Liverpool 1966 Now with First B-707 and the Ajax invasion

[ronturner]

I have arrived at 1966 in my process of opening up and dusting off my 35mm colour transparencies.

Here are a few from the first half of the year.

This may well have been the first BAC-111 to visit us, arriving from Dublin to operate an LFC charter to Budapest, stopping at Frankfurt. Returned same route next day. Operation would have been from runway 08/26. On the same day EI-AOE operating the Aer Lingus schedule

EI-ANE BAC 1-11 208 Aer Lingus Speke 1 Mar 1966 Operating charter LFC to Budapest by Ron Turner, on Flickr


EI-ANE BAC 1-11 208 Aer Lingus Speke 1 Mar 1966 Operating charter LFC to Budapest via Frankfurt by Ron Turner, on Flickr


EI-AOE Viscount 814 Aer Lingus Speke 1 Mar 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr

G-ASUU was quite a frequent visitor routing Coventry - Liverpool - Valley and return.


G-ASUU DH Heron 2 English Electric Speke 1 Mar 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr

Football charter from Prague, Departed 9th.


HA-MAD Ilyushin IL-14 Speke 6 Mar 1966 (2) by Ron Turner, on Flickr


This gorgeous Anson operated survey flights several times throughout 1966 and 1967


G-APHV Avro Anson 19 S2. Survey Flights Ltd. Speke 25 Mar 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr

This Dove was one of several Dove/Heron types seen on same day so I suspect it was a grand National Day. This particular machine owned by Morton Air Services was a frequent visitor from 1961 until the end of 1966.


G-AJBI DH. Dove 1B Morton Air Services. Speke 26 Mar 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr


G-ANPV DH. Heron 2D TI Services Ltd Speke 26 Mar 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr


G-ATEY Cessna 411 26 Mar 1966 Speke Humber Ltd. (2) by Ron Turner, on Flickr

Cannot resist a DC-3 and I quite liked this colour scheme, and the smoke? Just how it was. An unspecified date in March 1966.



G-AHCZ DC-3 Cambrian Speke Mar 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr

A frequent visitor. Possibly from Manchester.


G-ARUZ Cessna 175 Speke 11 Apr 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr

Another glorious colour scheme and what a location!


G-AMON Viscount 701. Cambrian Speke 7 May 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr

On May 7th 1966, the new runway 10/28 was opened. This British Eagle BAC-111 was present. I am not sure if it was operating a schedule or a "special". Anyway it looked great. Check out the number of spotters and other visitors on the balcony. I have included the fleet of busses which conveyed to good and the great down to the ceremony. I took this picture from my seat on the leading bus as we pulled away after all was said and done.


G-ATTP BAC 111- 207AJ. British Eagle Speke 7th May 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr


G-ATTP BAC-111 207AJ British Eagle Speke 7th May 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr


G-ATTP BAC-111 British Eagle Speke, 7 may 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr

Edited 13th Nov 2024. I found this one and decided to add it:-

G-ATTP BAC-111 207AJ British Eagle Speke 7th May 1966 (2) by Ron Turner, on Flickr


Runway opening Speke. May 7th 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr



Another frequent visitor


G-ARTI DH Heron 9 May 1966 Speke by Ron Turner, on Flickr


G-ATIA Piper Comanche Speke 9 May 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr

Now for one of my favourite aeroplanes, although never managed a trip in one. This one operating a regular I/T flight. Philips F-27 PH-LIP parked in one of the fingers


G-ALHS Canadair Argonaut British Midland Speke 21 June 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr

We have now reached the point where industrial action on the high seas brought us no end of benefit. (it's an ill wind etc.) All sorts of machines were called upon to carry freight to The Isle of Man and Belfast. This Hibernian made five round trips to IOM on this day, and four the day after. The Gregory made four round trips to Belfast, as did the Flying Nissan Hut, also four. G-ALYF was actually Irefly but still in Westpoint colours. These machines and others continued shuttling back and forth for about a month (??)


EI-APB DC-3 Hibernian Airways Speke 29 May 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr


G-AKJH DC-3 Gregory Air Services. Speke 29 May 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr


EI-APC Bristol 170 Mk 21 Aer Turas Speke 30 May 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr


G-ALYF DC-3 Westpoint Airways. Speke 11 June 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr


G-AMSH DC-3 Irefly Speke 2 July 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr

Even tiddlers like this were commandeered to fly light weight goods such as cigarettes.


