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The following
amazing photographs and notes on Northolt visitors in the early 1960's
have been kindly supplied by Dave Gardiner.
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USAF VC-121 37885 Columbine III This ex-presidential aircraft used to visit quite frequently. This photo was taken in Farnborough week 1962 parked on runway 31, which was being used for parking. I think this was because 31 was closed due to w.i.p installing new lights on 26. (this aircraft now forms part of the Presidential exhibit at the USAF museum, Wright Patterson AFB near Dayton, Ohio. It is possible to walk through it as I did a couple of years ago! - Malcolm) |
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This was taken by R.Cook . I seem to remember he cycled through the Western Avenue gate at high speed, took the photo and shot back out again before the guards had time to react. If he tried that today, I hate to think of the consequences! This a/c was an occassional visitor around 1960, and I think there were sometimes different ones as well, but I have lost my logbook so I can't tell you what the serials were. |
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One of the many and varied FAF visitors we used to see. There were regular Noratlas, C47, C45, Flamant, Bretagne visits and less regular B26, Deux Ponts, Neptune, Corse, C54. |
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Another fairly regular FAF visitor |
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Many of the UK based USAF wings had a Beaver for liaison flights. They were quite frequent visitors, |
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Taken in 1962-64 when I had got my first 35mm camera. These a/c were weekly vistors twice every Tuesday when they would clear customs inbound to and outbound from Tarrant Rushton (where Flight Refuelling had a contract to maintain BAF F-84's). |
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There were literally hundreds of USAF C-47s in Europe, most of which would visit Northolt either regularly or occassionally. The UK based ones were quite common, but this was one of the most colourful. Taken in Farnborough week 1962 |
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A good example of the dozens of US based C54s which used to visit in many and varied colour schemes. The badge behind the cockpit looks like AFFTC Edwards AFB to me. |
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What the photo does show is that Wingfield Way used to be a great place for photos before they shut that taxiway. A small telephoto lens would have been perfect. |
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This almost touched down in the field before the road but just managed to crawl over the hedge. The photo was taken from further away than usual because I started running from an impending accident. Date, about 1964 when these a/c were quite regular vistors. Before the C130's were delivered, C54 and C47 used to visit a few times a year.John Davison suggests that the date may have been 30/10/64. |
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This a/c in particular visited quite a few times around 1964. Other a/c followed later, but I will always remember everybodies amazement the first time it landed, when many of us didn' t know USCG aircraft ever came to the UK. John Davison suggests that the date may have been 6/6/63. |
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Not very interesting aircraft, but I included this to show the crowds of spotters around the traffic lights. The photo is undated but I suspect it must have been Farnborough week in 1963/64, when anything up to 100 spotters would have been there. The more typical number during school holidays was probably about 10.( All day every day!) |
Some additional notes on the above have been received, thanks to Peter Norris:
Great bunch of Pictures here's a few comments:
C-45
447294 - could have been taken Farnborough Monday 1964
07/09/64
when it landed at 1516 c/s F UJGO
C-45 BA68 - visited same week 09/09/64
C-54 49093 - confirm assigned to AFFTC. (it has also been suggested that this is an AFSC badge - Malc)
C-119
CP-12 - Belgian Packets actually visited twice a week for many years
Tuesday
& Thursdays Brussels-Northolt-Tarrant Rushton and reverse
so
a double dose of great noise
U-6
& C-47 - 50TFW was based at Hahn, Germany Their F-100s had
the same fin
marks
and looked very smart
C-130
USCG -. USCG C-54's have also visited Northolt many years before,
details
to follow, we also had USCG C-123s in 65 & 66
Pembroke
XK884 - no Farnborough in 1963 so if its 1964 I am probably down in
that
crowd !!!
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