My First Blackbushe Flight

[alanjohnlew]

Apr 4, 2020 18:39:19 GMT rocky14 said:

The header today not only shows the massive expance of Blackbushe Airport; it also shows how well attired the airline punter was in those days. As a kid I often wondered if I was on the same planet as those that had the spondulicks to fly to imaginary destinations!

My first flight was in 1963 and, even then, flying was so much different to now. Even as kids we were in our best clothes but, then again, you were treated like you really were special. Then again flying was so expensive, I suppose you were. Only kid in my class to fly for at least a couple of years, other than the US Navy officer's daughter. My first flight was a BEA Vanguard Heathrow to Edinburgh January '63. My Dad was working away in Scotland. Deep, deep snow everywhere. The Vanguard, G-APEE , was an incredibly noisy machine, vibrating like mad. Return flight, three days later, by Viscount. Taxied to the runway where the pilot revved the engines like mad as the wheels were stuck behind a chock like rut of frozen snow. Viscount was afar more pleasent aircraft than the Vanguard. When we got home, Mum burst into tears as all the pipes had frozen. Happy days. First light aircraft flight was a Chipmunk, at ATC summer camp at West Raynham, August 1967.

[rocky14]

Mmy first flight, 15 minutes, at Southend: cost 2/6d! My first commercial flight - a charter with Pan Am to the US - was a school trip, staying with families in various states, in 1966. All of us - there were various schools involved - had to wear uniforms, the air hostesses did as well (not school uniform but they looked great nonetheless)! Thinking of school, I must improve my spelling - the 'expanse' of Blackbushe Airport.

[PB]

Thanks for the "comments" guys, very welcome and a big help in warding off a feeling of being rather remote behind the Forum keyboard! Changing times, especially over the last couple of weeks! My too many years in the air transport game have gone from seeing the well dressed business man crossing the big pond in true 'business attire' to flying the same routes today in sandals, shorts, and generally casual and comfortable outfits..not all, of course, but the world of 'upmarket' long haul flying evaporated with the advent of the wide bodies, hundreds of seats and bucket shop prices. The days of luxury travel and VC10derness were still rather special way back when, config of 12/130, no movies, IFE being a plastic tube travelling from the arm rest to the ears. Rather heavy and wearing on the ears, but the music variety was fun if not exactly HiFi...It all seemed so good at the time, the advent of today's (yesterday's?) mega luxury podded air travel for those whose expense account would cover the front rows of 2020 travel was beyond imagination.

A lot has happened since those days in the 1950's when BOAC crew trained at Blackbushe with this noisy new jet called 'Comet'... Mr Whittle's engine and the designers of high Mach airframes were going to change our world. Today an invisible enemy has grounded the world's fleets of airliners.. a sense of concern reaches its cold hands across the imagination as the new global economy perhaps fails to support the world's jet transports as they rest no better than beached whales.

First flights, yes we've all had one..it seems no time at all since that grey Sunday afternoon in March, 1962, when a Piper Colt ascended from Blackbushe and the call of the clouds firmly gripped my senses as 08 slipped behind and amazingly below. Flight into the future would seem to present an open ended question.. My most fervent wish is that Blackbushe continues to take many future aviators into her skies for the first time and subsequently teaches them the fine art of aviation.. There's no finer place for a first flight!!

[ChrisGazzard]

My first Blackbushe flight - 5th April 2009

G-FLBK from Blackbushe to Nice. We were flying a former F1 driver back from Geneva to Blackbushe that evening, and he wanted us to take a framed painting out to him on the “empty leg”. At Blink, there were rarely true empty legs, and in this case his aircraft was positioning in from Nice so we wouldn’t have been able to accommodate him.

But, we hatched a plan. We did have an empty leg from Blackbushe to Nice early that morning. Then, later on his aircraft would arrive in Nice with another customer and position empty to Geneva.

We were told the painting was very valuable, and we didn’t know how secure the area in Nice was, so I travelled with it to Nice, and then spent the day in the FBO looking after it. I flew back on an evening BA flight.

I was later told by the crew who flew the customer that on arrival in Geneva, he unwrapped the “valuable painting” (to give it to a friend dropping him off) revealing it to be a signed poster of his car!

[seniorpapermonitor]

First flight - G-APCY from Blackbushe (unknown date - early 60s) flown by my dad (then British Eagle F/O and one of the founders of the Airlines Flying Group).

[ChrisGazzard]

I thought I would spin these posts off into their own thread.

[b170]

B 170

My first flight was in a Silver City Dekota GAMYx 1954 First commercial flight was in a BEA Ambassador 1957 from Dusseldorf to Heathrow coming home on leave from RAF Bruggen where I was doing my National Service and then later returning in 1958 to Silver City to start work again.

Bob Carter

[exeglkflyer]

My first airliner flight was in a BEA Trident from Heathrow to Malta (via Rome, where if I remember correct the cabin crew changed to Air Malta) in 1974.

My first Blackbushe flight was the same year, a birthday treat for my 10th Birthday, a short pleasure flight in PA28 G-AVLH of Three Counties.
(little did I know then that I would return about 17 years later to complete my PPL).

[rocky14]

Apr 6, 2020 9:55:56 GMT b170 said:

B 170

My first flight was in a Silver City Dekota GAMYx 1954 First commercial flight was in a BEA Ambassador 1957 from Dusseldorf to Heathrow coming home on leave from RAF Bruggen where I was doing my National Service and then later returning in 1958 to Silver City to start work again.

Bob Carter

I think you must head the 'envy list' so far Bob.

[oldgeezer70]

My first flight was also at Southend - it cost 10/- for about 15 mins in a Prentice (I think). I am either younger than Rocky14 or they saw me coming.