The Vanguard/Merchantman at Liverpool (images replaced)

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The Vickers Vanguard and Merchantman
at Liverpool Airport
1964 – 1996

The first Vanguards to call at Liverpool Airport did so in 1964, before the new, longer, runway was opened in May 1966. 1964 was the same year as the Bristol Britannia first operated to Liverpool. Unlike the Britannia, the Vanguard was never used from Liverpool on scheduled passenger services, just appearing on diversion and charters with either passengers or freight. In later life, the Vanguard made a very good freighter as the Merchantman, indeed freight operations lasted for far longer through Liverpool than passenger flights did. This study of the Vanguard at Liverpool comes as a ‘spin-off’ from research on the Comet visits, as the two types shared a very similar time scale, although in Merchantman freighter guise the Vanguard story extends for many more years.

The Vanguard was built in limited numbers, with just two customers, B.E.A. and Trans Canada. A number of the Air Canada aircraft later finding their way back to Europe. The first 6 aircraft for B.E.A. had a lower take-off weight, so seated a few less passengers (mark V.951), the remaining 14 (mark V.953) had the same engines. Between 1970 and 1972 nine of the BA V.953 Vanguards were converted into Merchantman with a cargo floor, windows removed and a large freight door added. It was in this guise that the type continued to use Liverpool for some 19 years after the last passenger carrying Vanguards visited. In all the type spanned 33 years, but for only the first 14 years were passengers flown into Liverpool. Airlines using the type into Liverpool were: BEA/BA, Invicta, Silver City, Europe Aero Service and ABC/Air Bridge Cargo/Hunting Cargo.

In all just 44 Vanguards were built including a single prototype, of these 29 visited Liverpool. BEA acquired 20, the only one not to visit was G-APEE which crashed on 28R at Heathrow landing in poor visibility 27.10.65. Later they also catastrophically lost G-APEC over Belgium on 2.10.71 due to failure of the rear pressure bulkhead. A further three aircraft were also lost in accidents with Invicta and Inter Cargo Service of France. The Vanguard was quite a mighty beast. It could seat 127 passengers when in a two-class layout 18+109 with BEA, 139 in single class layout. The Vickers Vanguard was designed specifically for B.E.A. for use on their shorter European routes. It also brought hitherto unknown comfort and reliability to internal routes from London Air Port (Heathrow) to Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Manchester. However in the days before ILS Autoland technology, low visibility caused by fog was a major issue. It was fog, along with snow and industrial disputes that brought in most BEA Vanguard visits during the 60’s, a mix of freight and passenger charters in the 70’s, then freight flights in the 80’s through to the mid 90’s. There are few around at the time who will forget the impression of immense power given by the mighty, rumbling, whooshing roar of a Vanguard's Tynes at idle, quite different from the contemporary high pitch whine of Darts or the swish of the Proteus. Anyway, enough of this, on with the Liverpool Airport nostalgia and the detail.

For more on the Vanguard then there is en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vickers_Vanguard for a general history and www.vickers-vanguard-merchantman.com regarding the preservation of G-APEP.

First though the usual disclaimer, while the records I am using, compiled over many years from ATC logs mainly by Phil Butler, Tony Williams and myself in the Vanguard era, permit me to be certain that for any calendar year I have every individual aircraft that visited that year on its first visit of the year. I am less certain that I have every subsequent visit by each aircraft during the year located in the hand written records. I welcome memories and illustrations of Vanguards/Merchantmen at Liverpool to extend this thread.

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The Vickers Vanguard and Merchantman
at Liverpool Airport
1964 – 1996

Registrations of Aircraft using Liverpool by Year

1964 G-APED, G-APEJ, G-APEK, G-APEN = 4 different aircraft
1965 G-APEC, G-APEH, G-APEO, G-APES, G-APEU = 5 different aircraft
1966 G-APEN, G-APES = 2 different aircraft
1967 G-APEA, G-APEG, G-APEH, G-APEI, G-APEK, G-APEL, G-APEN, G-APEO, G-APEP, G-APER, G-APES, G-APET = 12 different aircraft
1968 G-APEB, G-APEG, G-APEH, G-APEI, G-APEJ, G-APEK, G-APEM, G-APEN, G-APEO, G-APEP, G-APES, G-APET, G-APEU = 13 different aircraft, the annual record so far
1969 G-APEA, G-APEC, G-APED, G-APEF, G-APEG, G-APEH, G-APEI, G-APEJ, G-APEN, G-APES, G-APET, G-APEU = 12 different aircraft
1970 G-APEB = 1 aircraft visited
1971 G-APEG, G-APEJ, G-APEK, G-APEL, G-APEM, G-APEO, G-APEP, G-APER, G-APEU = 9 different aircraft
1972 G-APEG, G-APEH, G-APEK, G-APEM, G-APEP, G-AXNT, G-AXOO, G-AXOP, G-AXOY, G-AZRE = 10 different aircraft
1973 G-APEB, G-APEH, G-APEI, G-APEK, G-APEM, G-APEN, G-APEO, G-APEP, G-APER, G-APES, G-APEU, G-AXNT, G-AXOO, G-AXOY, G-AYFN, G-AYLD = 16 different aircraft, the highest annual total
1974 G-APEJ, G-APEK, G-APEM, G-APEP, G-AXOY = 5 different aircraft
1975 G-APEG, G-AXOY, G-BAFK = 3 different aircraft
1976 no visits by type
1977 F-BTOV, F-BVUY, G-APES = 3 different aircraft
1978 G-APEG, G-APES = 2 aircraft, last visit by any operator other than Air Bridge Cargo/Hunting Cargo aircraft
1979-1996 drawn from G-APEG, G-APEJ, G-APEK, G-APEM, G-APEP, G-APES & G-APET = the 7 aircraft operated by Air Bridge and later Hunting Cargo
underline denoted first visit by that aircraft to Liverpool.

