By: VeeOne
- 14th November 2012 at 01:51Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi Connie Freak
WHITE WALTHAM AND DAKOTAS
I stopped opposite the C-47 hanger in the early 1960s as a young child having been taken out for a drive by my uncle. Now I recall seeing three C-47s outside the black hanger. One of them had a long pointy noise cone. I have never seen a photo of this aeroplane. Do you recall it or am I having an old lady moment here? I vaguely recall several Doves in the hanger itself.
I learned to fly at WW at the end of the seventies and the C-47 whiskey charlie was still flying but Fairey Surveys was taken over by Clyde Surveys by then. I worked there for a time and the Dak used to fly once a week. It was a beautiful thing to drive out onto the airfield to watch it depart. I even got to ride right seat once. I understand it was sold to Belgium and scrapped.
LONDON AIRPORT
FWIW I have read thru this LAP-50's thread and found it fascinating. London Airport used to be an amazing aerodrome it seems. I have recollections of it in the 1960s and it is amazing how quickly it grew. I doubt there ever was a time when it wasn't being built or rebuilt. Can anyone tell me when the little two-bar wooden fence was first erected around the aerodrome?
By: connie freak
- 14th November 2012 at 09:17Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
4X-ACF by the 'Dangerous Corner' on the Northside peri road, ca.1954 unstamped but probably Brian Stainer pic
lower 3 my pics
Just love the C-46 shot. Rare aircraft in a place that I know. Plus a shot from this position shows the bend off very well. N7109C shot I've seen before but always love seeing it, nice to meet the photographer ! Congratulations on showing what must be the full complement of TWA GSE.
By: connie freak
- 14th November 2012 at 09:32Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi Connie Freak
WHITE WALTHAM AND DAKOTAS
I stopped opposite the C-47 hanger in the early 1960s as a young child having been taken out for a drive by my uncle. Now I recall seeing three C-47s outside the black hanger. One of them had a long pointy noise cone. I have never seen a photo of this aeroplane. Do you recall it or am I having an old lady moment here? I vaguely recall several Doves in the hanger itself.
I learned to fly at WW at the end of the seventies and the C-47 whiskey charlie was still flying but Fairey Surveys was taken over by Clyde Surveys by then. I worked there for a time and the Dak used to fly once a week. It was a beautiful thing to drive out onto the airfield to watch it depart. I even got to ride right seat once. I understand it was sold to Belgium and scrapped.
LONDON AIRPORT
FWIW I have read thru this LAP-50's thread and found it fascinating. London Airport used to be an amazing aerodrome it seems. I have recollections of it in the 1960s and it is amazing how quickly it grew. I doubt there ever was a time when it wasn't being built or rebuilt. Can anyone tell me when the little two-bar wooden fence was first erected around the aerodrome?
Sarah
Hi Sarah, I usally go to the WW club house 2nd Saturday of the month 12 noon to 2pm. We have an informal "ex Fairey" gathering organised by John John Tompkins. Also present Brian Corbin, Adrian Workman, Geoff Milsom (ex senior captain), Ken & Jean Fortesqueu (Curators of Woodley museum) occasionally Peter Sharman and sometimes others. There is also an annual get together at WW cricket club in July. There is a Fairey Air Surveys website now too. Whisky Charlie is at Toulouse awaiting restoration. Geoff Milsom will be pleased.
Back to LAP....no idea about the wooden fence I'm afraid.
sounds like a good add-on to a visit to the ATA Museum at Maidenhead
I believe the West German Luftwaffe also had these adapted C47 in order to train their Starfighter pilots. One of these was scrapped at Hal Far Malta, I have the yoke to this somewhere in my attic. Just to clarify it still retained the Douglas yoke and not a stick grip!
By: connie freak
- 17th November 2012 at 21:38Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
There was a cafe with a juke-box which I visited on the opposite side of the Bath Rd from the Northside terminal around 1957 which I have been told was also called the Green Dragon so perhaps the business moved over to the building by the control tower about 1958/1959. I have read of a cafe near the terminal called Ben's but don't know if it was inside or outside the airfield or if it was just another name for the Green Dragon.
