Post by viscount on May 12, 2018 15:21:36 GMT 1
In European competition EFC and particularly LFC have been successful in reaching the Cup Final stage 14 times over the years (that includes Kiev 2018). The 9 Finals in the period 1966-1985 have been covered on the thread derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/28359/liverpool-airport-football-aircraft-1962, with Rome in 1977 having its own thread derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/17375/airlift-rome-1977-european-final and EFC at Rotterdam and LFC at Brussels, both in 1985 their own thread derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/15237/european-football-finals-airlifts-images . However, for various reasons the last four LFC finals in European Competition do not have current ‘Nostalgia’ section entries. Dortmund 2001, Istanbul 2005, Athens 2007 reports and photos were all ‘lost’ when forum host xsorbit shut-down in 2009 and again when Dave Graham closed down his NWAN website in 2014; while Basel 2015 has to be discovered many archived pages back of the LJLA ‘daily’ threads. My intention in May 2018, in the run-up to the Kiev final, is to put that right with a summary of the aircraft used and comments, then with the help of the photographers lined up on 27 mound at the time, hopefully plenty of images to recall the sight of so many aircraft and operators involved in each fans’ airlift. So starting with Liverpool FC’s first European final of the 21st Century, and the first massive fly-out of LFC fans, but now largely overlooked, overshadowed by even larger airlifts a few years later, Dortmund 2001.
Liverpool FC faced two Cup Finals within a few days in May 2001. The domestic FA Cup Final on Saturday 12th May was held in Cardiff (while the Wembley Arena was rebuilt). LFC fans flew there on a DC-10-10, Dash Eight, two Bandeirantes, 2 Aztecs and the team came home on a BAe.146. Small fry compared the fans’ airlift to the UEFA Cup Final in Dortmund on Wednesday 16th May mostly taken to Munster, although two flights used Dusseldorf and another Cologne, while the team and Eurowings used Dortmund/Wickede. There were 5 departures on Tuesday 15th including the team and staff, with 14 further flights on Wednesday, the day of the game. All 19 flights returned during Thursday, although not all using the same airline or even aircraft type. I have no record of what additional flights departed from Manchester or London region airports.
It is recorded that a total of 4,989 arriving fans (including the team and staff) passed through Liverpool Airport on the Thursday, creating a record for inbound charter flight passengers in a day. The big record broken was set the day before when 580 fans departed on a single Corsair Boeing 747-300 – the largest single passenger load to depart from Liverpool Airport, a record repeated the next day as the largest single inbound load of passengers to arrive at Liverpool Airport! A Corsair Boeing 747-300 had visited Liverpool before with Lyon fans inbound to a match at Blackburn Rovers – but that aircraft was not absolutely fully loaded. At the time Liverpool Airport passengers were using the South Airfield initial 1986 (impolitely called the ‘warehouse’) terminal – although by then with a small extension to the building and much extension to the apron. Extra facilities were put in place to ease the flow of departing passengers and an overflow car-park area designated. With a regular flow of departing charter aircraft, routine passengers were not too inconvenienced and the Airport was judged to have handled the extra flights well.
However, the Boeing 747 ‘Jumbo’ movements, especially when laden caused the runway to be closed for upto 45 minutes after their departure due to dislodging concrete and tarmac from the runway edge between the ‘Piano Keys’ and the 27 end. Workmen were dispatched on both occasions to clear debris and effect temporary repair. No inbound flights were affected, but a few departures were delayed. There followed a ban on loaded 4-engined wide-body movements out of Liverpool which lasted several years until the whole runway was rebuilt during 2006/2007.
FIRSTS AND LASTS
First departure outbound was an Air 2000 Boeing 757-200 G-OOOG at 0813 on Tuesday 15th
Last departure outbound was the Corsair Boeing 747-300 F-GSEX at 1226 on Wednesday 16th
Team and staff flew out on Titan Boeing 737-300 G-ZAPM 1327 Tuesday 15th, back 1508 on Thursday 17th
First arrival back a Corsair Boeing 737-400 F-GFUG at 0245 Thursday 17th
Final arrival back an Air 2000 Boeing 757-200 G-OOBB at 2020 Thursday 17th.
OPERATORS, TYPES & REGISTRATIONS
9 airlines were involved, of 6 different registration nationalities of 7 aircraft types (or 10 different variants of aircraft if you want to swell the number!), with 27 different aircraft involved.
Having started this thread off with the details relating to the 2001 Dortmund LFC Final, over now to those with photographs, or perhaps stories of being on one of the charter flights.