Aircraft seen at Liverpool, by registration:

G-APEA/B/C/D/./F/G/H/I/J/K/L/M/N/O/P/R/S/T/U = 19
G-AXNT, G-AXOO, G-AXOP, G-AXOY, G-AYFN, G-AYLD, G-AZRE, G-BAFK, F-BTOV, F-BVUY = 10

1964

1964 G-APED, G-APEJ, G-APEK, G-APEN = 4 different aircraft

The first visits by type were on 4th September, both weather diverts from Manchester. G-APEK operated BE4012/4017 from & to Heathrow, followed by G-APEJ on BE4016, also operating from & to Heathrow. On 10th November G-APEN on BE6025 en route from Belfast to Heathrow diverted to Liverpool due to poor weather at its destination. Next day it positioned across to Manchester. Finally on 21st December G-APED arrived from Heathrow on weather diversion from Manchester, later to continue to its intended destination. All Vanguard movements at Liverpool until May 1966, used just the original runway 26/08 on the north airfield. The Vanguard must have been an impressive sight sweeping in over Speke Hall Avenue.

1965

1965 G-APEC, G-APEH, G-APEO, G-APES, G-APEU = 5 different aircraft

All six visits during 1965 were due to diversion from Manchester because of poor weather. On 2nd January G-APEC as BE4060/4061 operated from & to Heathrow. On 19th January both G-APES on BE 4020/- from & to Heathrow and G-APEO on BE4012/4017, from & to Heathrow, with on 18th February G-APEH on BE4042/4051 from & to Heathrow.

Early the following winter brought, on 15th November G-APEU from & to Heathrow and finally, the first aircraft to re-visit G-APES on 28th December, again from & to Heathrow.

1966

1966 G-APEN, G-APES = 2 different aircraft

In May 1966 the new long runway on the south airfield at Liverpool Airport was opened. Subsequently larger aircraft such as the Vanguard usually used 28/10 (now 27/09), rather than the shorter north airfield runways. However the terminal facilities on the north airfield at Liverpool continued to be used until early 1986.
No further diversions involving Vanguards during winter 65/66, however summer fog at Manchester on 20th August caused G-APES to use Liverpool, along with an Adria DC-6. The BEA Vanguard arrived from Palma and continued on to Glasgow Abbotsinch. The following winter, 66/67 was a bad one for snow and fog. First Vanguard of the winter diversions was G-APEN on 2nd December, operating from & to Heathrow.

1967

1967 G-APEA, G-APEG, G-APEH, G-APEI, G-APEK, G-APEL, G-APEN, G-APEO, G-APEP, G-APER, G-APES, G-APET = 12 different aircraft, a new annual record

1967 was the busiest year yet for Vanguard visits, with 24 in all – mostly on weather diversion from Manchester.

Winter snow and fog in January and February Vanguard diversions started on 10th January with G-APEK on BE4064/4037, from & to Heathrow – the same day Liverpool handled it’s first Super VC-10 on Manchester diversion. On 11th January diversions continued with Vanguards G-APEO BE4116/4123 from & to Heathrow and G-APEH on BE4549 from Glasgow, continuing on to Heathrow the following morning. The same day brought in Caravelles of Air France and Sabena. On 8th February a period of diversions kicked-off with two Vanguards arriving G-APEI on BE4064/4073 from & to Heathrow, with G-APES on BE4082/4093 from & to Heathrow, only to return later in the day, this time as BE4549/4065 logged as from & to Heathrow, departing the following morning. The following day G-APEN on BE4064/4073 from & to Heathrow. On 15ht February G-APEG BE4100/4109 again from & to Heathrow.

Summer fogs brought in G-APEH on BE4106/4546 from Heathrow and outbound to Glasgow on 5th April. On 31st May G-APEA arrived from Barcelona and continued on to Glasgow Abbotsinch as BE839/4524. On 24th August early morning fog brought in G-APER on BE831 from Glasgow and onward to Glasgow Abbotsinch.

The first non-diversion Vanguard operations were training missions. On 6th October G-APEP operating from & to Manchester performed 13 ILS approaches while training at Liverpool, while on 16th November G-APEI, also from & to Manchester for a training detail.

Vanguard winter 67/68 diversions due weather at Manchester commenced on 19th November with G-APEG on BE4074/4084 from & to Heathrow, the start of a bad week for fog at Manchester. On 22nd G-APET on BE4116/4123 from & to Heathrow. The following day, no less than 3 different Vanguards, with G-APET as BE -/4065 from Belfast to Heathrow; G-APEO BE4082A/4109 from & to Heathrow; and G-APEH as BE4108/4065 from & to Heathrow, departing the next morning. A few days respite, then G-APEH again on 26th November, BE4074/4081 from & to Heathrow, with on 30th G-APEG initially on BE4108/7524 from Heathrow to Belfast, and later on BE7529/- from Belfast and positioned across to Manchester the next morning. Meanwhile G-APES, rapidly becoming the commonest Vanguard at Liverpool, operated BE4116/4123 from & to Heathrow. On 1st December G-APEN on BE4108/- from & to Heathrow; while final Vanguard movement of the year was yet another Manchester diversion, G-APEG as BE -/4073 from & to Heathrow on 13th December.

1968

1968 G-APEB, G-APEG, G-APEH, G-APEI, G-APEJ, G-APEK, G-APEM, G-APEN, G-APEO, G-APEP, G-APES, G-APET, G-APEU = 13 different aircraft, the annual record, set for several years

Oddly 1968 would see exactly the same number of Vanguard movements, at 24, as the preceding year. However although some were due to weather at Manchester, the majority were due to strike action by staff at Manchester.

The usual crop of January and February weather diversions saw the arrival of G-APEK on 2nd January on BE4064/4065 from & to Heathrow, with two on 20th February, G-APEK on BE4108/7524 from Heathrow and out to Belfast and G-APET as BE4116/4123, from & to Heathrow. Just one aircraft diverted in on 12th March, and that was a Vanguard, G-APEP from & to Heathrow. Summer fog affected G-APES on 17th May, arriving from Palma and onwards to Glasgow.

