The DH.106 Comet (& Nimrod) at Liverpool

[viscount]

The DH.106 Comet Airliner
at Liverpool Airport,
1967 - 1980

Many enthusiasts hold quite a ‘soft spot’ affection for the de Havilland Comet. There can be many reasons why, she was the first British jet airliner, beating the Americans; long haul luxury for the elite, opening up the world to fast reliable air travel; the adversity of the disasters; the rebirth following redesign; the sleek rounded shape without visible engines and ‘blended’ cockpit profile; the opening up of jet travel to holiday destinations for the masses, and so the list goes on. Like the Trident that followed it, the life span of the Comet’s visits to Liverpool Airport was relatively brief, limited to just 14 years. Due to the short runway, until May 1966 the Comet could not operate from Liverpool, although with operation of long-haul and longer European routes being concentrated on Heathrow, it is unlikely that there would have been that many, if any, visits on diversion before the airliner was sold on by BOAC and BEA for charter operations.

I cannot list every visit to Liverpool by a Comet, indeed as they for a time appeared on scheduled services with Dan Air, this would lead to much repetition of detail. The records I am working from, originally painstaking compiled mainly by Phil Butler from ATC logs, enable me to be certain that I can cover at least the first visit of every year by each aircraft that visited that year. While the details recorded are sketchy as to regular scheduled operations, diversions and charters can be covered in some detail.

An Underlined registration in the list of those aircraft that appeared during each year denotes a first visit to Liverpool that year. As aircraft on overshoot/go-around are not easy to find in the records, usually they are ignored, although a few do get mentioned. As already stated I am certain, due to the way records were compiled that I do have every different aircraft that landed in each year, and the first arrival of that aircraft in every year, it is possible that not every subsequent occasion has been found. As usual I would be delighted if others wish to add their Comet memories (particularly if concerning Liverpool flights) and photographs of Comets at Liverpool.

[viscount]

1963

The 'At Home' air display held at Speke on 26th May 1963 featured flypasts by several larger RAF types, including 216 Sqdn Comet C.4 XR399 from Lyneham. This was the only airshow that a Comet participated in. The type did not participate in any of the Wavertree events, or River Mersey air shows or flypasts. All these events have their own threads on this section of NWAN. My thanks to Ron Turner for drawing the 1963 air show appearance to my attention, as air show flypasts do not appear in the official logs, mind you I should have remembered to include it!

1967

1967: G-APDO =1

The first Comet to visit Liverpool Speke was Dan Air’s Comet 4 G-APDO on 16th February, which operated from Gatwick to Newcastle as DA400, then later in the day f&t Newcastle as DA403 in lieu of a company Dakota on scheduled flights. The Comet was used to mark the occasion of the opening of a new terminal building at Newcastle. A little over two weeks later the same Comet 4 was back, this time again positioning from Gatwick, but to operate a charter outbound to Brussels on 3rd March, to reappear later in the day on the reverse routing, from Brussels to Gatwick. Comet C.4 XR398 made a pass down the ILS and overshoot (now known as a go-around) on 16th March. The appearance of Comets on training ILS and go-around was very rare.

1968

1968: G-APDJ, G-APDO, SX-DAN = 3

All the Comet visits during 1968 that I have traced were made during a series of strike action at Manchester. On 15th June Olympic Airways SX-DAN operated a BEA schedule, arriving from Malta, later positioning to Manchester, while on the same day Dan Air’s G-APDO was extremely busy, routing f&t Barcelona, then from Barcelona to Ibiza, and finally from Ibiza to Barcelona, only to continue on the following day, 16th, a return from Barcelona and out to Alicante, then back from Alicante and out to Barcelona, and finally back from Barcelona and out to Palma. On 29th June it was the turn of Dan Air’s G-APDJ to be affected by strike action at Manchester, arriving from Barcelona and outbound to Alicante.

1969

1969: G-APDK, G-APDL, G-APDO, G-APMF, G-APMG, XV144 = 6

Maybe not too many visits, but a mix of schedules, charters, diversions and autoland development brought in visits by Dan Air, BEA and RAE during the year.

First in was Dan Air’s G-APDL on 20th March as a substitute type on the Newcastle schedule, routing from & to Newcastle. The following day brought in the RAE/BLEU (Blind Landing Experimental Unit) Comet 2E XV144 with call-sign ‘Nugget 95’ for autoland trials using Liverpool’s Cat.III installation, operated from and to its home base at Bedford Thurleigh. Later in the year an Air Support Command Comet C.4 used the ILS for an approach and overshoot on 21st August, calling 'Ascot 752'. As the aircraft did not land it is not included as a visitor.

Weather diversions from Manchester brought in several visits by further Dan Air Comet 4 aircraft. G-APDK on 28th July from Tenerife, leaving the following morning for Alicante. On 13th October Manchester bound G-APDO diverted inbound from Malaga, later leaving for Palma. A week later, the same aircraft diverted in again due weather at Manchester, 20th October Malaga to Palma and much later in the day from Tenerife and out to Alicante.

BEA brought Comet 4B G-APMF in on 11th November, positioning up from Heathrow to take Liverpool FC out to Lisbon for a European away game. They returned on the same aircraft, following a reverse routing on 13th November. Right at the end of the year, BEA’s G-APMG operated flight BE880 from Dublin late on 26th December, due to weather at Manchester, it operated BE875 out to Dublin the following morning.

1970

1970: G-APDB, G-APDD, G-APDJ, G-APDM, G-APDN, G-APMC, G-APMD, G-ARCP, G-ARGM, G-ARJK, XV144 = 11 different aircraft

It was less than a fortnight later than BEA diverted into Liverpool again. This time with Comet 4B G-ARGM on 4th January on flight BE4116 from Heathrow. It operated back to Heathrow the following morning. A month later G-APMC arrived on BE4028 from Heathrow on weather diversion from Manchester, to where it later continued its journey once conditions had cleared.