THE UEFA CUP FINAL,
Wednesday 16th MAY 2001, DORTMUND
Liverpool FC v Deportivo Alaves
Wednesday 16th MAY 2001, DORTMUND
Liverpool FC v Deportivo Alaves
Liverpool FC faced two Cup Finals within a few days in May 2001. The domestic FA Cup Final on Saturday 12th May was held in Cardiff (while the Wembley Arena was rebuilt). LFC fans flew there on a DC-10-10, Dash Eight, two Bandeirantes, 2 Aztecs and the team came home on a BAe.146. Small fry compared the fans’ airlift to the UEFA Cup Final in Dortmund on Wednesday 16th May mostly taken to Munster, although two flights used Dusseldorf and another Cologne, while the team and Eurowings used Dortmund/Wickede. There were 5 departures on Tuesday 15th including the team and staff, with 14 further flights on Wednesday, the day of the game. All 19 flights returned during Thursday, although not all using the same airline or even aircraft type. I have no record of what additional flights departed from Manchester or London region airports.
It is recorded that a total of 4,989 arriving fans (including the team and staff) passed through Liverpool Airport on the Thursday, creating a record for inbound charter flight passengers in a day. The big record broken was set the day before when 580 fans departed on a single Corsair Boeing 747-300 – the largest single passenger load to depart from Liverpool Airport, a record repeated the next day as the largest single inbound load of passengers to arrive at Liverpool Airport! A Corsair Boeing 747-300 had visited Liverpool before with Lyon fans inbound to a match at Blackburn Rovers – but that aircraft was not absolutely fully loaded. At the time Liverpool Airport passengers were using the South Airfield initial 1986 (impolitely called the ‘warehouse’) terminal – although by then with a small extension to the building and much extension to the apron. Extra facilities were put in place to ease the flow of departing passengers and an overflow car-park area designated. With a regular flow of departing charter aircraft, routine passengers were not too inconvenienced and the Airport was judged to have handled the extra flights well.
However, the Boeing 747 ‘Jumbo’ movements, especially when laden caused the runway to be closed for upto 45 minutes after their departure due to dislodging concrete and tarmac from the runway edge between the ‘Piano Keys’ and the 27 end. Workmen were dispatched on both occasions to clear debris and effect temporary repair. No inbound flights were affected, but a few departures were delayed. There followed a ban on loaded 4-engined wide-body movements out of Liverpool which lasted several years until the whole runway was rebuilt during 2006/2007.
FIRSTS AND LASTS
First departure outbound was an Air 2000 Boeing 757-200 G-OOOG at 0813 on Tuesday 15th
Last departure outbound was the Corsair Boeing 747-300 F-GSEX at 1226 on Wednesday 16th
Team and staff flew out on Titan Boeing 737-300 G-ZAPM 1327 Tuesday 15th, back 1508 on Thursday 17th
First arrival back a Corsair Boeing 737-400 F-GFUG at 0245 Thursday 17th
Final arrival back an Air 2000 Boeing 757-200 G-OOBB at 2020 Thursday 17th.
OPERATORS, TYPES & REGISTRATIONS
9 airlines were involved, of 6 different registration nationalities of 7 aircraft types (or 10 different variants of aircraft if you want to swell the number!), with 27 different aircraft involved.
Prefix Nationality Aircraft Type Code Operator
D- Germany Airbus A.319 ABD Air Atlanta
F- France Airbus A.320 AEY Aero Lyon
G- Great Britain Airbus A.300 AMM Air 2000
LN- Norway Boeing 737-300 AWC Titan
OO- Belgium Boeing 737-400 BRA Braathens
TF- Iceland Boeing 757-200 CRL Corsair
Boeing 747-200 EWG Eurowings
Boeing 747-300 MON Monarch
L.1011 Tristar SLR Sobelair
MDD DC-10-30
Airline code Flights operated Aircraft, registrations and legs operated (return unless stated)
Air 2000 AMM 3 ret flts & 3 o/b A.320 G-OOAR (o/b)
Boeing 757-200 G-OOOG (x2 o/b), G-OOOI (o/b), G-OOOS (o/b), G-OOOJ (i/b), G-OOBB (i/b)
Monarch MON 4 ret flts & 3 i/b Douglas DC-10-30 G-DMCA (o/b only)
Airbus A.300 G-MONS (o/b only), G-MONR (i/b only), G-MAJS (i/b only)
Boeing 757-200 G-MOND (x2 o/b), G-MONE (i/b), G-MONC (i/b), G-MONK (i/b), G-DAJB (i/b)
Airbus A.320 G-MONX (i/b only)
Titan AWC 1 return flt Boeing 737-300 G-ZAPM (with team & staff)
Aero Lyon AEY 1 return flt Douglas DC-10-30 F-BTDD
Air Atlanta ABD 2 return flt L.1011 Tristar 1 TF-ABT
Boeing 747-200 TF-ATB
Braathens BRA 1 inbound a/c Boeing 737-400 LN-BRI (i/b only)
Corsair CRL 4 return flts Boeing 747-300 F-GSEX
Boeing 737-400 F-GFUG F-GFUH
Boeing 737-300 F-GFUI
Eurowings EWG 1 return flt Airbus A.319 D-AKNI
Sobelair SLR 1 outbound flt Boeing 737-400 OO-SYC
No biz-jet or GA twins involved flying from Liverpool.
Having started this thread off with the details relating to the 2001 Dortmund LFC Final, over now to those with photographs, or perhaps stories of being on one of the charter flights.
