Gerry Manning's Airliners at Speke 1966-1968
Oct 27, 2013 10:53:14 GMT 1
Samba, northbynorthwest, and 6 more like this
Post by viscount on Oct 27, 2013 10:53:14 GMT 1
Those of us of 'a certain age' can sit back, scroll through and enjoy these photos kindly provided by Gerry Manning. While those younger than 'a certain age', can view and wonder at the variety of aircraft and airlines to see at Speke during the latter half of the '60s decade.
Included are just 3 photos from 1961 which were taken on a Kodak 127 camera and film, with no focus or aperture adjustment - the lack of quality shows. Gerry then went on to a Zenit SLR and 35mm film, which were used for the majority of shots here, which date between March 1966 and June 1968. After two years of black & white he moved on the delight of colour transparencies until relatively recently. Gerry had these photographs professionally printed as 12" x 8" (around A4) prints from his negatives some years ago (pre-digital). On behalf of nwan forum, I have scanned these prints for Gerry. Although scanned from large prints, I have found they take just as much cleaning, straightening, cropping and re-contrasting as the much smaller b&w's I usually handle. However, I do find the quality of focus and composition much better on these prints than many I’ve worked on. Incidentally when cropping the images, I generally cut out some sky and concrete - but leave the width - after all the background is half the memory evoked by these great images, it is not all about the aircraft!
Further posts with images by Gerry of aircraft during the 1967-1971 period can be found on:
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/edit/17729 (Civil and military aircraft at various British airfields)
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/17753 (Mostly airliners at airfields around Europe)
Preamble over, just a reminder to anyone looking at these images, that Gerry has had a number of books printed of his photographs and that these shots are all his copyright. While he has granted permission for the images to be displayed on nwan forum, it is on the understanding that they should NEVER be copied for use, or publication elsewhere, without his express permission.
Scroll through and enjoy, first post will cover British airlines, roughly in alphabetical sequence ..........
1. British Eagle used their D.H.104 Dove G-AROI "Eaglet" mostly on Scottish feeder routes and based at Dundee. It was maintained by British Eagle engineering at Liverpool, and is here seen in August 1966 presumably after maintenance judging by the engineer holding a fire extinguisher.
2. Vickers Viscount 739 G-ATDU "City of Liverpool" seen landing at Speke April 1968, presumably on 28 (now 27) a location rarely used by photographers at a time when the balcony provided such a great view of airliners on the apron.
3. Same aircraft, G-ATDU, seen later the same month, April 1968, shortly before delivery to Air France on lease. By the time British Eagle ceased operations in November 1968 the aircraft was back at Liverpool and was scrapped here the following year.
4. Vickers Viscount G-ATFN seen here also in April 1968 in this charming night shot of the apron from Gate 2. G-ATFN crashed in Germany, north of Munich on a passenger flight 9th August 1968.
5. Bristol Britannia 324 G-ARKA "Good Fortune" seen taxiing to the terminal from the south airfield along the link runway 18/36 during May 1967. An unusual view point, from somewhere near No.39 hangar I imagine.
6. A 'classic' British Eagle at Liverpool photograph, this one features BAC.111-301AG G-ATPK "Spur", photographed October 1967.
7. Viscount 701 G-AMOF in the 'red square' logo scheme of the early 60s. This an earlier photo than most in this collection, being shot on 3rd April 1961. At this time BEA operated the IoM and Belfast services from Liverpool.
8. Vickers Vanguard G-APEG in the same scheme (although shortly to be replaced by the dreadful 'quarter Union Jack' colours), at Speke on 19th November 1967 on weather diversion from Manchester.
9. Bristol 170 Freighter 32, G-ANVR of British United Air Ferries on 8th October 1967 routing from Cambridge to Dublin, so likely to have been transporting race horses.
10. HPR-7 Dart Herald, G-ASKK of British United Airways seen at Speke during November 1967. At this time Dart Herald aircraft were rare at Liverpool, it was in the early '80s on the 'Spokes from Speke' night mail contracts that visits became regular.
11. Here seen on the Western apron on 22nd October 1967 is Caledonian Britannia G-ATMA having operated an inbound freight charter from Gatwick with Sunday newspapers.
12. Cambrian operated a number of Liverpool routes using a mix of Dakota and Viscount aircraft. Here, in July 1966 is one of the last of their Dakota aircraft, G-ALCC which continued in operation until sold in Cyprus June 1969.