G-ADDI De Havilland DH84 Dragon Chrisair, Speke 2 July 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr

..and the now famous or infamous ACE freighter Connie who's load shifted to produce this situation. I know similar pics have been seen before, but these are mine and thought worth another look at.



G-ALAL Lockheed L749A ACE Freighters Speke 2 Jul 1966 (2) by Ron Turner, on Flickr


G-ALAL Lockheed L749A ACE Freighters Speke 2 Jul 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr

To end, for the moment, another regular visitor, frequently routing Tatenhill - Isle of man.


G-ARDE DH Dove Ind Coope Speke 5 Jul 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr

[Samba]

Classic shots Ron, well done.

[ian531]

Another amazing set

[andyh]

Exquisite Ron, keep them coming!

[ronturner]

Here are some colour slides from the second half of 1966 at Liverpool Airport, or Speke as it was then.

I start with what was a momentous day. July 5th. The arrival of the first Boeing 707 from Dublin, and its departure to New York, stopping at Shannon. Some of these photos, or similar ones, have appeared here before; I don't think we need much of an excuse to show them again and in any case some of them are the first outing. I like this set because of the background stuff. Vehicles, people: passengers and well wishers on the balcony. And what about other aircraft? At the same time we have a Dragon from the era the airport was built, a DC-3 from the post war years, A Viscount from the early turbine era, and a 707, arguably the machine of the day, perhaps just before the 747 had taken over as Queen of the sky. (We would have to wait a little longer for one of them but they did come.

The following day, a second Aer Lingus charter, EI-AMW Boeing 707-348C wrote another page in history , when it departed from Liverpool direct, non stop, to New York. Sadly no photo of that from me.


EI-ANV Boeing 707 Aer Lingus Speke 5 Juy 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr



EI-ANV Boeing 707, Aer Lingus, Liverpool Speke, 5th Jul 1966, arrival by Ron Turner, on Flickr



EI-ANV Boeing 707 Aer Lingus Liverpool Speke 5th Jul 1966 with Dragon, DC-3 and Viscount by Ron Turner, on Flickr



EI-ANV Boeing 707 Aer Lingus Liverpool Speke 5th Jul 1966. Boarding. by Ron Turner, on Flickr


EI-ANV Boeing 707 Aer Lingus Liverpool Speke 5th Jul 1966 Balcony background. by Ron Turner, on Flickr


EI-ANV Boeing 707 Aer Lingus, Liverpool Speke 5th Jul 1966 from Apron by Ron Turner, on Flickr



EI-ANV Boeing 707 Aer Lingus, Liverpool Speke, 5th Jul 1966 Close up by Ron Turner, on Flickr

I thought it would be useful to attach a list of other visiting aircraft on the day. Quite an interesting mix.

G-ATBY	Westland WS-58 Wessex 60    Sydenham-Grimsby	             Bristow Helicopters
G-ASVV	Cessna 310-I	            Blackpool-Heathrow	             Earl of Sefton
G-ADDI	DH.84 Dragon	            f&t Belfast	                     Chrisair Ltd and f&t Belfast a second time	
EI-APB	Douglas C-47A Dakota 3	    f&t Dublin	                     Hibernian Airlines and Dublin-Isle of Man	
EI-APC	Bristol 170 Freighter 31    f&t Belfast	                     Aer Turas x 4 return flights during day	
EI-ANV	Boeing 707-348c	            Dublin-Shannon (for New York)    Aerlinte, c/s 'Shamrock 5899'
	First Boeing 707 to land at Speke, first transatlantic passenger charter from Liverpool
G-ASPA	DH.104 Dove 8	            f&t Bournemouth	             Dowty Group
G-ASHV	PA-23 Aztec 250B	    Leavesden-Dublin	             Arthur Guinness Son & Co Ltd
G-ARDE	DH.104 Dove 6	            Tatenhill-Isle of Man	     Ind Coope x 3 return flights during day	
G-AMSH	Douglas C-47B Dakota 4	    f&t Belfast, dep 07	             Irelfly Ltd
G-AOYC	DH.104 Dove 6	            Southend-Woodvale, dep 06.	     Morton Air Services
G-ALAL	L.749A Constellation	    Moscow/Sheremetievo-Belfast 06.  ACE Freighters

G-AMTK DH82A Tiger Moth. Marchesi and Keen. Liverpool Aero Club or Keenair, Speke 9th JUl 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr



