London Airport - Heathrow in the 1950s & 60s
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Documentary (2006)
Starring:
Howard Asbridge (Narrator)
If you enjoyed our London Airport – Heathrow in the 1960s/70s DVD, you’re going to love this second look at vintage LAP, because it goes back as far as the 1950s. We used a completely new collection of full-colour cine film and authentic sound, to bring aircraft like BOAC and Pan American Stratocruisers alive once more.
Some of the vehicles are almost as interesting as the airliners. There’s a scene on Pan Am’s ramp with Strats and DC6Bs, that’s full of early 1950s vans and trucks dashing about – wonderful stuff.
Several of our cameramen worked airside and could therefore get the best shots and catch some of the rarer visitors. It’s impossible to list them all here, so do have a look at the on-line Factsheet, but my favourite has to be an Air Jordan DC6, or is it the LTU DC4?
The variety is amazing; take Constellations for example. We have Skyways, South African, TWA and Air Ceylon L749s, Lufthansa, KLM, Capitol, Flying Tiger and Air France L1049s, TWA and Trans Atlantica Argentina L1649s.
From the 1960s, there are great airside shots of the British Eagle fleet, a snowbound Heathrow in the winter of 1963, Cubana and Trans Continental Britannias, Air France and SAS CV990s, the actual crash-landing of a BOAC 707 with its nosewheel retracted, the wreckage of the BKS Ambassador crash, VC10 crew training and many other airliners, including:
Iberia Bristol Freighter. Dan Air and Skyways Yorks. KLM, SAS, FAA, Swissair & Pan Am DC7s. BEA fleet in original colour scheme. Eagle and Cunard Eagle Vikings. Air Safaris Hermes. LOT and Malev IL14s. de Long Corporation YC97. Martin 404s, Viscount and CV440 executive transports. Air France and Kuwait Viscount 700s. Nigerian VC10.
Also from this series:
Avion Video Series
The 1950s
Douglas Dakota
Last days at London Croydon Airport.
Douglas Dakota IV
Registration G-AMZG, c/n 44-77084 ex RAF. Sold to Transair Ltd in April 1953, then to Olares Developpment Co. of Jersey in August 1959. Sold abroad (Iceland) in June 1966.
Seen at London Croydon Airport.
Another C-47/Dakota in the far background.
De Havilland DH104 Dove 6
G-AMDD, c/n 04292. Bought new by The Shell Company of the UK Ltd in August 1950, sold to Executive Air Transport Ltd in December 1960, then to Marchial Plant and Engineering Company Ltd in June 1962. Sold to Swaziland in September 1968.
Seen at London Croydon Airport.
Airspeed AS.65 Consul
Registration G-AIKT, c/n 4356. First registered in September 1946 as Airspeed owner. Sold to Marquess of Londonderry in November 1946. Sold to Ulster Aviation Ltd in September 1947 , then to Wirral Airways Ltd in July 1949. Sold to Air Enterprises Ltd in June 1951 and operated until August 1954, then sold to Louis Newmark Ltd. Sold to Derby Aviation Ltd in June 1958. Written off from use in February 1963.
Dove 6 already seen above behind.
Percival Proctor 5
Various Aircraft
London Airport in the 50's , renamed London Heathrow in the mid 60's.
1 - Avro 685 York C.I of Skyways of London.
2 - Boeing 377-10-32 Stratocruiser of B.O.A.C-British Overseas Airways Corporation.
3 - Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Douglas DC-3.
4 - Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Douglas DC-3.
5 - Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Douglas DC-3.
6 - Avro 685 York.
Avro 685 York C.I and Boeing 377-10-32 Stratocruiser.
Douglas Dakota
Boeing 377-10-32 Stratocruiser
In White Tail Twin Stripe livery (1949-1955).
Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador 2
Taking off in front of another busy part of the airport in the far background.
Various Aircraft
1 - Unidentified Aircraft.
2 - Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador.
3 - Vickers Viscount.
Various Aircraft
1 - Vickers VC1 Viking .
2 - Douglas Dakota.
3 - Lockheed Constellation.
Lockheed L-749 Constellation
Convair 340-48 & Douglas DC-6B
KLM's Convair 340-48 to the right.
Douglas C-47A Skytrain & Douglas DC-6B
KLM's Douglas C-47A Skytrain to the left.