I remember the main doorway to the 'Dragon' but like you mainly used the handy 'back-door'...I remember playing a lot of chess on miniature boards between spotting sessions around 1960/1961
Here is that shot inside the Dragon. But not the big tall Dragon that I knew.
Can you see the "shed" sizes Dragon on the attached pic ?
By: Bazza333
- 18th November 2012 at 00:38Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
This would have been later than the 50's but if I did venture Northside it would have been to visit the shop that sold books/radios/airway maps. Was it called VHF Supplies??
I am sure it was next to "Automania"?
Thank you very much for the heads-up. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this nice piece of film, especially since it dates back to the beginning of my professional career in aviation.
By: Tango Charlie
- 18th November 2012 at 09:56Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Jur, it may not be 50's but less then a decade later it still gives glimpses into how Heathrow looked before developers really hit top gear! The shop along the A4 was indeed VHF supplies in addition to radios they sold all manner of airline travel agency type models, post cards and 100 and 1 other airline products. I was lucky living in Chiswick from the late 60's right between the two runway headings and many a Comet, DC3,4 and 6 passed overhead along with Vanguards, Viscounts and IL 18's of Tarom, halcyon days indeed!
By: David_Kavangh
- 18th November 2012 at 18:34Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
VHF Supplies on the A4 Great West Road. That takes back a bit. Went out of business in the early 80s when they decided to only sell their World Airline Fleets book and the monthly update that went with it. Out went the kits, radios, other aviation magazines and display models. Probably not the best business plan.
By: nibb100
- 18th November 2012 at 20:24Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
VHF Supplies on the A4 Great West Road. That takes back a bit. Went out of business in the early 80s when they decided to only sell their World Airline Fleets book and the monthly update that went with it. Out went the kits, radios, other aviation magazines and display models. Probably not the best business plan.
By: longshot
- 19th November 2012 at 22:34Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
connie freak....if you click around in these GoogleLIFE archive links relating to the 1st Comet 4 service 26Oct1958 you catch glimpses of the Northside buildings and the features to the South of RWY 28R
By: Banupa
- 19th November 2012 at 23:39Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
connie freak....if you click around in these GoogleLIFE archive links relating to the 1st Comet 4 service 26Oct1958 you catch glimpses of the Northside buildings and the features to the South of RWY 28R
I saw it take-off! From the school playground at New Road Sec Mod School (Now demolished and replaced by a hotel car park!). I also saw the 1st Pan-Am 707 service take-off too. G-APDB and N709PA if my memory serves me correctly...:rolleyes:
By: longshot
- 20th November 2012 at 00:06Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I think I watched it from the Central Ground Enclosure.
This is another one from the Northside ramp of the press and the Comet captain 26Oct1958 (but I can't find it on the archive site now which is a crap advert for google!)
Britannia is G-APLL reregistered from 'NBG
and a view I took of 'NBG probably 1956 in more or less the same spot but parked the other way round
By: AMB
- 20th November 2012 at 13:20Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
VHF Supplies on the A4 Great West Road. That takes back a bit. Went out of business in the early 80s when they decided to only sell their World Airline Fleets book and the monthly update that went with it. Out went the kits, radios, other aviation magazines and display models. Probably not the best business plan.
Not so! They expanded to specialise in scale models, particularly Travel Agent type models and moved a few hundred yards up the road to Noble Corner and kept the name 'VHF Supplies' for a few years, later being renamed Collectors Aircraft models. Then they moved into the basement of one of the large hotels. They final went bust only a few years ago due to the present economic climate,high overheads and poor customer service. Their remaining stock was bought up by Aviation Retail Direct at Hillingdon.
Posts: 70
By: connie freak - 13th November 2012 at 16:19 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Nothing like a good wander so long as we return to topic. Which is LAP, so you're in !
