Hi, I am new here, I wasn’t sure what topic to post this in.
this is really just to say hello and introduce myself, but as i am remminicing about my early days at my local airport, im keeping it still on topic!
Ok, just a quick intro from me, my name is Jason or Jay, hence my Jayviator user name!
I live less than a mile away from the end of runway 20 at EGHI (southampton intl) or as I prefer to call it Eastleigh airport!
My interests in aviation begun when i moved here from south wales when i was 7, during my childhood in wales i had never really seen a aircraft up close, so you can imagine that suddenly seeing planes close up for the first time was quite exciting for a young lad! esspecialy back then in the 80s when Eastleigh had a nice variety of planes such as F-27s, Heralds, Viscounts, HS 748s, Shorts 330 + 360s occasionlay i would see a really freaky looking plane that i later found out was a Bristol 170 freighter (it looked freaky to me at the time!) i cant miss the trislanders and islander of the list, infact the good old trislanders are the only planes from that list that are still operating regulary.
there was also a time we even had DC3s operating a regular service with air atlantique, oh yes, those were the days!
Anyway i soon made freinds and one of them was intrested in planes to, we spent many hours at the airport, it was like a second home.
the airport was much more relaxed and freindly back then, everybody knew each other and thery were more than happy to allow us to go in the cockpits of the planes which was a great thrill for us!
One funny thing happened once, we were in the observation area (thats gone now) and there was a announcement from the Air UK desk for me to go down, they told me my mum had called and told me my dinner was ready!!! lol, i dont think that will ever happen at a airport again!
When we were older we both joined the local ATC squadron and this is where i got my first flight experience.
My first flight was in a Westland wessex from Boscome down, we were told we might be lucky enough to fly in the Comet but it was having maintenence so that was that out the window, so the wessex was the consolation! the pilot really threw her around, i think they enjoy trying to make cadets puke! it didnt work on me though, i loved it!
Then i got to have my first go at the controls of a aircraft flying the Chipmunk, and that awoke something in me, took me to higher levels of enjoying aviation! sadly those few air experience flights were the only time i would ever get to take the controls of a plane although one day im determined to book one of those pleasure flights where they allow you to take the controls for some of the flight) for now my only flying i do is on my FS2004!
Since then i have flown on several aircraft types including one of the last ever flights of G-AZMF (the now homeless 1-11) BAE 146, Boeing 777, Boeing 737 and Bombardier Q400 also flew in a Bell Longranger over the grand canyon and a hot air balloon over the sonoran desert nr Phonenix AZ.
So that just about says it all about me and my aviation history!
By: mike currill - 28th December 2007 at 20:17
Surely Nottingham Business Airport is/was Tollerton? Certainly was when I learned to fly from there! Unless they have moved Halfpenny Green from Wolverhampton of course…….:D
Regards
Keith
Ah yes, silly me. Getting all befuddled in my old age.:D
By: Jon H - 24th December 2007 at 15:21
There are a few others whose new names will never stick with me.
Edinburgh=Turnhouse
Aberdeen=Dyce
Nottingham Business Airport=Halfpenny Green
Glasgow=Abbotsinch.
Call me a dinosaur if you wish but I think the old names are much better.
Well to avoid upsetting people with a new name, the kind folk at Liverpool kindly built a new teminal instead! :p 😀 So the old site will forever be Speke whereas the new site they can call whatever they like 😉
By: ozplane - 24th December 2007 at 14:52
WJ244, thanks for the follow-up on the ANT Drover. I certainly don’t remember seeing it fly at Squires Gate. It was usually propped up,wings off, against a hangar when I saw it. There were rumours at the time that Russell Whyham had purchased a second one but that never turned up as far as I’m aware. As it happens I was able to sit in one of the two airworthy Drovers in Oz when I was there a couple of years ago. It is piloted by “Feather *3” who appears on here from time to time.
By: WJ244 - 24th December 2007 at 12:03
Ozplane I notice you mention a Drover at Blackpool. I just wondered did you ever see it fly? I understood that the Southend Museum Drover VH-EAS (now at Lasham I think and painted as VH-FDT last time I saw it) was imported (for Air Navigation and Trading?) and never flew in the UK although it was allocated G-APXX. Tony Osborne of the original BHAM rescued it from Squires Gate around 1967 so it looks like your Drover is still around.
By: ozplane - 22nd December 2007 at 12:37
And Blackpool will always be Squires Gate to me and my “hangar rat” chums from the mid-50s onwards. Excitement in those days was a visiting Auster from Barton or possibly a charter flight from London bringing in the stars of the Sunday night shows at the Grand or Winter Garden theatres. Of course Russell Whyhams ever-changing fleet was “interesting” and included a GA Cygnet, a Drover, various Avro 19s and the two Dragons which carved a groove round the Tower on 7/6d (37p) pleasure flights. Happy days and none more so than watching a Skyways York departing (just) from the short South-Easterly runway. Four Merlins at full chat is something to listen to.
By: Jayviator - 21st December 2007 at 23:29
thanks
Thanks for the warm welcome, and as for hoping i appreciate a wide range of humour, I postively welcome it! one other aviation site i belong to, humour doesnt go down well!
I also call Bournemouth intl Hurn airport! remember the tvs airshows there, they were great!
By: RPSmith - 21st December 2007 at 20:17
Hi Jayviator – welcome to the Forum (hope you appreciate a wide range of humour 😀 :diablo: )
West Midlands International has, thankfully, never caught on and most still call it Baginton (although “Coventry Airport” is used quite a bit too).
Roger Smith.
By: Arabella-Cox - 21st December 2007 at 19:21
Surely Nottingham Business Airport is/was Tollerton? Certainly was when I learned to fly from there! Unless they have moved Halfpenny Green from Wolverhampton of course…….:D
Regards
Keith
By: mike currill - 21st December 2007 at 16:40
I’m glad I’m not the only one. The old names have more character somehow.
By: REF - 21st December 2007 at 16:08
Birmingham – Elmdon is another
I much prefer the old names as well
By: mike currill - 21st December 2007 at 16:03
There are a few others whose new names will never stick with me.
Edinburgh=Turnhouse
Aberdeen=Dyce
Nottingham Business Airport=Halfpenny Green
Glasgow=Abbotsinch.
Call me a dinosaur if you wish but I think the old names are much better.
By: YakRider - 21st December 2007 at 15:37
I certainly do. My uncle worked there for Supermarines. He often used to talk about the incredible flying by Jeffrey Quill and Alex Henshaw in the Spitfires. When he retired he was working for Hawker Siddely at Hamble Aerostructures
But I also think of Bournemouth International as Hurn Airport. We used to go there when I was a boy to watch the Silver City Bristol Freighters. I also remember a trip around the BAC 1-11 production line.
And then there were the Princess flying boats mothballed at Calshott, which we went along to see.
The whole area has an aviation heritage to be proud of.
By: mike currill - 21st December 2007 at 15:00
I wonder how many more of us will forever refer to Southampton intl as Eastleigh? Welcome to the forum Jay. I hope you enjoy your time with us, you’ll find the people friendly and very seldom do we get flame wars unlike some sites.
By: Agent K - 21st December 2007 at 13:51
Welcome aboard. That took me back a bit I lived as a child in Hythe (near SOU) and used to see a whole load of stuff you mention but in the 70’s. Great days and great airplane types to see.
Airplane types flown?, over 40 at last count all Boeings from 707 – 777, All Airbus, DC9, DC10, All recent BAC/BAE types, rare types such as – B17, DC3, F27, Viscount, DB Mercure, various light types and helicopters.
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December 21, 2007 at 1:26 pm