Retro Plane Spotting with Uncle Roger

It's Goodbye from Us and Goodbye from Him

2012-10-05T01:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome,

Unfortunately due to other commitments, and the spiralling cost of insuring Hoskins this will be the final blog.

Thanks for reading over the past year, and if you have had half the fun reading this that we had writing it, we will have had twice as much fun as you.

Uncle Roger, Reggie and Hoskins.

Number 56 in a Never Ending Series

2012-10-01T00:26:00.002-07:00

Number 55 in a Never Ending Series

2012-09-24T00:31:00.001-07:00

Supermarine Scimitar

2012-09-21T07:07:00.001-07:00

Welcome,

today we blow some more dust off the archives and take a look at the Supermarine Scimitar, an often overlooked Naval aircraft built consequently in small numbers, but if you read the Air Pictorial series of the 1950's can be traced through a direct line of development from the Spitfire through laminar flow wings on the Spiteful, to the Attacker and Swift.

XD230 803 squadron

XD 219 736 squadron

XD267 800squadron

XD277 800 squadron

Thats all for now, till next time.

Number 54 in a Never Ending Series

2012-09-17T06:01:00.001-07:00

Invicta Air Cargo

2012-09-14T05:18:00.003-07:00

Welcome,
today we are blowing some more dust off the archives, and go back to the 1960's and take a look at the DC4's / C54's operated by one of the earlier incarnations of the Invicta brand Invicta Air Cargo.

G-ASZT seen at Manston 1966

G-ASEN

G-ASPM

G-ASPN

Thats all till next time.

Number 53 in a Never Ending Series

2012-09-11T00:25:00.001-07:00

Number 52 in a Never Ending Series

2012-09-03T00:26:00.001-07:00

We Are On Holiday

2012-08-17T00:36:00.002-07:00

Number 51 in a Never Ending Series

2012-08-13T00:49:00.001-07:00

Mystery Mosquito's

2012-08-10T06:17:00.002-07:00

Welcome,

Blowing some more dust off the archives I found this picture of some deHavilland Mosquito's presumably in the late 1950's or early 60's awaiting the breakers axe, not that he was going to get much scrap metal out of them. But no indication of date or location, but maybe someone out there recognises the scene.

Number 50 in a Never Ending Series

2012-08-06T00:26:00.001-07:00

B.O.A.C. Colonial Airlines

2012-08-02T06:45:00.000-07:00

Welcome,
Today we are blowing some more dust off the archives, and looking at some of the Airlines set up by B.O.A.C. in the late 1940's and early 1950's to operate regional services linking with trunk routes from England, most of which were operated with loaned B.O.A.C. equipment and crews. All of which disappeared into history along with the British Empire.

Handleypage Hermes G-ALDU in B.O.A.C. colours operating for Kuwait Airways.

Canadair Argonaut G-ALHG in B.O.A.C. colours operating for West African Airways Corporation.

Canadair Argonaut G-ALHU in B.O.A.C. colours operating for Kuwait Airways.

And finally Canadair Argonaut VR-AAR of Aden Airways in B.O.A.C. colours.

And so we leave the archives to gather dust till another day.

Number 49 in a Never Ending Series

2012-07-30T00:38:00.001-07:00

Classic Farnborough

2012-07-27T06:08:00.000-07:00

Welcome,
today we blow some more dust off the archives and return to Farnborough Air Shows of the 1950's with some official Air Ministry (ah remember the days when the man on the air ministry roof would stick his finger in the air, look at a piece of seaweed and give you an accurate weather forecast without the aid of a computer?) photo's of the participants.

Two also rans, the Short Sperrin back up in case the Valiant,Victor and Vulcan didn't work, followed by the Short Seamew contender for the Fairey Gannet programme.

Vickers Valiant WB215.

Straight sweep Avro Vulcan prototype VX770

Vulcan aerodynamic test aircraft Avro 707 WB280

So we return to the air ministry roof to see what this weekends weather will be. Till next time.

Number 48 in a Never Ending Series

2012-07-23T00:45:00.000-07:00

Extreme Aircraft Spotting

2012-07-20T00:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome,
Its April 1982 today we are off on one of the furthest spotting trips possible, to Mount Cook airfield in New Zealand, so you had better bring some extra tea and sandwiches as we going via a Pan American 747 to Auckland then we will drive to Wellington catch an Air New Zealand F27 to Blenheim then drive to Mount Cook via Christchurch. So lets be off as its going to take about 5 days !