On 19th March Comet 2E XV144 of the BLEU returned for more autoland development trial .landings. Again operating from and to its base at Thurleigh, but this time using an older style call-sign as ‘MPNTU’. Dan Air brought in their Comet 4 G-APDN on 14th June from Barcelona to operate a trooping flight outbound for Hannover, while on the evening of 20th August summer fog at Manchester caused Dan Air to divert G-APDB to Liverpool from Palma, leaving next morning with another load back to Palma.

By now BEA had formed a new division to operate aircraft on behalf of tour operators. BEA Airtours were chartered to operate a week-long holiday (Catholic pilgrimage?) to Italy in October. On 23rd October two aircraft G-ARCP and G-ARGM positioned in from Gatwick to operate out to Rome Ciampino. A week later G-APMD and G-ARJK on 30th October arrived from Rome Ciampino with the returning passengers and positioned back to Gatwick.

Schuduled services. From 3rd November Dan Air replaced their Ambassadors on the Liverpool to Amsterdam service with Comet 4 aircraft. The logs don’t reveal which aircraft flew on which days, however do reveal that G-APDM was first used on 9th November, G-APDJ on 18th November and G-APDD on 14th December . Additionally, G-APDB and G-APDN which had already visited Liverpool earlier in the year, likely also appeared on the Amsterdam schedule. Indeed it was G-APDB that positioned in on the 2nd November to operate the first Comet DA900 schedule on the morning of 3rd. My Airport Timetables show the schedule as follows: DA900 departing at 0850, to arrive Amsterdam at 0955 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays, returning to Liverpool as DA901 on the same weekdays, arriving at 1815 hours. The Airport timetables of the period pushed the ease of connection at Amsterdam to other European cities and the likes of Beruit, Moscow, Damascus – depending on the day of the week. Connections were shown, and not only with KLM either, but also Finnair, Lufthansa, Alitalia and Swissair too. What neither the timetables nor our logs show is what the Comets did from Thursday evening through to Tuesday morning each week.

1971

1971: G-APDB, G-APDC, G-APDD, G-APDG, G-APDJ, G-APDK, G-APDM, G-APDO, G-APDP, G-APME, G-APMF, G-APMG, G-APYC, G-APZM, G-ARCP, G-ARGM, G-ARJK, G-ARJL, G-AYWX, XV144 = 20 different aircraft, the annual record.

With Dan Air Comet 4 aircraft at Liverpool regularly on the Amsterdam service, plus diversions by BEA, Channel and Dan Air, together with charter flights by BEA Airtours and further RAE autoland trials, by far the best year yet for seeing Comets at Liverpool Airport, indeed an all-time annual record of 20 different aircraft was recorded.

On the Dan Air Amsterdam schedule, the first Comet 4 use of the year is not recorded until G-APDK on 11th January, then G-APDO on 31st January, G-APDG on 14th February, G-APDC on 29th March, G-APDM on 25th May, a first visit by Comet 4C G-AYWX on 16th June and finally G-APDP on 26th July. Also it is very possible that G-APDB, G-APDD and G-APDJ that called on charter flights in late March, appeared on schedules later in the year too. There is one near illegible entry in our logs for G-APDK on 18th January that would appear to indicate it arrived from Hannover, presumably due to weather diversion from Amsterdam earlier. The timetable for the Amsterdam route continued without change from winter into summer season. DA900 departed Liverpool on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 0850, returning on DA901 at 1815 on the same days of the week. The Comets were in shown in the October 1971 Airport timetable, in November’s timetable the service had changed to HS.748s on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays, no specific date for the change-over of schedules being shown. So the Comet on scheduled services from Liverpool by Dan Air lasted exactly twelve months, early November ’70 to end of October ’71.

Winter diversions brought in BEA Airtours Comet 4B G-APMG in on 12th January, operating for BEA on BE930 from Heathrow bound for Dublin, diverted to Liverpool due to poor weather. It later positioned to Gatwick. What is unclear is how the passengers completed their journey, there being no comment in either the logs or ‘Flypast’ at the time! Did they use Aer Lingus, did they get taken across to Manchester for an onward flight, or did they complete their journey on the Liverpool to Dublin ferry? On 19th February another BEA Airtours aircraft, G-ARJL, but operating for BEA diverted in, this time due to poor weather at Manchester. It operated BE4058/4061, from & to Heathrow.

Not a diversion, but for the third year in succession, the RAE/BLEU Comet 2E XV144 appeared for autolanding trial approaches on 4th February. It appeared twice during the day, from & to Thurleigh both times. The aircraft was moved to RAE Farnborough in May, this was the last time it visited Liverpool.

Best ever single day for seeing Comets at Liverpool was on 23rd March. Both Everton and Liverpool FC were away in Europe on the same day for important games, Everton playing in Athens, Liverpool at Munich. No less than 7 Comets, 2 BAC.1-11s and a Boeing 737 flew the supporters out. All the Comets, both of Dan Air and BEA Airtours positioned in from Gatwick, and afterwards on 25th returned there. On the fans airlift to Athens were Dan Air’s G-APDD, G-APDB, G-APDJ and G-APDK along with Airtours’ Comet 4B G-APMF a Dan Air BAC.1-11 and a Britannia Boeing 737. G-APDD was the first back just before midnight on 24th, then G-APMF, G-APDB (via a ‘tech’ stop at Gatwick) and G-APDK. What happened to the return of G-APDJ and it’s passengers is not explained in the logs! Meanwhile on 23rd March the other airlift to Munich involved Airtours’ Comet 4B G-ARJK and G-APME and a Dan Air BAC.1-11, all of which arrived back early on 25th. There was one further Comet charter during 1971, this time Airtours’ Comet 4B G-ARCP which positioned up from Gatwick to operate out to Geneva on 15th September, to return the following day, from Geneva and to Gatwick. Likely football related, but no reason is provided in my sources.