Douglas DC-6B
Registration N6521C, c/n 43521. Delivered new to PAA in March 1952. Sold in September 1968 to Panama as FAP-501 from Fuerza Aerea Panamena, then HP-641 owned by Inair Panama.
Tail fins of B.O.A.C's and PAA's Boeing 377 Stratocruiser in the background right.
Boeing 377-10-26 Stratocruiser
Registration N1029V, c/n 15929. Delivered to PAA in 1949. Sold to Miami Air Charters in 1966.
Douglas DC-3's tail fin in the background right.
Already listed above Douglas DC-6B of PAA to the left.
Convair 340-48
Vickers 610 Viking 1B
Boeing 377-10-32 Stratocruiser
Douglas DC-6B
TWA's Lockheed L-749 Constellation on the ground. See below.
Lockheed L-749 Constellation
Vickers VC1 Viking 1
Unknown airline.
Boeing 377-10-26 Stratocruiser
Registration N1038V, c/n 15938. Delivered to PAA in 1949.
Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation
Douglas DC-7C Seven Seas
Registration N751PA, c/n 45095.
Westland WS-55 Whirlwind
With floats. Not yet a subsidiary of BEA at this time, BEA Helicopters will be founded in 1964.
Lockheed L-1649A Starliner
Registration N7304C, c/n 1649A-1005.
Douglas DC-6B
Background, Vickers 701 Viscount of British European Airways, and an Air France's one in the foreground, seen again further.
Vickers 802 Viscount this time in the background, also in British European Airways colours.
Bristol 175 Britannia 312
Douglas DC-6
Registration SE-BDO, c/n 43131. Delivered new in 1946 to SAS. Sold to Transair Sweden in March 1960.
Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando
Unknown livery. Rare in Europe.
Vickers VC1 Viking 1
Background, Vickers 701 Viscount of British European Airways, already seen above.
Lockheed L-749A Constellation
Registration PH-LDP, c/n 2638. Leased from KLM from 1956 to 1958.
Nice livery.
Convair 440-75 Metropolitan
Passing in front of a Viscount of BEA.
Vickers 707 Viscount
Convair 340-61
Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador 2
Wearing Peony/Three crown livery.
A second one to the right in background.
Vickers 701 Viscount
Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation
Ilyushin Il-14
Boeing 377-10-34 Stratocruiser
In Blue Tail Twin Stripe livery (1955-1966).
Lockheed L-749A Constellation
Convair 440-41 Metropolitan
Registration I-DUGA, c/n 112. Built in 1953 as Convair 340-41 and delivered to LAI-Linee Aeree Italiane in October. Modified as Convair 440-41 Metropolitan in 1956. Changed to Alitalia-Linee Aeree Italiane in 1957. Sold to JAT-Jugoslovenski Aerotransport as YU-ADL in 1962. Destroyed in a landing crash in 1969 at Titograd Montenegro.
Same Viscount of BEA seen above.
Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador 2
A Douglas DC-3 behind it.
Convair 340-61 of Lufthansa in the background and a Douglas DC-3 to the right.
Douglas DC-3 to the right.
Another Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador 2 in the background.
Aer Lingus's Vickers 707 Viscount to the right (seen further).
Vickers 708 Viscount
Registration F-BGNK, c/n 8. Delivered to Air France on April 1953. Crashed on December 1956 at Dannemois, Seine & Oise (78) (at this time, Essonne (91) today), south of Paris. The airplane was destroyed, 5 occupents were killed in the accident.
Convair 340-61 of Lufthansa in the background.
Vickers 707 Viscount
Douglas DC-6
BEA's Vickers 701 Viscount in the background (already seen above).
BEA's Vickers 701 Viscount in the background.
Vickers 708 Viscount
Registration F-BGNV, c/n 39. Delivered to Air France on August 1954. Sold to Air Inter on March 1962. Crashed on August 1963 at Tramoyes, Ain (01), North of Lyon, due to heavy storm.
Avro 685 York C1
Vickers Viking 1
In the background, a Douglas DC-3 or Dakota and an unidentified airplane to the left, maybe a Douglas DC-4?
