Gatwick - on the grass ! added

[LondonEye]

When I first started at Gatwick in 1971, the viewing area was on top the southernmost pier. Oh for a decent camera then.
The single terminal (now referred to as Southern) was still being fully developed. If you exited to the north, you came to the GA area.
There was a large patch of grass there, and you could be up close watching, if you behaved. These pictures were taken in that area.

First up, a few airliners.


IL18 Tarom YR-IMA 1 Gatwick


BAC111 Dan-Air G-ATVH Gatwick


Caravelle SATA HB-ICO Gatwick


HS748 Dan-Air G-ASPL 2 Gatwick


DC3 Mercy Airlift N180WT Gatwick



SC7 Skyvan G-ASZJ Gatwick



Then there were often a couple of biz-jets.



Learjet 35 D-CONA Gatwick


Sabre 75 HB-VEC Gatwick (2)


Jetcommander N77NR Gatwick


Falcon 20 N12GH Gatwick


HS125 G-BJCB Gatwick


Citation 500 EC-CCY Gatwick


Citation 500 PH-SAW Gatwick


Citation 500 HB-VEX 1 Gatwick



Things would go through on delivery.



SC7 Skyvan Oman AF 916 G-BDBT 1 Gatwick


SC7 Skyvan PK-PSK Gatwick



This helicopter went to British Airways.



Sikorsky S-58 N18825 Gatwick



Getting close to the light aircraft helped my knowledge. I carried my Ian Allan “Light Plane Recognition” price 5 shillings ( 25p).



Mu-2 N77TM Gatwick


Cessna 337 HB-LHE Gatwick


Cessna 310 OE-FYL Gatwick


PA-36 Pawnee N82389 Gatwick


Ac680 N2755A Gatwick


Ac500 BAA G-BCLK Gatwick



Sometimes you would see training flights by Lufthansa, Sabena and Martinair.



Beech King Air Lufthansa D-ILHA 1 Gatwick



My only civil Beech Twin Bonanza.


Beech Twin Bonanza N1421G Gatwick



Finally, who would enjoy seeing a Beagle Pup at Gatwick now ?



B121 Pup G-AXFZ Gatwick



Any other early memories of Gatwick ?

[Nighthawke]

Wow - nostalgia by the bucket load with some rocking horse droppings too - fantastic stuff.

[acw367]

Wow - just wow!!!!!

[niallsaviation]

WOW...Fantastic photos

Back when LGW was a great airport to go to both for planespotting and to fly in and out.

Its such a pity and mind boggling as to why the powers that run it now have let it turn into one of the worst airports to travel from in the UK(My Opinion)

Dont even get me started on how unfriendly it is to spotters these days

[LondonEye]

Thank you all.
Here are two more that I was thinking of posting. Rubbish pictures by todays standards, but special memories.
Both puzzled me on the days.
The first is a MS760 Paris biz-jet, Italian I-FINR, a rare civil.
Second is a Potez 840 F-BMCY. I believe only four were built. This later crashed at Sumburgh in 1981.
Hope it triggers a few more memories.
Pete.


MS760 Paris I-FINR 7-8-1972 Gatwick


Potez 840 F-BMCY 30-12-1971 Gatwick

[Mike]

Wow! What a great collection of shots from Gatwick and this is just like what I remember from my first visits there in the early seventies, such a shame that the place is so unfriendly to spotters now.

Fantastic

[Paultojo]

Fantastic stuff Pete

[waghorn41]

Absolutely wonderful! Anyone know what the Vickers Aircraft 'plane is behind the Ac680 N2755A ?

[Mike]

Absolutely wonderful! Anyone know what the Vickers Aircraft 'plane is behind the Ac680 N2755A ?

It looks like a PA-31 Navajo.

[LondonEye]

I can confirm that as G-BEVK PA-31.350
Thanks again all.
Pete.

[Stug298]

WOW what a fantastic collection that is takes me right back and any picture with a BIA Herald in is fine by me...thank you..

[andygolfer]

what a superb piece of aviation nostalgia and history - thanks Pete that really brings back memories of walking round that fence, nobody took any notice of spotters there - possibly because everybody behaved and weren't perceived as any potential threat whereas these days everybody is considered a risk.

I've got some photos that I took there - nowhere as good as your's mind but similar subjects and what a joy it was to walk round that fence never knowing what to expect.

Post of the year and it's only 3rd January???

thanks again
Andy

[STRATOCRUISER]

What a great memory jerker!
I always loved the Bizjet and light aviation park.
I fondly remember the Mercy Airlift Dak and if I am not mistaken, the H-34 was one of a few ex Heeresflieger machines that ended up at nearby Redhill.
The Potez 840 was a regularly OTT my home in Bournemouth and like so many other airframes, they were almost dismissed at the time; goodness how I wish I could turn back the time and appreciate all those photogenic birds
Thanks for sharing your superb pics

[Mancman2]

Thanks for posting these. Brings back memories of finishing the day at Gatwick after Biggin Hill or Farnborough after coming down from Manchester. A quick visit to the grass area and then fall asleep in the terminal until it was time to catch the coach back North.

Here's a shot through the fence after visiting Biggin Hill in 1977.

I-FIMI Learjet 35 May 1977 Gatwick by Andy Bird, on Flickr