On 5th September fog at Manchester brought in both a Dan Air Comet 4 G-APDK from Venice Tessera and Airtours’ Comet 4B G-ARGM from Palma – both aircraft flying across to Manchester once the visibility improved. By now Channel Airways had acquired 5 Comets. One of these Comet 4B G-APZM on 15th September diverted in, due once again to fog at Manchester. Inbound from Ibiza, then positioned out, down to Stansted. G-APZM was acquired from Olympic Airways, and was formerly SX-DAN, which had called at Liverpool in June 1968. On 29th October, once again a pair of Comets diverted into Liverpool due to poor weather at Manchester. Channel Airways with another former Olympic Comet 4B, G-APYC arrived from Palma, leaving the following morning with passengers for Gerona, and Dan Air’s Comet 4 G-APDG from Palma as DA3571, positioning onto Manchester the following morning.

1972

1972: G-APDB, G-APDD, G-APDJ, G-APDK, G-APDM, G-APMC, G-APMF, G-APYD, G-ARCP, G-ARGM, G-AYVS, G-AYWX, XR395, XR397 = 14 different aircraft

Channel Airways failed in February 1972, their remaining 4 airworthy Comets eventually being purchased by Dan Air in April. There was though a variety of aircraft calling on diversion, charter or military trooping flights – indeed the only time 216 Sqdn RAF Air Support Command Comets came to Liverpool. The greater number of visits by the type were during July and August, with hardly any during the winter months!

The year commenced with a Dan Air Comet 4 G-APDJ inbound from Malmo and onwards to Gatwick on 31st January. All other Comet visits during the year appear to have been in the months of June, July and August. Highlight of the year, in Comet terms, was the use of R.A.F. on trooping flights, with Comet C.4 XR395 on 2nd July, from Lyneham to Gutersloh and later on from & to Gutersloh as RR4125, the troops returning on 15th July on Comet C.4 XR397 and a VC-10. BEA Airtours used two Comets on Lourdes pilgrimage flights, along with a Monarch Britannia on 18th August, the Comet 4Bs being G-APMC and G-ARGM, both positioning in from Gatwick and outbound for Tarbes. On 25th August two further Airtours Comet 4Bs, G-ARCP and G-APMF returned the pilgrims from Tarbes, both aircraft positioning to Gatwick. Former Channel aircraft, Comet 4B G-APYD, now with Dan Air operated on 27th August, in lieu of the regular Bavaria BAC-1.11 I/T flight from Munich. The Comet positioned from Gatwick, operated to Munich, returning later from Munich with delayed returning passengers and then positioned back to Gatwick.

All other Comet visits in 1972 were on diversion, mostly due to overnight summer fog. As a result three Dan Air aircraft diverted in late on 22nd July, departing in the early hours with an outbound load coached from Manchester. G-APDM in from LIPR out to Alicante and G-APDB in from Venice Tessera, out to Ostend and G-APDJ from Basle and out to Alicante also. Nearly a week later, in the early hours of 29th July two Dan Air Comet 4C aircraft, with G-AYVS on diversion from Gerona and onwards to Manchester when conditions improved and G-AYVX arriving from Bristol, due to fog at Belfast, the aircraft later leaving to continue to Belfast. Final diverted Comet of the year was on 14th August with G-APDK arriving from Alicante, on diversion from Manchester, later to complete its journey one the fog had cleared.

1973

1973: G-APDB, G-APDG, G-APDM, G-APMB, G-APMD, G-APME, G-APMF, G-APMG, G-APYC, G-APYD, G-APZM, G-ARJK, G-ARJN, G-AROV, G-AZIY = 15 different aircraft

The pattern of visits in 1973 was the opposite to that of 1972. Certainly one of the busier years for Comet operations, in the first quarter there were a considerable number of diversions, very little throughout the summer months, then a few autumn diversions, following in December, running into January 1974 the most intensive period of Comet operations at Liverpool with usually two flights per early morning, upto six nights per week for a period of over four weeks! Airtours sold its remaining Comet 4B aircraft to Dan Air in October 1973, leaving just Dan Air and the Royal Air Force operating the type. However, it was the last year that former BOAC Comet 4 series aircraft were used into Liverpool – G-APDG on 19th February being the last.

In the first week of January, with more during February, there were 11 diverted Comet flights, involving 8 different aircraft in the Dan Air fleet. On 1st January no less than 10 flights bound for London region airports diverted to Liverpool, including Comet 4B G-APYC inbound from Rome Ciampino on DA1021 bound for Gatwick, to where it later positioned out to. Manchester, and Liverpool too at times, suffered fog over three consecutive days. On 4th January G-APDM arrived on DA1111 from Palma, departing the next morning for Gerona. On 5th, two Comets arrived, G-APDG on DA1034 from Tunis, later continuing on to Manchester, and Comet 4B G-APMD as DA1215 operating from and later to Alicante. Next day, 6th January, 3 Comet flights diverted from Manchester. G-APDG appeared again, this time on DA1039 and operated from and to Alicante, G-APYD on DA1426/1302 from Tunis and to Palma, while G-APME arrived as DA1117 and operated from and to Palma. Four weeks later, on 2nd February G-APMB arrived late evening from Alicante, later to return there the next morning operating as DA1424/1040 – it was the only diversion handled that night at Liverpool. Late on 12th February it was the turn of G-APDB on DA1036 from Palma to divert in, it continued the following morning to Manchester. Two Comets diverted in on 19th February, G-APMD in the early hours of 19th February on DA1424 arrived from Alicante; while late evening G-APDG on DA1037 from Palma arrived, both aircraft continued the journey to Manchester on the following day once conditions improved.

