I was born a few miles from the then London Airport, and it was an ever present part of my young life. We could predict the weather from the direction in which flights were landing; Runway 23 meant winds from the south west, and that meant rain. Similarly, if we could smell coffee from the Nestles factory, rain was on the way. (Just a note to our pedants; anyone calling it 'Nestlay' would have been regarded as a pretentious idiot).
I saw my first 747 Jumbo in 1968, on final approach to the westbound runway, over Hounslow. I was awed by its sheer size and the illusion that it was flying very slowly.
This post is prompted by the fact that I am sitting in my garden to the west of London and a steady stream of airliners is passing to my south, en route to LHR. Among them is the occasional A380 superjumbo, and despite its ungainly mien, that reminds me of some of the gormless looking fish that are hauled out of the Mediterranean, it has a commanding presence in the air, but still looks slow.
Sorry to bother you, but it fascinates me.
I know what you mean ! On Sunday I looked at a 747 coming out of Manchester, and one's thought always is "how the hell does it stay up there !" Weirdest aircraft has to be the "Guppy" that was used by Airbus to take wings from Broughton to Toulouse. I have seen it a few times, although the A380 wings are too big for it.
ReplyDeleteMany years ago I used to live in Hong Kong, my sister used to get the "lollipop" flight. So we knew when to get her from the airport when the plane flew below our window
ReplyDelete"Airliners"! My God, that dates you. My first encounter with London Airport was taking a school trip to London in 1959. In those far off, pre-terrorism days we were met at the (landside) entrance to the terminl building - just the one then - by a guide who took us and our coach airside and gave us a complete tour of the airfield, including pulling in at a suitable vantage point to watch a Comet land. Now that was a state of the art aircraft and I still remember the fact that we were given; every time that it landed it burned a pound and a half of rubber off each tyre.
ReplyDeleteOh, nothing like a bit of nostalgia.
While second in line at the checkout of an airport some 20 years ago, the fellow in front was asked if he had any baggage. He replied 'Yeah, I married it yesterday.' Not a good start for someone who's sitting next to his new wife for a few hours.
ReplyDeleteThat should read 'checkin'. Must change this keyboard for one that can speel.
DeleteThis really does prompt the “When I were a lad” stories. Heathrow and Northolt (London’s second airport in the 1950s) were both within easy reach of where we lived, and I remember going to Heathrow (or “London Airport” as it was then) to see off some American cousins who had been visiting us, circa 1954. Their aircraft was a BOAC Boeing Stratocruiser, and the departure buildings were wartime huts on the North side of the aerodrome. The viewing ‘gallery’, was an area on the concrete apron, separated from what we would now call “airside” by no more than some easily moveable metal barriers. They were not locked or secured in any way.
ReplyDeleteA few years later, the Queen’s Building was opened in the middle of the airfield, and as an air-minded youngster I remember being taken there quite regualrly to view aircraft movements from the roof garden. (I gather this building has long since been swept away.) Ah, happy days.
I thought the principal aerodrome for London was at Croydon, when did somebody build this new one?
ReplyDeleteI have now found it on the map. How wise and prescient of the Romans to build the main road to Bath so near it!
...and how unwise of the royals to build a castle right next door.
DeleteI grew up under the flight path of Heathrow as well. We could all hear when Concorde was coming as it made so much noise. The windows shook, the ground seemed to tremble, and the noise was so loud that all conversation stopped to allow the passing of this great plane.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, over time the noise decreased, they must have had one or two complaints, but as a child growing up this was fantastic stuff.
When I young, we didn't have much spare cash for trips or paid for treats. So my lovely imaginative parents used to take us to 'London Airport' to watch the planes and the people go by, making up stories about who they were and where they were going. I have adored airports ever since...and I am still an inveterate people watcher!!
ReplyDeleteWe lived in Whitton (also a few miles from Heathrow) for some years in the 60s when I was in my teens. A favourite Sunday afternoon outing was to Heathrow to The Queens Building to watch the planes and fill in my I Spy "At the Airport" book, and then have afternoon tea in the cafe. At that time I knew nearly all of the tail liveries of the airlines (not nearly so many pre de-regulation!). No security then! I now live in Wiltshire and would listen for Concorde going over (at around 11 in the morning and 7 ish in the evening). Didn't have to look up to know it was her, but always did to see the beautiful shape. We also miss the Hercules that flew into RAF Lyneham (about 10 miles down the road) before it closed. But the "fat Alberts" still overfly (and sometimes very low). We wave!
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued by your suggestion that locals around the factory didn't inflect the terminal e of Nestlé, especially as cinema advertising of the time clearly records an inflected form (closer to 'i' than 'ay'), and marketing literature claims that the healthy Swiss mountain milk associations conjured up by the pronounced foreign name were quite potent.
ReplyDeleteBut like you, I also wonder at the way these lumbering beasts seem to almost slow to a halt as they come in to land. I live near Brize Norton, and watch the Hercs and other workhorses of the RAF with fascination.
There are a lot of us around! Up until 10 yrs old I lived in Hounslow, between the two final approach paths. My granddad was secretary of Hounslow Town FC and I used to get bored there in the rain on a Saturday so started watching the aircraft on final approach. Late 60's, used to go to Queens Building to watch. Maintained aviation interest - held a PPL for many years now as Bystander knows! Oh well, into court mode now for a day chairing Court 1 tomorrow......
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Ladybird Book of London (1961), the viewing gallery at London Airport had "a running commentary of arrivals and departures, including the names of notable passengers." Being a mere urchin and child of the 70s, I'm sorry to have missed this.
ReplyDeleteToday the best I can find is the Cafe Nero coffee bar in Heathrow Terminal 5 which has a view of the western end of the north runway.
I remember wine glasses tingling in my parents' house near Leatherhead and Dad saying, "There goes the 6 o'clock Concorde."
Hello
ReplyDeleteI worked as a salesman in the mid 60's for Nestles, and we pronounced it 'Nestulls', I dont know where the Nestlay came from.
Remember the Milky Bar Kid it was called Nestulls Milky Bar.
Is there some sort of natural affinity between the beakdom and aeroplane watchers? Maybe something about hot air and hard landings...
ReplyDelete