HEATHROW AIRPORT IS 70 YEARS OLD TODAY. . .

[Phil Perry]

I wonder if someone will bake it a cake ?

 

It is suffering a lack of airside staff at the moment following the withdrawal last week, of 330 'Airside' Passes from staff members, stating 'Security' fears. . . . the report did not state the nationality / ethnicity of those staff members whose passes were revoked. . . . but the BBC say it was NTDWI.

 

Happy Birthday LHR. . . .all together now. . . . . .

 

 

[old man emu]

I hope that they start pulling the security passes of the neo-fascists of Sub-continent origin who are bullies at Immigration Control. Not the people who sit behind the desks, I mean the line-up monitors before you get to the desk. After 24 hours in an aluminium tube, you don't need to be treated like sheep anymore.

 

OME

 

Phil, What's NTDWI? I can't translate Cryllic.

 

 

[cooperplace]

nothing to do with it?

 

 

[old man emu]

nothing to do with it?

D'oh!

 

 

[bexrbetter]

I hope that they start pulling the security passes of the neo-fascists of Sub-continent origin who are bullies at Immigration Control. Not the people who sit behind the desks, I mean the line-up monitors before you get to the desk. After 24 hours in an aluminium tube, you don't need to be treated like sheep anymore.

I find the "bag on the floor line up for the sniffer dog" handlers to be the worst.

 

 

[Marty_d]

nothing to do with it?

LOL - I was trying to work it out and thought he meant "nothing to do with islam".

 

 

[pmccarthy]

The best way into Heathrow is to have a medical emergency on the plane and be wheelchaired through priority. It worked for me.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Actually, that was tongue in cheek mate ! . . staff ethnicity was not mentioned, but the bbc knee jerked to point out that it was nothing to do with immigration . . .just in case anyone could have thought it might be.

 

The best way into Heathrow is to have a medical emergency on the plane and be wheelchaired through priority. It worked for me.

You Bloody Cheat !. . . .the last time I came thru there, it took 2 bloody hours in the queue behind a lot of. . . . . others, with 'Interesting' baggage content issues. . . . .

 

 

[Phil Perry]

LOL - I was trying to work it out and thought he meant "nothing to do with islam".

That Mnemonic usually means. . .Nothing to do with Immigrants. . . . ( Or so I have been told. . . ) And if the BBC says so, then it must be right.

 

 

[Birdseye]

I recall when they introduced the 'brown army' of BAA tan uniformed security people at Heathrow, sometimes back in the seventies. Now its not the uniform thats brown.

 

 

[Yenn]

I can remember cycling in the area and it was all farm land. The nearest underground railway was at Hounslow West, end of the line and the transport authorities in their wisdom waited until the eighties I think before they thought about a rail link. By that time it was wall to wall houses.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

I can remember cycling in the area and it was all farm land. The nearest underground railway was at Hounslow West, end of the line and the transport authorities in their wisdom waited until the eighties I think before they thought about a rail link. By that time it was wall to wall houses.

If you recall the series of pics I posted a while ago, of the pretty little yellow Aeronca C3 aircraft, this spent most of 1939 based at Hounslow heath private flying club, which is pretty much where Heathrow is now located.

 

 

[Yenn]

Hounslow is well represented in the old aviation days. I think the England - Australia air racers started from there.

 

 

[Marty_d]

I don't know about all of them, but I know the England - Australia one where the DH-88 "Grosvenor House" won, commenced from Shuttleworth Old Warden at Biggleswade.

 

 

[Yenn]

I had thought that Grosvenor House started from Hounslow, but wrong again. I have seen it at Shuttleworth and I believe it is now flying again. If you ever get the chance go to Shuttleworth, it is a great collection plus it is a working airstrip with maintenance facilities.

 

 

[Marty_d]

I saw it there in 2014, which happened to be the 80th anniversary of its win. Don't think it was flying at that stage. VERY nice airfield / museum though and if there's an airshow on it's spectacular. England at its best.

 

 

[planedriver]

I used to ride my bike there with a mate regularly, and we'd sit on the edge of the field giving scores for the best landings. When you recognized the markings of some the aircraft on finals, you knew that they were unlikely to get a very good score. In those days, there were still quite a number of DC6-Bs being used, and plenty of Comets, Caravelles, BAC111's, Vanguards and Viscounts. But what always gave us a buzz was the ear-splitting sound of the VC10 on full power. The entire ground seemed to shake.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

I don't know about all of them, but I know the England - Australia one where the DH-88 "Grosvenor House" won, commenced from Shuttleworth Old Warden at Biggleswade.

EXCELLENT museum there Marty. . . . there are some superb aircraft and many willing volunteers to keep them maintained in airworthy condition and flown for the public. . . . I volunteered to fly a few of them 25 years back. . .I'm now down to number 12,749 on the volunteer pilot list. . . . .

 

 

[Marty_d]

. . .I'm now down to number 12,749 on the volunteer pilot list. . . . .

Age may not weary them, but I reckon death should shorten the list substantially...

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Sadly true. . . a highly experienced pilot died there a couple of years back when something went wrong with one of the exhibits. . . also, the main source of pilots over the years has been ex - military and civil aviation professionals. . .( hence the waiting list for amateur larrikins. . . ) it would be a heavy responsibility flying classic 'One off' surviving types, hence the museum's obvious preference for the creme de la creme of stick and rudder jockeys.

 

 

[pmccarthy]

A sunny afternoon on the lawn at Shuttleworth has to be the best way a flying tragic could ever spend time. It gets better each visit.