By: ianwoodward9
- 12th May 2018 at 08:44Permalink- Edited 9th November 2019 at 17:08
Sadly, much less able to squeeze through narrow gaps these days. I used to have a photo of me on hangar exploration at Gatwick but I haven't seen that for a long time - it may be around. I did find the photo of Commanche VR-SEJ; pencilled on the back, I had written "1/60 f8 Minolta Autocord". I have a similar hangar photo (Twin Bonanza HB-GAO, 1/60 at f4 this time) and, under the fuselage, a pair of legs walking towards the aircraft. Probably just a brief visit then.
I cannot conjure up a face in my mind to put to the name "G.L.Fisk" but I think his forename was Graham. The other two in the team just referred to him as "Fisk". I'm also pretty sure that he was a member of the West London Aviation Group. I must dig out those copies of the WLAG newsletter to see if he's mentioned there.
By: ianwoodward9
- 12th May 2018 at 09:56Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I just found this on-line.
I have sent corrections in. The date was 24 June 1962 (I noted CL-44D N228SW at LAP that day) and HB-GAO was photographed at Gatwick the following month.
By: ianwoodward9
- 12th May 2018 at 10:28Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Back to LAP, though early 1960s.
I witnessed this crash. My memory is that a group of us were on the south side, realised that the plane was in trouble and skedaddled round to the north side. I think the runway was foamed and, as the nose touched down, there was a pink flame - which I recall because it was not the colour I expected. Emergency vehicles were there promptly and, further back, coaches to take the passengers away.
My diary entry for 14 August 1962 simply reads: "F-BHSP 707 / D-ABOM 720 - crashed / PVX Dove / OY-KPD CV-440".
By: Mark12
- 12th May 2018 at 10:52Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I cannot conjure up a face in my mind to put to the name "G.L.Fisk" but I think his forename was Graham. The other two in the team just referred to him as "Fisk". I'm also pretty sure that he was a member of the West London Aviation Group. I must dig out those copies of the WLAG newsletter to see if he's mentioned there.
Graham Fisk, yes also a member of the Harrow branch of Air-Britain as I recall.
By: ianwoodward9
- 12th May 2018 at 11:42Permalink- Edited 9th November 2019 at 17:10
I was allocated to the Heston branch, though I don't recall attending any meetings. I went mostly to the London Society of Air Britain meetings. I have extracted my 1962 pocket diary from its hiding place, as you may have gathered, and I noticed this entry for 2 August 1962: "LAP / LCU Dove / RWI DC-6 / MDA Anson flying over / Westland Heliport RZT Brantly B2".
Since the heliport was not somewhere I would have routinely visited, I wondered why I'd gone there - I have no memory of it. Then I saw some faint pencil marks at the top of the page; one of them read "LSAB", so I presume I checked the heliport out on the trip into town. [Mark, I will PM you on a separate matter]
By: Firebird
- 12th May 2018 at 20:41Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Great shot.........
Not many of the buildings/infrastructure shown in that photo still there today....just the Bank and old Dunlop Aviation tyre shed (now a tool hire centre) in the foreground off the Hatton Cross roundabout, and the farthest of the old BEA hangars.
I don't remember the white obelisk in the middle of the roundabout though?
By: farnboroughrob
- 13th May 2018 at 16:35Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Great photo, assume it is 1955 as the Queens Building is still being finished? Spent so much of my youth on those roofs. Was so gutted then the QB roof closed in 1986, was just left with the T2 roof until that was also closed. Difficult to imagine today just how popular the QB was in the 70's and 80's.
By: Firebird
- 13th May 2018 at 17:27Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
And a nice Postcard of the new terminal.
Great shot, and wonderfully actually shows the short cut n cover vehicle tunnel under construction in the top left of the photo, which was the subject of a question a few pages back :cool:
Also, none of the buildings in this photo are left existing.
By: ianwoodward9
- 13th May 2018 at 17:27Permalink- Edited 9th November 2019 at 17:12
The photos posted by duggy (Post # 327) are very evocative. Mum used to work in the Engineering Base and I visited a few times. I seem to recall being shown a seat-belt being installed and demonstrated. When were they introduced, I wonder?
