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Heathrow May 1968

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Old 20th Jan 2021, 11:47
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Heathrow May 1968

Unearthed this footage while going through the inlaws' cinefilm collection. Heathrow certainly saw a more interesting variety of types in those days.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLnIM3lv0Ww

Last edited by Senior Pilot; 20th Jan 2021 at 22:23. Reason: YouTube insert
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Old 20th Jan 2021, 19:54
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Interesting. You can see the old, slower, frame rate by the speed at which the craft are moving. Today's crowdn need to remember the black smoke!
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Old 20th Jan 2021, 21:13
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Originally Posted by PAXboy
Interesting. You can see the old, slower, frame rate by the speed at which the craft are moving. Today's crowdn need to remember the black smoke!
And the noise!
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Old 20th Jan 2021, 21:35
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The very peak of my plane spotting initiation - AAAHH the memories! So many saturdays at spent at Heathrow - and many more days during school hols.
Marvellous film. Thank you for posting.
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Old 21st Jan 2021, 04:48
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Fabulous. In May 68 I would have been watching from the other side of LHR from British Eagles hangers. Such good memories.
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Old 21st Jan 2021, 09:53
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To my ageing eyes, the older, simpler, colour schemes seemed to identify the airlines much better than some of today's more garish schemes. I just about remember there being wall-to-wall Tridents as well..
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Old 21st Jan 2021, 10:29
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Don't you wish you could go back...
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Old 21st Jan 2021, 12:47
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Remember many a Saturday back in the '60s sitting on the roof of the Queen's Building with C-46s and such flying in and out. Even had G-ASXX parked in front of us one day..
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Old 21st Jan 2021, 12:59
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Thanks for that!

I had to look up the V-jet from Qantas - apparently the V was for vannus (Latin for fan) presumably those new-fangled bypass fans to keep a 707 quiet(err).
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Old 21st Jan 2021, 16:49
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Originally Posted by Dan Dare
I had to look up the V-jet from Qantas - apparently the V was for vannus (Latin for fan) presumably those new-fangled bypass fans to keep a 707 quiet(err).
Wonderful 1961 Qantas V-Jet brochure.
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Old 21st Jan 2021, 17:51
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About 1956, when I was ten, my parents took me to Heathrow. I had never flown in a plane. We went on a “Round the Airport” very short flight on a bi-plane, it cost 11 shillings each (55p).
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Old 21st Jan 2021, 19:46
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Originally Posted by hayessteph
About 1956, when I was ten, my parents took me to Heathrow. I had never flown in a plane. We went on a “Round the Airport” very short flight on a bi-plane, it cost 11 shillings each (55p).
It would have been an Island Airways Dragon Rapide and if the pilot was a lady then possibly Monique Agazarian - I had the pleasure of a long chat with her daughter Mary on the local common a couple of years ago.
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Old 21st Jan 2021, 20:14
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Monique Agazarian (ex ATA) used to run a “simulator” in a hotel at Victoria Station with Graham Percival in the early 70s. It was a Frasca-like machine, based on a Cessna 150 with limited motion. The “visual” display was a ten-foot-diameter ring of hardboard with a typical British countryside scene painted on it, representing the view from about 3000ft, within which the simulator rotated (yawed), with a token amount of pitch and roll thrown in for good measure. IMC could be simulated by a frosted screen over the windshield.

Monique taught me basic IF, VDF, VOR, ADF and ILS, all before I had finished my PPL. Needless to say, when I did my IMC rating training a few years later, it was fairly straightforward and the good habits that she instilled served me well for the IR too. She and Graham (who I believe was ex CFS) followed what I think was the RAF syllabus, using the “half-bar” technique of selecting and maintaining pitch attitude, as well as the selective radial scan for general IF. We flew Patterns ‘A’ and ‘B’ and could even fly full approach procedures. The results were recorded on some kind of plotter on the far side of the hardboard horizon.

She was a gifted instructor, as well as as a vivacious raconteuse. She told me about her time at Heathrow, running a Dragon Rapide for joyrides. It was a privilege to have been the recipient of her wise words.

I think she ended up moving the simulator to Wycombe Air Park.
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Old 22nd Jan 2021, 05:49
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Half-way through the film, I caught a glimpse of steps leading to the L2 door in a Trident, like this picture:




I had no idea there was an L2 door. Was this where the galley was?

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Old 22nd Jan 2021, 08:22
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Originally Posted by India Four Two
Half-way through the film, I caught a glimpse of steps leading to the L2 door in a Trident, like this picture:




I had no idea there was an L2 door. Was this where the galley was?
Yes, there was a midships galley/pantry. Having said that, there was no R2 door on most Tridents, so loading the catering was a bit of a pain.
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Old 22nd Jan 2021, 11:08
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Sister and Me, Heathrow about 1953. 'Round the Airport Fight' Rapide in the background.
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Old 22nd Jan 2021, 14:40
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Good to be reminded of the days it was an exciting, interesting and "proper" airport with "proper planes", (proper smells too!) not the sterile shopping centre with aircraft that all look identical it became. Many happy late childhood/early teen years spent up on the QB (listening to either the commentary or our air-band radios) and wandering around the terminals pestering airline counters for any materials they would give us, many being very forthcoming with timeatbles, brochures etc. Also sitting with my friend, landside in T1 and jumping-up when a flight to some exotic place was called, loudly proclaiming "Oh that's us, we must go!" thinking it'd make us look important and interesting.

I also recall scambling up the grass bank adjacent to the Eastern Perimiter Road to marvel at the newly delivered BOAC 747. Probably get arrested for doing that these days!

50+ years later, couldn't wait to see the back of the place when retirement called.
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Old 22nd Jan 2021, 20:24
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Just for no particular reason (nostalgia?) I've had a go at spotting from the video - doubt if 100% correct!

BEA Trident
BEA Vanguard
BEA Comet 4b
BOAC VC10
Air France 727
SAA 707
Qantas 707
PAA 707
Alitalia Caravelle
HS125? Forces Mail run?
CL44 or Britannia taking off?
Tail of a Lufthansa?
Several in background - can't make out.


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Old 22nd Jan 2021, 20:40
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Lufthansa tail visible is B727
The Britannia taking off looks very like British Eagle
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Old 22nd Jan 2021, 22:30
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Britannia is definitely British Eagle
125 most likely one of Shell's
the Viscount parked on a remote stand looks like Aer Lingus
can't say I noticed a VC-10
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