More 1960s, 70s, 80s at Liverpool Airport (NWAN Collection)

[viscount]

1960s LIVERPOOL AIRPORT IMAGES -
from the NWAN COLLECTION

Images restored to view.

The near 400, mix of b&w and colour prints that form the 'NWAN collection' cover the period 1961 to 1984 and are mostly prints commissioned or collected, but later unwanted, by Airport Departments. They were placed together in a number of albums, from which many prints have been removed and others added for one reason or another over the years. At the time that the Airport function was moving from the North Airfield to new accommodation on the South Airfield, they were left behind and discovered some time later, their interest value realised and passed onto the then NWAN Group (therefore the name of the collection). Dave Graham used a number of the prints I'm displaying again here, on his NWAN web-site until closed down in 2009. I used a few to illustrate posts, until blacked-out by Photobucket in 2017, and a fair few in a big photo display at the 2008 Air Fair on the occasion of Airport's 75th Anniversary.

A number are clearly taken and printed using professional equipment, many clearly with a trained photographer's eye for composition, rather than the aviation enthusiast's eye for record shots of aircraft. Where there is information on the back of the print regarding the original source, I will credit in the caption.

I've sorted out all the images into decades with separate posts. Sit back, scroll through, and enjoy. Some shots you may be familiar with having been used before, while others show airport activity from a less than usual angle and a few make you wander why they were taken at all.


EARLY 1960s Mostly 1961-1963



The Airport terminal featuring the 1962 alterations to the main entrance. However with a Keenair Services and a Northeast Airlines flag maybe more early 70s than late 60s shot. The classic view of the terminal and entrance roadway.



This and the next couple of shots are all likely in 1961, a depth of field shot, highlighting schoolboy with a BEA Viscount beyond. I don't recognise the blazer badge, is it Liverpool College? A John Mills Photograph.



Passengers descending from a BEA Viscount 701. A John Mills Photo.



The occasion is clearly an arriving VIP (unknown) greeted by the Press. Douglas C-47B Dakota 4 G-AMPO of Starways. A John Mills Photograph



G-ARIR Viscount 708 and a Skymaster, plus baggage tugs - which actually seem to be focus of attraction, rather than the aircraft. No photo credit.



Starways Skymaster and the same baggage handling tugs. No photo credit.





Viscount 708 G-ARIR of Starways, so sometime early 1961 to very end 1963. Until put together here did not appreciate how similar the two shots are. Left them both in as they are both good images. A John Mills Photograph.



Early 60's. Starways Viscount G-ARIR and two BEA Viscount 701s. No photo credit.



Early 60s, sometime 1963-65, Night scene from just inside of No.1 hangar: Comanche 250, Grumman Mallard and Aer Lingus Carvair. A John Mills photograph.



Almost certainly the same photoshoot as the image above, an Aer Lingus Carvair collecting the Sunday newspapers. Aircraft is EI-AMP 'St. Albert' (name is behind the cockpit windows). A John Mills photograph.



Can pin this one down only to sometime 1963-68 - but I suspect early in that period when still on regular car-ferry flights. Aer Lingus ATL-98 Carvair EI-AMP, seen from the restaurant window. Photo stamped Holliday & Edwards of Manchester 3



Aer Lingus C-47B Dakota EI-AHG 'St. Ronan' (sold 2.64, so before then), Fokker Friendship and a Carvair (an engine running) - with a Dakota (likely Cambrian) behind. On extreme zoom, there appears to be a guy in coat-tails(!) crossing the apron infront of the Dakota! A Holliday & Edwards of Manchester 3 photo, so almost certainly the same photo-shoot as the Carvair shot above.



Within a period 10.58-12.63) G-AMLJ Bristol 170 Freighter 31 of BKS Air Transport - clearly carrying Bloodstock, so likely before or after the Grand National Meeting at Aintree eg 1960, 1961 & 1963. A John Mills Photo.



Likely 1961. On rear of the original print there is a caption 'Liverpool Corporation Hostesses', while the aircraft is a Bristol 170 Freighter. A John Mills photograph.



Likely 1961. Sergeant D'Arcy of the Airport police unit in a posed photo. A John Mills photograph.