A couple of charters during the early summer brought in Dan Air Comets. Logged as a scheduled flight in our records, G-AROV on 27th April operated from Birmingham and to Rotterdam. Could be a bulb-field I/T break, but I can’t locate other flights of a series in the records. Much clearer in the records are two Comets being involved in the airlift of the ‘Red Army’ to Germany for the 1973 UEFA Cup Final. G-APZM on 21st May positioned in from Copenhagen, leaving the next day for Dusseldorf, followed later by G-APMD positioning in from Gerona and out to Dusseldorf on 23rd. Both aircraft arrived back late on 24th May, G-APZM positioning back to Copenhagen and G-APMD to Jerez de la Frontera. The new football season found G-APZM again ferrying fans across Europe. On 19th September she positioned across from Manchester for a charter to Luxembourg, returning on 20th September from Luxembourg and onwards to Manchester.

Three further Manchester bound flights using Liverpool, probably due to night runway closure work rather than weather, were on 26th September when G-AZIY on DA2114 arrived from Gerona and later departed for Palma, with on 10th November G-ARJN on DA732 from Palma, later positioning across to Manchester. On 30th November G-ARJK was caught out running late on DA7134 from Palma, later departing for Alicante.

There then followed from mid-December through to mid-January the most intensive period of Comet activity at Liverpool with two early morning flights, six days a week, less the holiday periods. The Comets, operating from Gatwick carried morning daily newspapers which would normally have been carried by rail, but the British Rail system was closed down by industrial action. I’ll simply list the date and aircraft involved. I’ll only highlight the first visits of year to simplify the entries. Flights DA9701 and DA9703, from & to Gatwick, first operated in the early hours of Friday 14th December with G-ARJN & G-APMG, Sat 15th G-APMD & G-APME. Monday 17th G-ARJN & G-APZM, Tues 18th G-APZM & G-AROV, Wed 19th G-AROV & G-APYC, Thur 20th G-APZM & G-AROV, Fri 21st G-APYD & G-APMD, Sat 22nd G-APMD & G-APZM. No ops on Mon, Tues, Wed of Christmas week, then Thur 27th G-APMG & G-APZM, Fri 28th G-APME & G-APMF, Sat 29th G-APMF & G-ARJN. Finally on Monday 31st December G-APMB & G-APMF.

1974

1974: G-APMB, G-APMD, G-APME, G-APMG, G-APYC, G-APYD, G-APZM, G-ARJN, G-AROV, G-AYVS, G-AYWX, G-BBUV = 12 different aircraft

All 12 of the Dan Air aircraft to visit during 1974 did so on the Gatwick newspaper airlift , during the first 6 weeks of the year. I’ll highlight just the aircraft on first visit to Liverpool of the year. All flights arrived and departed in the early hours, so were seen by few enthusiasts. Wed 2nd January G-APYD & G-APMB, Thu 3rd G-APYD & G-APMB, Fri 4th G-APMB & G-ARJN. Mon 7th January G-AROV & G-APMB, Tue 8th G-ARJN & G-APMD, Wed 9th G-APMG & G-APYD, Thu 10th G-APMG only, Fri 11th G-APYC & G-APZM. Mon 14th January G-APZM & G-APMD, Tue 15th G-ARJN & G-AYVS, Wed 16th G-AYVS & G-ARJN. The six nights a week operation then ended, however continued on Monday early hours only, with Mon 21st January G-APYD & G-AYVS, Mon 28th January G-APMB & G-APYD, Mon 4th February G-APME & G-AROV, with finally 11th February G-BBUV & G-AYWX. G-BBUV was formerly Airtours’ G-ARCP, but re-registered on acquisition by Dan Air to prevent R/T confusion with BAC.1-11 G-AXCP.

There were further Dan Air visits on a LFC supporter’s charter. The reason why an airlift to Newcastle was necessary was not recorded at the time, only now to be lost in the mists of time, but possibly due to national shortage of domestic motor fuel supplies? On 18th March Dan Air Comet 4B G-ARJN arrived from Newcastle later returning there. It returned, again operating from & to Newcastle on 21st March. A Britannia Boeing 737, a Viscount, and air taxi twins were also involved in flying to & from Newcastle for the match. Despite several sessions of poor weather at Manchester during November and December, no Comet flights diverted into Liverpool during 1974.

1975

1975: G-APYC, G-ARJK, G-AROV = 3 different aircraft

A big drop in the number of Comet visits. First in was Comet 4C G-AROV which positioned across from Manchester prior to strike action commencing on 22nd February, in order to operate outbound DA1202 to Malaga after the strike disruption started. On 1st March Comet 4B G-APYC positioned up from Gatwick, during a period of strike action at Manchester to operate DA1634 outbound to Malaga. Towards the end of the year G-ARJK Comet 4B of Dan Air was used by Cambrian to operate winter I/T flight CS7004 in from Alicante, out to Ibiza as a BAC.1-11 substitute. These are the only visits in the year that I can trace by these aircraft.

1976

1976: G-APMG, G-APZM, G-ARJN, G-AROV, G-BDIF, G-BDIT, G-BDIW, G-BDIX = 8 different aircraft

By now Dan Air was the only commercial Comet operator in the world as it now had purchased all the RAF transport aircraft. However, inevitably, the Dan Air fleet of aging Comets was being run down as further Boeing 727s and Boeing 737s joined the fleet. The 5 former RAF Comet C.4s became G-BDIT, G-BDIU, G-BDIV, G-BDIW & G-BDIX, while another ‘new’ Comet 4C to the fleet was a former Sudan Airways machine, now G-BDIF.

