wessex boy
June 17, 2014 at 11:20 pm

Southend Memories

I have been going through a lot of my Late Father’s stuff (Gooney Bird of this parish) and scanning some of his photos of Southend, Ipswich and other airfields of the ’60s. There is also some nice Channel Airways publicity photos and press cuttings plus some other bits and pieces including a load of Viking Maintenance Logbooks (I have put some of those on eBay) and a few CofA’s including that of G-ARYY which my 11 year old Son has put with the Model of the DC4 that he inherited from Dad.
I have put a lot of these on the Southend facebook page already, so apologies for the repetition if you have seen them already

My Dad in his first job; to pay for his PPL at Ipswich, he is far left:

Channel Viking Postcard:

Channel Freighter:

Classic approach Shots!

Channel Vikings:

Channel-owned Austers:

G-ARYY I think my favourite of the Channel Fleet and his Cof A:

My son is keeping the full set of Logbooks for this Viking!

I have the Logbooks for this airframe as well, we always planned a family trip to Brooklands to hand them over, but Dad got too ill, so we will do it this summer. This photo of G-AGRU was taken on my parent’s Honeymoon!!

Hawker Siddeley’s artist impression of a 748 in Channel Colours:

Handover ceromony for the first 748 (Channel’s first brand new aircraft) My Grandfather is far left:

Actual Channel 748:

My Grandfather trying to get his Selhyam Terrier ‘Warren’ to pose on a 748’s nosewheel!

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By: wessex boy - 5th July 2014 at 18:13

Thanks chaps, I will do some more scanning and posting over the coming weeks. I am focusing on going through the old Viking maintenance logbooks and putting some on ebay at the moment. Amazing how the Vikings came out of the factory with 26 seats, got upgraded to 34 by putting lighter seats in and then Channel squeezed another 6 in to take it up to 40!!

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By: WJ244 - 5th July 2014 at 15:53

Great pictures which brought back some memories. I was 12 in 1967 when I paid my first visit to the airport and my cycle ride home often included a stop near the church to watch the Carvairs and Viscounts on finals.

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By: AlanR - 2nd July 2014 at 22:20

Great thread loved it. My mum was a stewardess for Channel 1966-69 so really enjoyed seeing these

Steve

So was my sister Steve, although maybe a few years later.

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By: PeterVerney - 2nd July 2014 at 21:02

I remember going on honeymoon to Jersey in 1957 from Ipswich. First leg was to Southend in a Dove, and from there to Jersey in a Bristol Wayfarer (passenger version of Frightener, and just as noisy and uncomfortable). The return flight was memorable for the three approaches to Ipswich before the pilot could trust himself to hit the ground.

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By: 8674planes - 2nd July 2014 at 14:26

Just seen on one of the airport group facebook pages that the old BAC 1-11 that was parked over the North Side of the airfield was towed over to the Northern Hangars yesterday. Presumably for scrapping 🙁

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By: Steve Newman - 2nd July 2014 at 14:18

Great thread loved it. My mum was a stewardess for Channel 1966-69 so really enjoyed seeing these

Steve

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By: wessex boy - 19th June 2014 at 11:01

Thanks Rochford

Here are some of the Postcards Dad had of Southend:

This one is interesting as I had to double-take but it is a Continental 707 rather than Channel….

But it does give us an insight into this image in the 21st anniversary Brochure:

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By: Arabella-Cox - 18th June 2014 at 19:18

I knew Richard – we were contempories. Sorry he has left us early. I have the hours and minutes from Angus Logbook of that Cyprus flight.

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By: wessex boy - 18th June 2014 at 14:51

Thanks for the Correction Rochford! That was the one that took a load of Kids to Cyprus, wasn’t it? that must have been quite a trip!

Saying that, one of the sets of Viking logbooks that I have shows that it spent a couple of years travelling between Blackbushe and Tripoli which must have taken quite a few hours each way!

Speaking of Vikings, here is a set of rather sad looking ones:

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By: Arabella-Cox - 18th June 2014 at 14:06

Their first brand- new plane was actually the Aerovan G-AJKM – yes I remember it!

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By: Mr Merry - 18th June 2014 at 10:03

Great thread, thanks:eagerness:

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By: wessex boy - 18th June 2014 at 09:29

Thanks all, I will either start new threads or add to existing ones with some photos from Sywell, Ipswich and his time in the Met Office at Cardington

meanwhile here are some more Southend:

Handover of first 111 to Channel, my Grandfather is on the Left:

Channel Viscounts, I have some CofAs for these, including the one who’s cockpit is at Stuttgart (G-AVHE) so will give it to themn next time I am there: