Classic British Flight Sim

I thought I was too young to be reminiscing, but last night I arrived at LGW on 8R in an easyJet A319 from Zürich and as we got to the other end of the runway, near the BA maintenance hangar, something familiar was hiding in the darkness. At first I thought it was an aircraft still in Landor, but with no crest on the tail I realised it was the even earlier Negus & Negus livery. It was in fact the last 757 to be withdrawn some months ago which seems to be parked up, still in that livery.

We then taxiied almost to North terminal, I realised we would dock at the South Satellite Terminal which I hadn't flown from since 1992. It was my earliest memory of Gatwick, having first flown from there over 20 years ago in 1991, aged 8. Inside, it looked exactly the same as far as I could remember. Shops in the centre, garish orange seats that look like they must have been there since the building first stood in the early 80s, indispersed with wooden ones which might be a bit later but I cannot be sure. Linoleum (or what at a cursory glance looked like linoleum) flooring and large illuminated gate numbers in the typeface that used to be used by BAA.

The monorail has sadly gone owing to modern security and passenger segregation requirements but as ever the whole place is in disarray, being remodelled yet again. One can't help but think it won't look much better when they have finished Coming from Zürich, which is one of the nicest airports I have ever used, everything else looks drab by comparison. I am clearly spoiled.

Anyway, apologies for the ramble. Something about human nature to go back somewhere you haven't been for a long time and you're surprised both if it's unchanged or it's completely different.

Hi Toby

Sold to Fed Ex but undelivered yet AFAIK...well they recent were all sold to FedEx and only slowly been picked up as time passes

How can you compare Negus and Negus with Landor . The Negus used BOAC blue and white whereas Landor was midnight (very different) and grey??..pluse the red tail on Negus...but you noticed the crest missing???

Sorry...couldn't resist

Which reminds me of a beef I have about FS paints where people use the same blue and think that the grey was either white or much lighter grey than the miserable horrible tone used

Anyhow

That area is also where the withdrawn Airbus A.320's sat before being moved on mostly for scrapping, not sure if there is still one there

I feel a bit strange each time I fly from Liverpool JL.
My dad used to take me there all the time when I was little so I "grew up" with the old airport building. It's what I've come to think as Liverpool airport and I just can't get used to this shiny new modern thing. Gimme the old shed back complete with 1980's furniture and the big LIVERPOOL sign on the wall...

Garry Russell wrote: How can you compare Negus and Negus with Landor . The Negus used BOAC blue and white whereas Landor was midnight (very different) and grey??..pluse the red tail on Negus...but you noticed the crest missing???

Sorry...couldn't resist

It was pitch black, I was in a cabin passing by at 50mph or so and it was only illuminated by a large "orangey" spotlight. I twigged that the lower part ofhte union flag was slightly smaller than on Landor and of course the missing crest, although initially I thought 'well that could have been painted out if the aircraft has been withdrawn'.

Hi Toby

I'll forgive you

Bit of a leg pull really.......I was feeling mischievous

The latest listing indicate three still there

The Negus one....G-CPET was flown there on 28 September which was probably the last BA flight of the type as all three are now Fed Ex.

Did you notice if the ex roof Herald was still down by the fire service??

I think the Herald is(was?) near the DC-10/747 Hybrid trainer north of 8L. As I was seated in a starboard side window seat as we landed on 8R, I could only see what was south of the runway, so sorry, didn't notice that. I'll have a look tomorrow when I go back. Will try to sit on the right side again, should be good for the sunset.

Cheers Toby

I think they are, or were, using it for smoke evacuation and other non destructive exercises, so it might last a while yet.

FedEx would love to pick them up, unfortunately all the conversion shops they're using are full with other 757's being converted and their ramps are full of ones waiting.

It's sad to see the 757 gone from frontline passenger service with such a major carrier, but thankfully they've proven to be very good package haulers too (a fear that many had because of the hybrid narrow-body was that they wouldn't work to the interior contour and overhead not exactly matching the 727 (which it is replacing in freight service) and thus requiring new ULD's to be able to carry containerize freight. Thankfully Boeing and PEMCO seem to have figured it out because FedEx and UPS are going gangbusters with them.

Hi Garry, in fact I didn't see it, mainly because by the time we departed, ti was once again fully dark. Tend to forget it gets dark so much earlier now the clocks have gone back. I notice it less here than in the UK.