I am honoured to have been posting alongside an ex-Orion flightdeck member.
They were a lovely airline and I flew with them many times, usually from EMA but also from BHX and MAN.

We always took Horizon/Wings holidays which were Orions tour operating arm and they offered quality package holidays. I flew on Orion 732s mainly but also on the 7373s and on occasion an A300. The in-flight service was a joy, and the nice touches such as the boiled sweets very much remembered.

The cabin crew were very friendly as were the flight deck crew. Orion always allowed flight deck visits when appropriate and as a young lad these were very much appreciated.

A lovely company and those stewardesses kinky boots were fab!

My mam used to eye the hosties boots and once asked “where can I get myself a pair of those super boots” but was told they were specially designed for the airline!

Kurmitz, what a brilliant reply. Read it and weep LBA boy and MANAIRPORT MAD some people apreciate my posts and like to wallow in a bit of airline nostalgia. The only reason you dont like them is coz your not old enough to remember the airlines and the times we talk of. I grew up with Orion, DanAir and the like, you grew up with MYT and JMC. Wait till you start shaving before you criticise haha.

Wrong! The 737-200 advanced could make the canaries with a full load even when operating from the most notherly UK airports, as BY and AE frequently did!

The 737-200 which was the staple type of the charter carriers in the 80s was ideal fro this type of destination. It had the range to reach the canaries with full payload and was excellant at short fields. It could get in and out of the smallest holiday airports and because of its integral airstairs it was self-sufficient on the ground. Invaluable at remote airports with limited handling equipment.

The A320 and 737-8 are with over 180 seats now the smallest charter types and arent exactly as suited as the old 732 for destinations such as La Palma.