Likely early 1960s, the date is uncertain. One could have fun with titles such as 'Liverpool Airport's first pair of Jumbos visit', but I shall restrain myself. A pair of young elephants en route from care at Chester Zoo to Durrell's new Wildlife Park on Jersey, on the apron outside No.1 hangar. No photo credit.



early 1960s. DH.104 Dove (G-ARYM May 63-March 1973) of BICC facing No.1 Hangar. Helpfully on the reverse are some welcome notes: Sir William McFadzean, Chairman of the Export Council for Europe and President of British Insulated Callender's Cables Ltd, arrives at Liverpool Airport in his Company's private Dove aircraft. A John Mills Photograph. Today, no doubt, he would be ferried around in a Challenger or Gulfstream!



West German Air Force Nord 2501 Noratlas GC+125 on a snowy 18th April 1963. No photo credit.


REGULARS, MOSTLY mid 1960s, 1964-1968





Two views with a change of angle - G-ATDU Viscount 739 "City of Liverpool", G-AOVT Britannia, both British Eagle; Skymaster of Aer Turas and a Cambrian Viscount 701. Photos stamped Robson & Baxter Ltd Photographers of Birkenhead.



G-ARKA Britannia 324 'Good Fortune' of British Eagle, Aer Lingus Friendship turning into the line and two Cambrian 701 Viscounts. A Holliday & Edwards of Manchester 3 photograph.



At first I nearly captioned captioned this as an alternative view on the same photo-shoot. There are a great number of similarities, right down to the same Britannia - but this shot is a John Mills Photograph (on back written is noted both March and June 1964 in pen





Two shots of G-AMON Viscount 701 of Cambrian Airways on a quick turn around, with a Starways Skymaster behind, sometime 3.63-12.63. I'm amused at the same guy casually leaning on a broom by the nose wheel (under the Union Jack), while all the other apron services are already in action! Both John Mills Photography.



Cambrian Viscount unloading at Liverpool, inbound from Jersey. Al Campbell Photography of Cardiff, however on zoom the apron hand clearly has 'Liverpool Airport' across the shoulder of his white overalls.


THE JET AGE, 1966 onwards



2nd December 1966 diversions - SE-DAB SE.210 Caravelle III of SAS, along with G-ASJJ & G-ASJH BAC-111-201 BUA ('JH in new scheme). As a schoolboy spotter at the time, the arrival of the 'Sas' Caravelle made it a good diversion session worth recording! No photo credit





Two shots on 4th December 1966 for LFC v Ajax, both PH-DCF Douglas DC-8-32 of KLM - first visit by type. The poor weather is evident, as are the problems posed to the photographer of such a large aircraft parked so close to the balcony! No photo credit.



June 1967, G-ATVH BAC-111-207 'Serene' of British Eagle. Labelled on the back that this was the inaugural flight of the Liverpool-Frankfurt service. No photo credit.



9th January 1967 G-ARPS Trident 1 of BEA, a diverted flight due weather at Manchester - first visit of type. No photo credit



8th February 1967, HB-IFB DC-9-15 Swissair - on diversion due weather at Manchester. Only the 2nd visit by type. Phil Butler photo.



10th January 1967. G-ASGA Super VC-10 BOAC on diversion from Manchester. first visit to Speke by a VC-10. A Phil Butler photo.



Also 10th January 1967. G-ASGA Super VC-10 BOAC on diversion from Manchester. Viscount 806s G-AOYI (on underwing) and G-AOYG of BEA diverted in also. Daily Post & Echo photo.



Again 10th January 1967. G-ASGA Super VC-10 BOAC on diversion from Manchester. Photographer's signature illegible, Robin ....?



Same again from 10th January 1967 G-ASGA Super VC-10, this photo is likely a cropped version of the shot above. No photo credit on reverse.



Finally, G-ASGA Super VC-10 BOAC on diversion from Manchester. No photographer's name on the reverse of the print.



Looks as though this could be the same again, however this shot is on Sunday 19th March 1967, when the same aircraft, G-ASGA Super VC-10 diverted here for the second time in 3 months. No photo credit.



