Speke in the 60s and 70s, Phil Duckett's images.

[viscount]

After Phil Duckett's untimely death, the family passed on his extensive slide collection, realising the interest value to fellow enthusiasts. However in turn I was passed the boxes of civil aircraft as they contained photos at Speke. The transparencies at Speke were all taken right through the 1970s decade, while there was an envelope of b&w prints and negatives from the late 60's.

Knowing Phil, I was quite surprised to find so many photos of GA aircraft in addition to airliners. He was very much a military aircraft person, but no military here as they were kept in separate boxes. This first post is of the better black and white images. The prints were both far less sharp and with less contrast than the negatives. However the negatives were far more badly marked. The majority here are scanned from negatives. Not that many, this thread will really get going with his colour images. As I organise these images into this post I am trying to recall if Phil was in the same year as myself or the year below at Hillfoot School. Either way he will have been in his mid-teens, so this post is likely him learning how to handle a camera and discovering what works well and what doesn't, then converting to transparencies in 1970, around the time he would have left school. As most of these shots (the date is written on the back of the prints) are within a week in 1967 and then a week in 1968, it could well be he was using a borrowed camera from a visiting family member.

As always sit back, take your time as you scroll through and come back again and again to enjoy the variety of aircraft, both routine and exceptional, as captured by Phil at Speke.



On Tuesday, 15th August 1967, G-ARYK Cessna 172C



On Wednesday, 16th August 1967 0-25805 Convair MC-131A Samaritan, USAF. This one is a scan from a print.



also 16th August G-AVCX PA.30 Twin Comanche 160 of CSE Aviation, likely with a student pilot on cross country flights. The British Eagle BAC-111 is "Spur" G-ATPK.



also 16th August G-ASCO SC-7 Skyvan 3 a demonstrator with Shorts. This negative mas more marked than most of the others.



On Thursday, 17th August 1967 G-ASZT Douglas C-54 Skymaster of Invicta on a regular I/T flight, taxied in and parking using just to the two inner engines.



On Thursday, 6th June 1968, F-BPMC an HS.125-3B, looking a little distant with just standard lens, but a fine view across the aprons and airfield



On Friday, 7th June 1968, G-AMNZ a V.701 Viscount of Cambrian and operating their schedule in full Air France scheme and titles.



also 7th June, G-AVBX a BAC-111-320 of Laker, involved in operating an I/T service.



On Saturday, 8th June 1968, D-EFMS a Cessna F150G a fair way from home.



also 8th June G-AWIY PA-23 Aztec 250 and G-ATCR Cessna 310C flown by Stan Stennett the Blackpool based comedian.



On Sunday 16th June 1968, G-ATAG/110 Jodel DR.1050 Ambassadeur, f&t Halfpenny Green



On Monday, 17th June 1968, G-ATRX PA-32 Cherokee Six 260 "Patricia", f&t Stapleford Tawney



also on 17th June, G-AMZI an Auster J/5F Aiglet being refuelled



On Wednesday, 19th June 1968, D-EKKY a Beech S.35 Bonanza, slight camera shake



On Saturday, 28th September 1968, G-AWAY PA-28R Cherokee Arrow 180, f&t Lympne



On Wednesday, 2nd October 1968, EC-BEN A Douglas DC-7C of TAE with Bilbao football supporters. Cleaned from a badly marked negative.

[viscount]

PHIL DUCKETT'S PHOTOS AT LIVERPOOL THROUGH THE 1970s DECADE.

I had these all in date sequence, rather than themed order, but between Picasa and Postimages the sequence has been shuffled. I'll leave it as it is, and divide the images between 3 posts, which I will post on successive afternoons so as not to dominate the 'recent posts' facility used by the regulars.

With 100+ scans, something for everyone in these posts (apart from military), so scroll through and (if you are of a certain age) spot those or saw or missed, if you are a little too young, just test your aircraft recognition, there is a wide scope of types here!

All this first post are identified as visitors during 1970.



G-ARBN a PA-23 Apache 160 as the tails says, operated by Flying Enterprise Ltd, Taxi Service of Luton. It made 6 visits during 1970 and 1971, then twice in 1977 after a change of ownership.



G-AVWR PA.28R Cherokee Arrow 180, this moved in as a resident aircraft in February 1970 and is seen outside No.39 hangar.



OO-JEF a PA-22 Tri-Pacer 135, presumably in the back of No.1 hangar. I can't recall an access door like that in either No.1 or No.2, but clearly there was! The aircraft arrived on Monday 13th July 1970 from Swansea and departed for Edinburgh on 15th.



