LOOK BACK AT PLANE SPOTTING AND HOW IT USED TO BE AT HEATHROW

I was old enough to actually see the Pan Am 747-100 at Heathrow many times. Pan Am and TWA did use a lot of 707’s but eventually got the 747 and 747SP on the routes. This was because it was the 1970’s and like today, airlines are waiting on the newer aircraft to be built. The date for this photo was August 1977, taken on my Kodak Box Brownie. I was 18 years old. I took the 727 bus up from Crawley. Had to get out at epsom as I was travel sick and then catch the next one. No M25 in those days up through Tadworth and Epsom. Just 12 photos per reel of film I had. If I was lucky my dad would give me money to buy another reel in the shop on top of the Queens building spectators. So a max of 24 photos per visit and then a long wait to see if they developed ok. Could be a few weeks as money to pay for that had to be earned in Sainsbury where I worked. I was on about £28 a week then full time. These days take as many as you like and then download them when you get home. No flight radar so you had to spot the aircraft and read the registration manually. Missed a lot of aircraft back then. Used to try and get the registration as the bus went past the hangers by hatton cross. Not easy, you had one chance in a few seconds. Only ever remember one bus driver slowed and stopped. He must have been a plane spotter himself. 

JC Wings Thomson Holidays / Britannia Airways Boeing 767-200ER G-BRIG Scale 1/200 XX2656

 Another stunning model form JC Wings in a scale of 1/200

The Thomson Holidays / Britannia Airways Boeing 767-200ER G-BRIG was a wide-body jet airliner that was part of Britannia Airways fleet.

Model: 767-200ER (Extended Range)

Airline: Thomson Holidays / Britannia Airways

Registration code: G-BRIG

Britannia Airways operated a mixed fleet of Boeing 737 and Boeing 767 aircraft. The 767-200ERs were used for long-haul routes, including flights to Australia [AIRliners.net forum, Britannia/Thomsonfly's Oldest 767-200...].

Thomson Holidays eventually merged with Britannia Airways in 2005 to form Thomsonfly. The airline itself was later rebranded as TUI Airways in 2017.

BOEING 727 TIME : These photos were sent to us by one of our customers' and followers. They were all taken back in the day and lovely to see these. They were not too big so could not enlarge to much. I have more to do and will upload over the next week. Meantime enjoy these treasured photos. Malcolm of Airspotters.com

Thnak you for looking 

GO TO AIRSPOTTERS.COM TO ORDER 

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JC Wings BOAC Vickers VC10 Series 1101 G-ARVK Scale 1/200 XX2374

The Vickers VC10-1101, with the registration G-ARVK, had a career intertwined with testing and a notable incident. 

BOAC Service: This VC10 served with British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and then BA

Liveries: G-ARVK sported the classic BOAC "Golden Speedbird" livery during its service. It did serve with Gulf Air and final with the Royal Air force. Do not think it was actually painted in BA red tail livery as it went to Gulf Air in 1975.

 

Test Flight Incident: Information available indicates that G-ARVK was involved in an incident during a test flight for certificate renewal. Details suggest:

A depressurization event occurred around 4,000 feet.

Engine number 4 shut down.

Warning lights for the rear passenger door and galley door came on.

The crew managed the situation and landed the aircraft safely.

G-ARVK's operational history started in 1964 and ended in 1998.

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JC Wings British Airways Concorde Aerospatiale-BAC G-BOAD Scale 1/200 EW2COR001

British Airways Concorde G-BOAD, also known by its hull number 210, had a fascinating journey that mirrored the rise and fall of the supersonic Concorde itself. Here's a glimpse into its history:

Birth and Early Flights (1978): G-BOAD entered service in 1978.

Commercial Operations: It carried passengers at supersonic speeds on various routes for British Airways.

Final Farewell (2003): On November 10th, 2003, G-BOAD flew its last commercial flight from London Heathrow to New York JFK, marking the end of an era for Concorde.

Museum Display: Following its retirement, G-BOAD wasn't scrapped. Instead, it took a scenic route on a barge up the Hudson River, similar to how Space Shuttle external fuel tanks were transported, to its final destination - the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in New York City. There, it became a prized exhibit for aviation enthusiasts to admire.

G-BOAD's story is a reminder of the technological marvel that Concorde was, and the allure of supersonic travel. If you're interested in learning more about Concorde's broader history, I can share some details about its development and eventual retirement.

 

AZERBAIJAN A320neo AT LONDON GATWICK 26TH APRIL 2024 : Had to dash up again this time to get this beauty. For some reason the livery reminds me of BMI, do no ask me why. Again it was very cold and a chilly wind blowing my way. They changed runways ends so enables me to capture the photos much closer of the aircraft. Lots more coming later so please follow and enjoy these photos. It will inspire me again to go out in the cold. Malcolm at Airspotters.com and also Emptywalls.uk my other photography website.

Here's some interesting information you can share about the Azerbaijan Airbus A320 4K-AZ141:

Multiple Past Identities: The aircraft has worn a few different registrations before its current one, 4K-AZ141. It was previously registered as VP-BTS and F-WWIC, hinting at a possible ownership or leasing history before joining Azerbaijan Airlines.

Globally Traveled: While information on specific routes is limited, photos of the aircraft have been captured at airports in Izmir, Turkey (January 2024) and London, Gatwick (April 2024), indicating it operates on international routes.

Relatively New Aircraft: This Airbus A320, identified by its manufacturer serial number (MSN) 11181, is a fairly new addition to the Azerbaijan Airlines fleet. While the exact date of entry isn't publicly available, photos of the aircraft online date back to January 2024.

Named after a City: 4K-AZ141's registration code adheres to the Azerbaijani aircraft registration format, where the prefix "4K" identifies the country and the suffix can sometimes be linked to a specific city or region. In this case, "AZ141" might be مرتبط با (murtbit ba - related to) Zangilan, a city in southwestern Azerbaijan.

Herpa Wings Tupolev Tu144D Aeroflot Technik-Museum Sinsheim CCCP-77112 Scale 1/200 556323-001

The Tupolev Tu-144D Aeroflot with registration number CCCP-77112 was a supersonic passenger jet that is currently on display at the Technik-Museum Sinsheim in Germany. It was part of the Soviet Union's answer to the Anglo-French Concorde and was one of the first commercial airplanes to achieve supersonic speeds.

Here are some interesting facts about the Tu-144D Aeroflot CCCP-77112:

• The aircraft made its maiden flight in 1979 but never entered regular scheduled service.
• It only completed over 80 test and trail flights.
• It remained in storage for almost 20 years until the Technik-Museum Sinsheim purchased it and ferried it by barge from Moscow to Sinsheim, Germany for display.
• The distance traveled to transport the aircraft was over 4,000 kilometers.

The Tu-144D is a fascinating piece of aviation history, and the Technik-Museum Sinsheim is a great place to see it up close. If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend checking it out.

 

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