LHR was a major European gateway for BOS, JFK, MIA, IAD, ORD, SEA, SFO & LAX. Onward eastbound was serviced by PA002. (PA001/002 was basically JFK to LAX and back – but the LONG way round. Notable stops being Istanbul, Tehran, Beirut, Delhi, Bangkok, and Hong Kong.)

Interestingly,a hangover from WWll was that Lufthansa could not operate into Berlin (I think I have that correct). Pan Am operated what was essentialy a feeder airline called the Internal German Service (I.G.S.) operating 727’s based in Berlin or possibly FRA. They operated all over Europe connecting through LHR.

Jethro:

Us too! We also flew on the ‘Maid’ operating PA 103. Our Purser for that flight was a friend of my Wife’s. She was killed on that fateful day just three weeks later.

PA’s London base was a tight-knit and friendly group. Many of the PA Flight Attendants, Passenger and Ground Crews remain at LHR with UAL to this day.

N747PA

I don’t want to start another thread but what ever happened to the first 747 – I think it was Pan Am’s “Clipper Juan Trippe”, N747PA. Hopefully it is in some museum and not the AZ desert.

Certainly ‘Lockerbie’ must have been a blow to Pan Am but the lack of planning and know-how connected with their entry into the unregulated domestic market and their associated purchase of National Airlines was a major factor. The ill-advised purchase of the Braniff rights into South America must also be considered as being another blunder.

GreekDude: What book are you referring to? Has there been one published recently?

Tim.

My wife and many of our friends put in decades of service with this fine, but fallen, airline. Some of them moved on to to UA, others to DL, and a couple to QF but all seem to agree that: Pan Am provided a service up to a standard whereas other Airlines now provide service down to a price.

I was flying SFO – LHR in December. Sitting next to me was a very well travelled businessman. We were chatting and he commented that: “Dollars to donuts these guys are all ex-Pan Am.” (He was right, and it showed.)

Originally posted by Hand87_5
Tim , congratulations for your Logo.
The best one in aviation history 🙂

Thanks! My wife was with them from the early 70’s until 1986. A fine Company destroyed greedily by a corporate raider posing as a rescuer. He put scores of thousands of employees on the streets – jobless and with little or no pension and then personnally bought (not a house, not a hotel, but….) a whole island in the Caribbean!

Not that we are bitter-and-twisted or anything!!! Haaaaa!

Thank God for United!

LHR

Just a few years ago the parallel runways were 28L & R and 10L & R. As Magnetic North moves very slowly over the years; the numbers of all runways will eventually change. I must assuime that LHR’s were changed as the heading changed from 275 Mag. to 274 Mag.

I think I have that right.

And I feel the runner-up should be the De Havilland (or Hawker Siddeley?)

Trident lll

A beautiful aircraft but …….. Why did they offset the nose gear? (That must have caused awful difficulties when trying to manoeveur into gate areas in all but UK airports.)