So here we are at last, and first up is Mount Cook Airlines Cessna 185 ski plane ZK-CAV used for trips up the mountain to land on a glacier.

Showing the various titles used is Mount Cook Line Islander ZK-MCC as with all aircraft in New Zealand not expected to fly overseas the ZK is not used in the registration marks.

Air Safaris GAF Nomad ZK-NOM.

Air Safaris Pilatus Porter ZK-PTP.

And so as the Mitsubishi Colt roars off back in the direction of Christchurch we say goodbye to Roger and Reggie till next time.

Number 47 in a Never Ending Series

2012-07-16T00:25:00.000-07:00

Right Colours Wrong Name

2012-07-13T02:46:00.002-07:00

Welcome, today you can choose your own mode of transport and camera, as we are looking at aircraft seen at Luton during the 1970's with unusual titles or colours when leased to other airlines.

Its december 1975 lousy day as usual when something unsual happens, and Aer Lingus Boeing 737 EI-ASK arrives in Air Malta colours.

British Midland Viscount 800 G-AZLT with Cyprus Airways titles. This would be taken just after the Greek Turkish war over Cyprus when Nicosia was captured by the Turks so Larnaca was hastily made into the southern airport with a short runway and a few porta cabins, and BMA was subcontacted to operate Cyprus Airways services.

Another lousy day as Britannia Airways Boeing 737 G-BAZG prepares to depart on lease to Yemen Airways.

Seaboard World's DC8 N804SW on lease to IAS.

And finally the ultimate mixture, Eagle Air Iceland's Boeing 720 TF-VLC in Air Malta colours with Britannia Airways titles.

And so we say goodbye to Roger and Reggie till next time.

Number 46 in a Never Ending Series

2012-07-09T00:31:00.000-07:00

International Air Tattoo 1979

2012-07-06T02:25:00.001-07:00

Welcome, It's going to be a tight squeeze to get you all into the MG Midget today, as we head south down the A34 to make a return visit to RAF Greenham Common for the 1979 Air Tattoo. Today we are looking at some of the Military Executive Aircraft used to transport the Scrambled Egg around the world.

First is Convair R4Y-1 141023 of the US Navy.

Beech Kingair 200 31213 of the USAF.

The Lockheed Jetstar 1 was originally designed for a USAF transport / training requirement but first flew as a twin engine aircraft with Rolls Royce Orpheus engines as there was no US engine in that power range, so the change was made to four lower powered units of US origin.

Swearingen Merlin CF05 of the Belgium Airforce

Another aircraft designed for the same USAF requirement as the Jetstar, North American Sabreliner 24461.

And so as the MG Midget roars off up the A34 in a cloud of blue smoke ( I must get those piston rings sorted one day) we bid farewell to Roger and Reggie till nex time.

Number 45 in a Never Ending Series

2012-07-02T06:41:00.001-07:00

Vancouver Beavers

2012-06-28T06:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome, today we return to May 1981, having left the Austin Metro at Heathrow and winged our way across the pond in an Air Canada Tristar 500, we now explore some of the unknown backwaters of Vancouver International.

So here we are at the Domestic terminal and light aircraft maintenance area on the far side of YVR, and find an unusual visitor in Alaska Civil Air Patrol Beaver N5342G.

At the down town seaplane base we see Beaver C-FCQP moored to the landing stage.

Its a little know fact that as well as the international and domestic terminal YVR also has a seaplane terminal.

Here Beaver C-FGCY taxies up to the slipway.

Beaver C-FOCY comes ashore at the YVR seaplane slipway.

And so as the sun sets in the west, Roger and Reggie make their way to the international terminal to board the BA 747 to cross back over the pond.

Number 44 in a Never Ending Series

2012-06-25T00:36:00.002-07:00

The Classics Revisited

2012-06-22T02:59:00.000-07:00

Welcome, today we are scraping the dust off the slide archive to look at some classic airliners and airlines sadly no more to be seen in our skies.

An Airspeed Ambassador of BKS on short finals at an unknown destination.

Another of the BKS fleet this time Bristol Britannia G-ANBK. A little known and nerdy fact is BKS is the initials of the directors surnames Barnaby, Keegan (later of Transmeridian and BAF) and Stevens

Another Britannia this time British Eagle's G-AOVB.

Britannia 102 G-ANBM of Laker Airways.

On short finals to the end of the blog is Invicta International's Vickers Vanguard G-AXOY.

We hope you enjoyed this short walk through the archives and look forward to seeing you next time.