G-ATIR SV-4C Stampe of Liverpool Aero Club, outside Jim Keen's No.39 hangar



G-AYFX AA-1A Yankee, either on 22nd July or 14th August 1970. The visit on 22nd July was f&t Blackpool on demonstration by General Aviation Services and was the first visit to Liverpool by any of the AA series of light aircraft.



7th July 1970, EI-AUD MS.880B Rallye - on delivery from Toussus-le-Noble and then to Dublin after a night stop at Liverpool.



G-ANOK, Saab 91C Safir. This aircraft was Edinburgh based and called 11 times during 1970



A little distant out on the finger, but worth recording as the Gulfstream I is N720G of the Bell Telephone and Telegraph Co, Europe. Arrived on 17th January 1970, departing the following day.



HB-LDH A PA-23 Aztec 250C on 31st July 1970 routing f&t Rotterdam



Sometime during 1970, resident Queen Air G-AVNG of Vernon Pools Ltd, who operated the aircraft as Vernair out of No.3 Hangar.



Look carefully as G-ATGJ is a Riley Dove conversion by McAlpine Aviation, the aircraft visited 3 times in April 1970.



DHC-6 Twin Otter CF-YFT called twice, on Wednesday 27th May and again Tuesday 17th November on demonstration flights to Cambrian/British Air Services.



BN-2A Islander G-AXXG of GKN Transmissions, likely on Friday 30th September 1970, with further occasional visits right through the '70s.



G-AWRO Beagle B.206 with Northern Air Taxi, trading as Northair (on nose). 3 visits in 1970: 29th September, 5th December and 22nd December. With leaves on the trees, certainly the September visit.



N7951S L-382 Hercules of Southern Air Transport arrives on 9th April from Boston with a crisp making machine as cargo.



L-382 Hercules, N9227R of Alaskan. Two visits within a few days, this is likely on Wednesday 29th July and night stopped during a shipping strike.



F-BRNH L-1049G Super Constelation of Catair - a number of visits between March and October 1970. Likely evening of 6th July 1970 as Phil had his camera at the Airport and that is Thurston Avn's Islander G-AWNU behind, although an odd place to park a Cambrian BAC-111.



VR-BCT Douglas DC-7 of Arco. Numerous visits - could be 6th July 1970 as Phil had his camera at Speke that evening.



G-ANBL Bristol 175 Britannia 102 of Britannia Airways. Quite possibly during a short series of 'Dutch bulb flights' May 1970, otherwise will have been on a summer Saturday I/T service.



1970 was a summer of transition for Britannia Airways as the Britannias were all retired by the end of the year, and the Boeing 737 fleet increased in number. Here is G-AWSY in the early Britannia scheme (no red in the cheatline), quite possibly on Saturday 16th May 1970, although the aircraft visited throughout the '70s decade.



TF-FIP Douglas DC-6B, Icelandair on 15th September 1970 with Keflavik FC to play at Goodison.



27th July 1970, OD-AES Douglas DC-6 of TMA on a 'one-off' freight flight.







A series of shots during the arrival of OH-LSH SE.210 Caravelle 10B3 of Finnair on a Kar-Air charter flight, 15th September 1970 from Helsinki.



G-AMPP Dakota 4 of Dan Air during her final summer in service with the airline as it was retired from use in September 1970



The replacement chosen for the Dakota on internal scheduled routes was the Nord 262, with G-AYFR being initially used for route proving in July 1970 before entering service. They only acquired the one, the HS.748 proving to be much more useful.





D-ABAZ Douglas DC-6A with Transportflug called 23 times in a period 28/6/69 and 24/7/70, mostly on Ford motor part flights.



G-ASZJ, Shorts SC-7 Skyliner. A regular visitor routing through Liverpool on flights from and to Shorts Sydenham. It first visited Speke in September 1970 on demonstration to British Air Services. This photo is more likely after 1973 and evaluation by BA Scottish Division (note the red BEA style wings). The aircraft is noted 52 times in the 70s decade Airport Logs.





CF-PWN L-382 Hercules of Pacific Western on Ford Motor component flights with 4 visits within a week. Most likely this is Monday 6th July. Tail of G-AXVG HS.748 of Skyways behind.



G-AVXJ H.748-2 'Board of Trade' and 'Civil Aviation Flying Unit' titles. This visit is in the early '70s (note the left and center 'finger' aprons have not been combined to together). G-AVXJ figures regularly, with some 60 visits during the '70s decade



G-AXVG HS.748-2 of Skyways. That looks to be a Martinair F-28 on 35, if so then Friday 3rd April 1970



Same aircraft, G-AXVG in Dan Air colours, she made her first visit with Dan Air 20th December 1971 and remained a regular visitor throughout the '70s decade. She may have worn Dan Air titles on the Skyways scheme for a while in early 1972, or I am getting confused with G-AZSU which most certainly did.

