Glasgow’s first wide bodies
Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2023 5:46 am
Yes way back in 1972 a Lockheed TriStar N305EA operating a demonstrator flight carrying the logos of BEA,a launch customer, and Court Line Aviation, the country’s foremost Inclusive Tour airline.
The Court Line pair carried the first of a new series of aircraft registrations in the UK: G-BAAA and G-BAAB. The former wore the three tone yellow colour scheme, the latter three tone pink and was christened, unofficially, The Pink Lady. They didn’t operate regular flights from Glasgow however AA did operate Ad hoc charters, one of which was to Frankfurt carrying Scottish supporters to the World Cup in Germany in Spring1974.
Their normal abode was Luton Airport where a large tent, marquee, was erected to host check in thus alleviating an overcrowded terminal. Flights to Corfu, Ibiza, Palma and Pisa featured amongst other destinations: 400 passengers arriving in some of these smaller airports caused operational headaches. Therefore Court introduced a first- rear air stairs- which allowed speedier disembarkation: rather like the Ryanair front and back steps modus operandi today.
I understand that Laker Airways who chose the rival DC10 operated a demonstration flight from Glasgow in late 1972 although I didn’t see it:probably it was a school day. They flew from Prestwick to Toronto and New York although their base was at Gatwick and like Court Line both were involved in operations from Berlin Tegel and also Gatow for RAF trooping flights.
Short lived Court Line brought a splash of welcome colour to Glasgow’s grey skies flying to Alicante, Gerona, Palma and Rome during summer1973 with green, yellow and pink BAC1-11 series 500 aircraft.
It always stuck in my throat that BEA, at that time a state owned, subsidised and strike ridden company were given subsidies to operate 1-11 aircraft whilst independent profitable airlines were not. At that time the BAC1-11 was the charter industry benchmark aircraft being used by BEA, British CaledonianAirways, Court Line, Dan Air London and Laker Airways rather like the Boeing 737 was to be during the1980s.
The Court Line pair carried the first of a new series of aircraft registrations in the UK: G-BAAA and G-BAAB. The former wore the three tone yellow colour scheme, the latter three tone pink and was christened, unofficially, The Pink Lady. They didn’t operate regular flights from Glasgow however AA did operate Ad hoc charters, one of which was to Frankfurt carrying Scottish supporters to the World Cup in Germany in Spring1974.
Their normal abode was Luton Airport where a large tent, marquee, was erected to host check in thus alleviating an overcrowded terminal. Flights to Corfu, Ibiza, Palma and Pisa featured amongst other destinations: 400 passengers arriving in some of these smaller airports caused operational headaches. Therefore Court introduced a first- rear air stairs- which allowed speedier disembarkation: rather like the Ryanair front and back steps modus operandi today.
I understand that Laker Airways who chose the rival DC10 operated a demonstration flight from Glasgow in late 1972 although I didn’t see it:probably it was a school day. They flew from Prestwick to Toronto and New York although their base was at Gatwick and like Court Line both were involved in operations from Berlin Tegel and also Gatow for RAF trooping flights.
Short lived Court Line brought a splash of welcome colour to Glasgow’s grey skies flying to Alicante, Gerona, Palma and Rome during summer1973 with green, yellow and pink BAC1-11 series 500 aircraft.
It always stuck in my throat that BEA, at that time a state owned, subsidised and strike ridden company were given subsidies to operate 1-11 aircraft whilst independent profitable airlines were not. At that time the BAC1-11 was the charter industry benchmark aircraft being used by BEA, British CaledonianAirways, Court Line, Dan Air London and Laker Airways rather like the Boeing 737 was to be during the1980s.