Convair 240-2
Reg.SP-LPD, c/n 9. Delivered new to PAA-Pan American World Airways on June 1948 as N90655. Purchased by Mid Continent Airlines on April 1950. Sold to Braniff International Airways on August 1952. Went to Linee Aeree Italiane as I-LIFE on August 1953. Sold to Iran Air as EP-ADY in 1956, then to LOT-Polskie Linie Lotnicze on May 1959. Return to USA as N609W with Westernair of Albuquerque on November 1965, Southwestern Skyways on July 1966 then several private or corporate owners until beeing scrapped on April 1979.
Vickers 806 Viscount
Another BEA's 806 in the background, with SP-LPD to the right.
Vickers 806 Viscount & Vickers 802 Viscount
Still taxiing behind a Vickers 802 Viscount with Registration G-AOHW c/n 253 in the foreground. First registered on January 1956, and operated for BEA until July 1973, then transferred to British Airways until beeing scrapped on November 1975
De Havilland DH104 Dove
Unknown livery, taxiing between the Viscount and Convair 240 already mentionned above.
Vickers 802 Viscount
Perhaps same G-AOHW seen above? Notice the Viscount wearing the new Small Red Square BEA's livery in the background right, and a Douglas DC-3 to the left. The 1960s are approaching.
Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador 2
Unidentified airliners in the far background.
Douglas DC-4-1009
Registration ZS-AUB or ZS-AUC.
Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation
Super G for sure but too blurry to distinguishe the registration, maybe F-BHBG?
Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation & Avro 685 York
Various aircraft
1 - Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation of Lufthansa.
2 - Boeing 707-121 of Pan American World Airways.
1 - Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation of Lufthansa.
2 - Boeing 707-121 of Pan American World Airways.
3 - De Havilland DH106 Comet 4 of Aerolíneas Argentinas.
1 - Boeing 707-121 of Pan American World Airways.
2 - De Havilland DH106 Comet 4 of Aerolíneas Argentinas.
3 - Douglas DC-7B of South African Airways - Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens.
1 - De Havilland DH106 Comet 4 of Aerolíneas Argentinas.
2 - Douglas DC-7B of South African Airways - Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens.
Boeing YC-97 Stratofreighter
Registration N9540C, c/n 15716. Ex military reg - 45-59591. Registered to the De Long Corporation. May have been used to ferry Magister jets to Katangan rebels in the Congo, eventually impounded by the UN, ended up with Israel Aircraft Industries where it was ultimatley scrapped.
Vickers 806 Viscount
Taxiing in front of a Vickers 701 Viscount in Small Red Square BEA's livery.
G-AOHW seen again in the foreground.
Vickers 803 Viscount
Unidentified aircraft in the far background.
In the background, same tri already seen above: Vickers Viking 1, Douglas DC-3/ Dakota and unidentified airliner.
Dan-Air's York alreadu seen above to the right.
Several Viscounts and a Douglas DC-3 in the background. Another BEA's Vickers Viscount in the foreground which is detailed below.
Vickers 806 Viscount
Registration G-AOYN c/n 263.Delivered to BEA-British European Airways on December 1956 and operated until December 1971. Sold to Cambrian Airways on February 1972. Entered BEA-British Airways fleet on April 1974. Purchased by Panavia Air Cargo Ltd on February 1981, then sold to British Air Ferries on June 1984. Changed to British World Airlines in October 1994 as G-OPAS. Destroyed in 1997.
KLM's Vickers 803 Viscount stil taxiing in the background.
Back To:
See also
- Avion Video Series
- Unidentified Aircraft
- Airspeed Ambassador
- Airspeed Consul
- Avro York
- Boeing 377 Stratocruiser
- Boeing 707
- Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter
- Convair 240/340/440
- Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando
- De Havilland DH104 Dove
- De Havilland DH106 Comet
- Douglas C-47 Skytrain
- Douglas DC-3
- Douglas DC-6
- Douglas DC-7
- Ilyushin Il-14
- Lockheed Constellation
- Percival Proctor
- Vickers Viking
- Vickers Viscount
- Westland Whirlwind (helicopter)
- Aer Lingus
- Aerolíneas Argentinas
- Air Ceylon
- Air France
- Alitalia
- British European Airways
- British Overseas Airways Corporation
- Dan-Air
- Eagle Airways Ltd
- Flying Tiger Line
- KLM
- LOT Polish Airlines
- Lufthansa
- Pan American World Airways
- Scandinavian Airlines System
- South African Airways
- Swissair
- Trans World Airlines