[viscount]

The 1970 theme is continued here with some more airliners. It would appear that Phil purchased his first proper telephoto lens in 1973.



Aer Lingus BAC-111-208 EI-ANG. The BAC-111 was the mainstay of the Aer Lingus Liverpool schedules throughout the '70s.



The first two Boeing 737-248s for Aer Lingus were initially operated on the Dublin-Heathrow route. This thought to be one of only 3 visits made by EI-ASA to Liverpool during 1970.



HB-ICN SE.210 Caravelle 10R of SATA on 11th June 1970 f&t Clemont Ferrand, one of several charters that day for the opening of a Massey-Ferguson factory on Merseyside. The same aircraft called again 1st July 1971 and night stopped. The white raydome beyond is on a Cambrian 1-11.



Another on the 11th June 1970, F-BRIM SE.210 Caravelle 3 of Trans-Union f&t Le Bourget - one of several charters that day for the opening of a Massey-Ferguson factory at Kirkby.



G-ANCD B.175 Britannia of Lloyd International, also on 11th June 1970, f&t Lyon, a charter for the opening of a Massey-Ferguson factory on Merseyside.



Boeing 707 of Caledonian on a freight (tomatoes?) charter - very likely Thursday 26th March 1970 as Phil was at the airport with a camera that day, in which case the aircraft is G-AVTW.





PH-MAT Fokker F-28 Fellowship, Martinair. Visits in 1970, 1972 & 1973. This is the first on Friday 3rd April 1970 with parts and engineers to urgently repair a ship in the docks.



PH-MAN Douglas DC-9-30F of Martinair. This aircraft made 5 visits during 1970 to Liverpool, but not again as the decade progressed.



PH-MAR Douglas DC-9-30F, Martinair. Numerous visits - could be 29th July 1970 as Phil had his camera at the Airport. In all between 1970 and 1979 this aircrft visited on 36 occasions.



G-AJHX DH.104 Dove of Vernair, parked outside LFS, presumably shortly after arrival 8th December 1970 and before being reduced for spares by Vernair over the next few years.


With very few slides that can be attributed to 1971 with any certainty, then just a few in 1972, then move into 1973 before the end of the thread.



1971. 1st May 1971 Air Display. G-AVNZ Fornier RF-4 in the flight line of the Speke Air Display, G-AVGF LFS Cherokee and RAF Argosy XR135.



G-AYFR Nord 262 of Dan Air in the static line-up of the 1st May 1971 Speke Air Display.



A somewhat dark image in tricky lighting conditions of G-ASBD Hughes 269. Between August 1971 and March 1973 this is recorded 10 times at Liverpool, usually on pipeline control flights from Stanlow. It often spent several nights at Liverpool between pipeline observation flgihts.



SE-EKI Beech C33 Debonair was a regular, with 30 visits between 7th October 1971 and 25th June 1972.











DM-SCH Tupolev Tu-134 Interflug, most likely 11th December 1972 or alternatively 8th March 1973 - football team charters on both occasions. Note the 'bomb aimer' glassed nose of the Tu-134, replaced by a weather radar nose raydome on the Tu-134A. For early visits to the UK only DM-SCH had the correct radio and nav. aids fitted. The 1972 visit thought to be the first visit by Interflug to the UK - the Tu-134 being a rare type, therefore the excitement and 5 shots of the same aircraft!



G-ARGY PA-22 Tri-Pacer 160 arrived in April 1975 and served with the Liverpool Aero Club, eventually leaving Liverpool in September 1973



G-AWOF PA-17 Vagabond arrived at Liverpool July 1971 and was active until sometime in 1972, then spending a while in store at Liverpool.



G-AIRC Auster J/1 Autocrat arrived at Liverpool May 1971 and was also active until sometime in 1972, then spending a while in store at Liverpool.
As all 3 were clearly photographed on the same day, it must be either the second half of 1971 or during 1972.



Another Liverpool resident G-ARJW PA-23 Apache 160H arrived October 1968 and eventually departed March 1974, flying with Keenair Services, named "Liverbird 1"



An aircraft visiting Liverpool frequently over a period of time was G-AYLW a King Air 100 of the Robinson TI Group, sometime between May 1972 and September 1977.



Could be while pleasure flying at the 12th May 1973 Air Display, which would explain the unusual angle or just maybe on another date over the Speke Hall Avenue fence? G-AOYS Viscount 806 Cambrian, at the 26 threshold. This aircraft first appeared in the orange top, dragon logo, scheme in October 1971.







