Warmed up the old scanner this afternoon (mainly to do some stuff for upload to airliners.net) and came across a whole bunch of slides taken one night in July 1994 – exactly ten years ago – so I thought I’d share them with you all.
Looking back, its interesting how things have changed in the intervening ten years, and its also ironic that only the Air Atlantique DC-3, the oldest of the lot, is still in service with the same operator now as it was then.
Andy
By: Duesseldwarf - 20th July 2004 at 00:26
The SAAB 340 (G-GNTB) belonged to the very same Business Air where my career in aviation began all those 11 years ago. Good to see the old II livery again. Great airline.
Thanks for sharing such amazing photos and dredging up the memories. I bet half of the members on here haven’t seen half of those aircraft in those liveries. Any more? Anyone?
By: OneLeft - 19th July 2004 at 00:06
Some great photos there.
G-SCSR was the 4th A320 to be delivered to EXC, although they all arrived pretty close together.
It was the aircraft they used to operate the first ever transatlantic A320 passenger service, a one off charter GATWICK-SHANNON-GANDER-CANCUN (and return), the charterer being the leasing company that owned the aircraft.
EXC were the first UK charter carrier to fly the A320, first to use the now everyday drop down TV screens, and quite a trendsetting airline as far as charter services went.
They were a great airline to travel with (we received complimentary letters from virtually every flight), but I’ve never worked so hard in my life as during my brief spell flying for them.
1L.
By: MontyP - 18th July 2004 at 23:35
ohhh G-GNTB i jumpseated on that. Doesnt seem like it was ten years
By: cheesebag - 18th July 2004 at 22:10
Hey….I flew G-BMHX when it was with BD
By: MSR777 - 18th July 2004 at 20:34
Really great pics! I used to do load control on the Air Bridge Merchantmen most Saturday nights on a STN-BFS weekly newspaper schedule….doing a 747 combi was easier!! Great planes though.
By: A330Crazy - 18th July 2004 at 14:24
Super stuff! Nice to see some oldies… some of the better liveries!
Cheers. 🙂
By: Bmused55 - 18th July 2004 at 12:50
Good to see a herald still ticking over.
As skycruiser said, great look back in time.
By: skycruiser - 18th July 2004 at 04:43
great look back in time, thanks
By: Sonnenflieger - 17th July 2004 at 22:44
Great photos! Back in those days, before the internet was available, I kept myself up-to-date on the British airline scene through Aircraft Illustrated and Air International. Remember Excalibur and that British Midland J41 vividly. More photos like these please!
By: Ren Frew - 17th July 2004 at 22:19
Ren Frew,
Air Bridge Carriers became Hunting Cargo Airlines, which subsequently became Air Contractors (now of Ireland – 727, A300 and ATR operator). Echo Sierra as depicted was the only Vanguard to make it into HCA’s colours – all the rest stayed in the white, red and black Air Bridge colours. Sadly Echo Sierra wasn’t saved – at one time it seemed like she’d go into the Aeropark at EMA – but was cut up, with only the nose surviving today in the forementioned Aeropark. One former Air Bridge / Hunting Vanguard lives on, at the Brooklands museum.
Andy
Cheers Andy, not just a great photographer and model collector I see. 😀
By: Pablo - 17th July 2004 at 21:46
Wow! Remember seeing G-SCSR in EXC’s first couple of weeks of operation at MAN. Probably one of my favourite liveries ever.
By: T5 - 17th July 2004 at 20:03
Superb shots!
I love these photographs taken in the dark but you can see a warm glow coming from the aircraft windows.
My favourite has to be that British Midland DC-9.
By: Skymonster - 17th July 2004 at 19:37
Ren Frew,
Air Bridge Carriers became Hunting Cargo Airlines, which subsequently became Air Contractors (now of Ireland – 727, A300 and ATR operator). Echo Sierra as depicted was the only Vanguard to make it into HCA’s colours – all the rest stayed in the white, red and black Air Bridge colours. Sadly Echo Sierra wasn’t saved – at one time it seemed like she’d go into the Aeropark at EMA – but was cut up, with only the nose surviving today in the forementioned Aeropark. One former Air Bridge / Hunting Vanguard lives on, at the Brooklands museum.
Andy
By: Ren Frew - 17th July 2004 at 19:29
Used to enjoy watching those Vanguards (Merchantman’s) at Glasgow in the 80’s. Air Bridge was the cargoline as I recall?
By: tenthije - 17th July 2004 at 18:54
Oooh!! Hang your heads in shame, the pair of you!! 😉
It’s a Vickers VC9 Vanguard, or “Merchantman” as BEA used to insist on calling them once they’d been converted to freighters.
I’ll bet you didn’t know there was a VC9 as well as a VC10, did you? 🙂
sorry. I should have known that one. 😮
By: Grey Area - 17th July 2004 at 18:46
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bmused55
Woah, is that Hunting Cargo a bristol britannia?No, that is a Vickers Viscount. The Britannia is a lot sleeker and looks more like the IL18.
Oooh!! Hang your heads in shame, the pair of you!! 😉
It’s a Vickers VC9 Vanguard, or “Merchantman” as BEA used to insist on calling them once they’d been converted to freighters.
I’ll bet you didn’t know there was a VC9 as well as a VC10, did you? 🙂
By: wannabe pilot - 17th July 2004 at 18:39
Great shots, looks brilliant quality even for today, let alone the non-digital time period that those were taken in! That looks very long for a Viscount, I’m guessing some kind of stretched version though.
By: tenthije - 17th July 2004 at 18:30
Woah, is that Hunting Cargo a bristol britannia?
No, that is a Vickers Viscount. The Britannia is a lot sleeker and looks more like the IL18.
By: Bmused55 - 17th July 2004 at 18:07
Woah, is that Hunting Cargo a bristol britannia?
By: LBARULES - 17th July 2004 at 17:44
Fantastic stuff mate, you have already made some fantastic contributions to this forum.
I especially like the Excalibur A320, shame they are no longer around 🙁
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July 17, 2004 at 4:35 pm