SE-CFE. Curtiss C-46, Commando. Tor-Air, 9th Jul 1966, Speke. f Brussels to Malmo. by Ron Turner, on Flickr


World Cup Football visitor on 12th July:- ( F-BHMI also visited 15th July. same purpose)


F-BHBI Lockheed L-1049G Supper Constellation Air France. Speke 12 Jul 1966. World Cup Football. (2) by Ron Turner, on Flickr


F-BHBI Lockheed L-1049G Supper Constellation Air France. Speke 12 Jul 1966. World Cup Football. by Ron Turner, on Flickr


Probably all of a coincidence but I wonder why four movements associated with Germany on this one day:-

D-ILSU	Beech 65 Queen Air	f&t Frankfurt	
D-ILBA	Beech 80 Queen Air	f&t Munich	
G-ATFO	HS.125 srs 1B	        Cologne-Heathrow	   Grundig Works (NI) Ltd
D-EMWO	Job.15-150	        f&t Southend, dep 26th	   C/no. 56.  First visit by type

D-EMWO Job 15 150 Speke 25 Jul 1966 (D-ILSU Q Air 65 in background) by Ron Turner, on Flickr



D-EMWO Job 15 150 Speke 25 Jul 1966 (D-ILSU Queen Air 65 in background) by Ron Turner, on Flickr



G-ATFO HS125 1B Grundig Speke 25 Jul 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr



G-ALMU Miles Gemini Speke 16 Aug 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr



G-AROI DH Dove British Eagle Speke 3 Sept 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr



LN-RTO Douglas Dc-3 Polaris Air Transport Speke 3rd Sept 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr

Our beloved balcony gave us such a good proximity, it was seldom necessary to visit the end of the runway. For those not around at the time, these two photos illustrate the view just before the threshold of 26.



Viscount Aer Lingus Speke Landing on rw 26, in Sept 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr



Viscount Cambrian Speke Landing on rw 26, in Sept 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr


And now for another red letter day. December 14th witnessed the invasion of Liverpool by AJAX fans from Amsterdam, already victorious from their hammering of Liverpool 5-1, they showed up for a celebratory 2-2 draw at Anfield. Not such a red-letter day for the footie fans.

Here is the list of visitors:-

On the day before the match:-

PH-LLE  Lockheed L.188C Electra         f&t Amsterdam	KLM, with Ajax FC team. first visit of type

On the Wednesday of the match:-

G-ANBF	Bristol 175 Britannia 102	f&t Amsterdam, dep 15th	Britannia, Ajax football fans 
G-ASEN	Douglas C-54A Skymaster	        f&t Amsterdam, dep 15th	Invicta, Ajax football fans
PH-CGD	Convair Cv-640	                f&t Amsterdam, dep 15th	Martinair, Ajax football fans
PH-DCF	Douglas DC-8-30	                f&t Amsterdam	KLM, Ajax football fans, first visit of type
PH-MAA	Douglas C-47B Dakota 4	        f&t Amsterdam	Martinair, Ajax football fans
PH-DSC	Douglas DC-7C	                f&t Amsterdam, dep 15th	Martinair, Ajax football fans
PH-DSO	Douglas DC-7C	                f&t Amsterdam, dep 15th	Martinair, Ajax football fans
PH-SAE	Douglas DC-7C	                f&t Amsterdam, dep 15th	Schreiner, Ajax football fans
PH-SAO	Douglas DC-7C	                f&t Amsterdam, dep 15th	Schreiner, Ajax football fans
PH-SAD	Fokker F-27 Friendship	        f&t Amsterdam, dep 15th	Schreiner, Ajax football fans
PH-DAC	Douglas C-47A Dakota 3	        f&t Amsterdam	Schreiner, Ajax football fans
PH-TRC	Douglas DC-6B	                f&t Amsterdam, dep 15th	Transavia, Ajax football fans

The day after, this turned up to repatriate the team:-

PH-LLF	Lockheed L.188C Electra	        f&t Amsterdam	KLM, Ajax football team o/b

This group of photos were taken on Agfa film which has not stood the test of time, and of course the weather was dreadful. Nevertheless with quite a lot of work, I managed to salvage a few. By far the worst is the Convair but I wanted to offer it up. We did not see that many at Speke. My visitor listings were complied by Phil Butler (RIP) and provided to me by Brian Jones.