On the aerial view of the Engineering Base, I've marked where I think the first two photos were taken.
On the D-ABOM crash, I was away for a few days in the middle of August but, on 30 August, my diary entry includes: 'D-ABOM 707 (1st visit since crash)' - oops, slight error on the a/c type, I think.
By: ianwoodward9
- 13th May 2018 at 18:05Permalink- Edited 9th November 2019 at 17:14
The first time I went to LAP was, I think, in the summer of 1957 when I cycled to Bedfont Green, cut through to Stanwell Road, crossed the Gt South West Rd and stopped on the south west perimeter and looked across the airport where the green beacon was blinking away. I thought it odd that it continued to do so in broad daylight.
I can recall the shape of the aircraft taking off (I'm pretty certain it was a Dakota or, more likely, a BEA Pionair) from left to right, and I can recall thinking it must be a freighter, as it was nowhere near as sleek as the aircraft I saw landing on 28L from my bedroom window.
In 1958 and 1959, I mainly went to the viewing base in the Central Area, sometimes cycling through the narrow tunnel on the left-hand side, for pedestrians and cyclists, but usually by bus. Was it the 90b route? Whatever, it went through the airport from Hatton Cross (the outer ring of the large roundabout in the above photo is where the workers' bus stop was situated) to Harlington Corner, where I would change on to a bus for the Central Area.
I was certainly using that mode of transport in April 1958, as I can recall standing at the bus stop on the Bath Road as the Aldermaston marchers went by, heading west.
Anyway, the aerial photograph below is from a 1959 booklet, so was probably taken in that 1958-59 period.
By: farnboroughrob
- 13th May 2018 at 18:32Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Out of interest where was the Queens Building roof entrance? In the 70's/80's it was on the nearest part of the roof on the above photo. It was accessed either via stairs leading from T1, or the bridge that came across from the bus station. I guess originally there was a internal entrance?
By: ianwoodward9
- 13th May 2018 at 19:10Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
That's where I recall - in through the main doors of the Queen's Building. Wasn't there an escalator to go up and a turnstile inside at which to pay? Or is that fantasy on my part?
By: longshot
- 13th May 2018 at 20:29Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Ian has it right....in the spacious entrance lobby,there was also a newsreel cinema showing short films. Another covered footbridge was later built from T2 to the QB linking through to T1. In its final years when only the diminishing terrace ontop of T2 was accessible the entrance was up the old fire escape on the nearest corner of T2...as I recall there were no signs to the terrace. Surprisingly it even reopened after 9/11 closing finally when the 2nd Gulf war started https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1006684 [ATTACH=CONFIG]260565[/ATTACH]
By: ianwoodward9
- 13th May 2018 at 23:51Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The photos inside the BEA Engineering Base recalled an unusual visitor there. Checking an old pocket diary, I noted that a Tiger Moth (G-AMIU) was outside the hangar on 10 May 1962 and, outside again, the following day.
I don't know when 'MIU arrived but it had been bought, a couple of months earlier, by the BEA staff club gliding section and was presumably there for a check-up or an overhaul. Anyway, it left on 14 May 1962 but not from a runway. It took off from there, right in front of the BEA Engineering Base.
Does anyone know of a photograph of G-AMIU taken during its visit to LAP?
By: ianwoodward9
- 14th May 2018 at 14:26Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I last visited the Queens Building terrace on 11 June 1983, when my son's school trip, to a schoolboy football international at Wembley, stopped off there en route .
By: Firebird
- 14th May 2018 at 15:42Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I last visited the Queens Building terrace on 11 June 1983
I would have been 1000m due south of you that day on the other side of the southern runway on the building site of Terminal 4 setting out the grid squares for casting the bays of concrete for the new apron stands and taxiways :D
Posts: 860
By: ianwoodward9 - 12th May 2018 at 08:44 Permalink - Edited 9th November 2019 at 17:08
Sadly, much less able to squeeze through narrow gaps these days. I used to have a photo of me on hangar exploration at Gatwick but I haven't seen that for a long time - it may be around. I did find the photo of Commanche VR-SEJ; pencilled on the back, I had written "1/60 f8 Minolta Autocord". I have a similar hangar photo (Twin Bonanza HB-GAO, 1/60 at f4 this time) and, under the fuselage, a pair of legs walking towards the aircraft. Probably just a brief visit then.
