Here are a few more postcard images from yesterday’s Heathrow.
The Queen’s Building viewing area . I think probably circa 1962-63 as there are many Vanguards but no Tridents. The Vanguard has the ‘later’ large BEA square on the fin.
Also from a fashion point of view notice that no females are wearing trousers – all in dresses and skirts! This photo tells us more about those times than just the aeroplanes in use. I guess this gives insight into why BEA publically refused to hire women as pilots! We have come so far since then.
The north tunnel entrance, I suspect probably circa 1962-63 because of the Vanguard again, which I believe was originally introduced with small BEA square livery but this one has the larger Comet 4B tail scheme.
The airport overview. I suspect probably circa 1972 or 73 because although there is a Biman 707 in the (as it was back then) Hotel stands, there appears to be a BOAC 707 and a BEA Trident in the background. But if the Trident is actually BA with basic BEA livery then I would say 1974.
And my date assessments probably put me out of my depth again. 😉
VeeOne….that BOAC 707 on the crossing looks like G-AXXZ (a pax only variant, too!) which was the last 707 BOAC received (1970?).Did you ever pilot one? I like Travolta’s 707 coupe!
As I remember it, that road was not accessible to the public or their cars in the 40s and early 50s and the only way the public could get a look at the hangar area was on the bus-trips which ran from the public enclosures/Queens Building. When London Transport 90B/140 started running on that road (ca.1955?) things loosened up and the arrival of the cargo village around 1969 made the use of the South Perimeter Road commonplace, but I suspect they were never designated as public roads.I think the crossing was closed in March 2006 and traffic routed to the East of the hangars
I would have loved very much to have had the chance to fly a 707. I have always rather liked it.
Here is a chart of LAP 1960 and it shows the perimeter road going east of the BOAC maintenance base (as it does today).
The first time I ever visited LAP was as a child on a family visit during summer holidays. We drove through the BEA/BOAC bases using the through-road route on a 286 bus from Feltham, I believe. My recollection was of seeing what I know know was the BOAC maintenance Argonaut, a lot of British Eagle aeroplanes including a 707 in a hanger. I think British Eagle had just gone bust. On another visit we went on a rail-air bus from Ashford which routed through the southern tunnel, restricted to normal traffic at that time.
I am amazed I have never noticed the older Boeing 707 jets did not have leading edge slats!
This bunch I photographed in 1983 when overhead USAF Fairford must have been some of the very first Boeing 707s produced. I think the longer -320C variant looks nicer. These KC 135 jets have short fuselages ahead of the wing and the trailing edge of the main wing is straight, rather than jinked like the later passenger jets. I bet the engines are underpowered too!
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