A few old Pics

[Speedy]

Hello All.

I have dug out some old pics and decided to post a few interesting or significant ones for Liverpool Airport. I scanned them in from old photos so the qaulity is quite poor but the subject matter more than makes up for it. I hope you enjoy and may even bring back some happy memories. Thanks for looking.

An124 x 2 by Paul Speed, on Flickr

A380 over Widnes by Paul Speed, on Flickr

3 x Jumbos at LPL by Paul Speed, on Flickr

Old Tower Tu154 by Paul Speed, on Flickr

Pier Head Galaxy C5 by Paul Speed, on Flickr

[viscount]

A few dates to match the memories stirred:

Two An-124 Ruslan's on the ground together - December 1993. One 'tech', the other a replacement, collecting 'Operation Christmas Child' present boxes.

The A.380 was F-WWDD - July 2008. The second A.380 to be seen at low level in Liverpool's airspace, this one displayed at the New Brighton Show after a very low approach and go-around - not far from a touch and go - on 27.

Three Boeing 747s at Liverpool together - September 1979. During a Manchester dispute, 2 Wardair examples parked on 26/08 and a BAW example on approach to 27 over the top of 'Dunlops' factory buildings. Well caught.

Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-154 CCCP-85157 - October 1979. Taking fans to, or returning LFC from, an away game within the USSR.

USAF Lockheed C-5A Galaxy - June 1980, the sole visit of type to Liverpool. Never mind the graining, a great image and very different to all mine which are of the aircraft on the ground - I really must get my shots onto NWAN Nostalgia sometime soon.


Any more in the 'Speedy' vaults?

I do love it when a member digs into a packet of photos, kept at the back of a cupboard, unseen for years, and produces some real gems.

[Deleted]

Nice shot of the three Jumbo's but it's not the three I saw in the early 1980's. Have the two Dutch and one American, Schiphol diverts turned up yet? Or am I still dreaming?

[viscount]

As far as the official record of aircraft visitors go, sorry, still dreaming, Ste-t.

[bulldog]

Hell of a dream however!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Beemer]

A few Antonov pics at LJLA passed to me by Frank "Vanguard" for me to scan and post for him.

Il-76 1 by Beemer328i, on Flickr

AN124 2 by Beemer328i, on Flickr

AN124 3 by Beemer328i, on Flickr

AN124 4 by Beemer328i, on Flickr

[viscount]

A bit of back ground story behind the three aircraft that are pictured above. I'll ignore Manx Airline's BAe.ATP G-MAUD - although shots of Manx's aircraft would make a good photo thread of their own.

The year was 1993, the month December. The action is all on the South Airfield and viewed from the initial terminal there (1986-2002), although some of the photos are from ground level, airside. The view across the apron and river from the upstairs lounge was good. A long demolished landmark, clearly shown on one of the images is the former Ince Power Station's two cooling towers.

This was the first time that an Antonov An-124 had visited Liverpool Airport. They went on to be annual visitors for 8 consecutive years flying out OCC shoe boxes of gifts for children in war-torn states, 1993-2000. After that OCC gifts were transported across Europe by road from Wrexham. Brief list of all An-124 visits, dates and registrations on thread: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/16960/soviet-designed-types-liverpool-airport

Operation Christmas Child (OCC) had been planned for months from the charity's Wrexham headquarters, collecting children's toys in shoe box sized containers for distribution to children in war zones who had lost everything. In 1992 a Hercules had flown the gifts out of Hawarden. In 1993 the aim of the charity captured the imagination and hearts of children all around Britain. A total of 85 tonnes of gifts in shoe boxes were prepared for the needy children in war-torn Bosnia. On Tuesday, 14th December Heavylift Cargo/Volgar-Dnepr Antonov An-124 RA-82042 landed at Liverpool at 11:18 from Stansted. The biggest aircraft to land at Liverpool, the aircraft was parked, facing towards the west (09 end) on the parallel taxiway inbetween the control tower and the terminal.

Articulated lorry loads of shoeboxes arrived to transfer the cargo from Wrexham onto the aircraft. On the Wednesday coach loads of school children, some 5,000 in all, some from as far away as Cambridge and Bristol arrived, were taken through the terminal and onto the grass in anticipation of watching their boxes take off on board the Antonov heading for the Croatian capital of Zagreb and onwards by road to Bosnia. However the Antonov developed a fault in a fuel pump in one of the engines and as a result went nowhere. The disappointed children left on their coaches and the charity organisers and airline officials had to find a solution to the problem.

The answer was to bring in a second aircraft to take the load to Zagreb. A second Antonov, RA-82045, positioned into Liverpool from Istanbul on the Thursday (16th) morning at 08:23. The two An-124s parked near nose to nose to facilitate the labourious task of transferring the cargo commenced. The two Antonovs parked close together was a sight probably in this country only ever repeated at Stansted. The second aircraft departed Liverpool for Zagreb at 22:43 the same evening, with not a child in sight to see it depart. On photos you can tell the aircraft apart as RA-82045 did not wear the Heavylift Cargo logo at the base of the rudder.

The problem now was what to do with the unserviceable An-124 at Liverpool. Initial suggestions were to fly it empty on three engines to Stansted for repair. However Stansted did not have the parts. Then the plan emerged to fly it to the Ukraine on three engines. That plan was vetoed by aviation authorities. An Il-76 was to bring in a new engine, this then changed to a further An-124 RA-82021 to arrive at 23:00 on 17th. A further delay and the plan changed back to an Il-76 again. Enthusiasts gathered at Liverpool on a Saturday morning anticipating some rare beast from the Ukraine (no FR24 or other such aids back in '93). They were disappointed as it was a UK regular, Heavylift Cargo/Volgar Dnepr Ilyushin Il-76TD RA-76758 that arrived direct from Ul'yanovsk in the Ukraine. After the engine was unloaded, the Il-76 departed for Stansted. The Il-76 was at Liverpool on Saturday 18th 11:06 until 14:02.

Work then commenced on replacing the offending engine. High winds and heavy rain further hampered the operation and RA-82042 did not depart until Wednesday 22nd when it lifted off at 17:37 heading for Stansted - the aircraft having been at Liverpool for over eight days.

I set out to write a paragraph, but when I looked back in the old paper NWAN magazines for details, found this glorious account, penned by NWAN member now known by the user name 'Ametyst', re-typed out here with only minor changes. He ended the description of events with the rider 'Thanks for the memories' - little did he think then that those memories would be re-awakened a little over 25 years later with a set of images from Frank on a media that allows sharing information and viewing images instantly worldwide! The world has come a long way from duplicated, corner stapled magazines to the www internet in those 25 years - but the same Antonov An-124s are still flying cargos around the world.