Almost certainly XR364 SC-5 Belfast C.1 retained by Shorts for development work, including Autoland trials. With both RAFTC titles and on the tail (where the 'last three' should be) Shorts Belfast titling. Original print has a textured surface. No photo credit.



Fairly certain that this is 17th February 1967, another first visit of type. G-APDO DH.106 Comet 4 of Dan Air, substituting for a Dakota on a scheduled service. No photo credit.



Same aircraft, G-APDO DH.106 Comet 4 of Dan Air however take your pick of a year with 1967, 1968, 1969 & 1971 all possible. No photo credit.



1st December 1968 on diversion, Palma-Southend. G-AVYE HS.121 Trident 1-140. Channel Airways. No photo credit.

Civil Hercules N7952S on lease to Pacific Western, but operating in Flying W Airways titles and logo on 11th June 1969. Arrived from Vancouver via Frobfisher Bay with a 12 tonne, 2 man submersible 'Pisces' for Vickers Ltd, en route to Loch Ness to search for Nessie. The Cambrian, but titled British Air Services Viscount is G-AMNZ. Vickers official photographs.



Not too sure of a date, but can tell that it certainly is a Cambrian Airways Viscount. It looks like the late 60s, red cheat-line, blue tail scheme before adoption in the early 70s of British Air Services titles. No photo credit, and no real reason evident as to why the photo was ever taken, but is a fine study of a set of airline steps!



Unsure if this is a Britannia or a CL-44 despite one being Proteus the other Tyne powered, the lack of airline colours or visible registration do not help either. Stamped on the back 'Weekly News Group on Merseyside', but no date or further details. It is rare that I cannot find something to pin down the event, other than it likely operating an inbound, rather than outbound freight flight.

[vanguard]

Brian ,once again thank you for putting this batch of photo's on view for all of us to enjoy.As i looked through them
4 faces popped up,people who i worked with for quite a few years and loved every second there ,thank you Brian.

Frank.

[richardheywood]

Fantastic photos and memories. Thank you!

The schoolboy’s badge in the first picture is indeed Liverpool College Junior School. The Upper School had Badges denoting their House. Mine was Brooks.

[Deleted]

Like Vanguard, I recognised a few faces on those photos. Thanks for the time and trouble you took to put them up, Viscount. Lots of memories there.

A few observations of my own:

The 'Liverpool Corporation hostesses' are in fact the ladies off the reception/information desk.

It was unusual for a Carvair to do the newspaper flights. The whole business of having to use the hi-lo (lift) at both ends of the operation was guaranteed to slow down the operation and the positioning of the newspapers was more critical to the weight and balance (CofG) of the aircraft than it was with the Viscounts.

I have a feeling that the last photo may be one of the 'tomato flights' in which case I think it is more than likely a Britannia. The loading belt looks like the one they used for those flights, although closer inspection shows that there are cartons being offloaded. The toms were normally packed in groups of punnets, but there were a lot of complaints that they were difficult to handle, so perhaps they packed them in cartons towards the end. The man in the white shirt was the head loader at the time.

[vanguard]

Hi garstonboy, the man in the white shirt was infact Apron Supervisor George Langridge (my boss and friend),the other person
is Joe Harrison,Operations Manager i think (George's boss).I think it's a Britannia as the engines on the CL-44 are a different
make an shape and could it be during the "Dock Strike",maybe cigarettes

[Deleted]

George Langridge! That's the man we used to refer to him as 'head loader'. I remember him as a very nice person. I didn't recognise Joe Harrison,though we never saw him very often

I agree they may well be ciggies. I remember there were a couple of such charters and the size and shape of the boxes is certainly consistent with those I remember when we handled them to other destinations.

I agree about it being a Britannia, too. The nacelles on the CL-44 have (had!) an intake on the top, so I'd say it was definitely a Britannia- possibly Britannia Airways?

thanks vanguard

[viscount]

JUST IN A SINGLE DAY AT SPEKE AIRPORT
August 1964 and another August 1972

Some years ago a superb set of b&w photos was posted on the Flypast forum. The set of photos by Tony Clarke, cleaned and presented by David Whitworth, was taken on a single visit to Liverpool on Wednesday 12th August 1964 and provided an insight into the regular airline activity seen during the height of the 'golden' British Eagle years. I thought then what a welcome contrast to the usual wide variety of 'one-off' visiting aircraft in the threads that I usually post; and kept an eye open for something similar in the collections I have gathered.

