, 2020 11:21:39 GMT
Back in July 1973 I purchased a Southern Rail 7 day rover ticket and went out daily from my West Sussex home to various airfields, Bembridge, Southampton, Portsmouth, Shoreham, Hamble, Blackbushe, Heathrow and always ending up at Gatwick my local. On the 23rd July I went to Bournemouth Hurn and spent ages looking at a Mystere 20 with the Reg A40-AA trying to work out if it was a real registration, I had never seen the prefix A40- before. I also saw that day DQ-FBV BAC 1-11, 506 Viscount and 805 Caribou Sultan of Oman Air Force.
With regard to an earlier thread 60-SAE Cessna , I saw this plane on 29th April 1972 at Gatwick I seem to remember it was sitting by a crate easily visible from the old viewing terrace. That day was memorable for a large influx of flights from West Germany bringing football fans to a European Championship Quarter Final against England at Wembley, D- won 3-1 . It was a very wet day, and amongst the many logged that day were N5615, N5624 and N5625 Convair 990's Modern Air Transport, D-AILY and D-ALLI Bac 1-11's Bavaria Flug , D-AHLA and LC Aviaction Fokker F.28's, I made 32 that day mainly light aircraft which was good for a Gatwick Regular.
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Post by davebasing on Apr 11, 2020 12:35:25 GMT
Hi Howard - this may bring back a memory for you. A40-AA which I took at Gatwick on 12 August 1973 while on a CAA spot check.  73-bm by dave tompkins, on Flickr |
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Post by keefyboy on Apr 11, 2020 12:37:25 GMT
Just been sunning myself in the garden when something occurred to me. For those of us that grew up in the 60's/70's with the Beatles/Stones - what amazing long term memories we have!! I can remember so many aviation trips so vividly like it was only yesterday - I can even recall specific dates for airfield/airshow visits. These days - if anyone asks me where I was a month ago and what I was doing - I'd be at a complete loose end!! Anyhow, time for another chilled cider as there appears to be bugger all in the skies over Wiltshire apart from LX-FPP which I assume is doing survey work.
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Post by tj on Apr 11, 2020 13:16:41 GMT
Was that the one that landed on the grass? Cant answer that one RR. I only saw it taxiing in as I cycled past the airfield boundary. Memorable sighting though. |
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Post by christoff on Apr 11, 2020 15:20:18 GMT
During the 1988 Fboro airshow, I was cycling home past the airfield when CCCP-09329 AN22 trundled in. That was one hell of a surprise!!! Subsequently found out it had brought a spare engine in for an An124, but a very welcome pot for me. Only one of the type I've ever seen. Found this on YouTube.. |
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Post by howardlgw on Apr 11, 2020 16:41:58 GMT
Hi Dave, thanks for the photo of A40-AA at Gatwick, taken in the old light aircraft park area, just a fence between the spotter and planes, sweet memories of many a good sighting back then.
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Post by lordevanelpuss on Apr 11, 2020 16:47:30 GMT
During the 1988 Fboro airshow, I was cycling home past the airfield when CCCP-09329 AN22 trundled in. That was one hell of a surprise!!! Subsequently found out it had brought a spare engine in for an An124, but a very welcome pot for me. Only one of the type I've ever seen. Me too Re AN22! 'D-AILY and 1-11's Bavaria Flug' - Isn't this now on an A 319 of Lufthansa?
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Post by graham on Apr 12, 2020 9:02:27 GMT
The mention of Jetstar N1 brought back vivid memories of my first ever US spotting trip in 1972. N1 was seen at what was then Washington National on 31/5/72 and was for me, an amazing pot. I'm sure we also saw it at Dulles a couple of days later when we attended the TRANSPO show there.
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Post by lordevanelpuss on Apr 12, 2020 9:47:46 GMT
During the 1988 Fboro airshow, I was cycling home past the airfield when CCCP-09329 AN22 trundled in. That was one hell of a surprise!!! Subsequently found out it had brought a spare engine in for an An124, but a very welcome pot for me. Only one of the type I've ever seen. Found this on YouTube.. I remember that too, though, by the time that I got to FAB it was already on the ground, so nice to be able to see and hear it fly over and land. It's the only one that I've seen as well |
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Post by davebasing on Apr 12, 2020 11:36:00 GMT
Just been sunning myself in the garden when something occurred to me. For those of us that grew up in the 60's/70's with the Beatles/Stones - what amazing long term memories we have!! I can remember so many aviation trips so vividly like it was only yesterday - I can even recall specific dates for airfield/airshow visits. These days - if anyone asks me where I was a month ago and what I was doing - I'd be at a complete loose end!! Anyhow, time for another chilled cider as there appears to be bugger all in the skies over Wiltshire apart from LX-FPP which I assume is doing survey work. I was going to agree with you about the 60/70s but I cant remember why. Or did I already do so?? I've deliberately written this slowly as I know that some of us of a certain age can't read very quickly. |
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Post by deke on Apr 12, 2020 13:41:11 GMT
Sadly I lost all of my records from my childhood and youth spotting days, but I do always remember the excitement of snow diversion days at Elmdon. It was an amazing treat to see a SAA VC10 for instance diverted from Heathrow.
Since reviving the hobby in Sept 15 perhaps the most surprising was running through BHX on the last day I saw my Mom before she passed away, and seeing the Samaritan's Purse DC8 N782SP on the ground.
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