Football charters brought in several Comets to help airlift fans to European away games. On Sunday 28th March, G-APZM arrived from Bristol to fly out with fans to Barcelona the following day as DA8398. It returned as DA8399 late evening on Wednesday 31st from Barcelona, then onwards the next day to Newcastle. On Tuesday 18th May G-BDIX arrived from Tenerife as DA991X in order to take LFC fans for a fixture at Brugges, out to Ostend as DA8520 the next morning. In the early hours of Thursday 20th May it returned as DA8521 from Ostend, then as DA991X onward to Glasgow.

Further weather diversions saw the use of Liverpool by G-AROV on Monday 3rd May on DA4457 inbound from Palma, diverted due early morning fog at Manchester. It later completed the flight there. On Sunday early morning, 27th June it was the turn of G-BDIF on DA4457 inbound from Palma to again suffer diversion due to early morning fog at Manchester, it too later continued to its intended destination. On Sunday 5th September early morning fog caused G-BDIF to appear at Liverpool again, this time on DA2517 inbound from Ibiza to suffer early morning fog diversion from Manchester, it later continued on to its intended destination. On Sunday 10th October two Dan Air Comets arrived due to early morning fog at Manchester. G-APMG arrived from Palma as DA2967, later departing for Alicante on DA2908, while G-ARJN on DA4559 arrived from Mahon, later continuing on to Manchester.

Dan Air was contracted for a weekly winter season Malaga I/T out of Liverpool on a Saturday afternoon from 23rd October on behalf of Cambrian Air Holidays. G-BDIT operated the first flight of the season on Saturday 23rd, with G-BDIW following on 30th October and 6th November – at which point the series was scrubbed by the tour operator.

1977

1977: G-APMB, G-BBUV, G-BDIT, G-BDIW = 4 different aircraft

In contrast, all the Comet visits in 1977 were inbound charters for one event, indeed a day normally associated with a massive influx of Caravelle aircraft. Wednesday 16th March was the day St.Etienne supporters arrived en masse to witness their team play LFC at Anfield. The Comets involved were: G-BBUV 0930-17/0245 from & to Dinard as DA9367/8; G-BDIW 0939-17/0324, from & to Montpellier as DA9381/2; G-APMB 1001-17/0420, from & to St.Etienne as DA9569/8; along with G-BDIT which positioned in from Luton during the match, 2131-17/0032 out to St.Etienne – although it is not clear from the logs on what type the passengers had arrived. G-APMB and G-BBUV were the last visits to Liverpool of the Comet 4B series. I cannot spot in the logs any of these four aircraft calling at Liverpool again later in the year, although they might have.

1978

There were no visits to Liverpool Airport by Comet aircraft during 1978, despite strike action closing Manchester at times.

1979

1979: G-BDIT, G-BDIV, G-BDIX = 3 different aircraft.

1979 was the year of massive diversions from Manchester Airport, due to two periods of industrial action closing the airport, and overnight runway closures due to runway rebuilding work right through the busy summer period. By now though, the Comet had been replaced on most routine holiday charter operations, being used mainly for ad hoc charter work and AOG substitute flights for other types in the Dan Air fleet. I had expected to find a few more than the 5 visits located in the logs, all on diversion from Manchester. On Friday 6th April, towards the end of nearly a week-long strike closure of Manchester, Comet 4C G-BDIV arrived from Tenerife on a delayed flight DA8089 at 1925 hours. By the time t left for Gatwick empty on Saturday at 1601, it was the last of the diverted aircraft to leave Liverpool. A much delayed Laker flight on Monday 9th April missed night closure deadline at Manchester, so diverted to Liverpool. GK312 from Malta turned out to be operated by Dan Air Comet G-BDIT, arriving at 0058 and positioning down to Gatwick as GK312F at 0158. This was shortly after Laker’s DC-10s had been grounded, so they were leasing in a number of aircraft to cover for his Boeing 707s moved from I/T to transatlantic flights. Two further night runway works closures brought in G-BDIV twice in June, possibly as an AoG (aircraft on ground) substitute for another type as the flights concerned were running very late.. On Friday 8th June from Faro at 2314 as DA2191, positioning to Gatwick at 1218 the following day as DA2191A, with on Monday 25th June DA4441 from Palma at 0050, leaving at 1756 as DA79IV for Lasham – not a regular destination for aircraft from Liverpool! Final traced appearance of 1979 brought in G-BDIX on Thursday 13th September positioning up from Gatwick at 0010 as GK233P, departing with passengers brought over from Manchester by coach as GK233 for Rimini at 0131, presumably clearing a passenger backlog due to delays during the two week-long strike closure of Manchester. This though was the only Comet to call at Liverpool during that time.

1980

1980: G-BDIU = just one aircraft and the last visit by type.

The second Concorde to be flown into Liverpool was an Air France aircraft. It was chartered by M.D. Travel Ltd to arrive from Paris CdG at 10:00 Sunday morning 31st March with 100 passengers, departing an hour later for Paris with a fresh load of passengers. To provide transport to and from Paris a Dan Air Comet was chartered. Tony Williams of the M.A.S. soon spotted that there was a capacity difference, the Comet seating 119 passengers. So on Saturday morning G-BDIU arrived from Gatwick as DA8516P, and was soon winging its way to Paris Orly (charter flights were not permitted into CdG, even to ‘connect’ with Concorde) as DA8516 with 100 weekend break Concorde passengers and 19 Liverpool aviation enthusiasts – including myself! After over-night stay in a Paris hotel; while the Concorde passengers departed for Liverpool, we stayed on in Paris for a second day of spotting, before flying home from Paris Orly early evening on DA8517 along with 100 passengers fresh from their Concorde supersonic experience. The Comet later positioning back to Gatwick empty. My only Comet flights, with a flight time of 1 hour 13 minutes out at 33,000ft; 1 hour 23 minutes back at 380kt IAS, 350kt ground speed at 28,000ft. A memorable aspect of the outbound leg being a departure off 26 – the shorter north airfield runway, not routinely used by jet aircraft. Return landing was on the longer, south airfield runway. It was not anticipated at the time that this would be the very last appearance of a Comet at Liverpool, otherwise I’m sure more would have been made of the contrast between the old, with the last of the first British jetliner and the new of the first British (and French) supersonic airliner. G-BDIU was retired from service 31st October 1980, with G-BDIW flying the final Comet passenger flight (an enthusiast’s farewell charter) on 10th November 1980.