For a period of a little over two weeks in June, some Manchester operators were hit by shift-long strike action by ground staff. As a result some days Manchester was open, other days flights had to divert. Vanguard flights affected, that operated into Liverpool totalled 15. On 16th June three Vanguards used Liverpool, G-APEP from Jersey to Manchester; G-APEI from Glasgow and onwards to Palma early the next morning; and G-APEJ on BE4062 from & to Heathrow. On 19th G-APES from Jersey and out to Heathrow, with on 24th G-APEG on BE830 from Glasgow and onwards to Palma and G-APEM from Heathrow then across to Manchester, while on 25th G-APET as BE4549 from Glasgow, returning there the next morning. Three Vanguards called on 26th June, G-APEUfrom & to Heathrow; G-APEO from Heathrow and out to Jersey; and G-APEB from Glasgow and out to Heathrow. Just two Vanguards on 29th with G-APEM positioning in from Manchester to avoid being strike stranded, then out to Heathrow on BE4089 and G-APEO in as BE3511 from Jersey and later positioning to Manchester. On 30th June G-APEN from Glasgow and onward to Palma, with the final day bringing in G-APEH on BE4096 from Heathrow and positioning to Manchester and G-APEN positioning in from Manchester as operating BE4097 to Heathrow.

Winter weather on 9th November brought about another three Vanguards in a day occasion, with G-APES in as BE4064, from & to Heathrow; G-APEN in as BE4080, from & to Heathrow and finally G-APEU in on BE4096, positioning across to Manchester the following morning. Final diverted Vanguard of the year brought in G-APEI on 14th December on BE4080, from & to Heathrow – Manchester bound VC-10 and Boeing 707 aircraft also used Liverpool that day.

1969

1969 G-APEA, G-APEC, G-APED, G-APEF, G-APEG, G-APEH, G-APEI, G-APEJ, G-APEN, G-APES, G-APET, G-APEU = 12 different aircraft

The first Vanguard arrival of the year, on 2nd January was the first with passengers destined for Liverpool. G-APEG arrived on a charter from Southampton with passengers inbound from the QE II ocean liner.

All other Vanguard arrivals during the year, a total of 16, were due to diversion from poor weather at Manchester, Heathrow or Belfast. First in was G-APEU on 3rd January, from & to Heathrow, due Manchester weather. The following day, 4th, G-APED was strictly a ‘technical diversion’ due short of fuel en route Glasgow to Manchester, while waiting for a slot in the landing pattern. A month later, 4th February, G-APES on BE4064/4071, from & to Heathrow, 5th February G-APEJ again on BE4064/4071, from & to Heathrow, with on 6th two arrivals, G-APEJ again this time on BE4008/4011 and G-APEH on BE4108/- from & to Heathrow. On 14th March G-APEU on BE4064/4071 from & to Heathrow and 11th May G-APEC on BE4106 from Heathrow, later positioning across to Manchester. All these diversions so far being due to poor weather at Manchester.

First of the winter ‘69/70 diverts was due to weather at Heathrow, with G-APEH on BE069 inbound from Gibraltar, later completing its trip to Heathrow. On the same day G-APEN as BE4106/4111A diverted from Manchester, routing from & to Heathrow, while the next day, 21st, G-APEI arrived from Heathrow on diversion from Belfast, it later completing the journey, as BE6570/6572. All 5 diverted Vanguards in December were originally bound for Manchester. On 8th December G-APEN as BE4068/4079 from & to Heathrow, with two on 11th December, G-APEA BE7525/7528 from & to Belfast Aldergrove and G-APEF BE4104/4117 from & to Heathrow. The arrival of G-APEF effectively “fleeted” the BEA aircraft, all 19 remaining in service having now called at Liverpool. To complete the year, on 26th December G-APET arrived on BE7525 from Belfast and continued onto Heathrow the following morning, while G-APEH operated flights BE4104/4111, from & to Heathrow.

1970

1970 G-APEB = 1 aircraft visited, low point in annual visitors so far

After several winters with great numbers of diversions, 1970 was a very quiet year. Sole Vanguard to visit was in the final weeks of the year, with G-APEB on 9th December arriving from Glasgow on BE5051 on diversion from Manchester. The aircraft later leaving for Heathrow.

1971

1971 G-APEG, G-APEJ, G-APEK, G-APEL, G-APEM, G-APEO, G-APEP, G-APER, G-APEU = 9 different aircraft

A typical start to the year, with weather closing Manchester for much of 4th January, along with Tridents, a pair of DC-9s and three BAC-111s, Vanguard G-APEU as BE6549/- operated from & to Belfast on diversion from weather shut Heathrow. On 8th February a further diverted flight from a closed Heathrow, this time G-APER arrived from Gibraltar on BE295, later to fly onto its intended destination.

By now the Vanguard, although not an old aircraft, had its days as a passenger carrier with B.E.A. , with Tridents now replacing it on many routes. A process hastened by the catastrophic failure of the rear bulkhead of G-APEC over Belgium on 2nd October 1971. While some aircraft were withdrawn and scrapped, starting with the older mark V.951 aircraft, nine of the later V.953 aircraft were converted to freighter configuration with freight floors, large freight door and windows replaced to save weight. In this configuration they were known as Merchantman. Conversions were commenced in 1970 and completed in 1972. At Liverpool Airport, the Merchantman freighters first appeared in late July ’71 to provide extra capacity on Dublin Sunday newspaper flights, which coincided with the destruction of the Daily Mirror plant in Belfast. Initially programmed until at least October, they continued until the end of January ‘72. The flight operated weekly, inbound on Saturday evening from Heathrow, out to Dublin shortly after midnight, carrying Sunday morning newspapers. First operated 24th July (the date is the Saturday of arrival), the aircraft involved were:

G-APEG 14/8, 11/9, 30/10 & 11/12
G-APEJ 9/10 & 27/11
G-APEK 31/7 & 4/12
G-APEL 4/9, 16/10, 23/10 & 6/11
G-APEM 21/8, 28/8, 18/9 & 13/11
G-APEO 7/8 & 25/9
G-APEP 24/7, 2/10 & 18/12
No op on 20/11 (weather?) or 25/12 (no papers printed)
An oddity here is that the reference books give the conversion of G-APEJ to Merchantman standard as 1973!