I cannot conjure up a face in my mind to put to the name "G.L.Fisk" but I think his forename was Graham. The other two in the team just referred to him as "Fisk". I'm also pretty sure that he was a member of the West London Aviation Group. I must dig out those copies of the WLAG newsletter to see if he's mentioned there.
Posts: 860
By: ianwoodward9 - 12th May 2018 at 09:56 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I just found this on-line.
I have sent corrections in. The date was 24 June 1962 (I noted CL-44D N228SW at LAP that day) and HB-GAO was photographed at Gatwick the following month.
Posts: 860
By: ianwoodward9 - 12th May 2018 at 10:28 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Back to LAP, though early 1960s.
I witnessed this crash. My memory is that a group of us were on the south side, realised that the plane was in trouble and skedaddled round to the north side. I think the runway was foamed and, as the nose touched down, there was a pink flame - which I recall because it was not the colour I expected. Emergency vehicles were there promptly and, further back, coaches to take the passengers away.
My diary entry for 14 August 1962 simply reads: "F-BHSP 707 / D-ABOM 720 - crashed / PVX Dove / OY-KPD CV-440".
I didn't take this photo, by the way.
Posts: 10,029
By: Mark12 - 12th May 2018 at 10:52 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Graham Fisk, yes also a member of the Harrow branch of Air-Britain as I recall.
Mark
Posts: 860
By: ianwoodward9 - 12th May 2018 at 11:42 Permalink - Edited 9th November 2019 at 17:10
I was allocated to the Heston branch, though I don't recall attending any meetings. I went mostly to the London Society of Air Britain meetings. I have extracted my 1962 pocket diary from its hiding place, as you may have gathered, and I noticed this entry for 2 August 1962: "LAP / LCU Dove / RWI DC-6 / MDA Anson flying over / Westland Heliport RZT Brantly B2".
Since the heliport was not somewhere I would have routinely visited, I wondered why I'd gone there - I have no memory of it. Then I saw some faint pencil marks at the top of the page; one of them read "LSAB", so I presume I checked the heliport out on the trip into town. [Mark, I will PM you on a separate matter]
Posts: 1,141
By: Duggy - 12th May 2018 at 17:36 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Here's a few gems I came across.
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By: ianwoodward9 - 12th May 2018 at 18:02 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
This photo was published in FLIGHT in October 1963:
Posts: 2,108
By: Firebird - 12th May 2018 at 20:41 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Great shot.........
Not many of the buildings/infrastructure shown in that photo still there today....just the Bank and old Dunlop Aviation tyre shed (now a tool hire centre) in the foreground off the Hatton Cross roundabout, and the farthest of the old BEA hangars.
I don't remember the white obelisk in the middle of the roundabout though?
Posts: 1,141
By: Duggy - 13th May 2018 at 15:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
And a nice Postcard of the new terminal.
Posts: 674
By: farnboroughrob - 13th May 2018 at 16:35 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Great photo, assume it is 1955 as the Queens Building is still being finished? Spent so much of my youth on those roofs. Was so gutted then the QB roof closed in 1986, was just left with the T2 roof until that was also closed. Difficult to imagine today just how popular the QB was in the 70's and 80's.
Posts: 2,108
By: Firebird - 13th May 2018 at 17:27 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Great shot, and wonderfully actually shows the short cut n cover vehicle tunnel under construction in the top left of the photo, which was the subject of a question a few pages back :cool:
Also, none of the buildings in this photo are left existing.
Posts: 860
By: ianwoodward9 - 13th May 2018 at 17:27 Permalink - Edited 9th November 2019 at 17:12
The photos posted by duggy (Post # 327) are very evocative. Mum used to work in the Engineering Base and I visited a few times. I seem to recall being shown a seat-belt being installed and demonstrated. When were they introduced, I wonder?