1973. 12th May 1973 Air Display.. G-BAVN Boeing A75 Stearman, very recently imported from Israel by Jim Keen - seen performing at a Speke Air Display while still all white.





12th May 1973 Air Display. G-BADZ Pitts S-2A flying solo, but part of the Rothmans team - performing at Speke Air Display May 1973.

[viscount]

D-EMEW Cessna 182C arrived Saturday 21st July from Hawarden, departing the following day for Edinburgh.



CF-TIX (fleet no. 869 on nwd) on 22nd July 1973 Douglas DC-8-63 on a charter outbound (return op by CF-TJW on 12/8)





N797FT Douglas DC-8-63 of Trans International on an inbound charter, 4th July 1973





OK-PAH Ilyushin IL-18 of CSA, 27th October 1973 - brought in an orchestra on tour.



D-ECSP Cessna FR172H Rocket, arrived at Liverpool on Friday 24th May 1974, departing on 26th, from Hawarden to Edinburgh



N327K Gulfstream II of Ford Motor Company with executives. Made 5 visits in 1974 and 2 early in 1975.





N5DG Convair Cv.440, 14th September 1975 with Alice Cooper. Routed Heathrow to Paris/Le Bourget (dep 15th)







CCCP-26184, Kamov Ka-26 with UK agents Helicopter Hire. Aeroflot titles and code '362-H' refers to appearance in the Paris Air Salon earlier in the year. 14th September 1975, from Southend to Glasgow, calling for fuel. This was the sole visit by a Kamov KA-26 helicopter.



F-BMCY Potez 840. This is likely the first visit of type on 24th May '75, it also called the following day and stopped for several days in October 1975 too. This image has been used elsewhere on NWAN forum





The only occasion on which DC-9-32 PH-DNK called during the '70s decade was on Saturday 16th August 1975, routed Amsterdam to Hamburg.



N309EL Boeing 707-323C freighter of Eli Lilly. The aircraft amassed a total of 50 visits between April 1975 and September 1977, initially as N7558A, mostly as N309EL.



EI-AYE PA-28R Cherokee Arrow 180, this was based with Garston supermarket owner, Terry Lennon, from 25th May 1975 until 19th September 1973 when it left, to return in December as G-BDKV and remained based at Liverpool with Terry Lennon until sometime in 1978.



EI-AWV AA-5 Traveler and a frequent caller at Liverpool for Customs and Special Branch clearance. Noted 63 times in the Airport Logs between July 1973 and Auust 1979. It was G-BASH before and after the period on the Irish register.





EI-AYN BN-2A Islander BN-2A Islander, a relatively frequent visitor in the period May 1974 to September 1978 at least.



G-AZLO Cessna 336 Skymaster. The Cambrian Viscount 806 is G-AOYS.



18027 Beech U-21A US Army, also N1351Z Beech Baron which was based for a short period. Very likely 24th May 1975 as both aircraft were in together.



EI-AWY Mitsubishi Mu-2B, a reasonably frequent visitor in the period August 1975 to August 1978.



N501TL Viscount 812 of Alidair only appears 4 times in the Airport Logs, 23rd October, 1st November 1975; 2nd January 1975 and 19th March 1976 by which time it was wearing Cyprus Airways titles. Suspect this shot likely on the Saturday 1st November as the aircraft had diverted in due poor weather at East Midlands.



(Kodak) F-OCVK MS.880B Rallye. At Liverpool Saturday 1st to 3rd November 1975, f&t Shannon. Here in the back of (I suspect) No.1 hangar.

[viscount]

The fifth and final post of Phil Duckett's Liverpool images, covers 1976 through to 1980.









10th or 25th January 1976, ST-AFA Boeing 707 Sudan Airways - brought the ruler's wife from Khartoum for treatment at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. From the limos all waiting on the finger apron, this is almost certainly the patient arriving.





These two shots are actually at Duxord, not Liverpool, but show the early stages of the rebuilding of Viscount G-ALWF after transport by road from Liverpool to Duxford early 1976.







Tuesday 16th March 1976, DM-SCT Tupolev Tu-134A of Interflug brought Dynamo Dresden to play at Anfield.



16th March 1977, St.Etienne match day. F-BPJU Boeing 727 Air Charter International.



16th March 1977, St.Etienne match day. F-BHRE Caravelle III of Air France.



16th March 1977, St.Etienne match day. OO-SDE Boeing 737 of Sabena.



16th March 1977, St.Etienne match day. F-BUFU Fairchild FH-227.



16th March 1977, St.Etienne match day. F-BUZE Caravelle 6R of Minerve.