PH-DCF Douglas DC-8-30 KLM at Speke 14 Dec 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr


PH-DCF Douglas DC-8-30 KLM Speke 14 Dec 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr


PH-DCF Douglas Dc-8-30 of KLM Speke 14 Dec 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr


I am a little puzzled as to why the DC-8 and others came from left to right, as I imagined if landing on 28, the taxi route would be to backtrack 35. Ideas ?



PH-DSC Douglas DC-7C Martinair, Speke 14 Dec 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr



PH-DSC. Douglas DC-7C Martinair Air Charter, Speke 14 Dec 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr


PH-DSO DC-7C Martinair Speke 14 Dec 1966. by Ron Turner, on Flickr



PH-SAE Douglas DC-7C Schreiner Airways Speke 14 DEc 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr



PH-SAO, Douglas DC-7C Schreiner Airways Speke 14 Dec 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr


PH-TRC Douglad Dc-6B Transavia Speke 14 DEc 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr



PH-MAA DC-3 Dakota 4 Martinair Speke 14 DEc 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr



PH-SAD Fokker F27 Schreiner Aiorways Speke 14 Dec 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr


G-ASEN DC-4 Invita Airways Speke 14 Dec 1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr



PH-CGD. Convair 640. Martinair Speke 14 Dec1966 by Ron Turner, on Flickr


Short of finding another box somewhere, which is entirely possible, that concludes my 1966. I hope you enjoy the collection as much as I did shaking up the old grey cells.

[Samba]

Keep them coming Ron, what a fantastic set of images, we had the best days in terms of quality movements, thanks for sharing.

[8miles27]

Great photos Ron and left to right perhaps using the central taxiway.

[viscount]

For more on aircraft visiting Liverpool Airport during 1966, Phil Butler's full daily visiting aircraft log can be found transcribed to digital:

derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/20851/complete-visiting-aircraft-logs-review

Following the visiting aircraft log, there is a detailed review of resident aircraft, airlines, football charters, freight charters etc to read through providing an 'overview' of the year's activity.

A few comments to add to Ron's interesting captions and absolutely excellent photo coverage of 1966.

On 25th July the light German light aircraft and HS.125 were at Liverpool for a World Cup Semi-Final, played at Goodison Park when West Germany played the Soviet Union. The Air France Constellations carried the Brazilian team, officials and press as the team were based in Paris, but played their initial round games at Goodison Park.

On 5th July, the day of the first visit to Liverpool by a Boeing 707, many of the aircraft in the visiting aircraft list were operating freight flights to Belfast due to an industrial dispute affecting the Irish Sea ferries. The Dragon G-ADDI and Dove G-ARDE were involved as well as Dakotas, Freighter and Constellation aircraft.

Regarding taxi-routes from/to runway 28/10 (now 27/09) my memory is that it was usual for aircraft off the south airfield to taxi the full length of short runway towards Bryant & Mays and cross outside of the West Apron to the Main Apron. In 1983 when all movements on the north airfield ceased, a formal 'one-way' system with the old runways now given names such as the 'Central Taxiway' operated until the terminal moved to the South Airfield in 1986.

[acklington]

Fantastic, once again!

[ian531]

Excellent, the French Connie is an absolute classic

Thanks for taking the time to post them all

Ian

[garstonboy]

For me especially, who was busy working (honestly!) while all this was going on, it's great to see all that action again, especially the Aer Lingus 707. When we first saw the handling request for this, we thought it was a bit of Irish humour, or maybe a mistake, (since Aer Lingus operated the 707 series of Viscounts), so I phoned someone I knew in Aer Lingus movement control (why didn't they call it operations like everyone else? ) and he confirmed that it was correct. Even my colleagues were excited. 
Thanks for taking the time and trouble to resurrect those photos Ron. You've made an old man very happy!

[ronturner]

Thank you Barry, and all who liked my photos and your kind comments.

Soon I will be opening up my 1967 boxes. Who knows what might be in there? We shall see.

I make no special claim to be an expert in photography. I was lucky enough to have used a decent camera. One of those Prakticas which were all the rage at the time. Dixons (?) sold them. And then, 60 years later with the benefit of technology from Epson, software to boot, and a HUGE HELPING HAND from Mike "Radiostationx", with his tutorial on how to use Photoshop and Paint, its working out to be a very enjoyable process.

[radiostationx]

Smashing sets of images Ron, Great Job !
Mike

[planemike]

Nov 16, 2024 9:32:26 GMT 1 radiostationx said:

Smashing sets of images Ron, Great Job !
Mike

From another Mike, thanks to you both..... !!! Wonderful to see these images from the heyday of my spotting era....!!