1972

1972 G-APEG, G-APEH, G-APEK, G-APEM, G-APEP, G-AXNT, G-AXOO, G-AXOP, G-AXOY, G-AZRE = 10 different aircraft

Air Canada, who as Trans-Canada Air Lines purchased 23 V.952 Vanguards began the process of selling off their aircraft in 1969 through Air Holdings in the UK. Sales initially were slow, although by 1972 a number were entering service with European independent airlines. Invicta Airlines purchased its first Vanguard late 1970 and by summer 1972 had five in service, and all visited Liverpool during the year.

The Saturday night/Sunday morning newspaper flights to Dublin continued to operate until the end of January, using Merchantman: G-APEM 1/1, G-APEG 8/1 & 15/1 and G-APEP 22/1 & 29/1. A total of 26 flights operated between late July ’71 and the end of January ‘72.

The first non-B.E.A. Vanguard/Merchantman flights from Liverpool were operated by Invicta International on charter, providing an Easter Lourdes pilgrimage using their V.952 Vanguards, taking passengers out on 4th April on G-AXOO positioning in from Luton, out to Tarbes, with G-AZRE on the return leg, 9th April, in from Tarbes and positioning to Manston. Invicta Air Cargo transported newspapers in the early hours of several mornings in May. On 12th G-AXOY, 13th G-AXNT Luton-Heathrow; 15th Luton-Manston and 16th Luton-Manston. Quite why domestic newspapers needed to be transported by air is not explained in my sources, but presumed due rail disputes. Further Invicta visits during 1972 brought in G-AXOP on 21st July routing Luton to Geneva, with G-AXOY from Geneva to Manston on 6th August, presumably with passengers. Likewise G-AXOO from Naples to Manchester on 28th September. However further domestic newspaper flights in the early hours brought in G-AXOO on 23rd November Luton-Manston and 24th Gatwick-Manston.

Two B.E.A. aircraft arrived at Liverpool on diversion. Merchantman G-APEK diverted from Manchester due early morning fog on 29th July, inbound on a regular freight flight from Amsterdam, later continued onto its intended destination. On the very last day of the year, passenger carrying G-APEH diverted to Liverpool due to fog at Heathrow, inbound from Gibraltar, then outbound to its intended destination.

1973

1973 G-APEB, G-APEH, G-APEI, G-APEK, G-APEM, G-APEN, G-APEO, G-APEP, G-APER, G-APES, G-APEU, G-AXNT, G-AXOO, G-AXOY, G-AYFN, G-AYLD = 16 different aircraft, the highest annual total

The day following the diversion of G-APEH from Heathrow, another followed on 1st January, with G-APEB on BE163 from Palma, diverting from Heathrow – one of 12 London region flights received that day. G-APEB returned to Heathrow the following day. It was the last of the six V.951 series Vanguards to visit Liverpool, and during June the last to be retired from service by BEA. No Vanguards/Merchantmen were diverted into Liverpool during a series of Manchester dispute strikes over a few days in early January.

There then follows a series of 10, mostly early morning, freight flights over an 18 day period of early March. Presumed with newspapers due to rail disputes, but there is no reason given in the logs or local magazines. Invicta operated: G-AXOO 28/2 Gatwick-Manston, then G-AXNT 8/3 f&t Gatwick; 9/3 Gatwick-Newcastle; 10/3 f&t Gatwick; 12/3 Gatwick-Manston; 13/3 Manston-Gatwick; 14/3 f&t Gatwick; 15/3 f&t Gatwick; 16/3 f&t Gatwick; finally 17/3 f&t Gatwick. A little later in the year, in the early hours of 2nd May G-AXNT operated from Heathrow to Manston, reason not recorded.

Also, puzzlingly, BEA’s passenger configured G-APENon 14th March operated from & to Heathrow during the period of the Invicta flights, but the logs give no clue as to what it was doing! I do know for certain what two passenger configured BEA Vanguards were doing on Saturday 24th March, with G-APEH and G-APEN both from & to Norwich on a charter with Norwich FC supporters to watch a game at Anfield. Another aircraft employed to bring Norwich supporters to Liverpool the same day was an Air Anglia Dakota, the flights MAS enthusiasts made in G-AOBN during the afternoon are covered on another thread.

Through the spring and early summer there was a series of BEA Merchantman flights with freight inbound from Milan. Who these were on behalf of was not recorded, however they arrived on: 12th April G-APEP; two on 23th April G-APES & G-APEP; 29th April G-APEM; 6th May G-APEO; 7th May G-APEK and finally 18th May G-APES. All arrived from Milan Malpensa (except the first one which was from Milan Linate) and positioned down to Heathrow.

The only season-long series of passenger charter flights using Vanguard aircraft from Liverpool was during summer 1973 on behalf of Tyrol Holidays. In previous years their I/T flights had been operated by Bavarian BAC.1-11s. The flights operated fortnightly on a Saturday to Munich, leaving Liverpool 0930 and returning at 2100, using BEA aircraft. By this time BEA had 9 converted to Merchantman, with just 5 still in passenger configuration: G-APEH, G-APEI, G-APEN, G-APER and G-APEU. Being a regular flight, the enthusiast logs I’m working from don’t record the start and end of the season, however some weeks are noted: 19/5 G-APEI; 2/6 not recorded; 16/6 G-APEH; 30/6 G-APEI; 14/7 G-APEU; 28/7 G-APEI; 11/8 not recorded; 25/8 G-APEN; 8/9 not recorded; 22/9 G-APER. These were the last B.E.A. Vanguard passenger flights using Liverpool Airport, although their Merchantmen continued for some years yet. For the record the last BA passenger service using a Vanguard was on 16th June 1974.