The 5 images above are all on that day in March 1977 when Liverpool Airport was invaded by aircraft bringing in supporters of St.Etienne for a European match against Liverpool FC.



N15ST L-382 Hercules on 10th March 1978 from Kano, leaving on 12th for Keflavik or possibly N12ST from Montreal/Dorval on Sat 29th March 1980, with an HS.125 wing section for repair at Hawarden.





N92860 Douglas C-118A Upols, at Liverpool 28th February to 2nd July 1978,



I-LECO Aero 1123 Jet Commander visited twice in 1978, on 30th March and 14th July - both times f&t Genoa.



VR-HHC CL-44D of Transmeridan Air Cargo on 25th June 1979 to take Ford motor parts to Dusseldorf



Sunday 8th July 1979, Goodyear Gz-20A airship N2A 'Europa' based a Speke for publicity flights 5th to 11th July.











Sunday 8th July 1979, F-BPPA Aerospacelines Guppy 201 arrives to collect a set of A.300 wings. First visit by type.









F-BVFB Concorde of Air France on Sunday 30th March 1980, To shots of the runway 27 arrival and two of the departure. Phil would appear to be somewhere along the field fence southside of the 27 threshold, a location no longer easily accessible.


Well that's 138 images, spread over 5 posts, covering 14 years 1967 to 1980 of memories of Liverpool Airport, illustrating a very wide variety of types. A thread with many more images packed in than is usual, but I feel it is well worth the effort and time to look through, admire and recall times past. Sadly it is already a few years since Phil departed. Although slightly belated, I would like to think that this thread stands as testament to a dedicated, total aviation enthusiast. I rather feel that Phil would would slightly embarrassed by the fuss I'm making over a load of 'ordinary' photos, and the fact that he took so many many shots at Speke of civil aircraft!

Feel free to comment if you wish, but any corrections to my captions are best passed to me as a PM. Thank you.

[vanguard]

Brian many thanks for posting all the photos, definitely a "blast from the past",it certainly has brought a few memories back to myself because of the"bat men" marshallers,i could be in one of them, thanks again Brian 😎

[optimum1878]

Thank you Brian for posting that catalogue of photos,with the imfo,really enjoyed looking through them,some fabulous aircraft have visited Liverpool over the years.

[ronturner]

Excellent. Thanks to the family and to you for the hard work.

At the risk of being downbeat, what will happen to these collections when the likes of you and me and our ilk have moved on, as it were? Any ideas? In my case I am busy scanning when I have time, and my wife and children know that more than anything else, my aviation stuff, including photos, is not to be destroyed or wantonly given away.

[Samba]

Being an avid slide collector I can agree with you Ron, so many of these collections either find their way to the likes of Air Britain, which are never seen again or they find their way to the local refuse tip, sad really but it’s been nice to see some great images on NWAN in the last few weeks.

[andyh]

Brian, thanks so much for all of the time and care you’ve taken to upload and curate these photos. They’re fantastic. Though many are before my time, the images of F-BPPA bring back memories. My dad took me down to the airport that day (purely by chance, I think) and it was the fascination of seeing the Guppy open up and take on board it’s cargo that really started my love affair with aviation.

[nickjaxe]

Wow Wow.....so many fantastic pictures.....so many a/c I dint get to see....loved seeing G-AVNG again....used to love the pilots voice on my early air band radio.

G-ASVV Cessna 310 is a regular that stands out in my mind....stunning looking a/c...would have loved to have seen a picture of it.

Thankyou Phil.

[vanguard]

I absolutely loved looking at the photos one again,what a way to start a new year and they also brought a few more memories to me,many thanks.

[ronturner]

So happy this thread popped up again. A great start to my 2022. Best wishes everyone.

[tb2]

I will second that thought.

Very surprised to see all the civil action as I always assumed Phil was a staunch mil only man!

RIP Phil

Trevor

[Deleted]

I'd just like to add my thoughts - and thanks - to those above. Somehow I missed the earlier parts of this thread, but it certainly brought back some great memories. One thing I do notice, from a non-aviation perspective, is how clearly you can see north Wales (Moel Fammau) so clearly on many of those photos. I know you could see that far on most days from the apron or the balcony, but I wonder if you can still see it as clearly now, or is there too much pollution?

I echo Ron's and Samba's comments re slides. As I have mentioned previously, a dear friend and ex-colleague had a fantastic set of slides from demo tours and places where you wouldn't be allowed to take photos normally. He went through an acrimonious divorce and they all ended up in a tip in Cambridgeshire - an absolute tragedy. Good as Air Britain is, I agree that rather like the British Museum, there is more in the archives than there is on display.