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Post by okami on Jan 28, 2010 15:28:48 GMT -5
Disclaimer: This picture-story displays some historical inaccuracies. The Glasgow airport scenery is that of Renfrew, which actually closed in May 1966. Also, the Gatwick scenery reflects the situation at the airport in 1961 - in 1966, both the terminal and runway had been expanded. I hope you won't mind these inaccuracies.It's the summer of 1966, and Yoke Fox of ACE Scotland is being prepared at Glasgow Airport for a charter flight to the Med. The destination is the ever-so-popular Palma, the ideal spot for those soggy Glaswegians to dry. The passengers are boarding the plane, looking forward to the holiday at foreign, sunny shores: Although you'll always see that the day you leave on a holiday to the sun, the sun shows itself at home... ;D That's a BEA Vanguard taxying past, by the way. A short while later, Yoke Fox has taken off to the South. It's not a direct flight, though - we're going to take on some additional holidaymakers at Gatwick Airport. Little over an hour later, we arrive at Gatwick, which is bustling with activity. After picking up a couple more passengers - and a relief crew as well for the homeward leg - , Yoke Fox takes off again... ... turns South... ... and leaves London behind it: Minutes later, we cross the South Coast of England, and head out over the Channel: Soon, we climb through 10000 feet and change frequencies. Control calls us, and asks us to make a turn to the left... ... followed by another one to the right: Having established us on their radars, they guide us further on our journey. We'll leave our Scottish friends here, but not before wishing them a pleasant trip!
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Post by Defender on Jan 29, 2010 15:59:01 GMT -5
....................and then back to Prestwick Scotland for some touch and go's. The scenery is a heavily edited version of Iain Gallacher's excellent present day addon. The hanger on the left was originally built as a pavilion for the 1938 Empire Exhibition in Glasgow 30 miles away then dismantled and rebuilt for Scottish Aviation. In the right background is the MATS base. We had a resident USAF Air Rescue Squadron (the 67th) with SC-54's and SA(HU)-16's and a constant stream of USAF/USN traffic en route Frankfurt/US. These were the days. Bill
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Post by Connie Flyer on Jan 30, 2010 11:35:32 GMT -5
Like the last one best. Good job
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Post by okami on Jan 30, 2010 12:04:22 GMT -5
....................and then back to Prestwick Scotland for some touch and go's. The scenery is a heavily edited version of Iain Gallacher's excellent present day addon. The hanger on the left was originally built as a pavilion for the 1938 Empire Exhibition in Glasgow 30 miles away then dismantled and rebuilt for Scottish Aviation. In the right background is the MATS base. We had a resident USAF Air Rescue Squadron (the 67th) with SC-54's and SA(HU)-16's and a constant stream of USAF/USN traffic en route Frankfurt/US. These were the days. Bill Hi Bill, that's a very nice picture. And it reminds me, you had mentioned working on that scenery. I've still got some stuff, but my computer trouble mean I haven't been able to work a lot with afcad lately. Even those few screenshots demand an awful lot on my failing computer: it took just a tad less than 5 minutes loading all of the textures for that picture of Yoke Fox over Gatwick... :/
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Post by Defender on Jan 31, 2010 16:21:24 GMT -5
Ha, yes, my screenshot was a thinly disguised attempt at generating interest in creating a proper retro Prestwick. It had surely the most exotic terminal building anywhere, an 18th Century mansion house with a control tower on the roof! Could be a challenge, even for Sketchup. BEFORE AFTER Let's swap notes on Prestwick once you get the PC up and going again. Good luck. My Connie shot. I read in a photography book once that there are only two times in a day to shoot scenery, just after sunrise and just before sunset. It's good advice. Nice subject helps too! Bill
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Post by okami on Jan 31, 2010 16:37:57 GMT -5
It probably also had one of the more complex and confusing runway layouts of any airport - mostly because it partially overlapped another airfield. From what I read, after the 03/21 runway had been constructed in the middle of the 1950s, the 03-end of that runway overlapped with the 25-end of the 07-25 runway of RAF Ayr. With both airports previously having an 07-25 runway (Prestwick's became disused upon the completion of its 03/21), it completely puzzles me pilots didn't get confused between the two of them - or between both airports' 13/31 runways, for that fact...
And then there was that other oddity own to Prestwick, with a public road running across its 13/31 runway...
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