Invicta International were contracted for two Lourdes pilgrimage charters. The first in April employed G-AXOY operating from & to Tarbes on 20th April, and again with the returning passengers on 23rd April from Tarbes and onward to Manchester. In August, G-AXOY once again, this time on 16th August positioning in from Munich, and out the following morning to Tarbes. The pilgrims returned on 24th August aboard G-AYFN from Tarbes, the aircraft onward to Luton. A Monarch Britannia was also used on the same August dates. G-AYFN had been in earlier in the year on a day-trip ‘bulb-field’ flight to Holland on 4th May, routing from Manchester then to Rotterdam, with the reverse route on return. At that time it was still in former Air Trader of Sweden colour scheme.

The only Vanguard to operate in Silver City titles was the blue coloured G-AYLD. This called twice at Liverpool. It arrived from Dusseldorf on 5th October, leaving for Hamburg on 7th. On 19th inbound again from Dusseldorf, departing on 23rd for Frankfurt. While possibly Ford’s freight charters inbound, the reason for the visits was not recorded at the time. Silver City folded during November.

1974

1974 G-APEJ, G-APEK, G-APEM, G-APEP, G-AXOY = 5 different aircraft

A big reduction in Vanguard/Merchantman movements following the record year of 1973. BEA operated a further, shorter series of Milan freight flights, with G-APEP on 15th March and G-APEJ. Both operated in from Milan Malpensa and onward positioning to Heathrow. This would be the last appearance of Merchantman under the BEA Cargo banner as from 1st April the title was changed to British Airways Cargo. Under the new name G-APEK arrived on 7th November from Dusseldorf, onwards the next day to Heathrow and on 11th November G-APEM following the same route. Both presumably on Ford motor part charters.

Invicta appeared just the once during 1974, with G-AXOY on 5th August in from Toulouse and out on a Lourdes pilgrimage, departing to Tarbes. Oddly, the logs contain no record of the returning flight!

1975

1975 G-APEG, G-AXOY, G-BAFK = 3 different aircraft

No Vanguard or Merchantman flights were diverted into Liverpool during the February 1975 Manchester strike closures. Over the Easter period two Lourdes pilgrimage charters were operated by Invicta. On 31st March G-BAFK as IM701 arrived from Luton and departed to Tarbes, with a second outbound on 2nd April with G-BAFK again, from Luton to Tarbes. The first returning passengers came home on G-BAFK as IM503/193 on 5th April, operating from & to Tarbes, with the remaining passengers coming home on G-AXOY on 7th April, in from Tarbes and onward to Luton.

For the third consecutive year, an inbound freight charter on a BA Merchantman, but only one this year. G-APEG on 22nd May arrived from Milan Malpensa, then positioned to Heathrow. While there may possibly have been further visits by these aircraft later in the year, I could not locate any in the logs.

1976

1976 no visits by type during the 12 month period, indeed none from 22.5.75 to 19.2.77.

1977

1977 F-BTOV, F-BVUY, G-APES = 3 different aircraft

By now BA had started to cut down the size of its fleet of Merchantman aircraft. On Saturday 19th February G-APES arrived from Stansted, now operated by ABC - Air Bridge Carriers, to operate their regular Argosy newspaper flights AK720 & AK722 to Belfast Aldergrove in one go, due to no Argosy aircraft being available. However this is the only time in 1977 that I can find such a substitution of aircraft. G-APES did however appear at Liverpool again on Thursday 21st April, operating from & to East Midlands, so quite possibly on a training flight. There may well have been other visits by G-APES during the year, but I have not located any in the logs.

Wednesday, March 16th is a date associated with a great influx of Caravelles bringing in supporters of St.Etiennie to watch their team play LFC at Anfield. Not all the supporters arrived on Caravelles, as there were two Europe Aero Service’s Vanguards amongst the invasion. F-BVUY as EY4155 arrived from St.Etienne at 0943 with 136 passengers, leaving the next morning, 17th, at 0712 for St.Etienne as EY4156. F-BTOV meanwhile as EY4238 had arrived at 1446 from Paris Le Bourget with 86 passengers, returning there in the early hours at 0149 as EY4239.

1978

1978 G-APEG, G-APES = 2 aircraft

ABC held the contract to transport newspapers from the UK to Belfast since 1st April 1976, normally at this time employing an Argosy flight seven days a week, with two flights overnight Saturday into Sunday. I have found 9 instances of Merchantman G-APES being used on newspaper flights during 1978, although there may have been a few more. In March and April ’78 Aer Lingus clerical staff closed down the airline by going on strike. Various airlines helped to transport the Dublin bound papers to Belfast each night. At weekends ABC Merchantman G-APES was brought in to supplement the Argosy flights. On Sat 23rd March, Sat 1st April and Sat 8th April it positioned in from East Midlands to take newsprint to Belfast. On 15th a Britannia Boeing 737 was used, with on 22nd April, 29th April and 6th May G-APES arrived as AK077 positioning from Milan Malpensa to take newspapers to Belfast Aldergrove. Usually the Belfst flight used the flight number AK193.

In the very early hours of Sunday 16th July, British Airways Cargo Merchantman G-APEG positioned in from Heathrow and took Sunday morning newspapers to Dublin as BE9344c, on charter to Aer Lingus to cover for an unavailable Boeing 737QC aircraft. This was the final visit by a BEA/BA Vanguard/Merchantman to Liverpool. For the next 18 years, all Merchantman visits would be ABC/Air Bridge Carriers/ Air Bridge Cargo/Hunting Cargo aircraft.