Posts: 1,707
By: longshot - 14th November 2012 at 00:57 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
4X-ACF by the 'Dangerous Corner' on the Northside peri road, ca.1954 unstamped but probably Brian Stainer pic
N7109C from same place 1956
G-AGZO Central enclosure 1955?
G-AFFB Central enclosure, 1955?
lower 3 my pics
Posts: 390
By: VeeOne - 14th November 2012 at 01:51 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi Connie Freak
WHITE WALTHAM AND DAKOTAS
I stopped opposite the C-47 hanger in the early 1960s as a young child having been taken out for a drive by my uncle. Now I recall seeing three C-47s outside the black hanger. One of them had a long pointy noise cone. I have never seen a photo of this aeroplane. Do you recall it or am I having an old lady moment here? I vaguely recall several Doves in the hanger itself.
I learned to fly at WW at the end of the seventies and the C-47 whiskey charlie was still flying but Fairey Surveys was taken over by Clyde Surveys by then. I worked there for a time and the Dak used to fly once a week. It was a beautiful thing to drive out onto the airfield to watch it depart. I even got to ride right seat once. I understand it was sold to Belgium and scrapped.
LONDON AIRPORT
FWIW I have read thru this LAP-50's thread and found it fascinating. London Airport used to be an amazing aerodrome it seems. I have recollections of it in the 1960s and it is amazing how quickly it grew. I doubt there ever was a time when it wasn't being built or rebuilt. Can anyone tell me when the little two-bar wooden fence was first erected around the aerodrome?
Sarah
Posts: 70
By: connie freak - 14th November 2012 at 09:17 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Just love the C-46 shot. Rare aircraft in a place that I know. Plus a shot from this position shows the bend off very well. N7109C shot I've seen before but always love seeing it, nice to meet the photographer ! Congratulations on showing what must be the full complement of TWA GSE.
Posts: 70
By: connie freak - 14th November 2012 at 09:32 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi Sarah, I usally go to the WW club house 2nd Saturday of the month 12 noon to 2pm. We have an informal "ex Fairey" gathering organised by John John Tompkins. Also present Brian Corbin, Adrian Workman, Geoff Milsom (ex senior captain), Ken & Jean Fortesqueu (Curators of Woodley museum) occasionally Peter Sharman and sometimes others. There is also an annual get together at WW cricket club in July. There is a Fairey Air Surveys website now too. Whisky Charlie is at Toulouse awaiting restoration. Geoff Milsom will be pleased.
Back to LAP....no idea about the wooden fence I'm afraid.
Graham (CF)
Posts: 1,707
By: longshot - 14th November 2012 at 19:07 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
There were C-47s in Europe with F-104 noses as part of the NATO/CAF F-104 program e.g
http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.php?id=421925
though I never saw one.
Re WW club/ Museum of Berkshire Aviation....would that be Jean Fostekew, author of 'Blossom Miles'?
http://home.comcast.net/~aero51/html/history/blossom.htm
sounds like a good add-on to a visit to the ATA Museum at Maidenhead
Posts: 70
By: connie freak - 17th November 2012 at 10:40 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Aaah yes Fostekew, that'll be the same.......Jean also is an areodynamicist, so well qualified to write that book.
Attached a lovely pic (not one of my own sadly) but oozing nostalgia. Anyone on here in this pic of the North Side enclosure ?
Posts: 1,424
By: FLY.BUY - 17th November 2012 at 14:59 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I believe the West German Luftwaffe also had these adapted C47 in order to train their Starfighter pilots. One of these was scrapped at Hal Far Malta, I have the yoke to this somewhere in my attic. Just to clarify it still retained the Douglas yoke and not a stick grip!
Posts: 70
By: connie freak - 17th November 2012 at 21:38 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Here is that shot inside the Dragon. But not the big tall Dragon that I knew.
Can you see the "shed" sizes Dragon on the attached pic ?
