Birmingham: Airport Nostalgia

[Ray Finkle]

The link below has some great BHX pictures from the 70's 🙂

https://www.flickr.com/photos/iron-duke/albums/72157632434258047/page1

 

[wolfheze]

Any excuse Mr Wolfheze.
Actually thinking about it,I think Gemini Jets did do a model of an AMT TriStar in the very jazzy latter livery.Personally not a fan of that livery but the model looked really good!

Yes I've seen that but it's not the livery I saw so isn't allowed 🙁

 

[wolfheze]

The link below has some great BHX pictures from the 70's 🙂

https://www.flickr.com/photos/iron-duke/albums/72157632434258047/page1

Some great memories there. I didn't realise until fairly recently that G-AZLR had suffered a quite serious mishap but was returned to service. There's also a lot of stuff that I didn't see at the time. I believe that the photographer worked for the airport fire service.

 

[Elmdon80slad]

Thanks for the pics Ray. Living now in sunny Essex, I miss the old aerodrome, so the videos, photos and this forum is a great way to keep an eye on things. Busier, and more colourful than my youthful days watching from the steps next to the old terminal. For some reason whenever I cycled or walked up there from Damsonwood it was always cloudy at the Airport, even if was sunny when I left home! So even the weather has improved. Thanks everyone for sharing.

I probably stood next to you on the spiral - it was mosts to go to place to catch what was making a visit and ask other spotters if they had the reg, happy days.

E.

 

[flymetothemoon]

Probably know you both from those days. Iknow its much better theses days but i loved those
Viscounts & One Elevens and not knowing what was coming next !!!

 

[58terminus]

Probably know you both from those days. Iknow its much better theses days but i loved those
Viscounts & One Elevens and not knowing what was coming next !!!

Usually another Viscount or 1-11

 

[wolfheze]

Usually another Viscount or 1-11

Or 737, 727, Herald, Comet, 748 , DC9.
4 engined turboprops, twin engined turboprops, rear mounted twinjets, underwing twinjets, rear mounted tri jets and 4 engines buried in the wingroots 👍.

 

[rollo]

Not to mention the Fokker F27,Tridents, DC6/7, Caravelles and 2 of my favorites Air Spain Britannia's and CP Air DC8s I seem to have spent much of my life on those steps.

Now it's dominated by lookalike 737s and A320s/321

Happy Days

Rollo

P.S. forgot B.O.A.C. VC10s on the short lived New York flights.

 

[elmdon74]

Very interesting pictures from a BHX diversion day in the early 1970`s on the enclosed link.Regards,Simon.

http://www.airportspotting.com/diversions-descend-birmingham-elmdon/

 

[wolfheze]

Thanks for the link. Have seen a few different photos obviously taken on the same day featuring the same aircraft but taken from different places. 71 was a bit too early for me but the pictures capture perfectly the atmosphere of a diversion day at the old Elmdon when it was possible to spot aircraft you could only have ever have seen in a book or at Heathrow, Luton or Gatwick. Often wish I could be transported back in time 40 odd years!

 

[Kevin Farnell]

A wonderful selection of photos. I can remember being at BHX on a day that BOAC and Ghana Airways VC-10s diverted in. I remember being there with my cousin and had either travelled by train and bus or been dropped off by my Dad. Wanting an easier journey home, we phoned my uncle to see if he would come and pick us up trying to tempt him by saying there was a Ghana Airways VC-10 in.
I remember another occasion, my Dad taking me to BHX and the short runway being jam packed with One-Elevens, Tridents, Comets and the odd VC-10 and possibly 707.

Kevin

 

[Ianbutty]

Thanks Elmdon74. I think it was 33 aircraft on the ground at once at one point. I remember it well. Quite a sight for what was a small airport. The second runway parked up and the weird thing was it was quiet most of the time. Thanks for the link and the memories it has brought back.

 

[58terminus]

I remember one morning about this time walking down the Coventry Rd from the golf course when the hedge was low
and you could look across the airfield.An SAS DC9 landed and as it was the wrong day for their freighter i was already
thinking bonus.Before i got to the terminal entrance a Trident was on approach. Jackpot! I had accidently arrived
at the start of a diversion day for the first and only time.It seemed to be Trident after Trident .
I have no recollection of what must have been chaos in and around the terminal as there was no chance of leaving and loosing our seats in the old viewing gallery.

 

[rollo]

I remembered the diversion days well, would walk from the Wheatsheaf and spend hours in that viewing lounge.
In later years they used to have a disco which I frequented with what turned out to be my wife of 40 plus years and counting?
That airport has a lot to answer for.

Rollo

 

[wolfheze]

I have a very vague memory of my father taking me to elmdon to see a BOAC VC10 when they started the new york service. If that's right then I'm thinking it would have been in the late 60s and I would have been 7 or 8 years old but then again it could be my mind playing tricks.

 

[rollo]

I have a very vague memory of my father taking me to elmdon to see a BOAC VC10 when they started the new york service. If that's right then I'm thinking it would have been in the late 60s and I would have been 7 or 8 years old but then again it could be my mind playing tricks.

Yes that's correct the service lasted 2 summers via Manchester in the first year and then Prestwick before closing due to dismal loads.
It's amazing what you can remember from way back but can't find your car keys when you want them.

 

[58terminus]

I have a very vague memory of my father taking me to elmdon to see a BOAC VC10 when they started the new york service. If that's right then I'm thinking it would have been in the late 60s and I would have been 7 or 8 years old but then again it could be my mind playing tricks.

I think it was the early 70's.71/72?

 

[58terminus]

In later years they used to have a disco which I frequented with what turned out to be my wife of 40 plus years and counting?

Discos and a girlfriend?Not your average spotter😆

 

[wolfheze]

I think it was the early 70's.71/72?

Just looked it up. Service started in April 1970

 

[rollo]

Discos and a girlfriend?Not your average spotter😆

It gets worse I'm afraid proposed in the Buccaneer (airport hotel )car park and our honeymoon night was spent at the hotel before we flew off next day to Ibiza on a BA1-11 didn't get the reg.