13. When Cambrian took over a number of former BEA routes in 1963, they acquired former BEA Viscount 701 aircraft. One of these was G-AMOP seen here in May 1968 in the second scheme to be used on their Viscounts - and in my opinion the best one. The bright crimson/red schemes came later, in the '70s.
14. Another Viscount operator at the time was Channel Airways, here G-APTA is seen on 3rd June 1968.
15. Alongside British Eagle and Cambrian, Dan Air operated schedules from Liverpool in the mid '60s. Here is a fine study of one of their Dakotas, G-AMPP during May 1966.
16. The aircraft type most fondly remembered on Dan Air operations from Liverpool was the AS.57 Ambassador. Usually photographed on the ground, here G-ALZY is seen in April 1968 on finals for 28 (now 27).
17. Quite a different operator to the Emerald Airways with HS.748s at Liverpool in the 1990s, this Emerald was Belfast based 1965 to 1967. They operated Heron and Dakota aircraft, here is DH.114 Heron 1, G-ALZL in July 1966.
18. Not the first time that Gregory Air Services sole Dakota G-AKJH has appeared on a Speke photo thread. Here she is at Liverpool in May 1966
19. Another of the 1961 images in the collection. This is Federated Air Transport's Avro Anson G-ALXC on 3rd April 1961 outside Hangar 50 at Speke.
20. Morton Air Services operated a number of charter flights into Seke each year with their Dove, Heron and Dakota aircraft before they were absorbed in British United Island Airways late 1968. Here Dakota G-AMSV is seen on 30th May 1966 from the higher vantage point of the upper balcony, along with G-AMOA a Viscount 701 of Cambrian. Ignore the lines on the lower left of the image which are on the original.
21. The final one of the three 1961 shots. In early 1961 Starways readied one of their C-54 Skymasters, G-APIN for charter to the United Nations Organisation (in French form ONU) to support peace keeping in the Belgian Congo, seen here at Speke 3rd April 1961 before departure. The aircraft never returned, being shot-up while on the ground, 18th September 1961 at Kamina by a Katangan Air Force Fouga Magister.
22. A rather short lived Inclusive Tour operator was Treffield International. This really needs to be in colour as they selected a strange shades of blue for their aircraft. Here is Britannia 102 G-ANBM at Speke in May 1967.
Included are just 3 photos from 1961 which were taken on a Kodak 127 camera and film, with no focus or aperture adjustment - the lack of quality shows. Gerry then went on to a Zenit SLR and 35mm film, which were used for the majority of shots here, which date between March 1966 and June 1968. After two years of black & white he moved on the delight of colour transparencies until relatively recently. Gerry had these photographs professionally printed as 12" x 8" (around A4) prints from his negatives some years ago (pre-digital). On behalf of nwan forum, I have scanned these prints for Gerry. Although scanned from large prints, I have found they take just as much cleaning, straightening, cropping and re-contrasting as the much smaller b&w's I usually handle. However, I do find the quality of focus and composition much better on these prints than many I’ve worked on. Incidentally when cropping the images, I generally cut out some sky and concrete - but leave the width - after all the background is half the memory evoked by these great images, it is not all about the aircraft!
Further posts with images by Gerry of aircraft during the 1967-1971 period can be found on:
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/edit/17729 (Civil and military aircraft at various British airfields)
derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/17753 (Mostly airliners at airfields around Europe)
Preamble over, just a reminder to anyone looking at these images, that Gerry has had a number of books printed of his photographs and that these shots are all his copyright. While he has granted permission for the images to be displayed on nwan forum, it is on the understanding that they should NEVER be copied for use, or publication elsewhere, without his express permission.
Scroll through and enjoy, first post will cover British airlines, roughly in alphabetical sequence ..........
1. British Eagle used their D.H.104 Dove G-AROI "Eaglet" mostly on Scottish feeder routes and based at Dundee. It was maintained by British Eagle engineering at Liverpool, and is here seen in August 1966 presumably after maintenance judging by the engineer holding a fire extinguisher.
2. Vickers Viscount 739 G-ATDU "City of Liverpool" seen landing at Speke April 1968, presumably on 28 (now 27) a location rarely used by photographers at a time when the balcony provided such a great view of airliners on the apron.