Posts: 308
By: Tango Charlie - 17th November 2012 at 23:44 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Heathrow Film Early 60's
Well worth watching! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_Om7kdR_Pg&feature=relmfu
Posts: 158
By: Bazza333 - 18th November 2012 at 00:38 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
This would have been later than the 50's but if I did venture Northside it would have been to visit the shop that sold books/radios/airway maps. Was it called VHF Supplies??
I am sure it was next to "Automania"?
Posts: 405
By: Jur - 18th November 2012 at 09:31 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thank you very much for the heads-up. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this nice piece of film, especially since it dates back to the beginning of my professional career in aviation.
Posts: 308
By: Tango Charlie - 18th November 2012 at 09:56 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Jur, it may not be 50's but less then a decade later it still gives glimpses into how Heathrow looked before developers really hit top gear! The shop along the A4 was indeed VHF supplies in addition to radios they sold all manner of airline travel agency type models, post cards and 100 and 1 other airline products. I was lucky living in Chiswick from the late 60's right between the two runway headings and many a Comet, DC3,4 and 6 passed overhead along with Vanguards, Viscounts and IL 18's of Tarom, halcyon days indeed!
Posts: 1,707
By: longshot - 18th November 2012 at 12:42 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I would date that pic 1954 or early 1955 so the big Green dragon near the tower may not have started then.
The interior shot didn't come through.
Posts: 985
By: David_Kavangh - 18th November 2012 at 18:34 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
VHF Supplies on the A4 Great West Road. That takes back a bit. Went out of business in the early 80s when they decided to only sell their World Airline Fleets book and the monthly update that went with it. Out went the kits, radios, other aviation magazines and display models. Probably not the best business plan.
Posts: 346
By: nibb100 - 18th November 2012 at 20:24 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I bought my first airband there in 1970
Posts: 1,707
By: longshot - 19th November 2012 at 22:34 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
connie freak....if you click around in these GoogleLIFE archive links relating to the 1st Comet 4 service 26Oct1958 you catch glimpses of the Northside buildings and the features to the South of RWY 28R
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/2d328757f4d491f9.html
http://images.google.com/search?q=jet+kauffman&q=source%3Alife&biw=1440&bih=717&tbm=isch#q=jet+kauffman+source:life&hl=en&tbo=d&tbm=isch&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=e2e0fe44049ff209&bpcl=38625945&biw=701&bih=598
http://images.google.com/search?q=kauffman+comet&q=source%3Alife&biw=1440&bih=717&tbm=isch#q=kauffman+comet+source:life&hl=en&tbo=d&tbm=isch&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=e2e0fe44049ff209&bpcl=38625945&biw=1440&bih=637
e.g... http://images.google.com/hosted/life/f2310564a66734c3.html
and http://images.google.com/hosted/life/263bc217bbee51cc.html
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/43a9ece3d918542e.html
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/5502e428f0b4e7ea.html
Posts: 1,026
By: Banupa - 19th November 2012 at 23:39 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I saw it take-off! From the school playground at New Road Sec Mod School (Now demolished and replaced by a hotel car park!). I also saw the 1st Pan-Am 707 service take-off too. G-APDB and N709PA if my memory serves me correctly...:rolleyes:
Posts: 1,707
By: longshot - 20th November 2012 at 00:06 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I think I watched it from the Central Ground Enclosure.
This is another one from the Northside ramp of the press and the Comet captain 26Oct1958 (but I can't find it on the archive site now which is a crap advert for google!)
Britannia is G-APLL reregistered from 'NBG
and a view I took of 'NBG probably 1956 in more or less the same spot but parked the other way round
Posts: 562
By: AMB - 20th November 2012 at 13:20 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Not so! They expanded to specialise in scale models, particularly Travel Agent type models and moved a few hundred yards up the road to Noble Corner and kept the name 'VHF Supplies' for a few years, later being renamed Collectors Aircraft models. Then they moved into the basement of one of the large hotels. They final went bust only a few years ago due to the present economic climate,high overheads and poor customer service. Their remaining stock was bought up by Aviation Retail Direct at Hillingdon.