The original 2011 link featuring 1964 is still (as at August 2021) open and a delight to scroll through and examine:

www.key.aero/forum/historic-aviation/116050-1950-s-1960-s-archive-part-36-liverpool-1964

Scattered through the ‘nwan collection’ I have now found what I was watching for, a number of photos illustrating just the one day: Friday 25th August 1972. A photographer from the Liverpool City Engineers Department had clearly been commissioned to record the return of the Liverpool Diocesan annual Pilgrimage to Lourdes. It would appear that with a 'minder' he had the freedom to roam the apron all morning, so took many more pictures than the brief called for. While the photos of the returning Pilgrimage were mostly used elsewhere, the unused shots of apron activity eventually became collected together and stored, later rescued and now in the nwan collection. The professional ‘eye’ for composition (beyond that of just framing the aircraft), the quality of camera, lens, use of tripod, film stock and printing shows in each image, despite what appears to be misty morning with very bright diffused light. So, while individually they are interesting pictures of routine operations, when viewed together they evoke a feeling for the period and provide a series of great, charming images of both aircraft and terminal together.

All these images are scanned from near A4 prints copyright stamped Liverpool City Council Engineer’s Dept (to whom full credit applies) along with the date and negative reference. The massive amount of negatives and prints created by the Engineer’s Dept around Liverpool over many years are now I believe deposited with the Records Library, but lacks cataloguing. These images are from prints requested by Airport Management at the time, not from the Library archives. As usual, while I have cropped out some sky and concrete, I left the full original width of the composition.























Unusually, but quite deliberately I have not captioned each photo individually. The aircraft featured are:

G-AXCP BAC.111-401 of Dan Air was operating their Liverpool to Amsterdam service in lieu of the regular HS.748 aircraft.
G-APEX or G-APEY (I just cannot quite work out which even on zoom) Viscount 806 of Northeast was operating presumably Leeds-Liverpool-Belfast and return.
G-AXNC Boeing 737-204 of Britannia Airways was operating a routine summer season Inclusive Tour charter flight.
G-ARCP DH.106 Comet 4B of BEA Airtours operated a charter from and back to Tarbes (for Lourdes) Another, G-APMF operated from Tarbes then positioned out to Gatwick later in the day, while in the evening Monarch Britannia 312 G-AOVN operated in from Tarbes and positioned out to Luton.
G-AOYP Viscount 806 of Cambrian Airways. in the red broad cheat-line and blue tail scheme, with Cambrian cabin titles and British Air Services in small titling under the cheat-line towards the nose.

On the Comet photo, the Airport's tallest, wide-body, apron aircraft steps seem to have been lowered right down to make a gentle descent for the less mobile inbound pilgrims, which makes me wonder if the cabin topped hi-lo Ambu-Lift had been introduced by then.

This 2018 post originally formed a one post thread. Shortly after posting it lost all the Photobucket hosted images, these were replaced and lost again shortly afterwards. Now replaced again in August 2021, I am moving this post to be part of another old thread with images from the same source. At the time of being moved in mid August 2021 there had been 930 hits. The 'likes' have moved with the post.

[viscount]

MOVING ON INTO THE 'SEVENTIES
LIVERPOOL AIRPORT IMAGES from the NWAN COLLECTION

There is little rhyme or reason to what there is in the collection with nothing of some major events and many of cargo being loaded, for example. So this is an eclectic mix, some to scroll past, others to stop and look at - which depends on your interests. Sorted roughly be date order. To keep the number of images down, the football charter aircraft and aircraft at Liverpool Air Displays have been left out as they have their own threads, while a fair few are pictures of people - the whole collection is around 375 images in size. But by the time I'm finished here the majority of the aircraft shots will be somewhere in the Nostalgia Section.









1972. EI-ASB Boeing 737-248 Aer Lingus behind G-AVGP BAC-111-408 being readied for departure. In the final Cambrian 'orange top dragon logo' scheme, the 1-11 still carries Cambrian titles with small British Airways on the lower front fuselage.