3. Same aircraft, G-ATDU, seen later the same month, April 1968, shortly before delivery to Air France on lease. By the time British Eagle ceased operations in November 1968 the aircraft was back at Liverpool and was scrapped here the following year.
4. Vickers Viscount G-ATFN seen here also in April 1968 in this charming night shot of the apron from Gate 2. G-ATFN crashed in Germany, north of Munich on a passenger flight 9th August 1968.
5. Bristol Britannia 324 G-ARKA "Good Fortune" seen taxiing to the terminal from the south airfield along the link runway 18/36 during May 1967. An unusual view point, from somewhere near No.39 hangar I imagine.
6. A 'classic' British Eagle at Liverpool photograph, this one features BAC.111-301AG G-ATPK "Spur", photographed October 1967.
7. Viscount 701 G-AMOF in the 'red square' logo scheme of the early 60s. This an earlier photo than most in this collection, being shot on 3rd April 1961. At this time BEA operated the IoM and Belfast services from Liverpool.
8. Vickers Vanguard G-APEG in the same scheme (although shortly to be replaced by the dreadful 'quarter Union Jack' colours), at Speke on 19th November 1967 on weather diversion from Manchester.
9. Bristol 170 Freighter 32, G-ANVR of British United Air Ferries on 8th October 1967 routing from Cambridge to Dublin, so likely to have been transporting race horses.
10. HPR-7 Dart Herald, G-ASKK of British United Airways seen at Speke during November 1967. At this time Dart Herald aircraft were rare at Liverpool, it was in the early '80s on the 'Spokes from Speke' night mail contracts that visits became regular.
11. Here seen on the Western apron on 22nd October 1967 is Caledonian Britannia G-ATMA having operated an inbound freight charter from Gatwick with Sunday newspapers.
12. Cambrian operated a number of Liverpool routes using a mix of Dakota and Viscount aircraft. Here, in July 1966 is one of the last of their Dakota aircraft, G-ALCC which continued in operation until sold in Cyprus June 1969.
13. When Cambrian took over a number of former BEA routes in 1963, they acquired former BEA Viscount 701 aircraft. One of these was G-AMOP seen here in May 1968 in the second scheme to be used on their Viscounts - and in my opinion the best one. The bright crimson/red schemes came later, in the '70s.
14. Another Viscount operator at the time was Channel Airways, here G-APTA is seen on 3rd June 1968.
15. Alongside British Eagle and Cambrian, Dan Air operated schedules from Liverpool in the mid '60s. Here is a fine study of one of their Dakotas, G-AMPP during May 1966.
16. The aircraft type most fondly remembered on Dan Air operations from Liverpool was the AS.57 Ambassador. Usually photographed on the ground, here G-ALZY is seen in April 1968 on finals for 28 (now 27).
17. Quite a different operator to the Emerald Airways with HS.748s at Liverpool in the 1990s, this Emerald was Belfast based 1965 to 1967. They operated Heron and Dakota aircraft, here is DH.114 Heron 1, G-ALZL in July 1966.
18. Not the first time that Gregory Air Services sole Dakota G-AKJH has appeared on a Speke photo thread. Here she is at Liverpool in May 1966
19. Another of the 1961 images in the collection. This is Federated Air Transport's Avro Anson G-ALXC on 3rd April 1961 outside Hangar 50 at Speke.
20. Morton Air Services operated a number of charter flights into Seke each year with their Dove, Heron and Dakota aircraft before they were absorbed in British United Island Airways late 1968. Here Dakota G-AMSV is seen on 30th May 1966 from the higher vantage point of the upper balcony, along with G-AMOA a Viscount 701 of Cambrian. Ignore the lines on the lower left of the image which are on the original.
21. The final one of the three 1961 shots. In early 1961 Starways readied one of their C-54 Skymasters, G-APIN for charter to the United Nations Organisation (in French form ONU) to support peace keeping in the Belgian Congo, seen here at Speke 3rd April 1961 before departure. The aircraft never returned, being shot-up while on the ground, 18th September 1961 at Kamina by a Katangan Air Force Fouga Magister.
22. A rather short lived Inclusive Tour operator was Treffield International. This really needs to be in colour as they selected a strange shades of blue for their aircraft. Here is Britannia 102 G-ANBM at Speke in May 1967.