On the aerial view of the Engineering Base, I've marked where I think the first two photos were taken.
On the D-ABOM crash, I was away for a few days in the middle of August but, on 30 August, my diary entry includes: 'D-ABOM 707 (1st visit since crash)' - oops, slight error on the a/c type, I think.
Posts: 860
By: ianwoodward9 - 13th May 2018 at 18:05 Permalink - Edited 9th November 2019 at 17:14
The first time I went to LAP was, I think, in the summer of 1957 when I cycled to Bedfont Green, cut through to Stanwell Road, crossed the Gt South West Rd and stopped on the south west perimeter and looked across the airport where the green beacon was blinking away. I thought it odd that it continued to do so in broad daylight.
I can recall the shape of the aircraft taking off (I'm pretty certain it was a Dakota or, more likely, a BEA Pionair) from left to right, and I can recall thinking it must be a freighter, as it was nowhere near as sleek as the aircraft I saw landing on 28L from my bedroom window.
In 1958 and 1959, I mainly went to the viewing base in the Central Area, sometimes cycling through the narrow tunnel on the left-hand side, for pedestrians and cyclists, but usually by bus. Was it the 90b route? Whatever, it went through the airport from Hatton Cross (the outer ring of the large roundabout in the above photo is where the workers' bus stop was situated) to Harlington Corner, where I would change on to a bus for the Central Area.
I was certainly using that mode of transport in April 1958, as I can recall standing at the bus stop on the Bath Road as the Aldermaston marchers went by, heading west.
Anyway, the aerial photograph below is from a 1959 booklet, so was probably taken in that 1958-59 period.
Posts: 674
By: farnboroughrob - 13th May 2018 at 18:32 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Out of interest where was the Queens Building roof entrance? In the 70's/80's it was on the nearest part of the roof on the above photo. It was accessed either via stairs leading from T1, or the bridge that came across from the bus station. I guess originally there was a internal entrance?
Posts: 860
By: ianwoodward9 - 13th May 2018 at 19:10 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
That's where I recall - in through the main doors of the Queen's Building. Wasn't there an escalator to go up and a turnstile inside at which to pay? Or is that fantasy on my part?
Posts: 1,707
By: longshot - 13th May 2018 at 20:29 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Ian has it right....in the spacious entrance lobby,there was also a newsreel cinema showing short films. Another covered footbridge was later built from T2 to the QB linking through to T1. In its final years when only the diminishing terrace ontop of T2 was accessible the entrance was up the old fire escape on the nearest corner of T2...as I recall there were no signs to the terrace. Surprisingly it even reopened after 9/11 closing finally when the 2nd Gulf war started https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1006684 [ATTACH=CONFIG]260565[/ATTACH]
Posts: 860
By: ianwoodward9 - 13th May 2018 at 23:51 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The photos inside the BEA Engineering Base recalled an unusual visitor there. Checking an old pocket diary, I noted that a Tiger Moth (G-AMIU) was outside the hangar on 10 May 1962 and, outside again, the following day.
I don't know when 'MIU arrived but it had been bought, a couple of months earlier, by the BEA staff club gliding section and was presumably there for a check-up or an overhaul. Anyway, it left on 14 May 1962 but not from a runway. It took off from there, right in front of the BEA Engineering Base.
Does anyone know of a photograph of G-AMIU taken during its visit to LAP?
Posts: 860
By: ianwoodward9 - 14th May 2018 at 14:26 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I last visited the Queens Building terrace on 11 June 1983, when my son's school trip, to a schoolboy football international at Wembley, stopped off there en route .
Posts: 2,108
By: Firebird - 14th May 2018 at 15:42 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I would have been 1000m due south of you that day on the other side of the southern runway on the building site of Terminal 4 setting out the grid squares for casting the bays of concrete for the new apron stands and taxiways :D
Posts: 9,871
By: J Boyle - 14th May 2018 at 15:58 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
By the way...
Whatever happened to the Alcock and Brown statue at Heathrow?
I understand it was originally outside on a deck or between two terminals?