[viscount]

The Comet & Nimrod aircraft
that visited Liverpool:

Comet 2E XV144 (=1)
Comet 4 G-APDB, G-APDC, G-APDD, G-APDG, G-APDJ, G-APDK, G-APDL, G-APDM, G-APDN, G-APDO, G-APDP (=11)
Comet 4B G-APMB, G-APMC, G-APMD, G-APME, G-APMF, G-APMG, G-APYC, G-APYD, G-APZM, G-ARCP, G-ARGM, G-ARJK, G-ARJL, G-ARJN, G-BBUV, SX-DAN (=16) Note: G-APZM and SX-DAN are the same aircraft; also G-ARCP and G-BBUV. (so = 14 airframes)
Comet 4C G-AROV, G-AYVS, G-AYWX, G-AZIY, G-BDIF, G-BDIT, G-BDIU, G-BDIV, G-BDIW, G-BDIX (=10) Note: XR395 and G-BDIT; XR397 and G-BDIV same aircraft (so = 8 airframes)
Comet C.4 XR395, XR397 (=2)
Nimrod MR.2 XV234, XV245, XV255 (=3) See next post for details

Which makes a grand total of 43 different registrations on 39 different Comet/Nimrod aircraft.

Not bad, that’s 35 Comet 4 aircraft visited Liverpool out of the 76 completed Comet 4 aircraft (plus the single Comet 2 that visited).

[viscount]

The HS.801 Nimrod MR.1/2
at Liverpool Airport

As a follow-on to the Comet story, to complete the account, coverage of the few Nimrod aircraft to overfly or land at Liverpool. The Nimrod has been seen using the ILS for an approach and go-around at Liverpool Airport occasionally for possibly the past 20 years or so, indeed right upto a few weeks before the maritime Nimrod was retired. There is a thread with more details of Mersey Flypasts elsewhere on the forum: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=history&action=display&thread=6556 , complete with some illustrations.

1968

The two prototype Nimrod MR.1s were constructed from the final two unsold Comet 4 airframes. They were test flown on development trials from Woodford for some years. On 11th September XV147 as call-sign 'Avro 6' made 12 ILS runs and overshoots at Liverpool, but did not land. The same aircraft was back on 5th November, again flown by 'Avro 6' for 8 x ILS runs using Liverpool's autoland equipment. Once again the Nimrod did not touch down, so does not count as a highlighted visitor.

1969

Development Nimrod XV147 was back at Liverpool on at least the 18th April 1969 for further runs down the ILS. Again it was flown by 'Avro 6' and overshoot on each occasion.

1970

A Nimrod calling 'Avro 1' is recorded as overshooting on 25th November.

1976

Nimrod MR.1 XV250 operating out of Woodford as 'Avro 1' performed a missed approach and overshoot on 14th May 1976.

1979

On 31st January a Nimrod performed an approach and go-around at 1830, operating from & to Woodford, with test-pilot call-sign 'Avro 1'.

1980

On 28th June 1980 R.A.F. Nimrod MR.1 XV251 "buzzed" the north airfield, rather than a formal approach and overshoot, after a display at Woodford Air Show. The reason, well apparently the pilots wanted a look at the C-5A Galaxy which was on the ground at Liverpool at the time!

1984

For the 40th Anniversary Service commemorating those who served during the Battle of the Atlantic, in 1984 a formation of maritime aircraft swept over the river and the Cathedral on Sunday 6th May 1984, including two Nimrod MR.2s, XV239/39 in new hemp scheme and XV248/48 in the original white and grey scheme.

1991

On Thursday 18th October Nimrod MR.2P XV234/34 performed a “roller” on 27 at 1014 following a practice approach while en route from Finningley to St.Mawgan, with call-sign ‘008HS’. A change from the usual go-arounds, but an event not to be repeated.

1993

For the 50th Anniversary Commemoration of the Battle of the Atlantic, nine years later another, much later flypast over the River Mersey. This time a formation of three Nimrod MR.2Ps from RAF Kinloss were included, with XV230/30, XV240/40 and XZ284/84 on Saturday 29th May 1993.

2003

The 60th Anniversary Commemoration of the Battle of the Atlantic over the May Bank holiday weekend took on a different format, with three days of maritime themed air displays/demonstrations centred on the Pier Head and HMS Invincible moored in the river. The Nimrod MR.2 was based at Liverpool Airport for the weekend. XV255/55 arrived from Kinloss on Friday 2nd May as ‘KIN570’ at 1346. Poor weather cancelled a practise display that afternoon, however it did display on the Saturday and Sunday afternoons with call-sign “Ghostrider”. It made impressive returns following the display routines, including a low approach and go-around. It departed back to Kinloss on Sunday 4th as ‘KIN570’ at 1827.

