Liverpool Airport
LIVERPOOL: Civil major regional airport (The earlier SPEKE airport is situated close by and listed seperately)
Now known as LIVERPOOL JOHN LENNON AIRPORT
Note: All pictures by the author unless specified.
ICAO Code: EGGP IATA code: LPL
Picture notes:This picture was taken on the 12th October 1992 when ATC kindly granted us permission for a low pass at right angles to runway 09 before carrying out a 270º orbit to land. In the bottom left hand corner the taxiway connecting the modern airport to the old SPEKE airport can be clearly seen.
Operated by: 1990: Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority
2000: Liverpool Airport plc
Activities: Airline, air freight, charter, GA charter, business, private
Note: This easyJet Airbus A320 is seen departing from the Aeropuerto de Gran Canaria (Canary Islands) in January 2016.
British airline users: Air Anglia, British Eagle, British Midland Airways, Cambrian, Channel Express, Dan-Air, easyJet, Emerald Airways, Flybe, Gill Aviation, Jersey European Airways, Loganair, Manx Airlines, Monarch Airlines, Starways, Thomson fly
Visits by Concorde
This picture from a postcard was kindly sent by Mike Charlton who has an amazing collection. See - www.aviationpostcard.co.uk
It appears that the first arrival by Concorde was by Air France on the 26th April 1979 and thousands turned up to witness the arrival. Another visit was arranged for the next year - once again by Air France on the 30th March 1980.
It seems that the next visit, by a BA (British Airways) Concorde was three years later, on the 24th of September 1983. Two years later, on the 6th of April 1985, another Air France Concorde made a visit, and in 1986 three Concorde visits were arranged.
From 1987 through to 1999, except for 1990 it seems, each year a visit by Concorde was arranged.
Foreign airlines: Aer Lingus, Air Malta, Futura, Intersun, Maersk Air, Ryanair, Wizz Air
Cargo, charter: Aer Turas, Air Bridge Carriers, Air Gregory, Alidair, British Air Ferries, British Westpoint, Emerald Airways, Euroair, HeavyLift, TNT International,
Flying club/school: Cheshire Air Training School, Liverpool Flying School, Ravenair (Cheshire Flying Services), Southport and Merseyside Aero Club
Helicopter ops: Helicentre
Military user: U.S. Army
Location: S of A561, 6.5nm SE of Liverpool
Period of operation: 1966 to -
Note: This map is reproduced with the kind permission of Pooleys Flight Equipment Ltd. Copyright Robert Pooley 2014.
Runway: 1990/2000: 09/27 2286x46 hard
NOTES: This modern airport superseded SPEKE airport which was situated just to the NW. At one point there was a taxiway leading from SPEKE to LIVERPOOL. See illustration.
In early 1978 LIVERPOOL airport suddenly became a focus of attention for British Midland Airways and to quote Capt B G Cramps book : “The announced plans were big indeed; BMA were prepared to base three Viscounts and one DC9 at Speke. Five daily fights to London were envisaged, together with two to Belfast, three to the Isle of Man, one to Dublin, four to the Channel Islands and one to Glasgow. Summer services could provide more flights on the Cork, Channel Islands and Isle of Man routes. Additionally it was hoped to operate scheduled services from Speke to Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Brussels.”
It seems these plans came to nought. Hardly surprising I suppose as Liverpool was, by that time, a ‘sink city’ determined to destroy itself aided and abetted by the Trade Unions. I was a frequent visitor and watched this happen and, at the time saw no future whatsoever for Liverpool. Without any doubt the Trade Unions achieved their aims to destroy Liverpool as a major UK port.
In 2013 I visited the city again and the change was utterly remarkable. It still has a way to go to equal the quality of, for example, other major British and European cities, but, it is well on its way. It really is re-inventing itself and becoming really quite attractive with a lot to offer.
U.S. ARMY FLIGHTS
It appears that after BURTONWOOD closed down, in the 1980s (and possibly later?) U.S. Army Beech C-12s were regular visitors from the Coleman Barracks in Germany. The obvious question is of course – why? What interests did the U.S. Army have in this region?
PRIVATE FLYING
In 2006 the Liverpool Flying School were offering two unusual types of aircraft to train on. Apart from three PA-38 Tomahawks and two PA-28-180s they were also operating a DHC.1 Chipmunk, and, a Boeing Stearman PT-17 Kaydet. The latter, probably wisely, being available only for dual flights - with an instructor. The only other flying school Stearman operator in 2006, (also offering dual flights only), appeared to be the Touchdown Aero Centre at OLD BUCKINGHAM in NORFOLK. My one and only delightful Stearman flight, (including aerobatics), was from COMPTON ABBASS with the display pilot John Griffin back in 1995.
LIVERPOOL AIRPORT PICTURES
On our 1992 for Ian Allan to produce two books involving British airports, Liverpool was of course a must. For my book most of the pictures had to be in B&W, but I did have another camera body loaded with colour film.
For Aussie the visit brought back many memories as he once often flew in here on night mail flights, single crew from Bristol and Exeter and probably elsewhere in an Embrear Bandeirante. A far call from previous duties flying around the West Indies!
Notes: The first picture in this section was taken by Austin J Brown using my camera - hence it is black & white. We were requested to park next to the Grumman AA-1B, although the air traffic controller couldn't remember the type. It is worth doing a Google search on EI-CCY as it has an interesting history.
carl Spurling
This comment was written on: 2017-12-26 11:43:49I know and use the airport well. Current based Airlines are Ryanair, Easyjet and Blue Air. Other airlines servicing LPL are Wizz , Flybe, Tui plus various other charters. 5 million passengers are expected to use Liverpool in 2017.
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