Black and White photos

[jake3]

Great shots and as with everyone else great memories, Dan Air Comets did arrive in the evening as I well remember one dropping its fuel on the apron causing a full emergency.
Does anyone remember the guy in the uniform who used to collect the fee for the balcony before letting you through the turnstyle. Sure it was a shilling to get on the balcony.

[viscount]

Just returned from a few days away from the PC.

As stated by Dave Graham, but ignored by subsequent postees, the photo posted by Cliff is, in my mind, quite certainly on the day of the first visit by a Comet to Liverpool Airport.

G-APDO a Comet 4 of Dan Air operated as a substitute aircraft (in place of the normal Dakota) on 17th February 1967. It positioned in from Gatwick and operated the DA400 to Newcastle, returning from Newcastle later as DA403, before leaving for Newcastle again. The visiting aircraft log book reveals that other visitors to be seen during that day were 71742 a H-34 Choctaw (Wessex) U.S.Army f&t Burtonwood, a pair of Chipmunks f&t Woodvale (call-signs 'Red Leader' and 'Red 2'), G-ANAN Dove of Morton Air Services f&t Southend, the Comet, EI-AOL Viscount of Aer Lingus making its first visit of the year on a scheduled service, G-ASYA Commander f&t Heathrow and G-ARTI Heron f&t Filton.

The aspect of this photo that puzzles me most is not the aircraft, or occasion, but why in the mid 60s the balcony was open in the evening after dark. I can only assume that it was left open on request in anticipation of use as the first Comet to visit Liverpool was known about in advance, having routed though in the morning.

Some really evocative photos. Thank you for posting and sharing. The damage to a few doesn't matter. Incidently the Carvair is landing on '26' ie over Speke Hall Avenue. Today the photogapher would be standing between Dobbies and the Hotel. Note the 5 ft high street lamps along the road - not every approach to 26 crossed the road as high as the Carvair is!

As for the Douglas, first glance I thought Aer Turas DC-4, but on closer inspection agree a DC-6 of Bratheens SAFE. The Europe Aero Services Vanguard and SATA Caravelle, I'm assuming without checking are two of the LFC v St.Etienne inbound charter day.

[ronturner]

I for one, was on the balcony many a time at night. Often it was not manned at all, day or night in the winter, and if it was barred in some way, there was always a way to get onto it.
Looking at these photos, is it any wonder we all picked up the flying bug from loafing around on that balcony?

[Biggles]

Not the only thing one picked up during winter on the balcony Ron for me it meant a long bus trip to and from the Ferry and a longer bus trip home on the Wirral.

[springy]

Thanks cliffW for posting those lovely photos. I too recall many an evening on the balcony; the airport iights added a touch of magic to the scene. I was there when the very last Dan-Air Comet service departed. I used to take my portable tape recorder and I still have a recording of the Comet starting up and taking off from the "new" runway with that familiar booming like distant thunder, as it rose into view from behind the trees.
Another more unusual sound was the Dan-Air Nord 262 which made a peculiar racket echoing around the airport as it taxied in.

Ken

[Deleted]

Thanks everyone for replying to my request, obviously brought back many memories for all of us. What a fantastic sight and sound they where. What also sticks in my memory is the BOAC VC10s we used to get on diverts from MAN, these too seemed to go over my head when I was on my way to school. On the rare occasion they would see me running out of our house to watch them - that's probably a lasting memory for Dave too.

Like many others I also spent a lot of time on the balcony after dark and remember the guy sitting in his box at the foot of the steps. Used to dred it when he was there as it would mean less money to spend in the shop. I think he was only there on weekends and school holidays. Can't remember the price but he would let us come and go as we pleased on production of our ticket. This was a great advantage as some spotters wouldn't pay and spent their time in the cafe down stairs. Being there all day year in year out meant we made many friends and being able to use the ticket time and again enabled us to keep in touch and therefore get the regs for the many flyovers we saw.

[Deleted]

Jan 17, 2012 21:32:39 GMT 1 @tristar said:

On the rare occasion they would see me running out of our house to watch them - that's probably a lasting memory for Dave too.

Absolutely! If they didn't turn our way, there was a gap between houses in Desford Road at the bottom of our road (Ste - between the Framptons and the Leggetts!) where you could just glimpse the climb-out and see the smoke from the jets as they turned south. Always great sounds from round there - and great memories too

Cheers,
Dave

[Deleted]

Springy, I found a couple of videos on youtube of the 262. Not sure what your recording is like of G-AYFR but I seem to recall the engines where slightly more high pitched than this. Still very noisy though.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAtO35IjmH8&feature=related

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpUhyHPtrsU

[Deleted]

Sorry Dave, didn't see your post until a little later. As spotters, I don't think we realised in those days how Lucky we were to be living were we did. Even if we couldn't see them, just to be sitting out in the garden on a hot summers evening listening to all the different types (especially the Viscounts) taxing in was a joy in itself.

[springy]

Hi Ste-t,
Thanks for that. At Speke the Nord 262 had a distintive sound as it made the long journey from the runway. The pilot appeared to be revving the engines repeatedly so the sound varied from a coarse high-pitched whistle to the reverberating prop sound which echoed all over the place. Usually only one engine was used for taxying in, and kept running all the time it was on the apron, but when they were both running they produced great harmonics as they ran in and out of sync with each other.
This doesn't really come through on the Youtube sequences.
I've also got some of those balcony tannoy announcements such as "Aer Lingus announce the arrival of their Boeing 720 from Dublin....." wow!

Ken

[Deleted]

I for one, was on the balcony many a time at night. Often it was not manned at all, day or night in the winter, and if it was barred in some way, there was always a way to get onto it.
Looking at these photos, is it any wonder we all picked up the flying bug from loafing around on that balcony?

I totally agree, Ron. It was certainly instrumental in converting my chosen profession from the Merchant Navy to aviation! The bloke who usually looked after the entrance to the balcony was called Joe - I can't remember his surname. He worked part-time on the balcony, and eventually went to work in the Customs shed at the airport, and was fond of smoking his pipe, in the days when that was allowed at work!
Strangely enough, having managed to avoid him for many years in order to get on the balcony for free, as others have mentioned ;D, I got to know him quite well. He was a troubled soul, particularly because, as those of more mature years will remember, he was 'vertically challenged' as the PC brigade would describe it today.

[GHB]

Thank you all for your kind comments, glad you enjoyed them.