Heathrow Aircraft - past and present.

26/03/2026

From my British Airways News from March 1989. An advert for soon to be retired British Airways pilots approaching 55 to consider flying a “real” aircraft - the refurbished Viscounts with British Air Ferries. 2nd and 3rd photo taken by me one year earlier in 1988 showing G-AOYR looking splendid in BAF livery departing Guernsey. This aircraft itself first flew for BA’s predecessor; BEA in 1958.

20/02/2026

6 years ago today. 20 February 2020. A foul rainy day at Heathrow but I managed to catch “One World” BA 747 G-CIVD departing 27L for sunnier climes - BA 273 to San Diego. I had been spending the previous 12 months filming the entire BA 747 fleet in action - I think I must have had a premonition of something; as just 1 month after this date, we went into COVID lockdown and the entire BA 747 fleet was grounded and (apart from a few repatriation flights in April 2020) never flew commercially again. G-CIVD made its final departure for scrapping on 18 August 2020. Unfortunately during the breakup process it was badly damaged by fire- a sad end to this aircraft.

21/01/2026

Remembering the icon …50 years ago today since the first commercial flight ….

05/09/2025

The Canadair Argonaut was developed from a DC4 airframe with Rolls Royce Merlins substituted for the original radials. BOAC operated the type from 1949 to early 1960; predominantly on Africa and Far Eastern routes. In my 1957 guidebook there are 21 listed as flying - G-ALH- registered. By 1959 2 had left the fleet (G-ALHO and G-ALHE) although they had already largely been withdrawn from use by then. The last Argonaut flight operated by BOAC was in April 1960. The first photo shows G-ALHH (Attica) at Hong Kong in 1950 (image source British Ajrways media).

04/09/2025

The BOAC Stratocruiser featured in my 1956 London Airport guide. “Probably the best known type of aircraft on the North Atlantic route”. Second photo shows the registrations of the 1956 BOAC fleet (DC4; Argonaut; Constellation; Stratocruiser; York and Britannia). Also a “cross section” of the double decked cabin on the Strat - read the caption “As passengers come aboard they are shown to their seats by the cabin staff (three stewards and a stewardess) and offered sweets before the takeoff. Ci******es, books magazines are available when airborne. Cocktails precede a seven course dinner with champagne”. That’s the way to travel!

03/09/2025

3 different covers - my London Airport Guides 1956; 1959 and 1962. The oldest features the Bristol Britannia 175 on the front cover. Inside the description reads “Due to enter service with BOAC in 1956 this is an airliner designed to carry large loads over long distances…..Accommodation can vary from 63 to 92 seats; a nose- wheel undercarriage is fitted”!

28/08/2025

My 1962 guide to London Airport. Look at the number of runways that were used depending on wind direction. Although by 1962 the central area is in operation, you can see on the map that the old passenger building on the north side is still shown - a remnant from the first airport operation post WW2. Love the sentence “Spectators are welcomed at London Airport”. Take a close look at the first picture and you’ll see the number of spectators on the galleries in the Queens’ Building 😢 How things have changed.

01/07/2025

Here’s Pilot Jonny Smith on his first passenger takeoff on the beautiful A350-1000. G-VPRD - VS 45 to New York from a very hot Heathrow - 1st July 25.

15/01/2025

Remember December 2020 - all the rules around “Tiers” and COVID lockdown restrictions? On 9 December Heathrow was in “Tier 3” which enabled me to film Virgin’s 747-400 G-VLIP departing for Las Vegas and onward to Pinal Airpark - where sadly it has remained ever since. 11 days later the PM announced that LHR and much of southern England would move to Tier 4 - in effect bringing a further lockdown in. So glad I got the chance to catch this departure before the spike in Covid cases hit. See the film on YouTube “Heathrow Aircraft”. https://youtu.be/C1brXHFvQD4?si=w_qMtSgZgOnekywz

31/10/2024

5 years ago this week I spent the day catching images of a busy Heathrow, including BOAC retro 747 G-BYGC taxying for departure operating the BA 295 Chicago service. Controversially despite being saved in 2020, the aircraft met its end at the breakers yard in August 2023. https://youtu.be/03glAju7Nzo?si=bVp0tQf20unFuvE_

18/10/2024

Here’s a blast from the past! Ex British Airways Boeing 737-400 G-DOCD is still flying - but now under the registration 9H-ZAZ reconfigured in VIP 72 seat layout, for executive charter company Air Horizont. Take a nostalgic look at this 33 year old “Heathrow Aircraft” filmed departing Farnborough earlier this week.

Here's a blast from the past! Ex British Airways Boeing 737-400 (G-DOCD) is still flying after 33 years! Delivered new to BA in 1991 (I remember the fleet ...