No sooner had the first Nimrod visited, than another called. The second Nimrod was XV245/45 on Wednesday 7th May, calling twice. First as ‘KIN416’ 0650-0929 and later as ‘KIN547’ 1746-1840, both times from & to Kinloss. The visits were to pick-up and later return cycling star Chris Boardman to open a sports centre at Kinloss. The north bound leg flown at lower level, the evening return on airways.

Nimrods on Go-Around

Easy to access records annual records of aircraft using Liverpool for low approach and go-around have only been kept since 1986. These are RAF service Nimrods that have used Liverpool, without landing over the past 25 years or so.

1981 ?            1991 XV227, XV229, XV258      2001 none
1982 ?            1992 none                     2002 none
1983 ?            1993 none                     2003 XV277
1984 ?            1994 XV227, XV228             2004 XV244
1985 ?            1995 none                     2005 none
1986 none         1996 XV236                    2006 ZJ516 (MRA.4)
1987 XV248        1997 XV230, XV240             2007 none
1988 XV243        1998 XV251, XV258             2008 none
1989 XZ284        1999 XV226, XV232, XV260      2009 XV240
1990 XV260        2000 XV260                    2010 XV231, XV250

The final times Nimrods were to be seen in Liverpool’s airspace were XV231/31 on Monday 15th March 2010 with a go-around at 1552 as ‘Nimrod 1TW’ and XV250/50 on Friday 26th March with a go-around on 09 at 1013, calling ‘NWD80’, as part of a farewell tour. Soon after XV231 was delivered to Manchester for public display and XV250 to Elvington for museum preservation.

[viscount]

This rather wet scene, picturing Comet 4 G-APDO, is thought to have been the first visit of type during one of it's two visits made on 16th February 1967.



Another shot, clearly in rather different weather of Dan Air's Comet 4, G-APDO and at the other end of the terminal!



On 25th August 1972 two BEA Airtours Comet 4B brought back Lourdes pilgrims to Liverpool. Here is G-ARCP, unmistakeably at Speke. Note the lad sat on the fence - how differently airport H&S and security is viewed today!



Comet 4B G-APMD seen on 23rd May 1973 when taking LFC supporters out to the EUFA Cup. A big recognition point of the Comet 4B was the lack of wing 'slipper' tanks as fitted to the Comet 4 and Comet 4C.



Although the Comet 4C G-BDIW is rather distant, this wide shot across the West Apron is unmistakeably the day of the St.Etienne fans invasion, March 1977.



A little closer and in colour is a further shot of G-BDIW in March 1977. This is one of the former RAF Air Support Command Comet C.4s that Dan Air acquired, they were effectively Comet 4Cs with the wing 'slipper tank'.



Comet 4 G-APDD again. This shot has to be in early summer 1967 with a Treffield Viscount sat out on one of the finger aprons. Treffield ceased trading towards the end of June 1967.



Comet 4B G-APME on a diversion day judging by the number of aircraft on the apron

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To finish, a rather weak shot of Dan Air's G-APDK parked on the Western apron on the day-off between Amsterdam flights.

[johnoakes]

Thanks very much for that--the Comets coincided with my going to college ,going to work and marrying.
None of these things being condusive to getting to the airport for the odd hour--or afternoon.
So sadly, I never saw a Comet at Speke.
Can't have everything I suppose--though I did see them occasionally at other places in passing.
Saw all the Vanguards at Perpignon waiting to be scrapped but it does not compensate.
Would love to see some photos of the Comets at Speke if anyone has some.
Thanks again.

[johnoakes]

;D ;D ;D
brill photos -- really wish I had been there to see them.
Lucky guys.

[danairamb]

Thanks so much for this Brian. I was so fortunate to have flown in three different Dan Air comets and to have seen many from original BOAC 4s at LHR in 1963 to a former Mexican 4C stored at Salt Lake City in the late 70s. This version is now in a museum in Seattle.

[ronturner]

The attached photo of XR399 was taken at Speke in June 1963. It was probably on a fly past at the air show and maybe does not count as a visitor.
RT

XR399 Comet 4C by Ron Turner, on Flickr


From 'Viscount', my many thanks Ron, for replacing the original photobucket watermark obscured image with a fresh one via Flickr as a host site.




Hoping that Ron won't object, but this George Jones RAF Comet C.4 at Liverpool fits much better here than with the civil aircraft post earlier. Something a little strange has happened to the colour pigments, but the shot itself is too good not to include. I assume this visit was made as the RAF were changing the cabin titles from RAF Transport Command to RAF Air Support Command. Very likely the visit was on 2nd July 1972.

Out of curiosity repeated this image converted to black & white on a post on page 2.

[ronturner]

I did manage to fly on a Comet. The one which escaped me was the VC-10.
At the time Dan-Air were operating the Comet on the route from Liverpool to Amsterdam I made a survey of many of the travel agents in Liverpool. I reckon I visited about 2/3rds of them. I enquired about making a flight from Liverppol to Amsterdam. I wanted to see how the service was being received. In every case, except one, I was offered seats from Manchester. Many of the travel agants knew of the Dan -Air service but would not offer it. Quite a few had no idea the serviceexisted. I was not surprised when the service ended.
RT

[viscount]

"Danairamb" also sent to me a PM relating the background to one of the Comet visits related in the text. I have his permission to move the information in the PM to this post for everyone to read. I enjoy stories of personal involvement - it brings my dry factual dates, places and registration histories into the real world.

Just read the Comet entry - excellent and as usual so comprehensive. As a personal aside (wont post because I dont want to bore the forum members) the entry regarding Comet 4B G-APYD on August 27th 1972 was of particular note to me. I was on that flight and that day will always be one of the most memorable of my life.

We had travelled overnight from our Tyrol resort (after a 2 week package) to Munich Riem, in time for what I believe was a scheduled 6am departure on Bavaria to LPL. Just as we were at the gate and boarding our bus to take us out the aircraft a vehicle with flashing lights pulled up and told us to get out of the bus. Our Bavaria BAC 1-11 500 had gone mechanical following a sector from Istanbul (which seemed so far away and exotic in those days).