1973. 3rd January 1973 British Airways BAC-111-510 departing from the spur having earlier diverted in, along with the Super VC-10 seen beyond.



1973. G-AYVG Boeing 707-321 of Donaldson "Carillon II". This aircraft called twice: 10th October 1971 routing New York/JFK to Gatwick and the occasion of this photo 3rd January 1973 Gatwick to Keflavik. The Viscount behind is Northeast Airlines. A Liverpool City Engineers Dept photo.







1973. 4th July 1973 N797FT Douglas DC-8-63CF (fv by a stretched DC-8 variant) of Trans International with inbound passengers. Photos stamped Elsam, Mann & Cooper Photographers of Liverpool 8.









1973. 4th July 1973, just some of a series of pictures showing Aer Lingus Boeing 737-248QC EI-ASE being loaded. Photos stamped Elsam, Mann & Cooper Photographers.











1974. 24th July 1974 - first visit by a Lockheed Tristar. G-BAAB of Court Line on an outbound Pilgrimage flight to Tarbes for Lourdes in the early hours. Same aircraft brought the pilgrims back a week later - also in the early hours. Liverpool City Engineers Photograph.

Just a sample of 13 photos, most in b&w - which are sharper, but thought that not even a colour shot of a pink Tristar would put you off looking further! As might a view of how packed the International Departure Lounge (within Hangar 2) became with a wide body passenger load waiting. I'll avoid any fashion comment on how pilgrims to Lourdes dressed for an early hours flight in the mid '70s!











April 1975 to September 1977. The Boeing 707 freighter, N309EL operated by Chemical company Eli Lilly called at Liverpool 70 times. Mostly City Engineers Photos. Again this is less than half of the images in the collection.



1977. 6th January 1977, Western Apron. Visible are G-AVWF Cherokee, G-AZGG King Air 90 Plessey, G-BAUW Aztec, VW Camper van, G-AVGK Cherokee, G-AYGN Cessna 210 and part of a Cessna 182? A Liverpool City Engineers Dept Photo. You do have to wonder at times just why a certain photo was ever taken. This view of very little is one, however it does give a great impression of space and the northern boundary of the Airport beyond the western apron.





1978. 9th August 1977, C-FFUN Boeing 707-311C of Wardair Canada. Strike diversion from Manchester, departed direct transatlantic to Canada. Liverpool City Engineers Photos.



1978. 8th August 1978 a day of Manchester strike diversions, although few are in this photo of British Airways aircraft. Liverpool City Engineers Photo.







1978. 10th November 1978, G-AWNI Boeing 747-136 of British Airways. First visit of type. Heathrow divert, arrived from Mexico via Jamaica and Bermuda. Liverpool City Engineers Photo.



Christmas 1978. Douglas DC-9-14 OH-LYB, British Midland delivering Santa. No photo credit









1978. Friday 22nd December 1978, G-ASJH and G-ASJF BAC-111s of British Caledonian and G-AZZD Douglas DC-10-10 of Laker - all weather diversions from Gatwick. No photo credit



1978. AP-AMJ Boeing 720 Air Malta, also diverted from Manchester 22nd December 1978. The next time this aircraft visited Liverpool it had a Maltese registration.



1979. G-AZZC "Eastern Belle" Fixing a winter date for this visit is proving problematic, unless all the snow on 23rd January melted very quickly!







1979. 23rd January 1979, G-AZZC "Eastern Belle" winter diversion, arriving from New York/JFK, diverting in from Gatwick. No photo credit





1979. 3rd April 1979, EI-ASI Boeing 747-148 Aer Lingus. Due strike action at Manchester, positioned in, then direct out to Bermuda - dispelling a myth that Boeing 747s could not go direct transatlantic from Liverpool. No photo credit.





Late '70s, Air Bridge Argosy awaiting the morning newspapers to transport to Belfast.



