Ok, heres one for all you York fanatics out there… Im trying to find the identity of the Avro York my father flew from Egypt to Malta on in July 1953.
He was flying home from being stationed in the canal zone with No3 Survey Regiment, Royal Engineers and should have flown on to Stanstead from Malta. However shortly after take off from Luqa the starboard outer Merlin decided not to play anymore and burst in to flames, and after circling for an hour or so over the med they landed back at Luqa… The incident has always amused my father as shortly before the fire, the passenger next to him looked out the window and commented that it was a good sign when you could see the wings flapping…
Anyway I’ve always been intrigued as to the identity of the York in question, so if anyone can shed some light we’d both be very grateful!
Zeb
By: David Rayment - 18th July 2008 at 17:37
Sorry for the delay in replying – only just joined! My Father, the late Capt G D Rayment lost number 4 on 19/7/53 on a Luqa to Stanstead flight in Skyways York ‘HFE, but I see he finished the flight to Stanstead OK, so I am sorry it’s probably not your flight!
David
By: BSAA1947 - 14th February 2008 at 08:23
Keith, Thanks very much for the kind words about our book. Just a minor correction in case anyone tries to follow the link above, the website address is www.flywiththestars.co.uk .
Kind regards,
Ian Ottaway
By: keithnewsome - 9th February 2008 at 08:29
Flying-A, Yes excellent book, if you havn’t already found it, supurb details at their website. Keith.
By: Flying-A - 9th February 2008 at 05:11
I have looked at the excellent fleet history in Susan and Ian Ottaway’s brilliant book “Flying With The Stars”
Thanks for mentioning this book, keithnewsome. I wasn’t aware of it before and now it’s high on my shopping list. I’ve been interested in BSAA since reading about STENDEC, Star Tiger, and Star Ariel. A small airline with a lot of misfortune during a brief life.
Zeb: Civil Airliners Since 1946 by Kenneth Muson has a beautiful color profile of a Skyways York.
By: DaveF68 - 5th February 2008 at 17:09
Dave F86, Yes good thought, I have looked at the excellent fleet history in Susan and Ian Ottaway’s brilliant book “Flying With The Stars” and it would appear that some yorks carried on using trooping serials untill at least 1955 ? In the MW and WW prefix, thats as far as I can go at the mo, so over to you ! Keith.
My copy of the BARG serials list with dates is elsewhere at the moment – anyone got the Air Britain volumes?
These serials were applied for one off trips, so finding which was applied at that time should help
By: Zebedee - 5th February 2008 at 12:14
Hi folks…
Thanks for the replies so far, spoke to my dad again today and he assures me it was a Skyways bird. From showing him the aerial view of Malta on Google Earth it looks like it might have been T’Kali, but im not sure…
Zeb
By: merlin70 - 5th February 2008 at 08:37
A couple of Yorks landed at T’Kali by mistake. They had been inbound to Luqa but found T’kali on the same heading. The runway was not long enough for them to take off again and they simply left them there. Can’t recall there eventual fate.
By: Arabella-Cox - 5th February 2008 at 08:01
A few I snapped through the 50s but most by this time were air freighters and few pax were carried, I will ask the lads on Luqa if they recall this incident on my forum
http://www.webshots.com/search?query=hastingsgan+york&new=1&source=chromeheader
By: keithnewsome - 5th February 2008 at 00:22
Dave F86, Yes good thought, I have looked at the excellent fleet history in Susan and Ian Ottaway’s brilliant book “Flying With The Stars” and it would appear that some yorks carried on using trooping serials untill at least 1955 ? In the MW and WW prefix, thats as far as I can go at the mo, so over to you ! Keith.
By: DaveF68 - 4th February 2008 at 23:36
Were they still using military serials for trooping flights in 1953? Might help identify it
By: keithnewsome - 4th February 2008 at 23:16
Or maybe this one which is Scottish Airways at Luqa ? ran off runway following an attempt to start an engine by windmilling the prop !
By: keithnewsome - 4th February 2008 at 22:23
Zebedee, This could be a long haul, almost all aviation databanks only list “fatal” accidents ? Morbid though this may be, survivable accidents don’t make the news !
If this flight was heading for Stansted (check the spelling) then it must have been operated by one of the following operators of yorks at that time :-
Air Charter, doubtfull, as most of their trooping was to Woomera or Christmas Island.
Skyways of London, very possible as they “lost” two yorks at Luqa ! and were heavily involved with trooping flights.
Scottish Airways, also very possible, well experienced at dropping yorks out of the sky allover the place !
Would this pic bring back any memories, Skyways.
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February 4, 2008 at 9:00 pm