Operating as a substitute aircraft for the Argosy, ABC Merchantman G-APES appeared again on the late evenings of 26th August, 23rd September positioning in from East Midlands to operate Belfast regular AK720. On Friday 29th September it arrived from LFBA then stopped until late on 30th to operate AK720 to Belfast Aldergrove.

1979

1979 G-APES = 1 aircraft visited

A similar number of Merchantman flights during 1979. No Merchantman operations were diverted into Liverpool during the March or September Manchester strike closures. G-APES on Thursday 18th January arrived from Milan Malpensa at 0153 to operate AK720 to Belfast at 0341 as an Argosy substitute. The next day, Friday 19th it arrived at 1917 from Rotterdam as AK141, departing at 2351 on AK720 to Belfast. G-APES was used again on AK720 on Monday 29th January. On Saturday 17th February it arrived from Milan Malpensa at 0245 and day-stopped, operating out at 2311 as AK720 with Sunday am papers.

On Wednesday 14th March a change in routine, G-APES arriving at 2119 from Dusseldorf as AK536, departing one minute after midnight to East Midlands – presumed to have brought in Ford’s motor parts. The same week it was back on Saturday 24th March as AK722P from East Midlands at 2015, then to Belfast with papers on AK722 at 2244. Just one more visit has been found in the logs, although there could have been a few more. On Wednesday 18th August. Once again substituting for an Argosy, arriving from Belfast on general cargo flight BD998F at 2240, then back to Belfast with newspapers on AK720 at 0155 Thursday morning.

1980

1980 G-APEG, G-APEJ, G-APEK, G-APES = 4 different aircraft

By now BA Cargo had sold their Merchantman aircraft to an expanding ABC, who eventually acquired 7 of the 9 Merchantman freighters converted. So in 1980 there was more variety of aircraft, but little increase in the number of movements. Again the majority of flights were on Sunday morning newspaper flights to either Belfast or Dublin. G-APES operated an extra flight AK722 to Belfast on 3rd February. On 31st May G-APEG arrived from Turin as AK100A, then on 1st June to Dublin as AK726 to cover for a dispute at Aer Lingus. Merchantman then operated for a number of weekends. On the morning of Sunday 8th June G-APEJ as AK100A/728 and G-APEK as Ak726P/726, arriving on 13th, to depart in very early hours of Sunday 15th G-APEJ as AK100/726, with on 22nd June G-APEG as AK726P/726 and G-APEK as AK729P/729 outbound to Dublin. On 29th June G-APEJ as AK729P/729 to Dublin, with G-APEG on 6th July on AK729P/729 to Dublin. On 1st August G-APEG as AK988 to Dublin. There may have been a few others than don’t wish to be located in the magazines.

Right at the end of the year, on Wednesday 17th December G-APEJ appeared twice on Ford motor part charters inbound. In the early morning as AK231 from Saarbrucken to East Midlands, and again in the evening, this time as AK233 from Saarbrucken to East Midlands.

1981

1981: G-APEG, G-APEJ, G-APES = 3 different aircraft

On Wednesday 21st January, due to irregular ferry sailings, in the early evening a general freight flight operated to Belfast using G-APEJ in empty from Glasgow, out to Belfast Aldergrove as AK252P/252. With both the Liverpool and Stranraer ferries strike-bound, G-APES in smart new Air Bridge Carrier colour scheme (had been repainted circa. Sept 80) operated on Wednesday 11th February as AK268/269, from & to Belfast, with crates of Yogurt as the outbound load. On 22nd February G-APES was on its way to Liverpool to operate an extra flight due to poor weather disrupting transport, however with snow falling at Liverpool and Belfast it returned to East Midlands. G-APEG, now also in the new Air Bridge colours, operated on 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th and 29th March on the regular BD998F/AK720 service from & to Belfast, with general cargo inbound and newspapers outbound. On Sunday early hours 5th April G-APES operated as AK722P/720 as a replacement for an Argosy. On the Sunday early hours newspaper operation on 3rd May G-APEJ displaying ‘Occitan Air’ titles operated as AK320 on what was normally EI922 with Dublin newspapers. Bizarrely, the normal Boeing 737QC had been hi-jacked earlier to Le Touquet, so was unavailable! (aircraft and hostages released unharmed, which is why I don’t recall the incident). Another slightly bizarre operation a few days later, when as AK350P/121P, G-APEG on Tuesday 12th May positioned in from East Midlands empty during the afternoon, only to position out empty to Luton later in the evening!

By now it is clear that Air Bridge Cargo were the only British operator of Vanguard/Merchantman aircraft, and the pace of visits through Liverpool Airport increasing. I’ll leave the arrival-by-arrival account mid-1981, jump to 1996, and then summarise 20 years of (mostly) routine operations.

1996

1996: G-APEP = just the one aircraft

A jump in the narrative here of some 15 years to 1996, the final year of Merchantman ops. Up until September 1996 Hunting Cargo were down to just the single Merchantman G-APEP, which was used just once a week through Liverpool on ABR726 to Belfast on late Saturday night/very early Sunday morning, with the Sunday newspapers. In subsequent weeks either Electra or Hercules aircraft were used. The Merchantman last visited Liverpool Airport on Saturday 29th September 1996 operating ABR726 Liverpool to Belfast with newspapers. . Not publicised at the time, this was the last commercial Vanguard/Merchantman flight in the world. We think routing EMA-Liverpool-Belfast-EMA that night of 29th/30th September, then on 17th October a ferry flight into Brooklands for preservation, where it is now the sole remaining complete Vanguard/Merchantman aircraft.

AIR BRIDGE CARRIER’S MERCHANTMAN OPERATIONS, 1977 to 1996.

Air Bridge Cargo’s Merchantman aircraft were being increasingly seen at Liverpool on the regular Belfast newspapers operation; with Dublin newspapers, general freight charter flights, diversion and training being less frequent reasons for visiting. The narrative is now becoming a little repetitive, so I’ll summarise some 15 years of routine into a few sentences noting important changes in that period.

With the sale of their Argosy aircraft to Elan, Air Bridge Merchantman became a regular sight at Liverpool on a daily basis, from mid- February 1984. An aircraft shortage, was solved by leasing in ABC – Air Botswana Cargo Hercules A2-ACA, for the summer of 1984 to operate the Liverpool-Belfast contract.

The newspaper operation moved from the old north airfield, to the new apron on the south airfield Sunday evening 28th April 1985, a year ahead of any facilities and the new passenger terminal.

One major disruption, was the moving of newspaper flights away from Liverpool due to the action of pickets, involved in a different dispute. From Thursday morning 30th October 1986 the contrct ws moved to Manchester. In February 1991 the Sunday morning papers returned to Liverpool, but it was not until 2nd August 1993 that a 7 nights per week operation returned to Liverpool, by now using Air Bridge Electra and Emerald HS.748 aircraft.

Air Bridge leased-in their first Electras from 1989, but the Merchantman was the favoured type for Liverpool to Belfast operations. On 15th August 1992 on merger, the name was changed to Hunting Cargo – but little else changed apart from the name on the aircraft. The aircraft in use did change over time, as some were retired and others taken out of storage. These I’ll show as a table. Gradually the number of Merchantman in the fleet dwindled to just two, then one, then none!

1977                                          G-APES          First visit by a ABC Merchantman 19th February
1978                                          G-APES
1979                                          G-APES          Late '79, last 5 BA Merchantman a/c bought
1980  G-APEG  G-APEJ  G-APEK                  G-APES          New Air Bridge Cargo colours first seen on G-APES
1981  G-APEG  G-APEJ                          G-APES
1982          G-APEJ  G-APEK          G-APEP  G-APES
1983                  G-APEK          G-APEP  G-APES
1984                  G-APEK          G-APEP  G-APES  G-APET  Argosy a/c last used on LPL contract in February
1985                  G-APEK          G-APEP  G-APES  G-APET
1986                  G-APEK          G-APEP  G-APES  G-APET  
1987          G-APEJ  G-APEK  G-APEM                          G-APEM added to the fleet on purchase from France
1988          G-APEJ  G-APEK  G-APEM  G-APEP          G-APET
1989          G-APEJ  G-APEK          G-APEP  G-APES  G-APET
1990          G-APEJ                          G-APES
1991          G-APEJ          G-APEM  G-APEP
1992          G-APEJ          G-APEM          G-APES          In August Air Bridge Carriers became Hunting Cargo
1993                                  G-APEP  G-APES
1994                                  G-APEP  G-APES
1995                                  G-APEP  G-APES
1996                                  G-APEP                  Last visit of type 29th September

[viscount]

Looking for more images in my collections.



An evocative shot of BEA's Vanguard 953 G-APES on the apron, as seen from the Balcony. A delightful Bob O'Brien image dating back to 1965, 1966 or 1967 as the aircraft is recorded diverting to Liverpool in each of those years from either Heathrow or Manchester.



A not that different angle from the balcony to photograph BEA Vanguard G-APEG sat at Speke having diverted into Liverpool on Sunday 19th November 1967 on a flight from Heathrow to Manchester. Two BEA Viscounts diverted to Liverpool the same afternoon due to the poor weather at Manchester.





From a simple, smart but attractive scheme BEA moved on to one of its worst schemes with the quarter flag on the fin. Two BEA Vanguards on 24th March 1973 which brought in Norwich FC supporters. G-APEK and G-APEN - some will recall that the MAS went flying that day on Air Anglia Dakota G-AOBN, which had earlier flown in on the aircraft, but went home on a Friendship. More nostalgia about that flight on: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/3445/mas-dakota-flights



This Air Bridge Merchantman G-APEK at Liverpool is on the western apron, parallel to the Banks Road fence during April 1984. Originally a transparency, digitised as an A4 print for an exhibition. The original colour slide then loaned out and never returned, so this is re-digitised from the print - so there has been some loss of detail!





While these two show the Europe Air Services Vanguard F-BTUY (parked on 17 along with a line of Caravelles) and F-BTOV at the west end of the main apron on 16th March 1977, the day of the invasion by St.Étienne supporters. more on: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/28395/airlift-etienne-fans-march-1977



For a slightly different view of an ABC on a day stop on the south airfield apron on Saturday 24th November 1985 seen from Cessna 172 G-BFLV departing 27. At this time the 'new' terminal on the south airfield was externally complete and the interior being fitted out. The apron, control tower and RFFS building and the Post Office bag sorting building were already in full everyday use. The ABC Merchantman on the night Belfast newspapers flight would return empty on a Saturday morning and day-stop before being joined by another and taking out the much heavier Sunday morning newspapers. The Aerospacelines Guppy '2' and weekend stopping mail flight Dan Air HS.748 provide a sense of scale and shows just how small the original apron was.

[danairamb]

Thanks for this one especially Brian. One of my all time favourite planes. I could never understand how they could be so much quieter than the viscount, and at the time they seemed huge. Flew G-APEA MAN to LHR in April 1969 (this trip was a long time in conception and Iwas originally planning to fly ex LPL on a British Eagle 1-11 but their demise put a stop to that and a Cambrian Viscount 700 was old to me by then! So I persuaded a family friend to take me to Manchester and bought a youth standby ticket for 5 pounds return. Took a gamble but managed to get on the Vanguard departure that I wanted. I was first onboard the Vanguard and because I was young (13) they put me in the first class seats at the back of the plane to "keep an eye" on me. This was an unexpected bonus although it was not first class service in any other way. Saw the same aircraft at LPL later in the year on the diversion you mention to and from BFS.
You make no reference to the many spring flights that took place to Rotterdam and Beauvais from LPL in 1972 and 1973 (I am sure it was one of those years, and probably both if my recollections are correct). These were by Invicta aircraft operating for Clarksons Holidays (later a major part of the Court Line collapse). I remember these well at the time, because I specifically went to the airport to see them such a fan I was of the Vanguard. You do mention the aircraft in Air Trader colours operating for Invicta but the flights I recall were all in full Invicta colours and took place over several weeks.