Bavaria were so amazing. It took a while to sort out what to do, this was in the middle of the Munich Olympics and there were no extra aircraft to be had in Munich. Somehow I predicted that it would be Dan Air that would come to our rescue, and I was right. 'YD finally landed at Riem around 6pm with the outbound LPL passengers who had been stranded all day at Speke. For our part, Bavaria wined and dined us, taking us to a very famous restaurant for lunch then giving us a bus tour of Munich including admission to the Olympic grounds and we even got to see some equestrian events.

We had been up all night, but that didnt matter and we finally landed at home around 9pm that evening following a wonderful Dan Air flight on the Comet 4B that still bore evidence of its previous owners. It was an amazing experience, we had never thought we would get to see the Olympics, although of course our whole experience was tainted by the terrorist attacks that occurred just a few days later. Imagine an airline treating stranded pax like that nowadays.

Thanks for this entry I really am relishing going through all the information.

Did you find any articles re. the Dolphins yet? I suspect it may have been in a national daily.

In answer to the final question, which cropped up following the Ambassador type review, the answer is no. I've twice gone through the Daily Post and the Echo microfilms kept in the Liverpool Reference Library (currently in temporary residence in the Museum) covering the likely time periods, but have come up with nothing so far. I'll dig away again when the opportunity arises.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

My thanks to Ron Turner in reply post #8 for drawing my attention to an event I had overlooked in 1963. Being a flypast, not a landing it was not in the records I was using. Not only drawing our attention, but providing a picture too! I've now incorporated the May 1963 air display appearance into the text of the main post. I've also added an overshoot by XR399 in 1969 and in the Nimrod section ILS use by prototype XV147 in 1968 and 1969.

Any further Comet photos at Liverpool out there?

[viscount]

The Nimrod was added to the Comet thread as an afterthought, as a result was never illustrated. Here two Tom McDonald digitised prints of XV245/45 on Wednesday 7th May 2003 departing after returning cycling star Chris Boardman to Merseyside from Kinloss.





....and one of my own, from a rather wet Friday 2nd May 2003, with XV255/55 Nimrod MR.2 sat at Liverpool between 'role demonstration' displays over the Pier Head as part of the Battle of the Atlantic 60th anniversary. The windows may have been treble glazed and tinted so making photography a little hit-or miss, but the upstairs cafe was an excellent place to watch aircraft from between 1986 and whenever it was that landside access was restricted to the ground floor check-in area (shortly after the 2002 extensions).

[bisonrav]

A bit of thread archeology led me here - I'm working out my travel history currently, and my first flight pair was on Dan Air Comets. I'm trying to find out which ones.

However these weren't from the North West (I was living with my parents near Manchester, and subsequent flights were from Ringway, these are brilliantly documented thanks to TAS). We went to Gatwick to catch the flights, but sadly Gatwick records are poor and don't exist for the dates in question. Movements records do exist in the Surrey Archive, but very patchy for 1971.

So I'm working on a process of elimination, based on finding Comets on or around the dates in question in the records that do exist. This has largely been done with the Manchester movement records, and I've whittled the possibilities down considerably. Anyway very excited to find there were records for Liverpool which do at some point contain some of the aircraft in question (these are the G-APDx series Dan Air operated). Who can I contact to find out more?

I'm looking for movement records around the 10th and 24th May, 1971 one day either side. Or in fact for general spottings of the Comets. Any help or pointers gratefully received.

I don't suppose I'll ever be certain, but it's a fascinating pursuit. It's really very nice to have flown on these things, until starting the research I had no idea I had.

[viscount]

Interesting search-back you are conducting. Unfortunately our records contain little detail other than that posted, so of very little help to you.

At that time, for aircraft used on scheduled services we only recorded the first visit for each registration each year, plus use on 'one-off' charters, diversions etc. As recorded in the 1971 entry above, G-APDM did arrive at Liverpool am of Tuesday 25th May for the Amsterdam schedule, the day following one of your dates of most interest.

In May 1971 the Dan Air Comets were used from Liverpool only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, departing for Amsterdam from Liverpool at 0850 as DA900 (landing AMS 0955L) and the return landing back at Liverpool on DA901 scheduled at 1815. In winter the aircraft would often long weekend stop, in summer would position in before Tuesday morning and position out sometime after the evening arrival on Thursday, either to or from Lasham or elsewhere to operate week-end I/T flights.

If you had been looking for a non-scheduled flight, then we since 1956 right through to date we have kept a record of every visiting aircraft movement at Liverpool. For many years 1979-2006 a daily record of scheduled aircraft used too - but not back in 1971. The complete visiting aircraft record for 1971 (including the 25th May mention of G-APDM) is on: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/34716/visiting-aircraft-logs-review-1971 but really does help you. Sorry.

[kuga59]

Made my one and only flight on a Comet in 1974 by accident.
The plan was to fly from Manchester to Alicante on a Dan Air Boeing 707 returning 2 weeks later on the same aircraft. However upon reaching the checki-in desk at Ringway the checking agent told us that the aircraft had been involved in an accident somewhere in Europe and the flight had to split in two, as the substitute aircraft were a lot smaller. The accident was that a fuel tanker had clipped the wing of the 707.
Eventually we were told to go to the gate we’re a Dan Air Comet stood waiting for us. Upon boarding the first thing that hit me was how small the entrance was.
It was a very comfortable flight.I was very impressed.
Any way 2 weeks later, well suntanned I made my one and only trip on a Dan Air 707.
Like Ron Turner never flew in a VC10, never had the money to fly with a posh airline.