1979. CS-TBD of TAP Boeing 707, a Manchester strike diversion on 20th September 1979. Derek Johnson Photographic





1979. OY-SAU Boeing 727-2J4 of Sterling, operating a flight for Laker on 31st may 1979 to clear a passenger back-log during a Manchester dispute. No photo credit



1979. No photo credit. G-AWNN BA & C-FFUN Wardair, parked way out on 26/08. Both aircraft were at Liverpool together on both 11th and 14th September 1979.



Goodyear Airship N2A. Either May 1979 or 1981 with mooring mast out on the grass beyond the fingers. No photo credit



1979. 8th July 1979 - first visit by a Guppy aircraft (F-BPPA) to collect an A.300 wing set - featuring Ken Burlinson (I think), Chairman of the Airport Committee. A Liverpool Daily Post and Echo photograph.



Maybe 1979? British Midland Viscount loading, given the Police/Security presence likely to Belfast. That is a DC-10 tail on the left edge, parked in an unusual manner over on runway 26/08. No photo credit.



1979. N99059 Casa 352 (Ju.52) diverted in on 19th September en route from Prestwick. Fixed and departed to Biggin Hill on 21st. Possibly Jeff Hawke, pilot and Rod Rufus, Airport Director in a posed handshake. Derek Johnson Photographic Services

[viscount]

MOVING ON INTO THE 'EIGHTY's -
LIVERPOOL AIRPORT IMAGES from the NWAN COLLECTION

It appears that the last prints to be added into the folders that made up what is now known as the 'NWAN Collection' was during 1984. After which it has increasingly become a 'time capsule'. Looking back through the '70s post above, the b&w images have passed the test of time somewhat better than the colour ones. Enough of the preamble, on with some images:



70,000 visitors on the Western to view the C-5A Galaxy in a day. No photo credit

1980. C-5A Galaxy 00455 (70-0455), Saturday 28th June to Monday 30th, Ramstein to Mildenhall. A 436th MAW aircraft, flown by a from 512th MAW (Associate), based Dover AFB. Some photos Rex Cox, others not named, the crowds around the nose Daily Post & Echo Photo.







1981. 14th May 1981, G-BWFC the 2nd BAW Chinook on delivery from the Docks and onto Gatwick the next day. 3 of their six Chinooks passed through Seaforth and Speke on delivery to the UK. G-BWFC suffered a fatal crash into the sea off Sumburgh 6.11.86. No photo credit.



1982. ZA681 Chinook HC.1 on delivery to the RAF, Seaforth - Odiham, 3rd June 1982 after arriving at Seaforth on ACL Atlantic Cognac. No photo credit.



1981. 7th May 1981. G-BDXI Boeing 747-236 of British Airways (in the phase where they dropped the 'Airways' from the aircraft titles in favour of a larger 'British'). Diverted from Heathrow due ATC strike at West Drayton. From Melbourne via Bombay - handled out on the 26/08 runway. No photo credit.





1982. 13th July 1982, D-AHLB Airbus A.300C4 freighter of Hapag-Lloyd, on a Ford motor parts charter. No photo credit.



early 80s. G-BHGE Boeing 720-051B of Monarch Airlines, landing 27 sometime 11/79 - 7/81. Photo by Reg Cox of Liverpool 8.







1983. Likely 23.6.83. G-BAUR F-27 Friendship of BMA between schedules and XS790 RAF Queen's Flight HS.748 Andover CC.2. No photo credit.



1983. Likely 23.6.83, G-BKIE Shorts SD.3-30 Genair and G-AXXH BN-2A Islander, both between schedules. No photo credit.



1984. G-BKVZ Boeing 767-204, fv of type by this aircraft 12th February 1984. No photo credit.





1984. G-BKVZ Boeing 767-204, newly delivered to Britannia Airways, crew training Feb, Mar & April. No photo credit







1984. G-BFLD Boeing 707 of British Midland parked up at Liverpool on the wide finger for a week between charter flights eventually departing to Rome with over 200 Passengers. No photo credit.





Well you were warned this was an eclectic mix of images, one to ponder over as a final entry for now of a NWAN Collection image. Actually there is an invisible stealth aircraft behind this collection of apron 'furniture'. Well that got you looking! 3rd June 1982. No photo credit

[Samba]

Well Brian, you have excelled with this last collection, what an airport we had in those days, I hope everyone on the forum appreciates your hard work.