[viscount]

Danairamb,

Thank you for you comments and recollections. The Vanguard was a type I missed out ever flying on. Managed Comet, Boeing 707, Douglas DC-8, Trident, Super VC-10, Britannia, Convair 640, Douglas DC-4 even Sandringham, but not the Vanguard or Caravelle. Originally discounted the Vanguard as an interesting type to profile the Liverpool visits of, as there were relatively few different aircraft and airlines involved. However, once I started collecting the information together, the variety of reasons for calling at Liverpool showed that there was plenty to write about. Encourages me to maybe have a go at the Trident in the future, perhaps.

Your post goes direct to the major problem I have in covering any type that has operated on regular scheduled or I/T programmes from Liverpool. The records I'm using were painstakingly compiled, initially for many years by Phil Butler, as a record of all visiting aircraft to Liverpool Airport. As a result once an aircraft had visited on a regular service, subsequent visits were not recorded, unless on diversion or a 'one-off' operation. The logs compiled without break since the mid 50's are a magnificent record, but do not record regular services or I/T operations. As a result there is no record of the "bulb field" inclusive tour operations as the aircraft had already previously visited that year. I may have misinterpreted the purpose of the visit by Invicta's G-AXOY on 12th May 1972 as the logs show this on a regular flight without details, which I took to be newspapers (as carried by other Invicta aircraft the same week) rather than operating on a short-series "bulb-field" I/T operation, as now seems likely. I do warn on each of these type reviews that while I know for certain I have every different aircraft in each year, I may well not have every visit covered. Thanks though to Danairamb for pointing out that there were visits by Invicta beyond those recorded. Nice to know that someone out there reads and examines the facts presented in detail.

Not found many transparancies of Vanguards at Speke, will post once scanned and cleaned. Anyone have photos of Invicta or Silver City aircraft in their collections to post?

[johnoakes]

Lovely aircraft--saw all the BEA ones and most of the ex CPA ones stored at Perpignon.
Still can't quite work out why it was built though--surely recycled Britannias could have done the same job for less cost ie CL44 Tyne engines.
Must have cost the aircraft industry dear to make so few after all the development costs--poor market research perhaps.*
Still the French were as bad with the Mystere --sold 10 I think--saw a few but they never visited Speke.

[viscount]

The Hermes, Comet, Britannia, Viscount, Vanguard, Trident, VC-10 and even Concorde were developed due to Britain's state airlines telling the aircraft industry what they required, then interfering with the specifications as the aircraft was being developed (so delaying production), then hoping that the rest of the world's airlines would purchase the aircraft too. Interesting to consider that the British aircraft industry's two longest production run jet airliners, the BAC.1-11 and the BAe.146 were not designed directly to meet the specific needs of BEA or BOAC.

The Britannia and the Vanguard were designed to do very different jobs, one long-haul, the other medium/short haul, although once sold onto Independent operators performed similar roles. In proposing that the Vanguard was an unneccesary design, John should note that in terms of service life it long outlasted the Britannia. The Tyne engine of the Vanguard too proved more adaptable, going on to power the Belfast, CL-44, Transall, Atlantique, and Fiat G.222, while the Bristol Proteus powered just the Britannia, along with the very short-lived Saro Princess and Brabazon projects.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/dassault_mercure states that of all the short-production jetliners, the French Mercure has the worst record of all with just 12 built:10 ordered with 11 going into service. Other short-production run airliner 'failures' are listed as being the Concorde, Convair Cv.880 & Cv.990, VFW-614, Tupolev Tu-144, VC-10, Boeing 747SP and perhaps a little unfairly L.1011 Tristar; but they don't include Trident or Airbus A.318 in their list.

John you are correct in stating that the Mercure never visited Liverpool - one airliner I won't have to research a type review for!

[johnoakes]

Interesting response as ever-Thanks for that.
-I think we can take out the Hermes as the Hastings/Hermes production was reasonable considering that the RAF got YEARS of life out of theirs.

Was the Vanguard really longer lived than the Britannia/Canadair Argus/CL 44 and a more economical proposition considering the Vanguard really was a one off?

I entirely agree the Proteus engines were a joke --anyone watching the flames gush out as a Brit cracked up would think that SOMETHING was a little less than perfect.LOL

But the Britannia and variants airframe had a much longer run than the Vanguard and I suspect if that was taken into consideration it had a longer actual life as a design than the Vanguard--which I always thought had a certain lovelyness but many thought it to be an ugly duckling that just grew to be an ugly duck.

Pity the APT was such a bake--bit of a sad note to end this once proud nation's civil aircraft history.

I suppose we will just have to content ourselves with building bits for the French aircraft industry and unlike the Germans ,Italians and the Spanish never build airliner sized aircraft ever again.

A320 in Germany ATR in Italy and the Grizzly in Spain.

You just feel the skids under our feet somedays.

Our army even has its uniforms made in China allegedly.
Could weep.

ps just discovered that 157 Britannia type airframes were built--incl Argus/CL 44 compared to 44 Vanguard --still think it was a waste of money and we could have built more put Tynes on them like the Canadians and just left the Vanguard on the drawing board to become a what if and speculate over the VAST sales it would have had worldwide.

Including development costs each unit must have been astronomical in true price figures.

[john1958]

My first ever flight was on a BEA Vanguard, no idea of the reg mores the pity. LHR-JER and back 2 weeks later. First holiday "abroad" with my parents, and we made the mistake on the way out of sitting level with the wing, I well remember not being able to hear for ages!!!!!

Superb plane though!

John